When I was little I didn't understand the perks of money, yet having it still made life pretty happy.
Now Jiang Cheng finally gets why money matters.
Right now, for instance, he can spend cash to make Annie happy—just like his old man used to.
Without a thought he drops 600 yuan to buy an hour of someone else's queuing time.
If you're broke, even a theme-park visit demands careful math; the ticket is only the beginning.
Everyone knows the prices inside are sky-high—two-yuan bottled water gets marked up on the spot.
Even a KFC combo costs double what the street-side branch charges.
These daylight-robbery clauses hurt ordinary folks, but to the rich they're not even pocket change.
Wherever the wealthy go, they buy service and buy experience.
Anything money can fix is good news to them.
Ordinary people do the opposite: they gladly spend hours just to save a few bucks.
To the two girls just now, six hundred in hand beat queuing again.
Six hundred for an hour of their time felt like a bargain.
Jiang Cheng bought their time with cash; they traded their time for cash—two views of the same coin.
That's the difference in spending mindsets.
He'd picked two girls because the front of the line held basically two types.
Parents with kids, and couples.
Approach either group and the odds of success would've been low.
Ask the parents: some might agree, but the kid would probably bawl—plenty of children can't grasp what six hundred yuan means.
They'd only feel Jiang Cheng was stealing their fun.
These days most parents put their child's wishes first; if the kid says no, Mom or Dad will likely back down.
As for couples, the rejection rate shoots even higher.
Picture it: lovebirds queueing for a romantic carousel ride.
Suddenly some guy offers cash to swap places; the guy might waver, but with his girl right there he'll almost certainly refuse.
Two female friends, though—much easier.
Girls tend to count every yuan, and best friends don't fuss over face; a little cash seals the deal.
After that first triumph of money power, every later attraction went smoothly.
Anything popular and queue-heavy was bypassed instantly.
Not only did Annie have a blast—Jiang Cheng and An Xin felt far more relaxed too.
A ride lasts minutes, the line half an hour; Jiang Cheng calls that a lousy game experience.
They played, nibbled tasty snacks, soaked up the park's happy vibe—turned out great.
No boredom in sight.
By six-thirty, dusk falling, the trio finally boarded the so-called most romantic Ferris wheel.
Sunset blazed; the view was at its finest.
Once in the cabin Annie glued herself to Jiang Cheng, worn out from play.
As the wheel slowly rose she leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "Thank you, big brother. I used to envy others—everyone had dads at the park except me. When Grandpa fought with Mom he'd call me a wild child and say they should dump me. But today I'm happy; you feel like my dad…"
Jiang Cheng listened to her inner words.
His heart quietly ached.
He himself had grown up under his parents' doting care.
Annie's childhood stirred real sympathy in him.
He stroked her hair, ready to offer comfort, only to find the little rascal already asleep.
Right then the System chimed: "Ding!"
[Mission complete; calculating Annie's satisfaction…]
[Annie's satisfaction with the amusement-park experience: 100%!]
[Special note: Annie is a child starved of security. Before falling asleep she gave the Host the purest, simplest blessing in the world.]
[System awards the Host the function [Heal]. Over time it will auto-repair past bodily injuries.]
Seeing this heaven-defying reward Jiang Cheng's eyes went wide.
It beat getting cash by a mile.
Honestly, money rewards no longer thrilled him.
Gil couldn't even be bothered to twitch.
Perks that strengthened his body felt far more precious.
Once you're loaded, who doesn't want a healthy frame?
The System meant Annie had made a wish before sleep, a wish tied to Jiang Cheng and An Xin.
Presumably about his health, hence the retroactive repair ability.
Jiang Cheng recalled the bumps and bruises of his youth.
He'd always loved sports, played tons of basketball; scrapes were routine.
Once he'd partied too hard and snapped his calf, spending months in bed.
Though the bone had long healed, lingering issues remained.
When the wind picked up or rain fell, that old fracture would ache.
Fixing that sounded pretty good.
With Annie asleep, the park outing came to a gentle close.
The naughty child might be wild, but asleep she looked angelic.
They strapped her into the car seat and she didn't stir a muscle.
An Xin smiled softly. "She can sleep soundly even propped against a chair."
Jiang Cheng nodded. "No wonder people online say kids are angels while asleep, demons once they wake."
An Xin stifled a giggle, then said, "Jiang Cheng, thank you for today."
After dropping him at the restaurant's garage she drove Annie home.
It was past eight p.m.
Jiang Cheng thought for a moment, then headed for the Tomson Golf Villa he'd bought a few days earlier…