Chapter 27 (1/2)
Banquet Hall, Backstage.
A man, about thirty-years-old and wearing gold frame glasses approached Qi Tao and asked him, “Somebody reported that you got into an argument with President Zhao. What actually happened?”
“Nothing much. I have my eyes set on that fatso’s daughter, but he keeps rejecting my requests to let her marry me. Instead of me, that foodie favored that good-for-nothing superpowered individual who merely had their cooking skills enhanced. I merely went over to exchange a few words with them, but that good-for-nothing fainted. What a joke…” answered Qi Tao nonchalantly.
A glimmer of fury flashed in the bespectacled man’s eyes. “You can act like a rich brat all you want, but you have to keep in mind the occasion! Whether or not he’s a good-for-nothing doesn’t matter, the fact that he managed to step into this place means that he’s a rich guest. Is that how you treat a guest?”
For being berated directly by the bespectacled man, Qi Tao angrily spat back, “Yo, even if you’re the oldest son of the Qi family and just because I gave you some face by calling you Older Brother Ye while you were leading people to riches, did you think I really was afraid of you? The nerve, trying to teach me a lesson. Don’t forget, the creation of your medicine would have been impossible if not for my grandfather!”
With that, Qi Tao threw a dirty glance and promptly left through the back door.
Qi Ye gazed at Qi Tao’s brazen and reckless silhouette, his eyes cold. As expected, being nice and lenient really wasn’t a path to power.
…
At the same time, The System was being uncharacteristically obedient as it waited for Fang Ning to explain how he had pulled the entire thing off. Even when they had unlocked that “Repaying a gratitude once owed” achievement, the System wasn’t this compliant.
It was obvious that Fang Ning’s mental racketeering technique was very important to the System…*
Of course it would be; having this technique meant that the System would be able to farm many more Yellow-Named Monsters, thus leading to an increase in efficiency. The System would definitely be in need of something like this…
Which was also why the System had resisted farming a monster that had an almost purplish-red name. If it had happened at some other time and place, it wouldn’t have hesitated, even if he had to run from one end of the city to the other end.
It was a good thing that Fang Ning and the System were of one entity. Whether or not Fang Ning could continue his homebody lifestyle of reading online novels and playing video games all depended on just how dependable the System was.
Fang Ning began explaining, “It was actually quite simple because I’ve read my fair share of novels. When he had called me a good-for-nothing, it could have actually been counted as a personal attack against us. If you think about it, he was actually quite a threat.”
“What threat are you talking about? I didn’t feel anything. He is quite strong, but if I were to use my Esoteric Skills against him, it wouldn’t be much of a fight,” said the System confusedly.
‘You stupid System’, thought Fang Ning before he continued, “He called us useless and even tried to snatch our possible fiancée. It wouldn’t be so bad if he were a normal person, but you said that he was full of potential. I’m sure he’s aiming to cripple me completely in the future, so if we don’t do something about him now, wouldn’t he be a huge threat once he grows stronger?
“Even if you were able to retaliate when that time came, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s from the Qi family. He’s supported by a bunch of elders in the family, what happens if they all take revenge for him? We’re not talking about people from novels; if they immediately send someone that’s more powerful than you, then wouldn’t we be finished? When I think about an ending like this, where I can no longer read my novels or play my video games, it felt like my life was ending…”
The System finally began to understand, but it was still confused, “You’re making a lot of sense. Although what you’re saying is based on facts and evidence, that doesn’t deny the fact that you came up with the whole thing in your mind. How did you change the color of the monster’s name on the System Map? Even I couldn’t do it.”
“Of course you couldn’t do it. You’ve said it yourself that you are a System that only operates according to a specific set of parameters to obtain power, so you can’t exactly do as you please. So the fact of you not knowing about these hidden effects is normal. If not, you wouldn’t have been so shocked when we unlocked that special achievement. But I’m your host, so I have ways to activate them.” Fang Ning patiently explained. He had to bluff the stupid System, or his true purpose of doing this would be exposed.
Fang Ning continued, “To me, a homebody that has read many different types of novels, this delusion of persecution that depends on facts and evidence does turn into an Obsession. Have you forgotten how we unlocked that “Repaying tenfold a gratitude once owed” Achievement?
“Wasn’t there a notification that said that I had finished my gratitude repayment Obsession? This new Obsession also probably triggers some hidden setting. The easiest to trigger was to change that Qi Tao’s alignment into that of my enemy, allowing you to destroy him. Am I right?”
The System answered, “Absolutely!”
Hearing the System’s reply, Fang Ning was elated. This stupid System’s brain really didn’t work, as it completely fell for Fang Ning’s bluff. If it possessed even a lick of humanity, it would’ve seen through Fang Ning completely.
The fact that Fang Ning was able to trigger that Obsession within the hidden settings wasn’t because of some ridiculous delusion of persecution that he had thought of, but rather because of the fact that it had always existed within him. Obsession isn’t imagined, so what logic would it be for the brain to be able to produce it so easily? The System wasn’t human and didn’t possess emotions, so it couldn’t possibly understand the complexity of human emotion, thus making it incredibly easy to bluff. If it were a human, Fang Ning would have been exposed.
His Obsession with repaying gratitude came into existence because it had slowly took shape over a course of a decade…
What was the other Obsession, a decade in the making? He just couldn’t understand it.
Fang Ning thought to himself, ‘I’m not telling this stupid System about that at all. If I do, it could come up with ways to destroy that Obsession, then what more would I have in life? Besides, I do not and can’t destroy this Obsession; as long as it exists, it would be equal to giving the System a permanent monster farming Buff, and it wouldn’t have to worry about there not being any more monsters to farm.
‘Using that Celestial Weapon to attract monsters was efficient, but uncontrollable, but this Buff can be activated at will, combining both together would be perfect.’