The chill lingered.
It was not the kind that came from cold air or rain-soaked clothes, but something deeper—an instinctive warning etched into Lin Yuan's newly awakened perception. By the time he reached the edge of the park, the sensation had faded, withdrawn like a probing finger that had confirmed something worth remembering.
Recognition, he thought again.
Not hostility. Not goodwill.
Interest.
That alone was dangerous.
Lin Yuan did not slow his pace. He exited the park, crossed the street with the crowd, and let the flow of ordinary life swallow him once more. Outwardly, he was just another young man checking his phone, head slightly lowered, expression neutral.
Inwardly, his mind was working at full speed.
Someone strong noticed the system's effects, he analyzed. Not the system itself—but the ripple I caused.
That distinction mattered.
If the system were directly detectable, then secrecy would be impossible. But if only results could be sensed, then concealment—at least for now—was feasible.
"Good," Lin Yuan murmured under his breath.
He needed time.
And now that he had money, he could buy it.
Spending Effort, Not Wealth
Lin Yuan returned to his apartment shortly after noon. The cramped room felt even smaller now—not because it had changed, but because he had.
He set his phone on the desk and stared at the updated balance again, confirming it hadn't reverted.
It hadn't.
The number remained solid. Real.
Hundredfold quantity returns on earned money were no joke.
But instead of excitement, Lin Yuan felt restraint.
If I splurge recklessly, he reasoned, every action compounds. Waste multiplies just as efficiently as gain.
He needed to establish principles.
Rule One: Effort must precede return.Rule Two: Every choice must serve long-term control.
He opened a new document on his laptop and began typing.
Not a diary.
A framework.
He outlined what he knew so far about the system—its triggers, its limitations, its absolute consistency. He categorized actions: physical, mental, social, economic. For each, he noted potential strategies for Quantity versus Quality returns.
As he wrote, the system interface flickered.
[Action Detected: Strategic Planning.][Choose Return Type.]
Lin Yuan paused, fingers hovering over the keyboard.
This was delicate.
Quality refinement of strategy could lead to near-perfect foresight—but might also accelerate his divergence from normal cognition, making it harder to blend in.
Quantity would multiply planning time—effectively granting him the benefits of extended analysis without distorting perception.
After a brief consideration, he chose carefully.
"Quantity."
[Choice Confirmed: Quantity ×100.][Cognitive Time Expansion Applied.]
The sensation was subtle but unmistakable.
It was as if time stretched—not externally, but internally. Thoughts layered upon thoughts. Possibilities branched and recombined. Lin Yuan explored outcomes, contingencies, and countermeasures with an efficiency that bordered on inhuman.
Minutes of real time translated into hours of structured analysis.
When the effect settled, Lin Yuan leaned back slowly.
The framework on his screen was far more detailed than he remembered typing.
Good, he thought. This kind of return preserves balance.
He saved the document, encrypted it, and closed the laptop.
Next—
He needed privacy.
Not just physical, but energetic.
Lin Yuan scrolled through real estate listings on his phone.
He didn't need luxury. In fact, luxury attracted attention.
What he needed was isolation, stability, and space.
After an hour of searching, he found it: a small, detached house on the outskirts of Tiancheng City. Old, slightly run-down, but with one critical feature—
It sat near a low hill covered in sparse forest.
Less concrete.
More air.
More qi.
He contacted the agent and arranged a viewing for the following day. The deposit alone was more than he could have imagined affording a week ago.
He paid without hesitation.
As soon as the transfer completed, the system responded.
[Action Detected: Expenditure of Earned Resources.][Choose Return Type.]
Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Spending money was also an action.
Quantity would multiply the effect of the expenditure—perhaps yielding property value, assets, or influence.
Quality would refine the outcome—turning a simple rental into something more aligned with cultivation.
He didn't hesitate.
"Quality."
[Choice Confirmed: Quality ×100.][Outcome Refinement Initiated.]
A faint pressure settled over him, like an invisible seal clicking into place.
Information surfaced in his mind—not as a voice, but as understanding.
The house he had chosen sat atop a minor geomantic node. Nothing powerful. Barely noticeable.
But under quality refinement, its suitability would be amplified—qi circulation improved, ambient disturbances reduced, environmental stability enhanced.
Not a cultivation treasure.
But a safe ground.
Lin Yuan exhaled slowly.
"This system…" he murmured. "It doesn't just give. It optimizes."
The more he understood it, the more dangerous it became—in the right hands.
Evening fell.
Lin Yuan cooked a simple meal—rice, vegetables, eggs. He ate calmly, savoring the fact that hunger no longer gnawed at him the way it used to. His body consumed nutrients with near-perfect efficiency now.
As he washed the dishes, his phone rang.
An unfamiliar number.
He stared at the screen for a moment before answering.
"Lin Yuan speaking."
A pause.
Then a voice—measured, polite, carrying an undercurrent of authority.
"Mr. Lin," the voice said. "My name is Qin Shuhai. I represent a private organization with an interest in… exceptional individuals."
Lin Yuan's gaze sharpened.
Qin.
The name resonated faintly with the pressure he had sensed earlier.
"I don't recall giving out my number," Lin Yuan replied evenly.
A soft chuckle came through the line.
"Of course not. Please don't misunderstand—this is not a threat. We simply noticed a fluctuation last night and traced it to you."
"So you are watching me," Lin Yuan said calmly.
"Observing," Qin Shuhai corrected. "There is a difference."
Lin Yuan considered his response carefully.
"What do you want?"
"An introduction," Qin Shuhai said. "Nothing more. A conversation. Mutual understanding."
"And if I refuse?"
Another pause.
"Then we continue observing," Qin Shuhai replied honestly. "And others may notice as well. Some less… restrained."
Lin Yuan smiled faintly.
Threat disguised as courtesy.
"Well played," he thought.
"Where?" Lin Yuan asked.
"Tomorrow night," Qin Shuhai said. "A teahouse near the old district. I'll send the address."
The call ended.
Lin Yuan set the phone down slowly.
So the first gatekeeper had stepped forward.
Not an enemy.
Not an ally.
A test.
The system interface shimmered faintly.
[Social Interaction Pending.][Potential Outcomes: Variable.]
Lin Yuan looked at the prompt and dismissed it.
He didn't need the system to tell him this was a turning point.
If I hide forever, I stagnate, he thought. If I confront too early, I invite disaster.
Tomorrow's meeting would determine which path he took.
As darkness settled over the city, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged on his bed and closed his eyes.
It was time to cultivate again.
This time, he chose quantity.
[Choice Confirmed: Quantity ×100.][Cultivation Time Multiplied.]
The effect was immediate.
Minutes stretched into hours within his perception. Qi flowed steadily into his body, refined by his perfect foundation, cycling through meridians that widened and stabilized with each pass.
His realm did not leap forward explosively.
Instead, it solidified.
Qi reserves deepened.
Control sharpened.
By the time the effect ended, Lin Yuan opened his eyes slowly.
[Cultivation Realm:]• Mortal Body — Mid Awakening
Progress without instability.
Exactly as he wanted.
He lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Tomorrow, he would step into the hidden world's line of sight willingly.
Not as prey.
But not yet as a predator either.
Just—
An unknown variable.
And unknown variables made powerful people uneasy.
Lin Yuan closed his eyes, calm and unafraid.
Because no matter how strong they thought they were—
Every action they took against him…
Would return a hundredfold.