C2 I Want to Pick up Trash

Wu Ge checked repeatedly, and after a moment of thought, he realized he hadn't misheard. His face turned ashen as he covered his eyes and let out a foolish laugh. "Are you freaking kidding me?

I had just decided that begging was out of the question. I would never stoop to begging in my entire life.

Even without saying it outright, for a young man like Wu Ge, picking up trash was equally unthinkable.

Who would do such a thing?

Absolutely not!

It was too humiliating. It simply couldn't be done.

Then, he ended up with a trash-picking system.

How could Wu Ge not turn pale?

Upon reflection, what kinds of systems did others have? Systems that made you look cool and exchanged for money, systems that transformed trash into treasures! There were even systems for cultivating immortality, and even more impressive ones that changed to a different system every day.

Wu Ge, however, was fortunate enough to become a trash picker directly.

And the system made it very clear to Wu Ge that this was the only task he could undertake.

Oh man! It smells so good!

If he really refused to pick up trash because of his pride, then the golden opportunity sent from above would be wasted. Faced with this reality, the rage simmering within Wu Ge could no longer be contained.

"What terrible thing did I do in my past life to deserve this?"

"What's the point of having a golden touch if I still have to pick up trash? I used to be a warehouse manager, and now I'm reduced to trash picking. How is that any different from being a beggar?"

It felt like he was being played by the gods.

Wu Ge was actually not bad-looking. With a bit of grooming, he believed he could catch the eye of women anywhere.

But here he was, a promising young man, carrying a sack and picking up trash.

Spotting a can on the ground, he swooped down to grab it like a ravenous tiger.

The sight left young girls and beautiful women feeling a mix of shock and revulsion.

"This is just too much to bear. I can't stand it!"

For Wu Ge, such scenes were sheer torture.

"I'd rather die than pick up trash. I'll never do it, not in this lifetime. I want to go back to being a warehouse manager. Even if it means being scolded or beaten to death by my boss, it's still a far better fate than picking up trash!"

Wu Ge was constantly trying to convince himself.

[Ding! Host reluctance to execute the system's task detected! Please confirm, as refusal to execute the system's task will result in the system's automatic termination! Upon termination, the system will fulfill the host's wish for death!]

"…"

Wu Ge was stunned.

If he didn't complete the task, the system would vanish—and before vanishing, would it really go so far as to kill him?

It was just a joke.

In a panic, Wu Ge quickly tried to appease the system with a smile.

"Hey, hey, don't take it seriously, I was only kidding around. Picking up trash isn't so bad, I actually quite enjoy it, hehe!"

Wu Ge was speaking against his better judgment, but he felt he had no other choice. Regardless of his thoughts about the system, his own life was still at stake.

Upon further reflection, Wu Ge came to terms with the situation. Having a system at all was a bonus.

Besides, this system allowed for the exchange of rewards of unequal value, didn't it?

"Life comes first, better get to work!"

Wu Ge pondered a perplexing question.

"How exactly do I pick up this trash to get a reward?"

He mumbled to himself, though it was just a passing thought.

If he couldn't even manage to pick up trash, he might as well be dead.

Heaving a deep sigh, Wu Ge resolved to begin his task. His eyes roamed the streets, searching.

Then, he spotted a can near a garbage bin not too far away.

His eyes gleamed with excitement.

He quickly made his way to the can.

Reaching the can, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to pick it up. But just then, a young and attractive woman approached.

Wu Ge chickened out, turning his back to her, his face flushed with embarrassment.

The idea of being seen picking up trash by a woman was mortifying.

He remembered how he used to fear the shopkeeper's judgment when buying cigarettes, pretending to be wealthy, only to end up buying the cheapest Bao San brand.

But the truth was, the fear of being looked down upon was all in his head.

The beautiful woman walked by without giving Wu Ge a second glance.

She breezed past him, flipping her hair, looking effortlessly stunning.

After the girl walked away, Wu Ge finally felt brave enough to steal a few glances at her.

Once he was sure no one else was around, he crouched down, stretched out his hand, and picked up the can.

"I guess this counts as picking up some litter," Wu Ge mused to himself.

"I found a can. How do I redeem it, System?"

No sooner had he spoken than Wu Ge heard the system's response.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for finding a can! You've been rewarded with 200 yuan.]

With the sound of the alert, Wu Ge's eyes felt dry, and he blinked.

The can in his hand had vanished.

"Wait, that's it?"

Wu Ge was taken aback and began to grumble.

"A 200 yuan reward? Where's the cash?"

He frantically looked around and patted himself down but couldn't find the 200 yuan reward from the system.

Just as Wu Ge was beginning to think the system was messing with him, his phone buzzed with a new message.

"Dear valued customer, your bank account ending in 9527 has received a deposit of 200 yuan. Available balance: 200.6."

"It went straight into my bank account? So it really happened."

Wu Ge quickly opened his mobile banking app to confirm his balance, which matched the text message exactly.

Had he really just earned two hundred yuan that easily?

"Can this be real?"

Without hesitation, Wu Ge transferred the two hundred yuan to his WeChat wallet.

It worked seamlessly, and two hundred yuan popped up in his WeChat.

Suddenly, Wu Ge was ecstatic.

"That's my meal money sorted for the next few days!"

The first thing that came to his mind was food. With two hundred yuan, he could afford several good meals. If he was economical, it might even last him several days.

He could also treat himself to a better pack of cigarettes.

But then Wu Ge chided himself for only thinking about food, feeling a bit ashamed.

"A single can fetches two hundred yuan, so a hundred cans would be twenty thousand, and a thousand cans would be two hundred thousand."

Wu Ge excitedly talked to himself.

"Picking up a few dozen cans a day should be no problem!"

If he managed to collect fifty cans a day, that would be ten thousand yuan daily.

That's thirty thousand yuan a month.

Wu Ge's heart rate soared as he contemplated the figure: three hundred and sixty thousand yuan a year.

"It's like striking it rich," he marveled.

"What's the issue with this system? Some people don't make as much in a whole day as I do from picking up a single bottle or can. And for me, it's as simple as bending over to collect my earnings."

It seemed easy enough, and with a bit more effort, the potential was enormous.

He couldn't help but wonder how much money he could amass in ten years. The thought was almost terrifying.

Wu Ge hadn't considered whether the system would always just give out money, or if every piece of trash was worth two hundred yuan.

But even if he had, it wouldn't have mattered to him.

Clearly, two hundred yuan was not the maximum reward. There could be even greater prizes waiting.

In that instant, Wu Ge's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

He cast a glance at the nearby trash can and dove in without hesitation.

No matter the filth, he rummaged through it, driven by a single thought in his mind:

"Nobody better get in my way; I'm on a mission to pick up trash!"