(Part 1)
Night settled softly over the campus, a blanket of silver light draping across the rooftops. Most students were asleep. But inside the dimly lit tech lab, Li Cheng sat alone, surrounded by glowing monitors.
The hum of the servers was steady, comforting—until it wasn't.
[Warning: External Access Detected.]
[Source: Unknown IP – Masked.]
Li Cheng's eyes narrowed. "Not again…"
He typed rapidly, fingers flying over the keyboard. Code scrolled like rain, lines of data flashing too fast for any normal human to read.
"System, track the signal."
[Tracing in progress. Decryption Level: 73%.]
Then, something strange appeared.
Between the streams of data, a faint symbol pulsed—a glowing red mark that looked eerily similar to his Devouring Core insignia.
Li Cheng froze. "Why is that showing up in my code?"
[Unknown anomaly. Cross-reference failed.]
[Possible emotional or spiritual interference.]
"Spiritual—System, don't start sounding like a horror movie."
[Error. I am incapable of being scary.]
"Yeah, tell that to my blood pressure."
He leaned back, rubbing his eyes. The glowing code reflected in his crimson pupils, making him look more like a hacker from a cyber-thriller than a university student.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
Message from: Qin Ruo
Are you still in the lab?
He blinked, surprised. How did she know?
Before he could reply, the lab door creaked open.
There she was—Qin Ruo, standing by the doorway, moonlight catching her long hair, her expression unreadable but soft.
"You don't sleep either, huh?" she asked quietly.
He smirked. "Sleep's overrated. Especially when someone's trying to hack your brain—or my company."
She stepped inside, eyes darting over the glowing screens. "You've been working on Red Code nonstop. Don't tell me you're burning out already?"
"Burnout's for people who have limits."
"Then you're either brilliant…" She stopped beside him, voice dropping, "…or insane."
"Maybe both."
For a moment, silence filled the room—except for the faint hum of the computers. The tension was… comfortable. Like static electricity waiting to spark.
She leaned closer, eyes scanning the code. "This symbol—what is it?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. It wasn't part of the original system."
Her brow furrowed. "It looks… alive."
He turned to her, half-smiling. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"I'm saying it shouldn't exist at all."
[Emotional Resonance Detected – 58%.]
Li Cheng sighed. "You really know how to ruin a compliment, don't you?"
She ignored him, reaching for the screen. Her fingers brushed the glass—and the code flickered.
[Unauthorized Contact Detected.]
[Emotional Sync in Progress.]
Li Cheng blinked. "System, what's happening?"
[Warning: Partial Mind Link Detected between Host and Target – Qin Ruo.]
"What?!"
Suddenly, images flashed in his mind—a dark room, a glowing sphere, voices whispering "Project Core." He gasped, clutching his head.
Then—silence.
When he looked up, Qin Ruo was trembling slightly, her pupils faintly glowing red.
"Ruo…?"
She took a step back. "I—I don't know what that was. I saw… something."
"What did you see?"
She hesitated, then whispered, "You."
He blinked. "Me?"
"Yes. But not… you. It was another version of you. And something inside your chest—it was calling to me."
[System Alert: Soul Synchronization Level 12%.]
Li Cheng exhaled slowly. "System, stop syncing me with random girls."
[This was not my doing.]
"Great. Now even my System's confused."
Qin Ruo's voice softened. "Li Cheng… what if the thing inside your System isn't just code?"
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
"What if it's connected to something bigger—something from before you awakened it?"
Her words hung in the air like a secret neither of them was ready to uncover.
Then, suddenly—
[ALERT: Data Surge Detected.]
[Unknown User Attempting Access: 'E.C.']
Li Cheng's fingers flew over the keyboard again. "Someone's trying to override our firewall!"
"Who is it?"
"Not sure yet, but—wait." His eyes widened as the screen flickered, and a message appeared.
"HELLO, LI CHENG. IT'S BEEN A WHILE."
Qin Ruo frowned. "Who—"
[Connection Terminated.]
The monitors went black. Every single one.
A cold breeze swept through the room.
Qin Ruo turned to him slowly. "You know that voice, don't you?"
Li Cheng didn't answer. His hands clenched tightly at his sides.
"…Yeah," he said finally. "And if I'm right—this just got a lot more dangerous."
[New Quest Unlocked: "Ghost in the Code." Objective: Identify the Unknown Hacker 'E.C.']
(Part 2)
The next morning arrived with an unusual calm. The sky was bright, the birds were annoyingly cheerful, and Li Cheng looked like someone who hadn't slept in forty-eight hours.
He yawned, dragging himself across the campus courtyard, a half-empty cup of coffee dangling in one hand. His mind still buzzed with last night's encounter — the hacker "E.C.", Qin Ruo's strange connection, and that eerie message.
HELLO, LI CHENG. IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
Whoever that was, they weren't just a hacker. They knew him.
He sighed. "Can't I have one normal school day without cosmic drama?"
[Negative.]
[Drama attracts readership. Emotional fluctuation = higher engagement.]
He nearly spit out his coffee. "System, you've been reading author analytics again, haven't you?"
[Affirmative. Recommendation: More comedic face-slapping increases favorability by 37%.]
Li Cheng blinked. "You're actually tracking metrics now?"
