Chapter 44: In Debt

After having the system check whether Shi Ling was at home, and learning that he was indeed in, Ling Zhizhi ran out eagerly.

"Shi Ling! Come out quickly, I have something for you!"

Ling Zhizhi never rang the doorbell when she came over; she called his name every single time. Who knew what kind of quirky habit that was.

Through the window, Ling Zhizhi could be seen kicking a small pebble by his doorstep.

"Do you need to borrow the kitchen?"

Ling Zhizhi waved her hand in refusal. "No, I'm here to thank you. I don't have any other gifts for you right now, but since I found out you quite like the food I make, I cooked a few dishes to show my appreciation."

Shi Ling lowered his gaze to look at the food container in Ling Zhizhi's hands, knowing that it was not cheap.

She was someone who showed restraint yet was full of contradictions; the clothes and items she wore were by no means inexpensive.

Even that house of hers was far from cheap, yet in certain details, she would display the perplexity of someone strapped for cash.

"You're welcome."

Shi Ling took the items and let Ling Zhizhi inside.

"Shi Ling, did you design your courtyard yourself? It's so pretty. Could I have the design blueprint? I can pay you a design fee..."

At the mention of the design fee, Ling Zhizhi faltered for a fraction of a second.

"I just casually planted a few flowers, nothing worth mentioning. I can give you the blueprint in a moment."

"Really? Thank you so much! I was just worrying about what to do with my courtyard. You are such a wonderful person."

Caught off guard by being handed the metaphorical "good guy card," Shi Ling paused slightly.

He quickly packed up the food container, handed it back to Ling Zhizhi, and then turned to go to his study to look for the design blueprint.

When she had come over previously, Ling Zhizhi's attention had been entirely occupied by other things.

This was the first time she seriously looked around his house, which was quite unlike the man himself. The overall interior decoration of the house was warm, and his books were placed in several spots around the living room.

It did not look cluttered at all, radiating a strong sense of everyday life.

Compared to her own house, that was the difference between heaven and earth.

She hoped Ling Tuantuan would be able to establish contact with the main system soon.

Shi Ling quickly found the blueprint. "My drawing is simple; you can add things to it according to your own preferences."

"Okay, okay."

With no excuse left to linger, Ling Zhizhi took her leave from Shi Ling's house.

Happily clutching the blueprint, she headed back to have Ling Tuantuan modify it according to her requirements.

Ling Tuantuan: [Host, you don't have the money to decorate your courtyard.]

A bucket of cold water was fiercely splashed over Ling Zhizhi. "Tuantuan, your words really break my heart. Never mind, you can work on it first. We'll talk when the time comes."

Both of them had clear divisions of labor, and Ling Zhizhi used the system's privileges to read the netizens' comments.

[The streamer's registration location is fake, could she possibly be real?]

[The things Qi Lu wears surely aren't fake. I choose to believe what she says is true. Even if it's fake, it does me no harm, and I can still learn knowledge that can't be acquired at the Cultural Research Institute. It's killing two birds with one stone.]

Could Ling Tuantuan have been dispatched by the Cultural Research Institute?

[There are very few people who actually have physical objects right now. And they're all nobles anyway; how can you guarantee this person isn't a runaway from some major family?]

[Just based on the fact that she has such capability yet still fights for slots in the PK channel against people who genuinely need help, I just don't like her.]

Ling Zhizhi had an epiphany: no matter where one went, there were always people who only looked at the surface rather than the substance.

Did she need to ask for advice on how to argue with internet trolls?

How exciting!

After observing for a good long while, Ling Zhizhi indeed only saw a few people claiming they had successfully made the items.

That shouldn't be the case. Given the level of technological advancement, as long as the materials were correct, making the finished product shouldn't be all that difficult.

It seemed she would just have to wait for tomorrow's livestream to see their feedback.

Since this PK channel had some negative aspects, she would simply switch to a different channel.

Ling Tuantuan: [Host, according to your requirements, I have designed the courtyard.]

Ling Zhizhi, who had been calculating how to develop her extraterrestrial career, gave a perfunctory compliment upon hearing this: "You are simply amazing! How can there be a system as outstanding as you? You are my best helper!"

The colors on Ling Tuantuan flickered back and forth, and Ling Zhizhi knew that was a manifestation of its excitement.

.

In the evening.

Ling Zhizhi packed up the items needed for setting up her stall and rode her small cart toward her destination.

Ling Zhizhi's stall was located on a street about a twenty-minute walk from Minghua Road. Because there was a school nearby, the pedestrian traffic was heavy both day and night.

This completely matched her desire to make money.

[Host, those glowing lights look just like me.]

"Not at all. They are made of glass, and you are a fuzzball."

Ling Zhizhi arranged all her goods, found a stool to sit on, and waited for customers to arrive.

With food being sold on both her left and right sides, why worry about a lack of customers?

Filled with confidence, Ling Zhizhi harbored the aspiration of selling out all her items today.

She ended up buying a portion of food from each of the stalls on her left and right.

[Host, protest! Protest! You haven't made a single sale yet, and you're already spending money!]

"Relax. You don't expect me to starve to death just because I haven't made a sale yet, do you?"

Ling Tuantuan: [...]

Just as Ling Zhizhi had anticipated, plenty of people came over to take a look.

However, anyone with the slightest desire to buy anything? Absolutely none.

"Tuantuan, with so many people, not a single one wants to buy?"

[Could it be that our location is no good?]

Silently watching Ling Zhizhi finish eating three portions of food, Ling Tuantuan cautiously offered a suggestion.

"What's wrong with this location? The snacks on both sides are so delicious..."

[Shall I learn how to make our stall look more refined?]

Ling Zhizhi nodded while chewing her food. "You're right. It's probably because our stall is too ordinary, failing to let them appreciate the charm of our goods at first glance."

Ling Tuantuan: Oh no, what should I do if the host neglects her proper business? I really want to call the main system for help.

After operating for several hours, Ling Zhizhi's net income for the day stood at -200.

On the way home, the two of them summarized the day's failure.

[Host, you cannot continue to stay at this stall tomorrow. You're always thinking about eating.]

"This definitely isn't my fault, you're a system so you wouldn't understand. But we can certainly change locations; the lighting here is a bit dim."

[Is this a lighting issue? Host, you must restrain yourself, otherwise... otherwise... otherwise I'll let Xiao Lan supervise you.]

The lingering pain from being struck on the first day was still fresh in Ling Zhizhi's memory, prompting her to speak up hurriedly, "I promise you. But you must make sure Xiao Lan stays hidden."

The habit of hurling things without warning was truly unpleasant.

A cool breeze brushed against her cheeks, and the pleasant freshness of early autumn made her want to squeal with delight. From afar, the dim yellow light in Shi Ling's courtyard could be seen, acting like a beacon guiding her home.

If leaving home meant living a life like this, the experience wasn't half bad.

It was just that making money was so difficult. Things had temporarily picked up on the prosperity-line side, but what method should she devise to rescue her completely ignored merchandise on this side?

Surely they didn't expect her to dress the same way she did during the livestreams, did they? That would drive her crazy and completely strip her of any motivation.

Another day of wishing she could gift this system to her tech-geek second older brother!

A silly, naive system was truly a headache, and the prosperity-line side remained a massive trouble—