HCB Chapter 1 almost made me think it was a "system scam".
Chapter 1 almost made me think it was a "system scam".
[Check-in point as you pass by]
[Where the cuties gather]
[Daily Wish for Sudden Wealth]
[A Haven for Smart Brains]
(Beep, from this moment on, embark on an immersive time-travel journey!)
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"---【The End】---" (99+)
Late at night, inside a villa in H City.
Bai Mengran finally stayed up all night to finish reading a time-travel novel that she had been urging to update for several months.
For the past few months, she has felt like a vicious stepmother supervising her child's homework, wishing she could whip him every day to urge him to finish his work.
But strangely enough, now that she'd finished watching it, she felt a little empty, a kind of inexplicable void...
Bai Mengran took a deep breath, opened the comments section, lit up five stars, wrote a long book review, and left the date: 2025.5.20.
"Ugh! I've finished another book! When will it finally be my turn to time travel?!"
Looking out at the starry sky, Bai Mengran sighed deeply.
Forget it, it's more practical to just go to my dreams sooner rather than later.
Bai Mengran quickly exited the Tomato Novel app, plugged in her phone to charge, and then crawled into bed, turned off the lights, and went to sleep.
I drifted off to sleep, half-asleep, and in that dreamlike state, a strange voice kept repeating the phrase "Host requests binding," though the tone gradually lowered, as if it were very aggrieved.
Just as Bai Mengran was about to subconsciously block it out, that cute, mechanical voice started to whine at her.
[Host, please bind to me! I beg you~]
Bai Mengran thought to herself that with the economy so bad these days, all sorts of scams are popping up everywhere. And now, she's even fallen victim to a "system scam"...
Seeing that its host didn't believe it, the system shrugged in frustration.
Hmph, it was clearly the host who said he wanted to travel through time, so why is the host ignoring him even though he's being so humble?
The system, which was determined to be strong-willed, had no choice but to use its trump card, directly taking Bai Mengran into the "alternate space" prepared for her.
[Host, once you're bound to me, this space is all yours. Feel free to do whatever you want with it!]
The system waved its short arms, making grand promises.
"This...is it really true?"
Upon hearing that there was a space, Bai Mengran's bookworm DNA was instantly activated!
Only then did she believe in the existence of the system.
However, he still secretly thought to himself that this system that had delivered itself to his door was probably a newbie. What happened to the system being supposed to be aloof?
"What's the use of this piece of land if there's nothing there?"
Bai Mengran stomped her feet hard and found that she could only see the ground beneath her feet, while the surroundings were shrouded in white mist and she could not see anything.
[Host, this is an infinitely large space, but it's not yet unlocked. You are free to create whatever you want on this land, and build it as big as you wish.]
"I have nothing, what can I build?"
[Host, don't worry, I have everything you want.]
The system smiled slyly. [The host can unlock these features randomly by completing system tasks, or purchase them with system currency from the system shop.]
[If you can think of it, you can buy it in the system store!]
Suddenly, a blue light appeared, and Bai Mengran saw a semi-transparent display screen appear out of thin air in front of her, scrolling through various shops and goods.
Milk tea shops, snack stalls, hot pot restaurants, restaurants serving various cuisines, large restaurants, convenience stores, daily necessities stores, cosmetics stores, supermarkets, arcades, cinemas...
Everything you could want is available, with clearly marked prices, and upgrades are possible even after unlocking.
Bai Mengran was increasingly excited as she read this.
But she remained outwardly calm and composed.
[Host, you've seen everything, so you can bind to me now, right?]
The system was getting impatient as it had already demonstrated so many of its shortcomings, yet the host remained unmoved.
"Don't rush, these all cost money to buy. Can I bring some things with me?"
Seeing that the "newbie" system was easy to negotiate with, Bai Mengran began to bargain.
【………】
Fearing the host might be unwilling to bind, the system compromised, saying, "Alright then, the host can only bring a maximum of three items."
"okay!"
Bai Mengran's lips gradually turned up. This simple system is so easy to talk to. It really is a newbie.
