LABMY CH9

While Wei Zhenge went to school, Jian Yuanbai headed to the rough jade trading market.

The place was not what Jian Yuanbai had imagined. There was no decoration, and it could even be described as crude. A large canopy made of steel frames and fabric covered rows of tables, on which various oddly shaped stones were displayed.

Many people wandered through the space, most holding flashlights and shining them against the rough jade stones to examine them.

These stones weren’t just random rocks dug up from the mountains. They were raw jadeite stones, and the people who came here weren’t here for the stones themselves but for the jade hidden inside.

Gambling on stones—one cut to fortune, one cut to ruin.

Countless people had become rich through it, while even more had lost everything.

Jian Yuanbai strolled around excitedly, observing others passionately discussing the quality of the jade, the types of cracks, and the water content. He picked up one stone after another, imitating their actions as if he knew what he was doing.

The system spoke up: “You want to gamble on stones?”

“I’d advise you not to. You still have at least a year to complete your mission. If you end up broke and homeless from gambling, it’ll make my job very difficult.”

Jian Yuanbai fell silent for a moment, seemingly in thought. Then he said hesitantly, “But you don’t really do anything anyway, do you? If you could, why would you need a host in the first place?”

The system remained silent.

But it wasn’t the situation that changed—it was the one who fell silent.

Oblivious to the complexity in the system’s heart, Jian Yuanbai eagerly asked, “Can you unlock a ‘X-ray vision’ cheat for me? I want to experience what it feels like.”

“Speaking of which, X-ray vision shouldn’t just let me see inside the stones. It should also let me see what’s inside bags, inside rooms, and… under clothes…”

Jian Yuanbai paused, then let out a deep sigh, “So, according to the plot, Little Pillow will awaken the ‘X-ray Vision’ ability when he turns eighteen.”

“Not at sixteen, not at seventeen, but exactly on the day of adulthood… The reason is…”

“Because once he turns eighteen, he can legally access the… explicit adult world.”

Jian Yuanbai nearly gagged, “My God, what horrifying scenes will Little Pillow have to endure? People walking around naked on the streets?!”

“I’m telling you, he’s going to turn into a complete pervert! Does he really have to awaken this ability?” Jian Yuanbai protested in disbelief. “You’re throwing an innocent, fair-skinned, pure-hearted Little Pillow directly into a world of indecency. How will he ever dare to open his eyes again?”

The system was speechless.

It was literally living in Jian Yuanbai’s head, yet it couldn’t comprehend how this man’s brain worked.

Jian Yuanbai, tortured by his imagination, grew restless. He turned on his heel and headed straight for the restroom. Once inside, he locked the door and said seriously, “System, come out. We need to talk.”

With a shimmer of light, a golden kitten appeared before him. Its entire body glistened like pure gold, with tiny wings fluttering behind it. However, its round eyes were filled with human-like helplessness.

“Speak.”

The system didn’t even bother arguing with Jian Yuanbai. It was genuinely curious about what he wanted to discuss.

Jian Yuanbai grabbed the kitten’s two front paws and shook them up and down like a handshake.

“Tiantian, you’re Long AoTian Support System, and I’m the host of the support system.”

“We both have the responsibility to help Little Pillow succeed. It’s not just about whether he reaches the pinnacle of life; his mental health is equally important.”

“Think about it. From now on, he won’t dare to look up when walking on the street. And if he meets a taller man and accidentally looks up…”

Jian Yuanbai suddenly shut his eyes and leaned back as if dodging a horrifying sight.

“Unbearable. Absolutely unbearable.”

“You’re throwing an innocent, underage Little Pillow into such a grotesque world. He’s definitely going to become a pervert. There’s no doubt about it.”

“For normal people, turning eighteen means entering the adult world. For Little Pillow, it’s straight into a world of debauchery.”

Gripping the kitten’s paws tightly, Jian Yuanbai pleaded, “Let’s give up this ‘X-ray Vision’ ability. I’ll find another way to help him succeed. Didn’t you say that as long as he reaches the peak of life, the method doesn’t matter?”

Jian Yuanbai’s expression was solemn, his eyes filled with determination.

“We must protect the pure and innocent Little Pillow.”

His words were righteous and sincere, with not a trace of self-interest. He was even willing to bear the burden himself to shield Wei Zhenge from the horrors of the world.

…

The golden kitten, however, rolled its eyes in a very human-like manner.

“Have you ever considered… that this ‘X-ray Vision’ ability can be turned on or off at will?”

“If he were forced to see through everything every time he opened his eyes, he’d go blind within a week.”

Jian Yuanbai, completely missing the sarcasm, sighed in relief. “Oh, that’s good.”

After giving the golden kitten a good rub and turning it into a ball of fluff, Jian Yuanbai finally stepped out of the restroom.

“So this is what it feels like to pet a cat…” Jian Yuanbai thought to himself.

After all, he used to be a dazzling golden kitten himself, though without the tiny wings.

The reason Jian Yuanbai had chosen the Long AoTian Support System 000 was simply because its mimic form resembled his former self.

