Holding Bai Menghan's hand, he jogged over to the trash collection point behind the hotel.
Fang Chenyi thought, 'This is going to be incredible! A hotel's trash collection point, even if it's not much, has got to have more than a roadside trash can! Damn it, I'm going to pick up at least a million's worth today!'
After rounding the main building, he saw a sizable collection point in the distance. But to Fang Chenyi's dismay, a garbage truck was pulling out of it right at that very moment.
"Fuck! What is this? Don't tell me I'm too late!"
The garbage truck ambled past Fang Chenyi. Coincidentally, a plastic bottle that had been caught on the side tumbled off.
Blown by the wind, it ROLLED to Fang Chenyi's feet.
But before Fang Chenyi could react, the quick and nimble Bai Menghan rushed forward. With a CRACK, she stomped the plastic bottle flat. Then she bent over, picked it up with a grin, and dangled it in front of him. Under Fang Chenyi's stunned gaze, she opened his woven bag and tossed the bottle right in.
After she was done, Bai Menghan dusted off her hands, a smug smile on her face. Her expression seemed to say, 'How about that? I'm an all-around genius. I don't just know how to act cute; I can pick up trash, too! Hmph, there's a lot more I can do. I'll be sure to show you in the future.'
Looking at Bai Menghan's beaming face, Fang Chenyi felt speechless, miserable, his heart bleeding...
The reason wasn't that he'd missed out on the last remaining bottle. It was because, just a moment ago, the system had issued another warning in his mind...
[Congratulations, Host, for picking up one plastic bottle. System reward: 100 yuan. The reward has been transferred to the Host's bank account. Please check for confirmation.]
[Reward transfer failed. The system has determined that this trash-picking attempt involved cheating. The item was not personally collected by the Host. The reward has been reclaimed by the system. The Host is hereby issued one warning.]
[The Host has now been warned twice. As a penalty, the next two items of trash collected will not grant any rewards.]
...
EMM... Not only did he not get the reward, but he was also stripped of the rewards for his next two finds. It wasn't a huge loss, but it was still incredibly frustrating for Fang Chenyi.
He wanted to tell Bai Menghan not to help him anymore, but when he saw her cute 'you're welcome' expression, he swallowed his words.
"Sigh... let's go. Looks like we were a step too late."
With a helpless sigh, Fang Chenyi turned around, took Bai Menghan's hand, and led her back to the parking lot.
This time, they made it back to the parking lot without any incidents.
After figuring out where the sports car's trunk was, he was finally able to get the woven bag off Bai Menghan's long legs.
He got into the supercar, stomped on the gas, and shot out of the Qinhuang Hotel parking lot.
After enjoying the stares of admiration all the way, the car finally reached the entrance to Century Garden.
The security guard saw the car, snapped a salute, and let them pass without hesitation. Once inside the complex, Fang Chenyi used his memory to park next to the same row of trash cans where he'd been scavenging the previous night.
Once the car came to a stop, Bai Menghan gave Fang Chenyi a sweet smile. "Alright, this is my stop. Remember to call me later!"
She said, waggling the phone in her hand before opening the door and getting out.
Fang Chenyi lowered the window and waved back at Bai Menghan. Then he hit the gas, and the Lamborghini let out a roar that echoed through the complex as it sped toward the villa district at the very front.
'Last night I saw ten villas, now's the perfect time to go check them out. Damn, I never would have dreamed a day like this would ever happen.'
But as he marveled at his good fortune, a worry began to creep into Fang Chenyi's mind.
'Honestly, whether it's the villas or the supercar, their origins are a real problem.'
'If someone were to investigate them closely, things could get complicated.'
At that thought, Fang Chenyi slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a halt. 'After getting the car, I was so caught up in the excitement that I never even considered if it was legal. It's a good thing I wasn't pulled over by the cops on the way here, or the consequences would have been unthinkable.'
With that in mind, Fang Chenyi frantically began to search the car. 'I wonder if a sports car rewarded by the system would even come with a registration certificate. If there's really nothing, I'll have to be a lot more careful about driving it out in the future.'
As Fang Chenyi rummaged around, he quickly spotted a small blue booklet in the armrest compartment.
When he saw the bold words "Vehicle Registration Certificate" on the cover, Fang Chenyi froze. 'This car actually has a registration certificate? I just wonder whose name is on it... It can't be mine, can it?'
His mind filled with doubt, Fang Chenyi opened the certificate.
Great Huaxia Country Vehicle Registration Certificate
License Plate Number: Ji C6T355 ------- Vehicle Type: Small Passenger Car
Owner: Fang Chenyi
Address: Villa 1, Century Garden, Qinhuang Island.
Usage: Personal ---- Make/Model: Lamborghini Sesto Elemento
Vehicle Identification Number: XXXX
...
'Looking at the crystal-clear information, it really is mine. And the address... it's a villa in Century Garden.'
'But when I got this car, I hadn't gotten the villas yet, had I? How did the address change to this place? This is... illogical.'
Just as Fang Chenyi was frowning in thought, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[The system updates the Host's information in real-time and will automatically arrange a legitimate identity for the Host, patching any real-world inconsistencies.]
"That's incredible!"
Fang Chenyi couldn't help but curse out loud. 'This system is too considerate! Does this mean everything I get from picking up trash is completely legal? I won't have to worry about anyone investigating me?'
But then another question occurred to him. "System, let me ask you, where does the reward money come from when I pick things up? You don't just conjure it out of thin air, do you? If you do, doesn't that mean it's all counterfeit?"
[Rest assured, Host. All system rewards are real. The monetary rewards are funds legally acquired from foreign financial markets. Please use them without concern.]
"Now that's what I'm talking about! I'll have no problem spending foreigners' money!"
'You have to hand it to the system; it really knows what it's doing, rewarding me with cash taken from foreigners.'
[To be continued...]
PS: A reader was chatting with Xiao Youzi earlier and said that this book made him want to go pick up trash... haha. Xiao Youzi wants to say, that's not a bad idea! If every one of us picked up just one piece of trash a day, we'd be doing our part for the environment!