Chapter 33: A Heart of Gratitude

Old Zhou was still kneeling, hands raised to offer the contract and the family register. Wang Keyue said nothing. After five seconds, she nodded for Chengyi to take the items from him.

When Old Zhou saw them taken, he let out a heavy sigh, as if a great weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders and his entire body relaxed.

“Old Zhou, I’ll accept your contract and family register,” Wang Keyue said, “but I still want to meet your clan members. I don’t want anyone who outwardly submits but secretly resents me. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right, young master!” Old Zhou nodded repeatedly in agreement.

“Then get up and eat first. Fill your belly, and afterward, bring your people for me to see,” Wang Keyue instructed.

In truth, as soon as she had Chengyi put away Old Zhou’s contract and family register, the system’s task progress ticked up by 2%. Though it was only two points, it was enough to give her hope.

“Ah, you are truly benevolent, young master. I… I’ll gratefully accept your kindness!” Old Zhou laughed awkwardly, letting the young girl help him into a sitting position. He picked up the bowl of coarse porridge without hesitation, gulping it down until the very last drop.

As he drank, he gestured for the little girl behind him to eat as well. Seeing Grandpa Zhou drink so heartily, the girl could no longer restrain herself. She followed his example, tilting the bowl and gulping the porridge down. The two of them drank with such speed and gusto, it was as if they were pouring water rather than eating.

In less than ten seconds, both had finished their porridge. And then, as if by prior agreement, they each stuck out their tongues and licked their porcelain bowls spotlessly clean.

Wang Keyue watched in a cold sweat. These two bowls—she’d never use them again.

After finishing the porridge, there were still several vegetable cakes on the table, but neither reached for them. In this, Wang Keyue found Old Zhou to be a prudent and disciplined man, one who understood restraint and propriety. With such a person leading, their group likely wouldn’t be too bad.

“Young master, I’ll go fetch the clan now,” Old Zhou announced. He felt a sense of belonging when the master had just called him “Old Zhou,” a strangely intimate form of address.

“Go on,” Wang Keyue waved him off and hurried straight into the small tent, as though she were hiding some precious treasure inside.

Left with no other choice, Old Zhou clasped his hands together and grinned broadly at the tent before returning to his group.

Wang Keyue had rushed back inside because, just moments before, System 9538 had alerted her to an emergency side mission from the main program—one requiring immediate completion, the type that might be fatal if left unfinished.

“Host, an emergency side mission was just issued. It’s only for hosts whose main quest progress exceeds 5%. There’s a mysterious reward, and no penalty this time. I think it’s great—you should accept it,” 9538 reported.

“Show me the details first!” Wang Keyue was relieved to hear there was no punishment for this side mission. She was always cautious, a habit forged in the apocalypse—without it, she’d have died hundreds of times over.

“The mission requires you to elicit genuine gratitude from fifty strangers within one hour. The more you collect, the better your rewards,” 9538 explained.

“Gratitude?” Wang Keyue tilted her head. “Do you mean you want me to take their hearts out for you?”

“Host! This system is upright, lawful, and civilized!” 9538’s usually monotone electronic voice turned stern. “By ‘gratitude,’ I mean sincere appreciation from the depths of their hearts—an abstract emotion, a unique brainwave pattern. I will capture and transmit this emotion to the main program, which will tally it according to its intensity.”

Wang Keyue listened with fascination. “9538, what do you suppose the main program wants with all this gratitude?”

“That’s not your concern, host. You should focus on completing the mission!” 9538 replied, and with a chime, the mission prompt sounded. “Temporary mission accepted. Please complete it within one hour.”

“Hey! 9538, I didn’t even agree to accept! Why did you do it on your own?” Wang Keyue’s lips twitched. This system was getting more and more human—wasn’t it?

“Good luck, host!” 9538 cheered, then fell silent no matter how much Wang Keyue called.

Just then, Chengyi’s voice sounded outside the tent, “Young master, Old Zhou has brought his people.”

Wang Keyue stretched, picked up her broadsword, and strode out.

By the campfire outside, Old Zhou had brought more than thirty people. At his signal, they all knelt in unison. Just at a glance, Wang Keyue counted more than a dozen children among them.