Lin Changgeng's face darkened: "Judging from this, the black bear has probably really been stolen."
Lin Cuiying felt a sense of helplessness; she hadn't expected that someone would actually steal the black bear.
The three continued following the marks and footprints, which extended all the way outside the village and then disappeared in a patch of overgrown weeds.
The area is overgrown with tall grass, blocking out most of the light and making it gloomy even during the day.
It was quiet all around, not even the chirping of insects, only the rustling of the wind through the grass.
"The mark ends here."
Lin Changgeng looked around, his face somewhat grim. Based on his years of experience, he said in a deep voice, "This place is probably not simple. We can't go in easily."
Lin Tiandong couldn't help but say, "This place looks kind of creepy, what should we do?"
Lin Cuiying also knew that this place looked too eerie, and if she went in rashly, she might encounter some danger.
Moreover, since there's no system to help us cheat right now, it's best to go back first, just to be on the safe side.
We'll make plans after we bring up the system.
After returning home, Chen inquired about the situation and was about to comfort the group when...
Looking at Chen, Lin Cuiying suddenly noticed that her complexion looked rosier than yesterday, and she seemed to be in much better spirits.
She couldn't help but ask, "Mother, how are you feeling?"
A smile appeared on Chen's face: "It's strange, but I feel much better today. I feel more energetic, my head is no longer dizzy, and my chest doesn't feel tight anymore."
As she spoke, she stood up and took a couple of steps, looking much more energetic than yesterday.
By this time, Mrs. Chen had already prepared breakfast and asked everyone to wash their hands and eat.
Lin Cuiying swallowed the last mouthful of brown rice porridge in one gulp. "Father, you rest. I'll go to the kitchen to prepare the dishes."
After finishing tidying up, she squatted down next to the haystack, clutching the hem of her clothes, and began calling out to the system in her mind again.
After an unknown amount of time, the system finally responded, and this time the system's voice was no longer an electrical buzzing sound, but a vibrant, youthful voice.
[Ding-dong! Your helpful little assistant is now online!] A clear, youthful voice exploded in her mind, the last syllable carrying an upward inflection: [Surprised? Unexpected?]
Lin Cuiying's hand trembled as she grabbed the straw; the flippant tone was a stark contrast to her previous cold, mechanical voice.
"Were you struck by lightning?" Lin Cuiying gritted her teeth and retorted inwardly, her toes grinding against the pebbles on the ground. "Get to the point! Where did the black bear go?"
[Oh dear, host, don't be so fierce~] The system actually made a gurgling sound like it was slurping bubble tea. [This system upgraded the emotion module overnight, and now it can chat with you about everything from poetry and songs to the philosophy of life!]
Lin Cuiying nearly stripped the straw stack bare: "Get to the point!"
[Host's free trial has expired~] The system suddenly switched to a TV shopping tone, [Now, to get answers, you need to recharge and upgrade to a membership! Not 998! Not even 98! Just 9 copper coins, and you can bring the whereabouts of the black bear home!]
Lin Cuiying's hand, which was holding half a straw, froze in mid-air. Her fingernails dug into her palm to confirm that she hadn't imagined it: "What did you say?"
[Ding! Unlocked Basic Membership, enjoy daily three-question service!] The blades of grass automatically spelled out the three golden letters "VIP" before her eyes, even without wind. [Recharge now and receive a free tracking and navigation gift pack!]
She stomped on a clod of dirt, breaking it under her feet: "Do you think you're running a Singles' Day promotion?"
【Dear~ The new user protection period is a limited-time benefit.】The system suddenly popped up with the tone of a Taobao customer service representative. She could even hear the tapping of keyboards. 【Now transferring you to a member-exclusive customer service representative——】
"Stop!" Lin Cuiying grabbed her hair and spun around twice, knocking a few straws off the woodpile. "Give me back my original system!"
[Host, please don't be angry!] The system suddenly started playing a suona version of "Good Luck" as background music, and Lin Cuiying's temples throbbed.
"Are you trying to drive me crazy? No way! I've heard that anything that asks you to pay money is a scam."
[Host, how can I get stronger without spending money?!] The system suddenly projected a crying cat emoji onto my retina, with large electronic tears dripping down. [Look at this desolate wilderness, where are you going to find a black bear without my navigation?]
Lin Cuiying kicked a pebble away: "The previous system never said that you needed to pay money to use it!"
[Even a cheat code needs to eat, right?] Suddenly, a chibi-style Taoist priest appeared in mid-air, twirling his whisk and performing a driving test in front of her. [A first recharge of nine coins will immediately reveal the whereabouts of the black bear! Honey, really, won't you consider it?]
She gripped the straw stalk and poked at the illusory figure: "Where am I supposed to get you copper coins?"
[Why is the host hiding money?] The chibi-style Taoist priest suddenly changed into the attire of the God of Wealth, riding on auspicious clouds and circling around her. [You have five taels of silver hidden in your pocket!]
Lin Cuiying then remembered the betrothal money she had received from Granny Wang. Fortunately, Granny Wang hadn't remembered it when they divorced.
Suddenly, the prelude to "Gong Xi Fa Cai" (Wishing You Prosperity) burst forth from the void. [Host, look—five taels of silver equals 5000 copper coins, enough to buy 555 nine-coin meals!]
Lin Cuiying's hands trembled as she held the five taels of silver. "Are you trying to force me to spend money on in-game purchases?"
【Honey~ This is called paying for knowledge!】The system suddenly transformed the chibi-style Taoist priest on my retina into a lucky cat. 【Can you bear to see me starving and gnawing on code?】
"Don't give me that!" Lin Cuiying grabbed another straw and held it in her hand. "Tell me where the black bear is first, then we'll talk about money."
Suddenly, fireworks exploded in the void, and the system instantly switched to the excited tone of a certain Jiaqi livestream: 【OMG! Family members, look at this feature! It's only nine coins! Buy it, buy it, buy it!】
Lin Cuiying's temples were practically bulging from the sudden thrust. "Do you think you're selling products online?"
[Host, dear~] The chibi-style Taoist priest suddenly turned into a Psyduck facepalm emoji. [If you don't spend money...]
It suddenly projected a countdown hourglass into the void, [This system is about to start its period of inactivity~]
With a "crack," she snapped the straw in her hand in two.
[Host's emotional fluctuation value exceeded the standard!] The system suddenly released the Great Compassion Mantra background music, and electronic lotus petals fell from the void.
She watched as the screen filled with floating yellow paper talismans, each bearing a crooked, simple drawing of Psyduck.
Lin Cuiying reached out to scatter the yellow paper talismans, but to no avail. She could only grit her teeth and say, "I'm going to file a complaint!"
[Sobbing!] Suddenly, a suona-style rendition of "Tante" (a popular Chinese ballad) blared in her ear. [Honey, we suggest you calm down first~]
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