The G7375 train was as steady as a gliding piece of ice.
Outside the window, the hills and plains of Jiangnan alternated in view, shrouded by the abundant water vapor of late August into a flowing, slightly impressionistic landscape painting.
Swathes of deep green rapidly receded backward, occasionally passing one or two villages of white walls and black tiles, only to be quickly replaced by continuous fields, like drops of light ink inadvertently spilled by a painter onto a canvas.
Lu Zhe sat by the window, wearing a plain white T-shirt with no logos, perfectly washed jeans, and a pair of clean sneakers.
He was neither playing on his phone nor reading a book; he was simply gazing quietly out the window, letting the changing scenery flow through his dark eyes without leaving any trace in his heart.
The carriage was noisy: children crying, the loud tones of young people making phone calls, the smacking sounds of the man next to him chewing food, mixed with the faint, intermittent smell of smoke drifting from the carriage connection.
All of this seemed separated by an invisible film, naturally filtered out by Lu Zhe.
On the small folding tray table in front of him, there was only a bottle of mineral water with the cap unscrewed.
Eighteen years of life in a small Jiangnan city had drawn to a close yesterday.
A simple suitcase and a high-speed rail ticket to the Magic City were his farewell to the past and the start of his future.
His parents had passed away due to an accident when he was very young, and he had been raised single-handedly by his Aunt.
His Aunt was a middle school teacher in the small city, gentle in nature, and gave him all her love and security, also cultivating in him a sense of independence and calmness far exceeding his peers.
He was used to thinking alone, solving problems alone, and facing the world alone.
Getting accepted into Fuhua University in the Magic City was expected.
At the farewell dinner, his Aunt cried profusely, while he smiled and comforted her all evening.
Only when he turned away did his eyes feel slightly warm.
"Life..."
Lu Zhe sighed softly in his heart.
For him, having just turned eighteen, the word was grand, profound, and carried a trace of imperceptible confusion.
What would the future look like?
What kind of people and events would he encounter during his four years of university?
Just as his thoughts drifted, a marvelous change occurred without warning deep within his consciousness.
[Detection complete: host has reached eighteen years of age, mental frequency meets binding requirements...]
[Soul compatibility verification in progress... 10%... 50%... 100%. Compatibility is perfect.]
[The "Perfect Life Experience" System is starting activation...]
A series of soft, neutral voices, devoid of any mechanical feeling, seemed not to sound through his ears but directly in the deepest part of his mind.
The sound was not abrupt; instead, it was like a long-forgotten memory being quietly reawakened at this moment.
Lu Zhe's body did not move, nor did his expression change in the slightest.
He merely watched the scenery rushing past the window, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.
But the voice grew clearer.
[System activation successful.]
[This System is dedicated to assisting the host in experiencing a colorful, rich, and profound perfect life, discovering every beauty in life, improving the self, and perfecting character.
Wealth, status, and skills will all be accessories during your experience.]
[Newbie Guide has been activated.
Would the host like to view it immediately?]
Lu Zhe's eyelids lowered slightly, his long lashes casting a small shadow beneath his eyes.
He did not respond immediately, instead unconsciously rubbing the cool mineral water bottle with his fingers.
All of this was too incredible, but his inherent calmness prevented him from panicking; instead, he immediately began analyzing the situation.
It wasn't an illusion.
The feeling was too real.
It sounded like the "System" commonly seen in web novels.
He remained silent for about half a minute, then consciously attempted to respond in his mind: "View it."
*Buzz.*
An extremely minimalist, translucent interface instantly unfolded in his conscious vision.
The interface was pale gold, with smooth lines, full of futuristic beauty, resembling a conceptual work of art rather than functional software.
There were only a few clear modules on the interface.
[host]: Lu Zhe
Constitution: 85 (Peak for an ordinary adult male is 100)
Spirit: 120 (Peak for an ordinary adult male is 100)
Skills: Basketball (Professional Level), Cooking (Beginner), Driving (Mastery), Calligraphy (Expert Level)... (Click to expand)
Wealth: 125,346.72 Yuan (Parents' inheritance and personal savings)
Comprehensive Evaluation: A young man with excellent physical fitness, spiritual power far exceeding the average person, and several outstanding skills.
The future is promising.
Lu Zhe's gaze lingered on the "Spirit: 120" section for a moment.
Perhaps this was why he could accept all of this so calmly.
He shifted his attention to the next module.
[Mission Panel]
(Gray, not yet activated)
[System Mall]
(Gray, not yet activated)
[Inventory]
[Newbie Gift Package] x 1 (Pending activation)
The entire interface was impossibly clean, with most functions deactivated.
