NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Old Man Zhao, Oh Old Man Zhao!
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[Host: Zhao Yan, Sex: Male, Age: 72 (Lifespan: 3 years)]
[Overall Strength: E-rank]
[Strength: 5 points]
[Agility: 4 points]
[Constitution: 3 points]
[Spirit: 8 points]
[Lifespan: 3 points]
[Note! Excluding Lifespan, 10 points is the base standard for a normal adult male.]
[Abilities: None]
[Points: 0 points]
[Special Note: Host possesses innate talent, exceptionally suited for 'interacting' with Goddesses.]
[Note: Each 'interaction' with a Goddess will increase the target's Favorability. Once Favorability reaches 100%, the target will be completely loyal to the Host, and subsequent 'interactions' can slowly increase the target's various attributes.]
Zhao Yan's heart sank as he saw his attribute panel. A normal adult male's base standard was 10 points. His own attributes were simply abysmal. And with only 3 years left in his lifespan, even without the impending extreme cold apocalypse, he didn't have long to live.
But what did that last special note mean? Could this Old Man Zhao have something unique about him, some "innate talent"?
Puzzled, Zhao Yan inspected his body up and down.
Soon, Zhao Yan understood what the System meant by "innate talent." This was the standard that countless men only dreamed of, yet this old man could effortlessly achieve it. No wonder the System gave a special note; perhaps this very talent was why Zhao Yan had awakened this bizarre System.
Even with his "innate talent," Zhao Yan didn't remain happy for long. After all, talent without a place to utilize it was equivalent to having none at all.
Next, Zhao Yan opened the System Shop interface.
[System Shop Level 1. (Requires 10 points to upgrade to next level)]
[Random Food 1 ton / 2 points, Random Daily Necessities 500 kg / 2 points, Clean Water 10 tons / 2 points.]
[Primary Shelter Modification Module / 10 points (Unique).]
[System Shop includes a 10,000 cubic meter storage space. Items acquired from the System Shop will directly appear here.]
[Note: The storage space included with a Level 1 System Shop can only have items taken out of it, not put into it.]
Closing the System Shop interface, Zhao Yan leaned back in his guard room chair, pondering his next move. He had a System now. If he had points, he could exchange for the shelter modification module to build a safe house. Food and water could also be exchanged for with points.
But the most crucial question was: how would he get points? And the targets for 'collection' had to be high-score females approved by the System.
Zhao Yan watched the people entering and leaving the complex from his guard room, scanning for a long time but failing to spot any high-score females recognized by the System. This made Zhao Yan realize that the System's requirements for high-score females might be quite stringent.
Just as Zhao Yan was racking his brain trying to figure out this problem, the guard room door was pushed open from outside.
"Old Zhao, there you are! I want you to come to my place tonight!" A soft, alluring voice drifted in.
Zhao Yan looked up to see a voluptuous, sexy woman in a fitness outfit standing at the guard room door, winking at him.
What's going on? Is there something illicit brewing?
Just then, the System's notification chimed.
[High-score female detected. Overall rating: 8.8 points. Suitable for collection.]
[Ding!]
[Collection target Favorability reached 31%. Collection successful.]
[Current collected Goddess count: 1]
[Sign-in qualification obtained!]
[First Goddess collected reward: 10 points.]
A string of System notifications left Zhao Yan utterly bewildered.
He had gained sign-in qualification just like that? And earned 10 points for free?!
Zhao Yan quickly searched his memories.
Soon, he found relevant recollections about the woman standing before him. Well, well, well! I never expected this Old Man Zhao to have such… capabilities!
The woman before him was Lin Qing'er, 26 years old, a tenant in the complex who worked at a nearby gym. This woman actually had an unusual relationship with Old Man Zhao.
Old Man Zhao, oh Old Man Zhao!
I never thought you were this kind of person.
But this perfectly solved his immediate problem! Thinking of this, a wide smile spread across Zhao Yan's face. "Xiao Lin, don't you worry. I'll definitely be there tonight."
Lin Qing'er received Zhao Yan's affirmative reply, shot him a charming wink, then turned and departed.
Zhao Yan watched Lin Qing'er's retreating figure, his throat involuntarily bobbing. Lin Qing'er's explosive figure truly was… something else.
This was a rare opportunity, and Zhao Yan decided he needed to seize it, making Lin Qing'er's Favorability hit 100% as soon as possible to gain more points.
"System, sign in!"
[Sign-in complete. Current points: 11]
With the immediate source of points secured, Zhao Yan's mood brightened considerably. While sipping his large cup of goji berry tea, he pondered what else he needed to prepare for the impending apocalypse.
First, his current living situation was definitely unsustainable. His current apartment, provided by the complex's property management, was a small unit on the first floor. When the extreme cold apocalypse hit, the continuous two-month blizzard would bury buildings up to their fifth floor. He absolutely needed to find a higher-level apartment. This way, after acquiring the shelter modification module, he could renovate with peace of mind.
Next up was self-defense weaponry. Firearms were strictly controlled in Great Xia Kingdom, making them virtually impossible to acquire. Even if he could, they'd cost a fortune, and with Zhao Yan's current savings, it was out of the question. The original owner, Old Man Zhao, had been widowed years ago and had no children. All these years of frugality had only netted him just under 200,000 in retirement funds. Trying to get a gun with that amount was pretty much impossible.
As for what to get for self-defense first, Zhao Yan already had a plan: he intended to simply take two fire axes from the complex's fire safety equipment. Fire axes were far superior to those so-called swords and blades sold on the market. As for ranged weapons like bows and crossbows, Zhao Yan didn't even consider them; with his old, creaky limbs and presbyopic eyes, using such things would be a waste.
He had a System Shop, and perhaps when his System Shop leveled up, he'd get even better items. For now, what he needed to prepare were: a higher-located apartment and some warm clothing. Also, he needed to tidy up his image. After all, Old Man Zhao, the original owner, wasn't bad-looking underneath; he was just old and too slovenly.
But as Zhao Yan, the transmigrator, he was a genuine young man inside. There's a saying: a person's age isn't determined by their appearance, but by their mindset. If your mindset is young, you are young. At least, that's how Zhao Yan was comforting himself now. If he dressed up a bit, maybe he'd encounter someone who liked handsome old men, and then he'd have another source of points, wouldn't he?
Thinking of this, Zhao Yan decided to take action after his shift change. As for why he wouldn't resign from his gatekeeper job, Zhao Yan had his own reasons. He strongly suspected that Zheng Bo was a reincarnator, possibly even possessing an ability. Therefore, Zhao Yan planned to use the convenience of his gatekeeper job to observe Zheng Bo closely, as this guy would be his biggest threat after the apocalypse.