Black Technology Director Can Make Anything Come True (1): The Life of the Disliked Black Technology System

Because of his long-term dealings with the sealed Object the Mirror of Truth, Si Qi’s lifespan was ultimately damaged.

More than twenty years later, one day, Si Qi lay in Chu Feng’s arms, his breathing growing weaker and weaker. Chu Feng, sensing something, silently gazed at him.

Si Qi looked back at him, the corners of his lips curving into a tender, lingering smile as he reached out to trace the shape of Chu Feng’s face.

Until his very last moment, Chu Feng’s image was etched into his mind. If there truly was reincarnation, he hoped that in the next life, he could recognize Chu Feng early, and when that time came, he would not hesitate again.

Chu Feng personally closed his eyes. His body temperature slowly faded away in Chu Feng’s embrace. Cold tears and kisses fell onto his face, but he could feel nothing. With his death, the evil god’s core within him lost its final space to exist, and once Chu Feng found it, it was completely destroyed. A great amount of world energy flowed back to Xiu Xiu, who then had enough power to take Si Qi away from that world.

After leaving, Si Qi did not know what awaited him after death, nor whether he could ever see Chu Feng again in another world.

As grief overcame him and he knelt in the transmission channel, covering his face and weeping, his strand of consciousness drifted back into the body of the Si Qi who was sitting atop the World Tree, chatting with a group of dragons while eating sunflower seeds.

Si Qi: “……”

He froze, suddenly unable to continue eating the seeds in his hand. Glancing at Chu Feng beside him, he asked: “Has your strand of consciousness returned as well?”

Chu Feng nodded. “I didn’t stay there long.”

After Si Qi’s death, Chu Feng had followed through on their agreement, channeling his power into the divine artifact and leaving that world with him.

Si Qi pressed his lips together, unsure whether he should cry or laugh at that moment.

Although they had just endured a heartbreaking farewell, in the blink of an eye they regained their memories and sat together once again… the feeling was truly strange.

The grief faded, but his deep love for the person beside him only grew stronger. Chu Feng turned, embraced him, placed a kiss on his forehead, and smiled gently.

Xiu Xiu, too, returned to Si Qi’s side with the return of his consciousness.

Seeing that Si Qi was safe, and also noticing Chu Feng beside him, Xiu Xiu let out a huge sigh of relief: [Master, it’s so great that you’re both safe!]

Then Xiu Xiu noticed that this “Lord God’s space” was not the familiar dark tower, but instead an endless giant tree. Perplexed, he said: [Eh, Master, where did Xiu Xiu send you? Isn’t this supposed to be the Lord God’s domain?]

Could it be that the Lord God suddenly decided to redecorate?

“This is indeed the Lord God’s domain,” Si Qi gathered a ball of world energy in his hand and infused it into Xiu Xiu, who was still in his clown-snake form, helping him recover his old appearance, “but it’s not Chu Feng’s Lord God’s domain.”

Overjoyed, Xiu Xiu eagerly absorbed the energy, step by step restoring his data, and soon returned to his former cocky little golden dragon form.

Xiu Xiu asked: [Then whose domain is it? Isn’t there only one Lord God?]

Si Qi smiled. “It’s mine.”

Xiu Xiu was stunned: […What?] Could it be that his Master had finally seized power?!

“What are you thinking? I just found out too—turns out I’m also a Lord God.” Si Qi laughed, glancing at Chu Feng, who returned an amused and helpless look. “I also just realized you didn’t know all this time.”

He had always regarded Si Qi as an equal companion. Otherwise, why would his attitude toward others in the Bureau be so detached, while toward Si Qi he had shown such affection since childhood? Was it really just because the little golden dragon form was cute? Yet Xiu Xiu looked exactly like young Si Qi, and Chu Feng had never treated him with the same care.

The truth was, Chu Feng saw Si Qi as younger and couldn’t help but “slightly” dote on him, which Si Qi secretly interpreted as being treated like a pet. When Chu Feng later learned of this misunderstanding, he was both amused and exasperated.

