"Tell me. What happened here?" he asked, his voice calm but leaving no room for evasion.
As he spoke, he fixed his glasses, pushing them up the bridge of his nose. The lenses caught the light, and for a moment, his eyes shone with a cold, calculating light as he glanced at the terrified guard.
The guard who was asked this question immediately began to speak, his voice trembling slightly. "Master Xu… A woman came today. She said her name is Ji Yu. She… she claimed that she is Master Li's wife from a rural village. We didn't know what to do at the time, we didn't know if it was true! She left saying that she would be staying in a hotel nearby and that she would return."
Hearing this, Adjutant Xu's expression didn't change, but a thoughtful look entered his eyes. He seemed to be searching his memory, thinking of something from the past.
Suddenly, he said in a lowered, serious voice, "I understand. Do not speak of this to anyone else. Immediately report to me, and only to me, if she comes again. And keep this matter a complete secret for now. Is that clear?"
The guards nodded vigorously in agreement, too afraid to say anything else. They withdrew to their posts, staring at each other in amazement. The message was clear: Adjutant Xu hadn't dismissed the woman's claim. He was taking it seriously. The shocking thought dawned on them—the woman named Ji Yu might indeed be the Master's wife from the rural village. They had just been given an order by one of the most powerful men in the household, and they would not disobey.
..
..
Ji Yu walked through the streets of the capital. The roads were full of people and noise. She looked around but did not show any feeling on her face. She saw many things—shops, stalls, carts loaded with goods. It was all new, but she did not seem excited or worried. She just watched.
After some time, she came to a part of the street where clothes were being sold. She stopped and looked at them. The clothes were of different colors and styles. She thought about buying something new. Then she put her hand in her pocket and felt the coins there. There were only a few. She took her hand out and moved on. She did not look sad or disappointed. It was just a fact. She did not have enough money, so she would not buy anything.
She continued walking. She did not know the city well, so after a while, she decided to ask for help. She saw a person who looked like they lived here and asked them if they knew a good place to stay that was not too expensive. The person gave her directions. She listened, said thank you, and followed the way they pointed.
She found the hotel after some more walking. It was a plain building, not too big, but it looked clean from the outside. She went in. A man stood behind a small counter. She asked how much a room cost. He said ten cents for one day. She nodded. She took out her money and gave him ten cents. He gave her a key.
She went up to the room. It was small and simple. There was a bed, a small table, and a window. She put her things down. Then she took out the money she had left and counted it. If Li Mingxuan didn't send someone to look for her, she could at most stay in the hotel for 5 to 7 days depending on what she ate for lunch and dinner. She put the money back in her pocket. Her face did not change. She was not smiling or frowning. It was just a calculation. She had a place to stay for now. That was what mattered.
She let out a slow breath, not out of frustration, but as a simple physical reaction. Her mind was calm. She needed a solution, so she turned to the small, silent presence that lived in her thoughts.
"System," she said inside her head, her mental voice as flat as her expression. "I need to generate income. What are the options for making money in a place with this level of development?"
She looked at the few coins left in her palm. They were not enough. Not nearly enough. Her expression didn't change, but her mind was very focused. She didn't just need money to survive. She needed a lot of it. Her personality was not one for small dreams or slow, careful saving. If she was going to do this, she wanted wealth. She wanted to never have to count pennies again.
The system's voice resonated within her mind, not with mere encouragement, but with the flat, factual tone of a intelligence reciting a personnel file. "Host. Your designation is Alpha-level, with confirmed SSS-tier mental fortitude. While your current physical vessel is suboptimal, your core consciousness remains intact. Your credentials include: lead researcher on the Quantum Entanglement Drive, the youngest individual to ever attain the rank of Marshal within the Interstellar Federation, fluency in thirteen galactic and pre-galactic languages, mastery of both plasma blade combat and classical rhetorical debate, and the founder of a multi-system corporate empire prior to your twenty-fifth standard year. The probability of an objective you cannot accomplish approaches zero. The socioeconomic and technological level of this locale is statistically primitive. Literary and philosophical movements are in their infancy. Establishing a dominant commercial enterprise would require minimal effort. Projections indicate total market dominance within a thirty-six-month timeframe, maximum."
The system's assessment was, technically, flawless. The task of amassing wealth here was not a challenge; it was a trivial exercise. It was the equivalent of a university-level physicist being asked to solve basic algebra.
Yet, the complication wasn't her ability—it was her context. Her internal monologue, usually a stream of complex calculations and strategic forecasts, now had to account for a new variable: narrative integrity.
"Hmm, your data is correct," she conceded mentally, her analytical mind already running scenarios. "But your analysis is missing a key parameter: my designated identity within this world's framework. My current socio-cultural designation is 'rural female with negligible formal education and no documented exposure to urban centers.'"
She paused, constructing her argument with the precision of a thesis statement. "A sudden and radical deviation from this established profile presents a significant risk. The introduction of an anomalous variable of such magnitude—manifesting advanced mathematical comprehension, business acumen, and linguistic skills—would inevitably alter the trajectory of the established plot. This could trigger unpredictable downstream effects, potentially making me a focal point of unwanted scrutiny from the native power structures or, worse, whatever mechanism governs this narrative. The question is not can I do it, but what are the second and third-order consequences of doing it too quickly?"
Ji Yu sat quietly on the edge of the simple bed, listening as the system in her mind chattered away with growing excitement. Its voice was like an enthusiastic friend who had just discovered a fantastic new game plan.
.
.
.
Thanks for reading.
Stay tuned for more.