[Yes. Would you like to unlock the "Algorithmic Comedy" feature?]
"Absolutely not."
[Too late. Activated.]
At that exact moment, a basketball flew across the courtyard——and smacked Li Cheng square in the face.
"WHAT THE—!"
A group of guys from the sports department burst into laughter. One of them, tall, handsome in a smug kind of way, and wearing designer sunglasses indoors, smirked.
"Oops. Didn't see you there, Mr. CEO."
Li Cheng rubbed his nose. "Oh great, another peacock."
[New NPC Detected: Gu Minghao — Status: Arrogant Playboy Rival.]
Gu Minghao strutted forward, tossing the basketball lazily. "So, you're Li Cheng. The campus hot topic lately. Word is, you're running some fancy company and pretending to be a genius?"
Li Cheng gave a thin smile. "Pretending? You're giving me too much credit. I don't have to pretend."
Minghao's friends snickered. "Bro, he talks big!"
But Minghao's attention had already drifted. Across the courtyard, Qin Ruo appeared — radiant as always, her calm beauty drawing eyes without effort.
Minghao's grin widened. "Qin Ruo! What a coincidence."
She froze mid-step, clearly unamused. "Minghao."
He spun the basketball on his finger, leaning closer. "You know, you should join me for lunch sometime. I've got VIP reservations at Silver Pavilion. Not everyone can sit at my table."
Li Cheng sighed dramatically. "Ah, the classic 'rich young master invite.' Haven't seen this episode before."
Minghao shot him a glare. "Stay out of this, junior."
Qin Ruo's lips curved into a faint smile. "Junior? He's older than you, Minghao. And smarter, apparently."
"Smarter? Please." Minghao scoffed. "He's just some nerd with luck. Real men don't hide behind computers."
Li Cheng blinked innocently. "You're right. Some hide behind sunglasses indoors. Because the glare of rejection hurts too much."
The crowd around them broke into laughter.
Minghao's expression darkened. "You think you're funny?"
[Host is indeed funny. Approval rating: +24%.]
"System, not helping," Li Cheng muttered.
"Let's settle this," Minghao said, tossing the basketball into Li Cheng's chest. "One-on-one. Right here. If you win, I'll apologize. But if I win, Qin Ruo has to go on a date with me."
Qin Ruo's brows furrowed. "I never agreed to that."
Li Cheng twirled the ball lazily. "Fine. But let's make it interesting."
"Interesting?"
"Yeah. If I win, you'll run around campus yelling, 'I'm the most handsome clown alive!' three times. Loudly."
The onlookers roared with laughter. Even Qin Ruo covered her mouth to hide her smile.
"Deal," Minghao snapped. "You're dead, nerd."
[Mini-game Initiated: Basketball Duel – Face-Slapping Mode.]
"System, please tell me you're joking."
[No. Your physical stats are currently enhanced by Devouring Core residue. Proceed confidently.]
Five Minutes Later
The match began, and within seconds, it was clear: Minghao was fast—but Li Cheng was ridiculous.
Each time Minghao tried to block him, Li Cheng's movements blurred, weaving past him with effortless grace. The crowd gasped as he performed a perfect crossover and scored.
"WHAT—?! You hacked physics!" Minghao shouted.
Li Cheng smirked. "Nope. Just software updates."
Minghao lunged, trying to grab the ball, but Li Cheng spun it behind his back, bounced it off Minghao's shoe, and scored again—without even looking.
The courtyard exploded with cheers.
[Critical Hit! Face-Slapping Intensity: 89%.]
"System, are you actually measuring humiliation?"
[Yes. It's currently trending.]
By the third round, Minghao was panting, drenched in sweat. Li Cheng tossed the ball one last time, letting it arc through the air and land perfectly in the hoop.
"Game over," he said calmly.
Minghao collapsed to his knees, face red as the basketball.
"Three laps," Li Cheng reminded him. "Loud and proud."
Minghao hesitated, but the chanting crowd left him no escape.
"I'm the most handsome clown alive!" he shouted.
Again.
And again.
Each shout was followed by a wave of laughter so loud that even the faculty peeked out their windows.
Li Cheng dusted off his hands. "Good game."
Qin Ruo walked up beside him, still trying not to laugh. "You're terrible, you know that?"
He grinned. "You mean amazing."
"I mean terrible."
"Then why are you smiling?"
She looked away quickly. "I'm not."
[Romantic Tension Detected: 74%. Recommend follow-up dialogue.]
Li Cheng smirked. "System, hush."
[No.]
"Ugh."
They started walking toward the main building together, the crowd still buzzing behind them.
"By the way," she said softly, "thank you for standing up for me."
He glanced at her, expression softening. "Always. That's what business partners do, right?"
She stopped walking, turning to look at him. "Business partners?"
He blinked. "Uh… yes?"
For a second, her eyes lingered on him longer than necessary—then she smiled faintly. "Right. Partners."
He felt his heart skip. Oh, no. Not this again.
[Warning: Emotional Heart Rate Increase. Possible symptoms: awkwardness, denial, romantic development.]
"System, shut up."
[Denied.]
Qin Ruo laughed softly beside him, and Li Cheng realized that, for the first time in weeks, he actually felt… light.
Maybe a normal school day wasn't so bad after all.