Chapter 50: Chapter 50: System Task Settlement, Brand New Grandmaster-Level Skills!
「At the same time.」
In Jin City, at a retirement home, Qin Mu had just dragged the Ancient Wood back from the police station when he heard the system task settlement notification.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host, you successfully defended your legal rights and made those who sought a cheap deal pay a painful price. The task completion rate is 100%."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have obtained the task reward: Grandmaster-level Reading Skill [Eidetic Memory]."
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu was stunned for a moment. What he hadn’t expected was that despite completing the task so excellently—sending all six people in—the task completion rate was only 100%. Counting the previous times, his highest task completion rate so far was 120%. That was the instance when he was rewarded with 200 luck points.
It seems... although the rewards are random, they’re also related to the task completion rate. The more one exceeds the completion requirement, the better the reward should be, Qin Mu pondered, looking at the system panel.
So far, those 200 luck points have brought me a fair bit of good fortune. For instance, my videos went viral, and I fished up two million. By comparison... the [Sure Catch Every Time] fishing skill hasn’t shown much usefulness yet. In fact, after fishing out the Ancient Wood, I tried a few more times. But whatever I fished up was either large underpants or dead water plants and branches. Although every cast was indeed a catch, what I actually caught... I couldn’t be sure. As for my other ’fishing activities,’ I haven’t quite figured them out yet.
I should check out this [Eidetic Memory] first, he decided.
He then turned his attention to the new skill in his system inventory. The skill’s description was self-explanatory: anything he had ever seen... he could clearly memorize, never to forget.
In everyday life, this skill is much more practical than [Sure Catch Every Time], he mused.
"System, use!"
Taking a deep breath, he issued the command to the system, activating the skill.
An invisible light flickered.
Ten seconds later, the [Eidetic Memory] skill in his inventory... quietly disappeared.
He distinctly felt his memory, logical thinking, and other related abilities significantly enhance. Past memories in his mind gradually became clearer.
"Xiao Qin, what are your plans for this Ancient Wood? I have an old friend who knows people in the auction business. Want me to help you sell it?"
Just then, Song Tiancheng approached Qin Mu, pointing at the Ancient Wood displayed in the room.
Wood of this top-tier quality... usually couldn’t be sold through ordinary channels. But at auction houses, it was an extremely sought-after and scarce item. Top-tier tycoons often frequented auction houses to scout for rare treasures, and they tended to buy quickly.
Qin Mu nodded and agreed, "Old Song, I’ll have to trouble you then."
I’m not really into collecting antiques anyway. Converting the Ancient Wood into cash would be more convenient, he thought.
Song Tiancheng grinned and said heartily, "Alright! I’ll have my friend try to get you as much money as possible. Just remember my commission—treat everyone from our home to a good meal out!"
There wasn’t the slightest hint of jealousy or covetousness in his words. For these elders, who had passed the proverbial age of knowing destiny, they didn’t have many years left, in truth. Therefore, they had a more philosophical outlook on life. Wealth and possessions are, after all, external things—you can’t bring them with you when you’re born, nor take them when you die.
"Definitely," Qin Mu replied with a smile and a nod.
That very afternoon, Old Song contacted his friend. People from the auction house came over, signed an auction agreement with Qin Mu, and left with the Ancient Wood. The procedures were completed very quickly.
The reason it was so fast... was actually largely thanks to the appraisal report prepared by Zheng Liang and his five colleagues. The appraisal agency they had used was the most authoritative one in Jin City. The certificate they issued... could also prove the Ancient Wood’s authenticity with 100% certainty. For an auction house, verifying authenticity was precisely the most complicated part of the process.
「The next day.」
In the retirement home’s study, Qin Mu was practicing calligraphy with Li Weiguo and a few other elders when Song Tiancheng rushed in, looking quite agitated.
"Xiao Qin, it’s done! It sold with a 200,000 premium—your Ancient Wood fetched 2.2 million!"
Qin Mu’s expression brightened. I didn’t expect Old Song’s friend to be so efficient! It sold in just one day!
"This kind of thing is highly sought after; a piece like this only comes on the market every few years. I heard the bidding at the auction was frantic!" Song Tiancheng was grinning from ear to ear. "The money should be in your account by tomorrow. Looks like we can all go to a five-star hotel for dinner tonight!"
In the courtyard, Zhang Qingyuan and the others, who were playing chess, were even more excited than Qin Mu when they heard the news.
Qin Mu, for his part, wasn’t stingy. With a grand wave of his hand, he generously led the large group out of the retirement home and into a nearby roadside food stall.
Zhang Qingyuan, Li Weiguo, Song Tiancheng, and the others sat in the roadside food stall, looking utterly bewildered.
"What happened to the five-star hotel?"
They all exchanged dumbfounded glances. In all their years at the retirement home, they had eaten at this particular food stall countless times.
"Xiao Qin, aren’t you being a bit too cheap?"
"Well, if that’s how it’s going to be, don’t blame us for ordering big today! Boss, bring us one of each of your most expensive dishes!"
"Yeah, come on! Let’s pour ourselves a couple of drinks!"
"Xiao Qin, after all our years of friendship, this is what you’re treating us to? I was even planning to introduce my granddaughter to you! Let me tell you, my granddaughter is loaded..."
The grumbling continued.
Still grumbling, Zhang Qingyuan and the others began to order. Although they kept teasing Qin Mu, while ordering, they were all surreptitiously glancing at the price of each dish, afraid of picking anything too expensive for him.
Watching this group of rather endearing old folks, Qin Mu couldn’t help but smile genuinely. He had worked at the retirement home for several years and found interacting with these elders quite comfortable. There was none of the so-called workplace deception and backstabbing; everyday life here was relaxed and carefree.
There was just one thing... Someone was always trying to introduce their granddaughter to me—Old Song, for example. But the crucial point was... Old Song is already seventy-three this year. One could just imagine his granddaughter’s age. As a guy in my twenties, I felt I was completely out of her league.
「Three hours later.」
The whole group was tipsy and staggering. Finally, supporting each other and under Qin Mu’s watchful eye, they stumbled their way back to the retirement home.
This was also why I hadn’t dared to pick a five-star hotel, Qin Mu reflected. Old Zhang and the other seniors almost always drank alcohol with their meals. If I’d picked a five-star hotel... I was worried they might end up having to stay there, and the retirement home rules required nightly room checks.
After ensuring everyone was settled in, Qin Mu returned to his room and turned on his phone. He discovered that after posting his fourth video, his social media account’s follower count had reached 1.2 million, and the video’s view count had surpassed ten million.
Moreover, the comment section under his videos was filled with civil and harmonious discussions, without a trace of negativity. In contrast, the comment section of Ma Xiaotiao’s exposé video was teeming with wits and jokesters, creating an incredibly boisterous atmosphere. It was a stark contrast.