When Si Qi later left home to join the Quick Travel Bureau, Chu Feng assumed that Si Qi wanted to learn how the Lord God gathered world energy. So he disguised himself to “experience it firsthand,” much like how a child eventually has to learn to walk. It felt natural, and he did not stop him.

Chu Feng chuckled bitterly. “You wield world energy so smoothly, and never thought something was off?”

Take the last world, for example—the evil god, powerful enough to devour an entire universe, was helpless before world energy, beaten as though by an ordinary mortal. That alone showed how difficult it was to control.

Not to mention how Si Qi had repeatedly performed outrageous feats with it, like forcefully splitting two worlds on the verge of merging, or creating an entirely new reincarnation system from nothing. Such things were impossible for a mere Bureau agent.

If that sort of example were common, how could Chu Feng allow agents to freely roam the worlds?

Perhaps sometimes being too clever works against oneself. Si Qi grinned. “I just thought I was so much of a genius that everything came easily.”

His shameless look was irresistibly charming. Chu Feng smiled, eyes full of affection, ruffling his hair. “Yes, you’re a genius. You excel at everything.”

The two were so absorbed in their banter that they almost forgot the earlier topic. Seeing Xiu Xiu hovering nearby, watching with hopeful eyes, Si Qi laughed and continued: “In the world before last, I asked you to send me to the next small world. That world was on the brink of collapse. It reached across space to find me and asked for help. I didn’t think much, and agreed right away.”

Perhaps due to instinct as a Lord God, Si Qi loved saving worlds and fostering their growth. It seemed to be ingrained in him. So when the small world’s consciousness pleaded, he immediately accepted.

Xiu Xiu was moved to tears: [So back then, Master wasn’t kidnapped by something strange, but sent to this world for emergency rescue?]

He remembered how terrified he had been, burning his own life force (world energy) to chase after him, drifting for over ten years to finally reach him.

Si Qi: “Yes. After I arrived, I regained my Lord God identity. Like Chu Feng, my energy was too vast for my true body to enter a small world, so only a strand of instinct-driven consciousness could merge into the body of a being inside.”

That instinct was “saving the world.”

Si Qi: “My body was ejected, standing right here on the World Tree. The next second, I saw you weakly flying toward me, chasing after my consciousness with all your heart. I thought the memoryless me over there might need your help, so I sent you into that small world.”

Xiu Xiu nodded vigorously: [Master even said Xiu Xiu helped a lot back then!]

For a system, nothing was more fulfilling than being useful to its Master.

“After I sent you, Chu Feng received your distress signal and came here. He knew my consciousness had entered that world and lost all memory, so he asked to enter as well. He was placed as the Son of the World, the god about to awaken. As long as I wanted to save the world, I would inevitably encounter him.” Si Qi chuckled. “As soon as I sent him off, we chatted for a bit here, and the next moment the small world’s mission ended, and all memories returned to our true selves—us now.”

Though the last world felt long, for Lord Gods in their own domain, time in small worlds held no real meaning, being entirely subject to their will.

Xiu Xiu finally understood and exclaimed: [So that’s how it was.]

So all his worrying had been for nothing—though wait, his Master suddenly becoming a Lord God was a huge deal in itself!

But Si Qi remained calm. Whether as a Bureau agent or a Lord God, he would do his best. Smiling, he said: “As I said, my body remains here, managing this world. A strand of my consciousness will, as before, follow Chu Feng to continue missions for the Bureau.”

As a new Lord God, Si Qi still had much to learn.

Chu Feng: “I’ll leave a strand of consciousness with you as well.”

Si Qi smiled. “That’s for the best.”

He didn’t want to part from Chu Feng, even if his consciousness had always been at his side.

Then, Si Qi conjured a chair for Xiu Xiu. The two Lord Gods, together with the dragons who had finally welcomed them back, gathered atop the World Tree, chatting happily.

After some time, Si Qi split off a strand of consciousness to join Chu Feng, while Chu Feng left one behind to stay with him. They seemed apart, yet not apart. With Xiu Xiu, Si Qi’s consciousness followed Chu Feng back to his domain.

