"Lu Zhou, wake up!"

Another violent shake jolted his shoulder, and Lu Zhou slowly opened his eyes—only to find Wu Dahai’s round face staring back at him.

"Damn it, you’re finally awake," Wu Dahai exhaled in relief, withdrawing his hand and forcing an awkward smile. "Hey, don’t take it the wrong way—I wasn’t trying to disturb your nap. You were snoring so loud, I figured you must be fine."

Lu Zhou glanced around at the white walls and the curtain-drawn hospital bed. "...Where am I?"

"You don’t remember? You passed out from heatstroke in front of the China Unicom store!" Wu Dahai sat back down in his chair, sighing and slapping his thick thigh. "Man, I told you not to push yourself so hard. We’re just part-timers, not superheroes. Why risk your health like that? Look at you now—your body’s paying the price. Was it worth it?"

Lu Zhou managed a weak smile. "What did the doctor say... about my condition?"

"Nothing serious—just dehydration," Wu Dahai said, jerking his chin toward the bedside table. "I left some water here. Drink up."

Lu Zhou swallowed hard and said sincerely, "Thanks."

"Don’t thank me. You’re my junior, and as your senior, it’s only right I look out for you," Wu Dahai waved him off. "Rest up, and once you’re good to go, head back to school. I’ve already transferred your part-time pay to your Alipay—check it later. And don’t worry about the medical bills; it wasn’t much. I covered it for you."

"This is really too much, I—"

"Enough with the hemming and hawing. I’m the one who got you this job, so I bear some responsibility if something went wrong," Wu Dahai stood up. "Anyway, that’s that. Take a few days off and don’t rush back to work just yet."

Lu Zhou opened his mouth to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. He could only nod and mutter, "Thanks."

Wu Dahai waved dismissively and walked off.

Leaning back against the hospital bed, Lu Zhou stared at the ceiling and sighed.

"Guess I’ll have to find another part-time job..."

After an incident like this, Wu Dahai probably wouldn’t let him work there again. Besides, Lu Zhou himself felt too ashamed to keep asking for favors after causing so much trouble.

He turned over, the bizarre dream from earlier still fresh in his mind, and closed his eyes, murmuring softly.

"System."

No response.

"Black Tech System."

Still nothing.

Lu Zhou’s cheeks flushed with frustration.

Damn it all to hell—just a dream, then...

But the moment he opened his eyes again, the sight before him left him utterly stunned.

That flawless, endless expanse of white. The translucent holographic screen. The attribute panel still covered in zeros.

It was all too real.

After a brief moment of shock, Lu Zhou clenched his fists, his heart surging with euphoria.

Ha!!

This was real!! Not a dream!!

Just then, a line of text suddenly appeared on the translucent panel.

【Please select a mission, Host.】

Suppressing his excitement, Lu Zhou stepped forward and tapped the 【Missions】 icon on the screen.

Immediately, a translucent dialogue box popped up before him.

【 Mission 1: Get in Shape Description: To excel in scientific research, you must first have a strong body—capable of outrunning journalists, fighting off zombies and aliens, and pulling all-nighters for 72 hours straight. Physical fitness is non-negotiable. Start now. Requirement: Complete a 5km jog within one hour. Begin timing by mentally activating the mission. (Failed attempts can be retried.) Reward: 20 random subject experience points, one lottery draw (100% junk).

Mission 2: Network Building Description: Academic research isn’t about wining and dining, but getting into the academic circle requires knowing how to network. Requirement: Raise Professor Lu Fangping’s favorability to "Friendly" (30 points; detailed favorability stats will be displayed upon mission start). Reward: 100 math subject experience points, 400 general points, one lottery draw (97% junk, 3% black tech samples).

Mission 3: An Overachiever’s Life Needs No Explanation Requirement: Accumulate 24 hours of "library AFK" time. Mission starts when you mentally activate it. Reward: Subject experience points vary based on book types and value coefficients. 100 general points, one lottery draw (90% junk, 9% samples, 1% blueprints). 】

The system was refreshingly transparent about drop rates.

But a 5km jog? And a 100% junk rate on the lottery?! What kind of scam was this?!

And networking with a professor? Whether it involved wining and dining or outright bribery, either way, it was going to cost money...

Only the last mission seemed remotely normal. While it didn’t specify experience gains, the lowest junk rate on the lottery made it the safest bet. Following standard gaming logic, this was clearly the optimal choice.

Besides, 24 hours in the library didn’t sound too difficult.

With that settled, Lu Zhou didn’t hesitate—he selected Mission 3.

An overachiever’s life needs no explanation!!

【Mission selection is irreversible. No time limit for completion. Abandoning the mission costs 200 points. Current points: 0. Confirm selection? (First-time reminder)】

Lu Zhou declared firmly, "Confirm!"

【Selection successful. Good luck.】 flash of white light, and the 【Missions】 section of his attribute panel changed from "None" to "Mission 3."

Taking a deep breath, Lu Zhou closed his eyes and silently activated the system exit. When he opened them again, he was back in the hospital room.

He lay there for a few minutes, slowly processing everything.

Somehow—though he didn’t fully understand how—he had become the host of the Black Tech System.

Considering how Wu Dahai had woken him up, the system space must exist within his consciousness, separate from the real world. And when he entered the system, time flowed independently of reality.

To be honest, even now, Lu Zhou still couldn’t fully believe the system was real.

But none of that mattered.

Whether it was an alien conspiracy, an April Fools' joke, or a hallucination, the mission was already accepted. The only way to find out was to try.

With that thought, he picked up the water cup from the bedside table, drained it in one go, and climbed out of bed.

After having his temperature checked by the duty nurse and confirming he was fine, he left the hospital and walked to the nearby bus stop to return to school.

When he returned to the dorm, only Liu Rui was there—the other two must have gone online.

Noticing Lu Zhou’s return, Liu Rui set down his review materials and pushed up his glasses. "Lu Zhou, heard you passed out from heatstroke?"

"Yeah... but it’s nothing serious," Lu Zhou forced a smile and headed toward his bed.

In their four-person dorm, the beds were stacked above desks and cabinets, and his various ID cards were usually tossed in the drawer.

After a moment of rummaging, he finally found his library card, sighed in relief, grabbed his backpack, and left the room.

The evening breeze rustled the leaves of the plane trees, sending a soft whisper through the air.

Under the glow of the streetlights, students and professors carrying books bustled back and forth. On the track near the sports field, couples strolled hand in hand while others jogged together. The campus was as lively as ever, brimming with energy.

It was already eight o’clock. Gazing at the brightly lit library, Lu Zhou felt a strange mix of unfamiliarity and nostalgia.

How long had it been since he’d last been here?

Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and walked toward the library entrance, his heart pounding with anticipation.