Chapter One: A System?

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In Shen City, the July sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, casting dappled light across the quiet neighborhood in the early morning. Li Jie had just finished his morning run, carrying a steamed bun in one hand while sipping soy milk from the other.

"Xiao Jie, done with your morning exercise?" An elderly man in a white tank top approached leisurely, holding the hand of a little girl about five or six years old.

"Yeah, just finished running. My job involves sitting all day, so if I don’t exercise, my body won’t hold up. Uncle Wang, are you taking your granddaughter to school?" Li Jie smiled in reply.

He paused for a moment and added, "Uncle Wang, you’re really punctual. Many kids are often late for kindergarten these days."

"Getting old means less sleep. I wake up right on time every morning. My son and daughter-in-law are busy with work, so I take my granddaughter to school daily. But there aren’t many young people like you who get up this early anymore. Keep it up, young man. I’ll be off now." Uncle Wang gently led his granddaughter as they slowly walked out of the neighborhood.

Watching the pair disappear into the distance, Li Jie felt a pang of envy. He had grown up in an orphanage since he could remember, never having experienced the warmth of a family. Thanks to his natural talent and lifelong love of literature, he had become a moderately well-known screenwriter. Though he wouldn’t claim great success, he was comfortably above average. Step by step, through his own efforts, he had finally settled down in Shen City.

Back at home, Li Jie swiftly finished his breakfast, then grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom.

As he showered, he pondered how to complete his first mission. Two days ago, he had mysteriously received a system called “Great Salvation Across Worlds,” which had now issued its first task: Lu Xinghe from the world of "With You" hoped to undo the regrets in his life.

Perhaps he should try to understand what this system was all about.

Li Jie wasn’t impulsive. His upbringing had taught him to think things through carefully before making decisions. He always devised a plan and then executed it accordingly. Before entering the mission world, he needed to strategize thoroughly.

“System! System! What rewards or penalties are there for completing or failing a mission?” Li Jie asked the system the question he cared about most.

“Upon mission completion, a random skill or talent learned by the mission world’s host will be rewarded. If the mission fails, the system will be disabled for one year.”

“In what form do I enter the mission world? Is there any danger?” Li Jie asked further.

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“You will enter in the form of soul traversal.”

“Warning! Warning! If the host faces a life-threatening situation, immediate return is possible. If the soul perishes, it means real death. For more information, please consult the system documentation.” The synthetic voice echoed inside his mind.

It seemed the mission world wouldn’t be smooth sailing. High risk meant high reward. If he landed in a xianxia (immortal hero) world and won a random skill, he could become wealthy. Haha, then he could work when he wanted and slack off like a couch potato whenever he pleased!

However, the penalty of being barred from the system for a year after failure seemed minor at first. But Li Jie thought about it: it was like having a stunning beauty lying beside you but being unable to make a move. The person who designed this rule must have had a devious mind.

As he continued browsing through the memories the system fed him, Li Jie muttered to himself. This system wasn’t much for chit-chat—definitely a minus!

Still, from the memories, the system seemed somewhat humane. It would implant the original host’s memories upon entry and, upon return, would convert the experience into a documentary-style record. This way, it felt like a genuine personal experience without causing cognitive dissonance.

Li Jie learned from the system that each time he entered the story world through soul traversal, the mission duration would vary.

When he saw this mission, Li Jie immediately recalled a popular web drama from a few years ago. He then researched what kind of world it was.

The original work was a campus novel by August Chang’an, released as a web drama in 2016. However, the character Lu Xinghe did not exist in the original novel; he was a creation unique to the TV adaptation.

After watching the series, Li Jie saw that Lu Xinghe was indeed a tragic figure.

He was unwaveringly devoted to the female lead. In the drama, Lu Xinghe was a rebellious heir from a wealthy family, talented in music and painting—truly multi-talented.

He fell in love with the female lead during their interactions and stayed by her side for ten years while the male lead was absent. He was diligent, loyal, and hardworking but ultimately overshadowed by the protagonist’s glow—a cliché that Li Jie found frustrating. He wondered how to break the protagonist’s halo and soon had an inspiration after some thought.

Over the next month, Li Jie gathered extensive information, selecting memories from popular music between 2003 and 2016. Fortunately, he had studied music for a time and even tried writing a few songs, though none became hits.

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He also revisited popular cultural elements from that period and reflected deeply on his own experiences and knowledge accumulated over the years. Although Lu Xinghe was a wealthy heir, he had to achieve something on his own; after all, relying on family wealth was frowned upon by most.

Phew! The plan for what to do after entering was finally complete. He had been so busy researching everything lately that he hadn’t had a proper meal. It was time to reward himself.

Tsk, this braised pork belly really turned out well! All the effort was worth it—he had even traveled to Qiantang to learn from a top chef. Besides his primary work as a screenwriter, cooking had been a lifelong passion. Whenever he traveled across the country for research, he never forgot to savor local delicacies. He was a culinary expert in his own right.

After enjoying the meal, he casually loaded the dishes into the dishwasher and walked over to his work desk. He thought about how, after each mission, he could slightly adapt the experiences from the task world and, by removing the original background, turn them into scripts. That way, he could balance both missions and reality, picking up some adaptation work on the side and living comfortably.

But before starting the mission, while his thoughts were still clear, he needed to finish his primary job. After all, he had to earn a living. He realized that he had been so preoccupied with the task world that the adaptation script he was working on was still unfinished.

Li Jie then picked up his phone and made a call: “Teacher Wang, I should be able to finish the script in the next few days. Sorry for the delay recently; I’ll make it up to you next time I get a chance.”

“Mm, okay, okay. Send it to my email as soon as it’s done. It won’t affect the production schedule.”

Phew, finally got through it, Li Jie thought with relief. Though he had been a bit of a slacker before, he had never procrastinated for this long. Luckily, the deadline was generous this time, or it would have been a real problem.

In front of the computer screen, the adapted script for "Footprints of Close Friends" was displayed. Li Jie calmly worked on the final touches for the section he was responsible for.