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墨書 Inktalez
A bottle of mineral water was immediately handed over. Lin Xiaofan gulped it down, the icy water trickling down his chin and soaking into his shirt. When he set the bottle down, he noticed Su Yuqing studying his expression, her sharp eyes seeming to pierce through to his soul.
"Why did you suddenly change your mind?" she asked softly.
Lin Xiaofan opened his mouth but didn’t know how to respond. Should he tell her that he was being coerced by a mysterious system?
"I..." He swallowed hard, "I saw the photos of those children..."
Su Yuqing's expression softened slightly. She picked up a project brochure and flipped to the colorful pages in the middle. "This is the elementary school in the mountainous region of Yunnan that we supported last year. The children used to walk four hours every day just to get there, and at noon they could only drink cold water and eat potatoes."
In the photo, a group of dirt-covered children surrounded a rusty iron bucket, with a few wilted vegetable leaves floating inside. Lin Xiaofan's stomach twisted suddenly as he recalled the image of an old homeless man wolfing down porridge last night.
"Will... will that money really reach the children?" he blurted out.
Su Yuqing's gaze sharpened again. "Next week, we're going for an on-site inspection. You can see for yourself."
【New Task Prompt】
【Follow Su Yuqing to complete an on-site inspection】
【Reward: Unlock 10% personal fund withdrawal permission】
【Note: Authenticity is the soul of charity】
Lin Xiaofan stared at his phone screen, his heart racing. The temptation of one hundred thousand yuan was too great; it was enough to cover his rent and the minimum payment on his credit card. But the mountains? That meant taking leave, leaving the city, and...
"I... I need to think about it," he stammered.
Su Yuqing took out a business card from her bag and handed it to him. "Contact me when you’ve made up your mind. But hurry, we leave the day after tomorrow."
As Lin Xiaofan took the card, his fingertips accidentally brushed against Su Yuqing's hand. Her skin was cool, and there was a small scar on her middle finger, as if it had been cut by something sharp.
When he left the mall, the sun was already setting in the west. Lin Xiaofan stood at the intersection, watching the bustling crowd. Everyone seemed so purposeful and composed, while he felt like a marionette being led by an inexplicable system.
Back at his rental apartment, he found that the landlord had indeed changed the locks. Lin Xiaofan squatted at the door for half an hour before finally paying five hundred yuan to get a spare key from the new property staff.
The room was in disarray. The wardrobe stood wide open, with several decent clothes missing. The drawer of the bedside table had been pried open, and the change box inside was empty. Only a torn family photo from his mother lay on the desk, seemingly unworthy even for a thief to take.
Lin Xiaofan sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at his phone screen. The countdown on the system interface ticked away second by second, while Su Yuqing's business card lay beside him, faintly glowing under the lamp.
"What exactly do you want me to do?" he asked into the empty room.
The next morning, Lin Xiaofan stood in front of the mirror, trying to make himself look like a respectable philanthropist. He put on his only decent suit, though its cuffs were already starting to shine.
His phone lit up with a message from Su Yuqing: "8 AM, North City Bus Station, Gate 3. Bring a change of clothes and toiletries."
The bus station was filled with the smell of gasoline and cheap cigarettes. Lin Xiaofan dragged a small suitcase through the crowd, searching for that familiar figure. When he finally spotted Su Yuqing, he almost didn't recognize her—she wore a simple T-shirt and hiking pants, her hair pulled back into a neat ponytail, a stark contrast to the professional image she had presented at the mall yesterday.
"You actually came," Su Yuqing raised an eyebrow. "I thought..."
"Thought what?" Lin Xiaofan set his suitcase down on the ground.
"Thought you would come up with an excuse to back out." She shrugged and handed him a bus ticket. "It's a ten-hour ride with two stops along the way. If you get motion sickness, let me know in advance."
Lin Xiaofan took the ticket and noticed that the destination was a small county he had never heard of. Just as he was about to ask something, Su Yuqing had already turned and walked toward the ticket gate.
The bus seats were uncomfortably cramped. Lin Xiaofan was forced to sit shoulder to shoulder with Su Yuqing, their arms occasionally brushing against each other. Each time they touched, he flinched as if burned, while Su Yuqing continued to stare expressionlessly out the window.
"So..." Lin Xiaofan tried to break the silence. "How long have you been doing this?"
"Three years," Su Yuqing replied without turning her head. "I started right after graduating from college."
"Why did you choose this path?"
This time, Su Yuqing turned her head. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating half of her face. Lin Xiaofan was surprised to see a small beauty mark at the corner of her eye.
"Because I've seen real hunger," she said softly but clearly. "Not the kind where you 'miss lunch,' but the kind where you 'don't know where your next meal is coming from.'"
Lin Xiaofan didn't know how to respond. He recalled the five thousand yuan he donated yesterday, just a cold number in the system.
The bus slowly started moving, pulling away from the station. Lin Xiaofan's phone vibrated with a system message:
[Task in Progress]
[Current Progress: 1%]
[Special Reminder: Observe carefully; the truth often lies in the details.]
He locked his screen and turned to look out the window. The city's skyscrapers gradually faded away, replaced by rolling fields and low farmhouses. Su Yuqing had put on headphones and closed her eyes, her eyelashes appearing almost translucent in the sunlight.
Lin Xiaofan quietly studied her profile, suddenly realizing that this might be the longest journey of his life.
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