Xie Sen sat on the sofa, thinking.
Initially, there were no plants in the plant system. Plants required gratitude energy to activate.
Gratitude energy came from the gratitude others felt towards the system's owner. Xie Sen remembered clearly that when he first acquired the system, A Dan had said that different people had different mindsets and could give varying amounts of gratitude energy, ranging from one to ten.
He could directly see the extremes of others' gratitude energy. During the apocalypse, he fully realized this through personal experience. He performed the same good deed, but received different amounts of energy from different recipients.
He had initially activated the first plant when he had collected 10 energy. Now, not only was A Dan's voice gone from his head, but the system panel was also gone. He wasn't sure if activating the first plant would also require only 10 energy.
Regardless, he had to do his best to collect energy.
Brandt was a beast planet, inheriting the beast's principle of respecting the strongest. Without abilities, survival was difficult. The plants in the system were not only edible but also combative. Activating plants could enhance his abilities.
His near-death experience during the apocalypse had served as a wake-up call for him: he must strive to become stronger! If he activated more plants, he might not be unable to defeat the zombie dogs.
Besides, plant life on Brant was scarce. By activating the plants, he wouldn't have to eat meat every day, which was even more uncomfortable than being a vegetarian. On the other hand, if he couldn't finish the food, he could sell it for money.
Thinking of money, Xie Sen recalled the balance text message he'd received earlier. He quickly opened his personal wristband and checked his bank cards, but only saw one, with a balance of 508 star coins. He'd previously spent over 50 on lunch and taxis.
He was stunned. Ten star coins for a boxed lunch—how could he possibly get by on such a small sum?
He pondered and searched online for information on opening bank accounts for Beast Star people, only to discover that each person could only apply for one.
His hopes dashed, he closed the webpage and his gaze fell on the notepad in his personal messages. He wondered if Beast Star had some other money-saving app, and perhaps it contained relevant information!
He used his fingerprint to unlock the password and read his original body's notepad from the beginning. The notepad wasn't very long, merely recording events from special occasions, many of which concerned his adoptive parents.
The original incarnation's adoptive parents were often away from home due to work, but they always tried to be home for his birthday, even when they weren't home, and they'd send him gifts.
His writing was filled with joy and gratitude, but since his adoptive parents' death three years ago, his writing had become subdued.
He was further devastated by the fact that he hadn't awakened his contracted beast since his sixteenth birthday. He was met with much ridicule and malicious speculation at school, and he was consumed by anguish.
For two years, he'd been incredibly depressed. The day before yesterday, he'd celebrated his eighteenth birthday, and his contracted beast still hadn't awakened, his only hope shattered.
Xie Sen, reading his predecessor's final letter, felt a heavy heart. As the doctor had said, the incarnation had committed suicide.
He was terrified that he hadn't awakened his contracted beast, and without family to rely on, the pressure was even greater. In such dire circumstances, and with his classmates constantly making cold comments, he came up with the worst possible solution.
Xie Sen closed his notepad, rubbed his nose, and let out a long sigh, letting go of the frustration.
He paused for a moment before facing his dire situation—only 508 yuan in savings. He
was comforted by the fact that he still had an apartment, which meant he didn't have to rob others under bridges, but he couldn't survive with just a place to live.
He also needed to collect energy. Without money, resources, or superpowers, earning gratitude wasn't easy.
The only good thing he could do was help an old lady cross the street, which wouldn't work on Beast Planet!
First and foremost, he needed to earn money. With money, collecting energy would be easier. With this in mind, Xie Sen immediately searched online for jobs he could qualify for.
After searching for a long time, he couldn't help but sigh. Good jobs required a diploma, and those without a diploma could only work part-time, which paid much less.
University courses here last three years, and he was in his third year. It was March 26th, and after that, he had to take the graduation exams. From April to June, he had a work internship, followed by a practical exam in July, and a comprehensive score in August. Only a passing grade would allow him to receive his diploma.
This meant he had to work part-time for at least four more months.
A graduation exam? He immediately searched for the Botany Department group text message. The graduation exam was on March 28th, two days away!
How could a person from Earth's Core Beast Star possibly pass the graduation exam in just two days? And the graduation exam accounted for 60% of the overall grade.
Xie Sen couldn't help but lament. He had always been at the top of his class. Could it be that he had come to this other world just to take a make-up exam?
With little hope, he opened the Botany Department courseware, hoping to see what they were all about. If he couldn't understand, he might as well skip the exam and avoid wasting time working.
His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the content. Most of the plants featured were common fruits and vegetables on Earth.
He quickly scanned the courseware, then closed it with a sense of relief and began looking for a part-time job.
After much searching, he found only one suitable position: working in a flower shop. He had some experience tending flowers before.
He was curious. Plants were scarce here, and the plants that could survive on Beast Star were incredibly resilient. What would the flowers sold in a flower shop look like?
When he arrived at the flower shop, he was stunned to see a row of attractive young men bent over their crafts in a studio behind the shop.
It turned out the shop didn't sell real flowers, but handmade silk ones.
He glanced at his palms, then thought of his meager savings. He abandoned the thought of leaving and instead followed his team leader to learn.
Thirty minutes later, the team leader, with a twitching lip, looked at his bleeding finger from the wire prick and kindly suggested, "I don't think this job is right for you. What do you think?"
Xie Sen shoved the cloth and wire into the team leader's hands. "I think so too. Thank you."
He desperately wanted the job and patiently studied for half an hour, but reality showed he wasn't up to it.
He continued looking for a job, but after an entire afternoon, he found nothing suitable. Many companies rejected him outright when they heard he hadn't even taken his graduation exams.
He came from a distant factory and wouldn't have chosen this one if he hadn't had any other choice. But the company even disliked his lack of strength.
He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, as he walked languidly down the street. The aroma of meat wafted into his nose, bringing on a pang of hunger. He'd walked quite a bit today to save on bus fares, expending considerable energy.
He checked the time: it was already past six.
Someone passed him from behind. He glanced casually, and then his eyes suddenly lit up.
Without a second thought, he quickly stepped forward, patting the man's shoulder. "Handsome, wait a minute!"
The man paused. Xie Sen smiled and took a step forward, preparing to approach him. As he stepped forward, his hand on the man's shoulder slid down, enveloping him in a hug.
The man stiffened, grabbed his hand, and flung it away. Xie Sen was stunned. He tried to withdraw his grip, but his other hand also grabbed the man.
He embraced him from behind.
"Let go!" the pleasant voice carried a heavy warning.