But the system was unaware of this. It thought Jian Yuanbai was chosen by fate.

Returning to the rough jade market, Jian Yuanbai had just passed two stalls when someone called out to him.

“Xiao Yuan?”

“Jian Yuanbai!”

Jian Yuanbai didn’t react at first. It wasn’t until the man stood directly in front of him that he finally realized someone was addressing him.

“You are…?”

The man, with a scruffy beard and rough skin, looked at him incredulously. “You’ve forgotten me? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Jian Yuanbai stared blankly at him, frantically calling the system in his head, “Tiantian, who is this guy?”

The system had never provided him with the original host’s memories, nor had it mentioned any social connections. It only told him that the original host was an orphan living in an old house left by his parents.

So, standing in front of this stranger, Jian Yuanbai was genuinely clueless.

What surprised him even more was that the system remained eerily silent. After several calls, it finally answered, “One of the original host’s shady friends.”

Jian Yuanbai: …

“So… what’s his name?”

The system: …

In front of a humble jade stall, what seemed like a silent confrontation between two people was, in reality, the awkward silence of three souls.

Before the system could come up with an excuse, Jian Yuanbai beat it to the punch.

“Tell me the truth—just how severe is your system burnout?”

“As the Long AoTian Support System, you’re supposed to know the names and personalities of every significant character around the protagonist. How can you not even recall this guy’s name?”

The system: “…Apologies.”

Jian Yuanbai sighed in disappointment. “You’re apologizing to the wrong person. You should be apologizing to yourself. Stop watching those weird adult videos. You’ve already turned into a filthy, knowledge-less system.”

The system instantly denied, “I didn’t watch anything.”

Jian Yuanbai: “Then why can’t you even remember a basic name?”

The system couldn’t explain itself.

After a long silence, Jian Yuanbai concluded with certainty, “You definitely watched it.”

The system felt like it was about to explode. If there ever came a day when Jian Yuanbai suffered, it would make sure to record it and play it on loop.

Meanwhile, Jian Yuanbai awkwardly smiled at the man and said, “How could I forget you? Right, Uncle?”

The man stroked his scruffy beard. “I’m only nine years older than you.”

“Ha… ha…” Jian Yuanbai forced a laugh. “You just look mature. Shows you’ve got experience in the jade gambling game.”

The latter part of his sentence was still acceptable, so the man ignored the insult in the first half and said, “You’ve really been off the grid these past two weeks. I’m Old Liu. You forgot even that?”

Before Jian Yuanbai could respond, Old Liu slung an arm around his shoulder. “Come, come. I’ve got some good raw jade for you. Just for old times’ sake.”

Jian Yuanbai instinctively stepped back, avoiding the sweat-stained hand. “Just lead the way.”

A flash of displeasure crossed Old Liu’s face, but he quickly hid it and led the way with a smile.

After weaving through the market, they arrived at a remote corner. Behind the stall, a young man was guarding the goods. When he saw Old Liu, he greeted him, “Boss.”

Old Liu picked up a piece of raw jade with a small exposed window showing a hint of green. “This is specially reserved for you. I’m only offering it because we’re brothers. Look at the quality of the jade and the water content.”

Old Liu held up three fingers. “I’ll sell it to you for this price.”

The price was 30,000 yuan.

In jade gambling, raw materials with a small cut revealing a bit of jade inside are called “semi-gambling materials.” Buyers can make judgments based on the exposed part, but the inside could either be a large chunk of jade or just a thin layer of green with nothing but stone inside.

If the quality was indeed ice jadeite, as the exposed part suggested, 30,000 yuan was a bargain. Even a fist-sized piece of ice jadeite could easily sell for over 100,000.

The system immediately warned, “Don’t buy it. He’s likely scamming you.”

Jian Yuanbai: “No way. He said we’re brothers, and this price is definitely below market value.”

The system grew anxious and was about to persuade him further when Jian Yuanbai suddenly said,

“Thanks for the offer, but no. This is just a pile of stone.”

He only glanced at it once and didn’t even take the jade from Old Liu’s hand.

Old Liu’s face darkened. “I’m only selling this to you because of our friendship. Many others have tried to buy it, but I refused. You won’t even give it a proper look and just dismiss it as worthless?”

Jian Yuanbai’s gaze turned cold. With his sharp features and cold expression, he looked even more intimidating than Old Liu.

“I’ve already seen it. There’s no jade inside.”

Old Liu was furious. “What makes you think you can judge it with a single glance? Look at the exposed green here! The quality, the water content—it’s at least ice jadeite! The green line even extends inward. If it stretches just a few centimeters, you’ll make a fortune!”

“I rejected other buyers for you. If you don’t buy it, we’re no longer brothers.”

At this point, Jian Yuanbai would be a fool not to realize he was being scammed. His expression turned icy.

“Fine. I’ll buy it.”

“But I’ll cut it open right here. If there’s jade inside, I won’t take a single bit and will still pay you the full 30,000.”

“If there’s nothing, you owe me 100,000.”

“So, do you dare to bet or not?”