Returning to that familiar place, Si Qi naturally went to the top of the tower, Chu Feng’s residence. They spent a leisurely time together, and when satisfied, the ever-ambitious Si Qi couldn’t resist heading to the Bureau again, directly seeking out the Supervisor.

“I’d like to take on some special missions,” Si Qi said straightforwardly. “Preferably ones where small worlds are in crisis, on the verge of collapse.”

Having worked in the Bureau for years, he already understood well how to establish the Bureau and reliably harvest world energy.

What he needed now was knowledge of unusual cases, to fill in gaps and learn something new.

The Supervisor loved employees like him—diligent, efficient, and highly capable. With a smile, he happily dumped a troublesome case on Si Qi.

“There aren’t many collapsing worlds, but there are some. Look, this one’s a good example.” He tapped the space before him, extracting a file that floated to Si Qi. “Normally, a small world chooses a Son of the World who’s ruthless for gain and clings to their golden finger no matter what. But in this case, the Son of the World, though selfish and cold, was deeply devoted to the original owner. After getting a golden finger, he tried everything to give it back.”

Scanning the file in an instant, Si Qi raised his brows. “Interesting.”

“Other agents refused to take this mission, so it’s been left sitting here. Since you wanted a special case, I think you’re perfect for it.” The Supervisor tapped precisely on a line in the database and sent it to him. “Here’s the world’s coordinates.”

Xiu Xiu swooped down and gulped the coordinates in one bite, thereby locking onto that world.

After some small talk, Si Qi left the office and, with Xiu Xiu’s help, began the transfer.

Darkness fell, dizziness struck, and when his vision cleared again, Si Qi found himself sitting in a classroom.

Around him, classmates were studying or doing homework diligently. Only the original owner was slouched at the desk, holding a cheap phone, earphones in, openly watching a movie.

The others seemed unfazed, clearly used to this behavior. Even the patrolling teacher lurking outside the window, half his face peeking in, met his eyes calmly, ignoring the phone in his hand.

Si Qi: “……”

Withdrawing his gaze, he lazily yawned.

He felt utterly exhausted, the kind of fatigue that came from staying up several nights in a row until his mind stiffened.

Yet despite being so tired, the original owner still didn’t sleep, choosing instead to watch a movie.

Of course, there was a reason.

Lowering his eyes, Si Qi recalled the original owner’s memories.

The original owner was an orphan. His parents had died young, leaving behind him, then only five years old, and a newborn baby brother. The children were too young to care for themselves, and with no relatives on their parents’ side, the village chief arranged for them to live with an uncle and aunt.

The uncle and aunt, barely in their twenties and newly married, suddenly had two extra children to raise, something they deeply resented. If they had firmly refused, insisting they couldn’t take them, the children might have been placed in a suitable orphanage. But after learning that the deceased parents had left behind hundreds of thousands in inheritance and a house in the city, greed overcame them, and they took the brothers in.

Afterward, they took the money, moved into the house, and hid their gain. To the five-year-old, holding his baby brother, they coldly said how hard their own lives were, that the boys were now unwanted children without parents, and that being given a bite to eat was something they should be grateful for—so they had better not cause trouble.

The elder brother, having just lost his parents and feeling as though the sky had fallen, was filled with helplessness and fear. Holding his newborn brother, though he wanted to cry himself, he still tried to comfort the constantly crying baby.

When the two adults across from them showed disgust the moment they heard a child cry, the older brother didn’t even dare talk back. He was terrified of being kicked out, so he carefully nodded and said he understood. From then on, he lived each day cautiously, watching the moods of those two adults, relying only on his younger brother—who at the time understood nothing—for companionship.

That younger brother, the so-called Son of the World, had grown up in such an environment from the moment he could remember, relying more than anyone on the one person who treated him well—his brother. Whether it was feeding him formula and changing his diapers, washing sheets after he wet the bed, or taking him to the hospital for IV drips when he had a fever, it was always his brother, still just a grade schooler or middle schooler then, who took care of everything.

The older brother treated him incredibly well. Whenever there was something good to eat or drink, he always gave it to his little brother first. Whenever he saw him cry, his heart ached so much that he would cry along with him, wiping his tears while hugging and comforting him, trying everything to cheer him up.

