The Most Random System

"Hmm?" The other person turned their head and glanced at Lin Li, then frowned and asked, "What's up?"

"Can I take up a bit of your time?" Lin Li asked politely.

"I'm not buying insurance, renting a house, or joining a gym." On hearing this, the other person immediately shook their head and got ready to get on their electric scooter.

"It's a misunderstanding, brother. I just have a proposal that could let you earn a bit more money," Lin Li stepped forward to block them, emphasizing his point.

The other person paused, turned to look at Lin Li, and took a few steps closer.

Lin Li smiled slightly, feeling confident in his judgment of people.

"Brother, have you been scammed? Is there someone watching you nearby? Do you need me to call the police?" The other person leaned in and whispered, while cautiously scanning the surroundings.

Lin Li: "..."

Not only does he have a strong sense of fraud-prevention, but also an overactive sense of altruism. Maybe my people-reading skills aren't that sharp after all.

"It's an even bigger misunderstanding, brother. You can think of it as me asking for your help, and I'll pay you a certain amount of compensation so you can earn a bit more today," Lin Li thought it over and rephrased his request.

"What are you talking about?" The other person was even more confused, but since Lin Li phrased it that way, he was slightly interested.

"Here's the thing, I'm a student, and we have this project report for the holidays. My topic is about food delivery, and for some reasons, I really want to experience delivering food myself. But the problem is I'm not of legal age yet, and the platform doesn't allow registration, so I wanted to ask if I could use your account to deliver food.

First of all, I won't withdraw the money earned from your account; it will all stay with you. Additionally, I will pay you extra compensation, since using your account means you won't be able to deliver food yourself.

Rest assured, I definitely won't do anything malicious. If my actions cause any loss to your account, like being reported, I'll definitely cover the losses..."

Lin Li articulated the pitch he had prepared from the night before.

The other person, naturally, was full of confusion.

After all, the request sounded incredibly odd.

"Uh? You mean... you'd pay me to help you deliver food?" The person's expression was truly complex as they tried to summarize the situation.

Spending money to work is a request that's hard to imagine someone making.

He had only heard of college students interning for free or, in some fields like medicine, having to pay extra to intern at good hospitals.

But at least internships offer learning opportunities. What could this kid hope to gain from interning as a food delivery person? Learning how to argue with security guards, or sneak through residential areas?

Has he already decided on his career path at such a young age?

Although there's great potential, it seems a bit off, right?

"Yes, you could see it that way," Lin Li nodded.

"Ah, such nostalgia. A few years ago, when I was still a student, I was just as silly... just as pure and innocent, working hard for a single PPT," the other person reminisced about their own youth.

Lin Li: "..."

Brother, you meant foolish, right?

But I understand.

"I've checked, and the delivery fee here in Xiling. Normally, you'd earn about fifty or sixty in the morning, right? I'm planning to pay you a hundred, plus the delivery income would be yours. Does that work for you?" Lin Li continued to persuade.

"I don't mind supporting your project report, and I trust you wouldn't intentionally ruin my delivery account. You don't look…" the person paused: "But the thing is, the platform requires account holders to be synchronous. If they find out someone else is using my account for deliveries, it could be severely penalized or banned."

After speaking, the man shook his head and said, "This is my livelihood; I can't take that risk."

"How would they find out? As long as you scan my face for verification when logging in, it should be fine, right?" Lin Li frowned upon hearing this.

"The platform sometimes randomly checks facial recognition upon order completion," the other person explained.

"...That's a thing," Lin Li was momentarily taken aback but quickly came up with a more complete plan: "How about this, brother? I'll ride your scooter, use your account to deliver, and you sit behind me the entire time.

This way, you can handle any situation immediately, and you watch over me, feel assured, and I feel assured too.

And because this might take up your entire morning, I'll pay you an additional twenty bucks."

The other person pondered for a moment and, not finding any issues, nodded: "This seems to have no risk, but are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes." Lin Li nodded.

"Let's add each other on WeChat, then I can transfer the money to you now."

Let's try it out for one morning and see if I can complete the task; if not, I'll change direction later.

"Okay." The other person nodded.

There's no harm in accepting this. I just need to sit on the back and play on my phone all morning, give some guidance if a situation arises, and I'll earn more than usual, all while helping someone. Why not?

They exchanged WeChat contacts, and the man took an extra look at Lin Li.

Because Lin Li's nickname on his minor account had changed from "Surprised by Mentor Checking My Thesis" to "Bad Grades Blame Teachers for Pushing Too Hard."

But it didn't hinder anything.

"I'm Shen Kai, what's your name?" As soon as Lin Li added him, he immediately sent a red packet, so Shen Kai didn't mind these details and asked.

"I'm Bai..." Just as he was about to blurt it out, Lin Li caught himself and changed course: "I'm Lin Li."

Shen Kai: "..."

"Are you really named Lin Li?" Shen Kai suddenly felt uneasy. A guy who hesitates when stating his name surely has something up his sleeve, right?

This kid suddenly seems not-so-trustworthy.

"Brother, it's really me. Here's my ID card. 'Bai' is a nickname I use at school, just a habit." Lin Li, realizing he had instinctively given a false name, quickly corrected himself since there's nothing shady about delivering food, he decided to use his real name, swiftly adding an explanation.

"I see." Shen Kai relaxed a bit.

"Here, Lin Li, hang this phone around your neck. This is the order interface, and since you lack experience, I suggest you don't take additional orders suggested by the system. Just focus on completing one at a time." Food delivery drivers usually have two phones. Shen Kai removed his work phone from its strap and hung it around Lin Li's neck, giving his advice.

"Alright." Lin Li nodded and directly accepted a short-distance order, but the delivery income was just over four bucks.

"These types of orders we wouldn't usually accept unless the system forces it on us, but it's good practice for you. Here, the bike keys are for you, let's go." Shen Kai got on the bike and instinctively moved to the back seat, patting the front.

"Alright."

After Lin Li got on the bike, Shen Kai even took off his helmet and placed it on Lin Li's head, reminding him, "If you see any traffic police, let me know, and I'll hop off."

Helmet regulations in Xiling are perhaps a bit strict, but strictness is not likely.

"Got it."

Lin Li settled in and gripped the handlebars of the electric bike, ready to depart.

"You can start it; I'm ready."

Seeing the bike still hadn't started, Shen Kai reminded him.

"Brother Shen, the electric bike accelerates by pulling back, right? There's no throttle or brake, correct? And I don't need to pedal anywhere, do I?" Lin Li's voice came through, seeking confirmation.

Shen Kai: "Of course... Hmm? Hmm. Hmm!!"

"?"

"Get off! Let me off!"