Lu Zhe's attention naturally fell upon the only item emitting a faint glow: the Newbie Gift Package.
"Activate," he murmured in his mind.
[Newbie Gift Package activating...]
[Congratulations, host, you have received the following rewards:]
[1. Startup Capital: 10,000,000 Yuan (Successfully transferred via legal, untraceable channels into your bank account ending in 6335.
Relevant tax certificates and source of funds documentation will be sent to your mobile email within one hour).]
[2. Perfect Constitution: Your Constitution attribute has been permanently raised to 150.
You are immune to all common illnesses, and your physical coordination, strength, endurance, and recovery have all received significant optimization.]
[3. Master-Level Driving Skill: You can now perfectly operate any type of land vehicle on Earth.
Your reaction speed and control precision rival those of a top-tier F1 racer.]
[4. Personal Asset: One aston martin DB11 V8 Coupe (Starry Purple livery, all procedures completed, parked in space C07 of the P1 parking garage at Hongqiao High-Speed Rail Station in the Magic City.
The electronic key and vehicle documents have been placed in the interlayer of your personal backpack).]
In an instant, Lu Zhe felt a warm and comfortable energy flow through every cell of his body.
His muscles, which had been slightly stiff from the long train ride, loosened up, and his five senses seemed to become sharper.
He could even clearly hear the extremely faint piano melody leaking from a girl's headphones three rows away.
The physical enhancement was genuine and undeniable.
The ten million yuan in startup capital and the aston martin worth several million yuan, however, made him truly realize the "extraordinary nature" of this System.
This was not a super rich tycoon System exaggerated to the point of world destruction; it didn't casually grant hundreds of billions in assets or provide supernatural abilities.
Its rewards were more like a "ticket," an entry pass allowing him to "experience" the world from a higher starting point.
This perfectly matched its name—the "Perfect Life Experience" System.
"Ding-dong."
His phone screen lit up with a bank SMS notification.
[Dear customer, a transfer transaction of 10,000,000.00 Yuan was completed in your savings account ending in 6335 at 14:32 on September 1st.
Current account balance: 10,125,346.72 Yuan.]
Lu Zhe picked up his phone, glanced at it, then calmly turned off the screen and put it back in his pocket.
His heart rate barely quickened, as if this were just a perfectly normal transfer.
He reached up and retrieved his black backpack from the luggage rack above his seat.
In the interlayer, he indeed felt an envelope that was slightly heavy in his hand.
He did not open it in public, merely rubbing it with his fingers, feeling the outline of a car key and the thickness of several paper documents inside.
Everything was real.
"Hello, Lu Zhe's Nickname, are you almost there?"
His phone vibrated.
It was a call from his Aunt.
"Yes, I'll be at Hongqiao in about twenty minutes."
Lu Zhe's voice was clear and calm, betraying no sign of abnormality.
"That's good, that's good.
Once you settle in at school, remember to let Aunt know you're safe.
Do you have enough money?
If not, I can transfer some more."
His Aunt's voice on the other end was full of concern.
"I have enough, Aunt.
You've already given me plenty."
A warm smile unconsciously appeared on Lu Zhe's lips.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself."
"Good, good.
You've been sensible since you were little, so Aunt isn't worried.
We'll end it here, you should prepare to get off the train."
"Goodbye, Aunt."
After hanging up, the train's announcement system sounded the timely reminder that the train was about to arrive at the station.
The train began to slow down gradually.
The blurry colors outside the window sharpened, transforming into the silhouettes of towering skyscrapers.
The Magic City, this massive metropolis filled with opportunities, desires, and dreams, finally revealed a magnificent corner of itself before his eyes.
Lu Zhe finished the remaining mineral water in one gulp, casually placed the empty bottle into the trash bag by his feet, then stood up and retrieved his simple suitcase from the luggage rack.
The people around him began to stir, organizing their luggage, calling out to companions, their faces showing varying degrees of excitement about reaching their destination.
Lu Zhe stood amidst the crowd, maintaining his quiet demeanor, but only he knew that from this moment on, the trajectory of his life had shifted onto a completely different track.
The train smoothly pulled up to the platform.
The doors opened, and a wave of humid air, belonging to the Magic City and carrying desire and dreams, rushed towards him.
Lu Zhe pulled his suitcase and followed the flow of people off the platform, the brilliant lights of the city reflected in his dark eyes.
His university life, and his destined-to-be-extraordinary perfect life, had just begun