You can always feel whether someone truly cares for you. The younger brother knew better than anyone how good his brother was to him, and just as clearly, how poorly his uncle and aunt treated him. So, instinctively, he never wanted to go to the uncle and aunt for anything—he only went to his brother. Sometimes he even made excessive requests, and though his brother was troubled, he would still nod in agreement and find a way to make it happen, as long as it could make his little brother happy.

Sometimes those wishes were easy to fulfill; sometimes his brother would accidentally get hurt in the process. Though still a child, the younger brother understood enough to know the difference between light and heavy matters. Seeing his brother suffer so much, even getting hurt, just to grant a small wish, he would cry bitterly, choking out “I’m sorry” over and over again.

Because he cried so loudly, the uncle and aunt, already frustrated from work, lashed out and choked and beat him. The older brother immediately rushed forward to shield him, and the younger brother, watching his brother being beaten by two adults, cried even harder, begging them not to hit his brother, saying they should hit him instead. In the end, both children were beaten to a terrible state.

Afterward, the brother told him not to talk back to their uncle and aunt, since they relied on them for food and shelter—they weren’t their real parents and had no obligation to raise them. The younger brother agreed outwardly, but inside he grew darker and more twisted, hating all adults in the world, believing none of them could be trusted.

Those people wouldn’t let his brother get medicine when he had no money. They rolled their eyes and showed disdain when he wore dirty, torn clothes. They believed the lies of the uncle and aunt, thinking that he and his brother were bad children and deserved to be beaten.

He hated this world. He only liked his brother who was good to him.

In such an environment, the brothers grew up slowly. Life was hard, but at least they had a place to live, food to eat, and school to attend. If they could endure those hardest years, their future could eventually get back on track.

But not long ago, the older brother was bound to a black-tech system, which demanded he complete tasks and study hard according to its plan.

Being chosen by such a system showed his intelligence was extraordinarily high. But intelligence didn’t mean he liked studying. Compared to things he could understand at a glance, he much preferred movies and novels—he loved everything related to “stories.”

He used the money he earned tutoring to buy a cheap smartphone, then spent his days reading novels and watching movies at school instead of studying, yet still ranked at the top of the class every time.

The system, like the teachers at school, hated that he wasted his brilliant brain this way. But unlike the gentle teachers, who only advised patiently that studying was the only way forward, the system punished him with electric shocks whenever he slacked off, and played unbearable noises in his head whenever he talked back, keeping him from sleeping and torturing him in every way—all supposedly to “set him on the right path.”

But in this world, there WAS no such logic as “because I think it’s good for you, you must follow my arrangement.” Otherwise, so many parents wouldn’t be distressed that their children hate studying, nor would controlling parents drive their children to death.

Having lived under high pressure since childhood, the original owner hated beatings and torment. With the system claiming it was “for his own good” while punishing him for even the slightest disobedience, he grew to loathe it, refusing to cooperate no matter the torture.

If he gave in, his whole life would be controlled by the system, becoming nothing but its puppet—what a tragic fate! Why should he obey a kidnapper?

The system and the original owner hated each other, but the system couldn’t unbind him or find a new host. So they tormented each other. Sleep-deprived and exhausted, the original owner often dozed off in class, using movies to distract himself.

Later, after school, the system ordered him to buy reference books at the nearby bookstore to prepare for college entrance exams. He ignored it, instead going to buy roasted chicken his younger brother had long wanted to try, planning to surprise him after his hard day studying.

The system was furious that he wasted his earnings on food for his brother instead of studying. It blasted unbearable noise in his mind, like a drill screeching inside his skull, leaving him dazed, his state of mind clearly abnormal.

At that moment, he picked up his brother from school. Holding hands to cross the street, he suddenly saw a truck running the red light straight at them.

Too dazed to react in time, he only managed to push his brother away. With no strength left to dodge himself, he was pulled under the truck’s wheels, half his body crushed into pulp.

His younger brother was terrified, almost driven insane, watching his beloved brother die painfully before his eyes, without even leaving behind any last words.

As always in these worlds, the original owner, through sacrifice or death, passed his golden finger onto the Son of the World.

