C1 Treasure Picking System

"Phew!" Wu Ge exhaled deeply as he fumbled for his crumpled cigarette box.

For smokers in the throes of addiction, health warnings about smoking were the last thing on their minds.

But upon opening the box, Wu Ge's face fell with disappointment.

It was empty, and to make matters worse, he had even lost his lighter.

"Did I really finish them all that quickly?"

Scanning the surrounding streets, Wu Ge's eyes settled on a tobacco shop run by a man in his fifties.

With only three dollars and fifty cents to his name, Wu Ge felt suffocated. The thought of the shop owner discovering his poverty was utterly humiliating.

Yet the craving was intense. Having dropped out of high school to work, his addiction to nicotine was formidable. Not smoking wasn't an option, but smoking meant settling for the cheapest, low-quality brands.

After a moment's hesitation, Wu Ge made up his mind to buy some cigarettes.

He was truly broke.

"Boss, I'll take a pack of cigarettes."

"What brand would you like?" the uncle asked courteously.

"Do you have Hua Ye?"

"We don't carry that brand."

The uncle looked puzzled; he had never even heard of it.

Wu Ge pressed on.

"How about Soft Red People's Hall?"

Again, the uncle shook his head with an apologetic expression.

"No, we don't have that either."

"What about Zhongqi Harmony?"

"That one's not available either."

Wu Ge's penchant for obscure brands left the uncle at a loss for words.

Wu Ge mumbled in frustration, "How can you not have any of them? Those are the only brands I smoke."

The uncle responded, "All the cigarettes we have are displayed on the counter. Feel free to take your pick."

Wu Ge gave a dismissive glance over the selection.

"So, I suppose you don't have Twin Emerald Sprig either?"

No sooner had he spoken than the uncle confidently pulled out a pack of Twin Emerald Sprig from the cabinet and placed it in front of Wu Ge.

"We do have this one, Twin Emerald Sprig! One hundred dollars."

Wu Ge's face contorted slightly, followed by an awkward smile.

Under the owner's scrutinizing gaze, he admitted sheepishly, "Actually, I don't smoke that kind. Could you grab me another pack of the Twin Emerald Sprig?"

The uncle lifted his chin, his face revealing a knowing look. Clearly, he had just witnessed a broke man trying to put on airs.

He quickly returned the Twin Emerald Sprig to the counter and pulled out a three-yuan pack of Twin Leaf instead.

Wu Ge's WeChat account had just been credited with three yuan. After paying, he left the store, his face awash with embarrassment.

He hadn't gotten far when he heard the uncle's taunting voice behind him.

"All that fuss and it turns out you're just a poor guy who can only afford three-yuan smokes. What's with the act?"

Wu Ge's cheeks flushed with shame.

He desperately wanted to swap the Twin Leaf in his hand for the Twin Emerald Sprig behind the counter. Regrettably, after glancing at his WeChat balance and seeing it was only 0.5 yuan, he let out an awkward chuckle and shook his head, abandoning the thought.

The harsh reality was that he could now only afford the Twin Leaf.

Moreover, Wu Ge didn't even have enough money for his next meal.

"Damn!"

The predicament was overwhelming. Poverty seemed to curse everything he did.

He dreaded the thought of waiting ten more days for his salary, which would be less than 2,000 yuan—insufficient even for rent. The mere thought gave him a headache.

Wu Ge was a warehouse manager, one without room and board included. His meager wage had driven him to resign.

After paying rent with his paltry earnings, he couldn't even afford food.

Holding the Twin Leaf, Wu Ge felt a profound sense of desolation and embarrassment.

"Now I'm really in trouble. If only I had put up with the boss's scolding, I wouldn't be facing homelessness."

As a beggar passed by, Wu Ge noticed the QR code on his sign.

Upon closer inspection, he realized the coins in the beggar's bowl outnumbered his own WeChat balance.

Wu Ge was now worse off than a beggar.

An idea struck him—if things got really bad, he could resort to begging. Perhaps he'd even earn more that way.

"Beggars might not have it so bad; sometimes they earn multiple times more than a regular worker, own a house, have a car, and live without worries."

"I'm just a lowly warehouse manager, constantly berated and unable to even pay the rent."

He found himself envying the beggars; they did nothing, yet seemed far better off than him.

The beggar in question was quite elderly, which made begging a more dignified option for him. At his age, it was easier to elicit sympathy from others.

But what good did envy do?

Wu Ge abandoned the thought of begging.

"It's too shameful. I'd rather die of hunger in the streets than lose face like that. I'm able-bodied; I can do anything but beg!"

"If it really came down to it, scavenging for scrap would be better than begging!"

Wu Ge grumbled to himself.

Even scavenging, a single bottle could fetch three cents.

Two bottles would exceed his current account balance.

Besides, scavenging was honest work.

Wu Ge was wallowing in self-pity.

Whether begging or scavenging, as a young man, he couldn't stoop to that level.

While Wu Ge pondered this, preparing to head back to the warehouse to apologize to his boss, a voice from a system echoed in his mind.

"Ding! The Trash Picking System is now activated."

Hearing this, Wu Ge was momentarily baffled.

"A system?"

He was certain he wasn't hallucinating; this was definitely the system's voice.

"Do I actually have a system?"

He was ecstatic. This was like a godsend. Everyone knew the purpose of a system.

With a system, any system, Wu Ge could make it big.

So he took a few deep breaths to settle himself.

"Stay calm at a time like this."

Once he'd calmed down, something occurred to him.

"Wait, what did the system say it was again?"

Wu Ge was curious about what kind of system he had and what he needed to do to earn rewards.

"The Trash Picking System?"

Wu Ge smirked. The name of the system seemed quite odd. A Trash Picking System?

"Does that mean my system is junk? Or does it mean the system has chosen me because I'm junk?"

After pondering for quite some time, Wu Ge was unable to come up with anything. He abandoned his train of thought and, after a brief pause to consider his words, he inquired, "What do you want me to do, System?"

To Wu Ge's surprise, the system responded promptly. "Ding! This system has only one task for you to complete. From now on, your livelihood will come from collecting trash. Any trash you gather can be exchanged for various rewards within the system. Discover the specifics of these rewards through your own experience."

The statement from the system left Wu Ge shaking his head, obviously confused. "Hold on, what exactly do you want me to do?"

He hadn't fully grasped the system's instructions and wondered if he had misunderstood. Persisting, he asked again, "What was it you told me to do?"

This time, however, the system ignored Wu Ge and remained silent. It was only after a considerable wait that the system finally replied, "Ding! Host, please begin your task of picking up trash."

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