After a moment's thought, Bai Mengran had an idea.
"Then I want to bring my villa, along with electricity and internet!"
Since the system didn't clearly state the size of the item, she can't be blamed for exaggerating it.
【Ah... host, you...】
It clearly means three items, how can the host be so lacking in morality...?
However, it did seem that it hadn't made its intentions clear beforehand, so the system's voice gradually faded.
Let's not talk about villas for now; electricity and internet are huge projects. Can these even be considered things?
Bai Mengran instantly feigned innocence and said, "Hmm, how can it not count?"
The system was speechless and frustrated. After a fierce internal struggle, it gave in and tearfully agreed.
[Alright, host, I'll copy and paste the villa into your space exactly.]
As for electricity and internet, I will also contact the relevant systems to help you achieve full coverage within your area...
"Snap!" That's the sound of a heart breaking!
It's a pity that it has spent all its system coins in order to bind to this host, and if this continues, it may have to use up all its bitter tea seeds.
Sigh, who told it to impulsively deposit all 1 million of its system coins into the "System Coin Bank" for a mere few million in interest...
Sigh, being a system user isn't easy! Wiping away imaginary tears, the system realized, well, what can you do when your host is...
Is it easy for it to curry favor with someone powerful?
[Host, do you have any requests before you leave?]
Please bind it immediately!
Bai Mengran's eyes lit up. This question hit the nail on the head. Since it's been asked, then...
"After time travel, can I be ten years younger? Twenty-six years old seems a bit old in ancient times."
Bai Mengran smiled sweetly and began to offer suggestions. This smile momentarily stunned the system, which remained idle for two seconds before reacting.
【Okay, host. I will contact the Styling System to design a brand new look for you. May I ask...?】
"Also, please remove my 325-degree myopia in my left eye and 250-degree myopia in my right eye. After all, you couldn't wear glasses in ancient times, and wearing contact lenses every day is too tiring!"
Bai Mengran continued, pressing on.
Okay...then you can...
"Ah! My hair..."
Sorry, the system you are trying to contact is busy. Please try again later.
Before Bai Mengran could finish speaking, the mechanical system voice interrupted her.
The system pretended to be offline, so it shouldn't have asked! Too late!
The system, having reached its limit, didn't wait for Bai Mengran to react before quickly throwing her into the time tunnel. Never mind, let's just put her in first and then tie her up!
Suddenly sucked into the black hole, Bai Mengran could see nothing. She only felt her body uncontrollably changing shape, and her consciousness gradually became blurred...
When she regained consciousness, she was already standing in the space.
"...System, how did I get into this space? Did I transmigrate or not?"
It's the same story of time travel, but why is her script different from everyone else's? Shouldn't she wake up in an antique-style room...?
[Host, you have completed the transformation and arrived in an ancient dimension. The exit of this space leads to Taoyuan Town, Yongle County, Anshun Kingdom.]
"Can I go see my house first?"
Because it was night, Bai Mengran was standing in the shadows, and could only vaguely see a sliver of light in the distance.
Yes, the place with light ahead is your home. Our system worked overtime to complete it for you.
Suddenly, a series of glowing footprints appeared on the ground, guiding her forward.
When she arrived at the villa, the entire house was brightly lit, just like it was before she transmigrated.
Seeing the lights, Bai Mengran breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that her own home was still there. Having a revolutionary base made her feel much more at ease.
The villa in front of me is almost identical to the one before.
The entrance is a courtyard she painstakingly created, filled with beautiful green plants, which is now full of life under the warm yellow light of the night lamp.
Two new energy vehicles she had recently bought were parked in the garage: an SUV and a sports car.
She walked quickly into the house, where the interior decoration and furnishings were restored to their previous appearance; it was indeed the home she knew.
I went upstairs to the bedroom and looked for her phone on the bedside table. I found that the phone was still charging, and the battery and network were both showing full bars.
However, all the content related to the previous world has disappeared, and now it can only be accessed and used within a certain spatial range.
"System, are you there?" Bai Mengran was all alone at the moment and suddenly felt a little scared.