But unlike selfish Sons of the World in other stories, this one, though selfish, gloomy, and cold to everyone else, was exceptionally good to his brother. Consumed with rage over his brother’s death, he wanted to destroy the cruel world—but then the black-tech system forcibly transferred itself to him.

Losing his brother felt like the sky had collapsed. He couldn’t care less about the supernatural event of the system binding to him. He hated the truck driver, feeling prison was too light a punishment, wishing for blood repayment—or to kill him himself! But the system refused to let its host become a murderer, stopping him by force.

Tormented by the system and in despair, he then discovered the truck driver offered a large sum to settle with their guardians, and their uncle and aunt agreed!

That broke him. He fought and screamed at home, ready to risk his life against them. But what use was it? The uncle and aunt were the legal guardians and signed the settlement. Since the driver wasn’t drunk, the law deemed it an accident. Killing someone in traffic, as long as it wasn’t a hit-and-run, usually led to light sentences—often under three years. With a settlement, he might avoid prison entirely.

His brother was dead, yet the killer could simply pay off their guardians and escape punishment. Was that fair?

He watched his brother’s body cremated, reduced to a box of ashes in his arms, and went mad.

He hated this unjust world and everything in it. Already suffering, the system still preached about helping him gain advanced knowledge, pushing human civilization forward, helping society thrive.

But he didn’t even want revenge on the world—how could he possibly want to help it?

When he understood how the system operated, he realized it had indirectly caused his brother’s dazed state before the accident—he believed it had killed him.

Now filled with hostility toward the system, having already endured the worst pain in the world, he no longer cared about its punishments—electrocution, mental torment, forced sleeplessness, nothing worked. He only wanted to exploit the system’s knowledge base to invent world-destroying technology, to bury the entire world with his brother.

The system panicked, realizing torture was useless. It softened its approach, telling him its database contained time-travel technology, and promised him this if he completed his tasks.

Hearing this, the Son of the World finally endured, step by step becoming a great scientist and entrepreneur under the system’s guidance. In his fifties, after gaining fame and wealth, he finally obtained time-travel technology.

The system hoped this would change him, helping him reconcile with the world. But his nature remained the same: selfish, caring only for himself.

After decades of achievements and global admiration, he still couldn’t heal from his childhood scars.

Once he unlocked time-travel, he abandoned all his accomplishments without hesitation, sending his consciousness back to the past—to when his brother was alive and the system was still bound to him—and saved his brother from the truck.

But because of this, all his lifetime achievements vanished, everything reset.

Still, had he stayed on track and shared his knowledge with the world, his influence might have come sooner, even greater.

But because his brother survived, the golden finger system remained with him instead of transferring to the Son of the World.

Unlike his brother, who pursued goals at any cost, willing to spend decades or a lifetime for a purpose, the original owner was naturally unrestrained, disliking research. Though brilliant, he had no interest in science and hated the system’s constant push to study, especially with its electric punishments.

After rebirth, the younger brother, knowing his brother’s distress, resolutely chose to strategize against the system, helping free his brother from its grip. He gave no regard to the system that had accompanied him for decades, pouring all his energy into outsmarting it so his brother could live freely.

Thus, a system capable of changing the course of civilization was “wasted” by the two brothers.

If world consciousness could speak, it would curse, regretting having chosen such a host, calling it shooting itself in the foot.

But for the younger brother, as long as his brother lived safely, everything was worth it. Even if it meant sacrificing a lifetime of effort, giving up wealth and glory, and wasting his life’s work—it didn’t matter.

As long as his brother lived, everything was worth it.

After reading this worldline summary, Si Qi noticed the original owner’s situation was unusual. Although he had died, thanks to the Son of the World’s efforts, he had another chance to live. Normally, the Bureau wouldn’t select such an identity for substitution.

Finding it strange, Si Qi asked Xiu Xiu to confirm with colleagues at the Bureau if there had been a mistake. The colleagues assured him everything was arranged, explaining that after the Son of the World returned to the past, he couldn’t bear to let his brother die of old age, so he repeated the time-travel thousands of times, driving the world’s consciousness nearly insane.

Si Qi was half amused, half speechless: [He really has persistence. And then?]

Colleague: [Then he couldn’t withstand the endless cycles, living in unbearable pain. His brother sensed something was wrong and asked, but he hid it until finally, before breaking down, he confessed the truth.]

[His brother’s reply made him feel even worse. His brother said: “I don’t want you to lose your life for me. From the start, you should never have sacrificed your own happiness for me. And you repeated it tens of thousands of times—I feel so sad and distressed.”]

[The Son of the World reacted violently, realizing all his suffering was only self-satisfaction, since his brother never wanted it. Yet he couldn’t stop either, couldn’t watch his brother die. His brother couldn’t persuade him, couldn’t erase his torment, and feared that in the next cycle he would hide it again and suffer alone. Both brothers were trapped in pain.]

Si Qi slowly understood: [So you made a “deal” with the older brother.]

Colleague: [Yes. The older brother asked us to persuade his brother during his first time-travel, making him believe the system and his brother were getting along well, that his brother lived happily, and that his brother was strong enough to even find him after death. This way, the Son of the World would stop time-traveling. Meanwhile, we took the older brother’s soul to the Lord God’s realm, promising that after the Son of the World’s death, they would reunite there and could even choose a small world to live together for a lifetime.]

Si Qi smiled: [That’s pretty good too.]

A colleague complained: [It’s only thanks to Lord God’s mercy, otherwise who would ever do such a losing business.]

Si Qi smiled even more happily: [That’s exactly why I like him so much.]

The colleague felt that what Si Qi said sounded a little strange. [Uh…] He muttered inwardly: Like? Shouldn’t it be reverence? 047’s tastes were really heavy!

At that moment, after Si Qi arrived in the world, the system inside the original owners mind suddenly shouted loudly: [Who are you!]

First it was an evil god, now it was a black-tech system. The consciousness space in Si Qi’s last two worlds was livelier than ever before. The stern-faced black-tech system shouted at Xiu Xiu, startling him. Xiu Xiu shrank back instinctively and whimpered: [Wuwu, don’t be fierce to Xiu Xiu QAQ!]

Then Xiu Xiu suddenly remembered this was his master’s consciousness space. With his master above him as protection, even when his master had no memories, he could still defeat the evil god head-on. Would he really be afraid of a tiny black-tech system now? His timid little face immediately turned cocky, and he snapped at the black-tech system: [Who are you! This is Xiu Xiu’s turf!! You have to listen to Xiu Xiu!]

The black-tech system was tiny, pitch-black from head to toe, looking a bit like the relative of a certain famous actor from a neighboring drama crew. Fierce-looking and extremely domineering, it acted and spoke with strict seriousness. Hearing this, it didn’t hesitate to raise its finger, firing a bolt of lightning at Xiu Xiu.

[First-level punishment!]

Xiu Xiu panicked and tried to dodge, but clumsy as he was, he couldn’t escape the lightning-fast strike. With a “crack,” it hit him.

[Ah! That hurts!!]

Xiu Xiu howled as if his guts were split apart. With tears in his eyes, he was just about to run to Si Qi for help, when he realized…

Huh, he didn’t feel anything at all???

With teary eyes, Xiu Xiu turned to glance at his little butt. The scales where he had been struck didn’t even have a scratch. He looked carefully but couldn’t find any trace of injury.

This…

Xiu Xiu was dumbfounded.

The black-tech system stared in disbelief at this weak-looking little thing. Furious, it shouted again: [Third-level punishment!]

“Crackle—”

An even larger bolt of lightning shot at Xiu Xiu. He curled up into a ball in fright, running while crying out for his master to save him.

But before he could finish, the lightning struck him again at lightning speed.

Xiu Xiu: […]

Xiu Xiu: [???]

Looking completely bewildered, Xiu Xiu raised his head and asked the black-tech system: [Did you hit me?]

Black-tech system: […]

Xiu Xiu, unconsciously fanning the flames: [Did you? Why don’t I feel anything at all??]

Black-tech system: ………………

Black-tech system: [Waaahhhhh!!]

The black-tech system shrieked in rage, furious beyond measure: [Third-level punishment! Third-level punishment! Third-level punishment!!]

Dozens of lightning bolts rained down on Xiu Xiu, but he just looked blankly at the “light beams” hitting him, not feeling a thing, even swishing his tail. Slowly, his cautious expression turned arrogant.

Alright, he finally figured it out. This system born in the small world, compared to him, a system produced by Lord God himself, was nothing but a little brother!

Bullying the native humans of this world with electric punishments to force obedience might work a little. But against Xiu Xiu, whose body was 99.99% made up of world power, such threats were weaker than a tickle—completely useless!

Didn’t the evil god in the last world also have no way to deal with him after catching him? The more Xiu Xiu thought about it, the prouder he became. With swaggering steps like a big shot, he walked up to the black-tech system, who was so angry it was hopping mad, and with a “smack” of his tail, he sent the little black figure flying.

Arrogantly, he said: [You little trash, you dare provoke Lord Xiu! Do you still dare act arrogant now?!]

Si Qi glanced at the interaction between Xiu Xiu and the black-tech system, his lips curling in amusement.

He shifted his posture from lying on the desk looking at his phone, letting out a big yawn. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the desk piled high with textbooks and test papers, then back at the phone in his hand.

Perhaps due to the influence of the original owner’s personality, Si Qi had no interest in books at all. He thought all this stuff, where the answers could be seen at a glance, was boring and tedious, nowhere near as interesting as the rich, dramatic ups and downs of movies.

In fact, even without the original owner’s influence, Si Qi truly had little interest in knowledge he had already read countless times. He felt there was no need to look at it again. On the contrary, the movie in front of him, something he had never watched before, piqued his interest more.

After all, stories were different from exercises. With exercises, you saw the answer at once—nothing would change no matter what, so doing them was just a waste of time. But watching stories was like a massage for the soul, always giving people all kinds of different emotional experiences. Following the characters through joy or sorrow, anger or satisfaction—this kind of enjoyment was something no amount of knowledge points could bring. Otherwise, why would so many people dislike studying but love entertainment? It was human nature, only stronger in the original owner.

Si Qi happily finished watching a movie while lying on the desk. In the consciousness space, Xiu Xiu had just finished pummeling the black-tech system with a set of baby punches, and was now bickering with the furious system.

To call it bickering wasn’t quite accurate—it was more like the black-tech system carefully probing into Xiu Xiu’s origins, while Xiu Xiu, oblivious to being tricked, proudly tried to act like a boss. The two systems were talking at cross purposes, but somehow kept the conversation going. Eventually, the black-tech system finally realized the severity of the situation. Sitting on the ground blankly, it muttered to itself: “My mission… my purpose for existence…”

If it couldn’t defeat this golden dragon who called himself Xiu Xiu, if it couldn’t threaten this absurdly lazy host into diligently studying and advancing, then how could it make him learn the vast knowledge stored in the database and promote the civilization of this world?

For a system that was born solely to complete missions, nothing was more painful than being unable to fulfill one.

It was like forbidding a glutton from eating, forbidding a gamer from playing new games, or forbidding a miser from making money—it was maddening.

The system felt like it was on the verge of collapse. It raised its voice again and again, trying to communicate with the host of this body, persuading Si Qi to study hard and make progress every day, telling him about all the benefits of learning, and how powerful it was as a system…

Threats, bribes—every trick it could think of, it had tried. But Si Qi simply ignored it.

If persuasion really worked, then parents all over the world wouldn’t be so desperate when trying to get their children to study.

Seeing how impervious Si Qi was, the system was brought to tears.

How could such a person even exist! Whether it was death threats, temptations of money and power, or even lofty speeches about family, nation, and world, trying to move him with morality—he remained completely unmoved!

The system felt bitter, exhausted, and wished it could just perish together with this damned human!

But as soon as it blurted this vicious thought out loud, it was pummeled by that weakling golden dragon who only knew how to throw baby punches.

It didn’t hurt at all, but its pride was deeply insulted. The usually strict and cold black-tech system felt as if the whole world was against it, and for a moment, it nearly wanted to self-destruct and end everything.

At that moment, Si Qi looked at the dejected, despairing system and said: [If you want me to complete the mission, it’s not impossible.]

The system’s eyes lit up: [Really?]

Heaven bear witness—this was the very first time the black-tech system, always authoritative and intolerant of defiance, had humbled itself so lowly to beg a human to complete its mission.

Usually, it was others who wept tears of joy at being chosen by it, following its plan step by step toward the pinnacle of life, grateful to have encountered such a golden finger in their lifetime…

Yet the human before it kept rejecting and resisting. Truly bizarre.

Si Qi: [But the way I complete the mission must be decided by me.]

The system grew wary: [The mission plan I’ve arranged for you is the one most suited to this world’s situation. It is the most rational, most effective, and the safest path to success.]

Si Qi: [Whether it’s safe or effective has nothing to do with me. I only care whether my life is happy, whether I live the life I want. Don’t force your so-called grand principles on me.]

The system was displeased, its voice sharp: [Your thinking is too selfish!]

Si Qi raised an eyebrow: [And you’re not selfish? Aren’t you tormenting me constantly, electrocuting me, and threatening me with death over and over—just to complete your mission?]

The system stomped its feet: [I’m doing it for the world!]

Si Qi sneered: [As if that’s true. If your programmed mission was to destroy the world, what would you do?]

The black-tech system was instantly struck dumb.

Si Qi: [You would, without hesitation, choose the most “suitable” human host and use your so-called efficient, safe, and highly successful method to help that person destroy the world. From beginning to end, all you care about is completing your mission. Isn’t that right?]

The black-tech system lowered its head in silence.

Si Qi: [So in truth, it’s you who, for the sake of your mission, are forcing me to obey, making me work my whole life toward your task. Don’t act like you’re the noble one and I’m the petty one. Remember clearly: I was parasitized by you for no reason, forced to follow your orders, punished by your electric shocks over and over, and deprived of sleep for days. Do you know how torturous that is for a human? Of course you know—you did it on purpose. I hate you. I despise you. Isn’t that perfectly reasonable?]

The black-tech system, a little aggrieved and unwilling, said: [But my purpose is good!]

Si Qi: [And what does that have to do with me? Just because others may benefit from your existence, does that mean I should live my whole life in agony for you and for the rest of the world? Just because I was “lucky” enough to be chosen by you, I should sacrifice my dreams, give up my life, do things I don’t want, and live like a walking corpse, in constant misery?]

The system struggled in desperation: [You must think of the humans who lost a better life because of you! Because of you, all humanity can’t advance further. You are guilty! You owe the people of this world!]

Si Qi smiled, though his smile carried a strange chill: [Think of those people who would happily watch me suffer all my life, so long as they could live better themselves? Apologize to those parasites who resent me for not letting them suck me dry for a lifetime because of my “selfish” decision? Is that what you’re trying to say?]

The system: […] Damn it, why was this human so good with words!

Xiu Xiu floated nearby, watching Si Qi negotiate with the system. He thought his master was truly amazing. Clearly, Si Qi’s favorite thing in life was helping worlds progress, and his whole purpose in coming here was to complete missions. Yet now he spoke as if he never intended to do so, easily suppressing the black-tech system, seizing both initiative and control of the conversation.

Si Qi: [I know you have some value, so I’m willing to cooperate and complete the mission you set. But remember—it’s you asking me for help, not the other way around. I will decide how to accomplish the mission, and you must respect my choices. Understand?]

[…]

Knowing that this human yielded only to reason and not force, and realizing force was useless, the black-tech system stayed silent for a long time before reluctantly saying: [Fine then. How do you plan to complete the mission?]

After being battered by Si Qi’s words, the black-tech system could no longer keep up its domineering front. Now, it only hoped that Si Qi was at least willing to help with the mission—that alone was already good enough. It dared not demand more, for fear of pushing Si Qi too far and making him abandon it altogether. That would leave it with no choice but to cry in despair.

Excitement flickered in Si Qi’s eyes. With eager longing, he voiced the original owner’s greatest wish: [I want to make movies!!]

The black-tech system’s eyes widened in disbelief: [—What????]