Rick returned to his home and closed the door, he took off his jacket and walked into the kitchen. He had just watched Emily enjoying a luxurious dinner inside a high-class restaurant, but he hadn't eaten anything, his wealth exchange system hadn't activated the cash withdrawal function yet, and he couldn't convert the money he had spent on Emily into cash yet.
Facing the reality, Rick took out the packet of instant noodles he had just bought from the convenience store. He knew that he would still have to rely on this simple food to fulfill his hunger tonight. He felt a little self-deprecating, but at the same time a surge of determination flared up in his heart. Rick silently vowed in his mind that he had to raise Emily's favorability towards him to 1,000 points as soon as possible so that he could withdraw the money he had previously spent on Emily and improve his life.
He put the instant noodles into the boiling water, waited for a few minutes, seasoned them briefly, and then sat down at the table with the steaming bowl. As Rick ate the instant noodles, he pondered on a strategy on how to speed up the process of improving Emily's favorability. He knew it would take time, patience, and wisdom, but he was ready to take on the challenge.
There was a determined gleam in Rick's eyes, and he knew that this was only a temporary phase. He believed that as long as he could skillfully utilize the wealth exchange system, he would soon be able to change the status quo and would no longer need to condemn himself to eating instant noodles.
He finished the noodles, packed up the dishes, and opened the interface of the Wealth Redemption System. Rick began to plan his next move, he needed to design some activities and arrange some dates as a way to deepen his relationship with Emily and increase her favorability.
The next day, Rick walked into the campus of the university early, the sunlight sprinkled on him through the gaps of the leaves, his mood was unusually relaxed. The memory of obtaining the Fortune Redemption System last night echoed in his mind, it was a turning point that changed his destiny, making him feel an unprecedented excitement and pleasure.
However, when he walked into the classroom, he immediately felt an unusual atmosphere. His classmates' eyes were wandering over him, and whispers were rising. They were talking about Rick being dumped, with mocking expressions on their faces.
Rick heard bits and pieces of gossip about his breakup with Sophia, as well as some irresponsible speculation and jeering. He saw some of his classmates exchanging teasing glances, seemingly enjoying the feast of gossip.
But Rick wasn't embarrassed or frustrated as they expected. On the contrary, he was in an unusually relaxed mood and even felt a twinge of amusement in his heart. He knew that the jeers and comments of these people didn't matter to him anymore.
He walked confidently to his seat without responding to the comments. His attitude showed a calmness and maturity .
As Rick sat down, he opened his book and prepared to start his day's study, just then Sophia's figure appeared in his sight. She walked towards him with a confident stride and a haughty expression on her face.
Sophia stopped in front of Rick, her eyes full of mockery and contempt: "Rick, please don't approach me again. You know how much my boyfriend minds you, and besides, we're not in the same world anymore."
Rick looked at her, but inside he was unusually calm. He didn't feel as uneasy or guilty as he had before, nor did he apologize in a deadpan manner as Sophia had expected. Instead, a look of disinterest crossed his face, a far cry from his previous reactions.
Rick responded tersely, "Suit yourself, then. Doesn't matter."
His tone revealed a calmness and confidence that shocked Sophia. She had expected Rick to be nervous about her every word, as he had been in the past, and would try to get back in her good graces by apologizing. But today, Rick's attitude completely upended her expectations.
Sophia froze, she hadn't expected Rick to react this way, and Rick's response was like a hammer blow to her expected self-image. She had been used to Rick always revolving around her, used to him paying attention and apologizing to her. However, today Rick's calmness and indifference had completely upended her expectations.
A look of disbelief crossed her face, her brow furrowed, and a glint of mixed anger and confusion flickered in her eyes. Sophia's breathing became rapid, and her fingers unconsciously clenched into fists, her fingernails sinking deep into her palms.
The people around her began to notice the scene and Sophia felt their stares like needles on her back. Her frantic appearance began to attract whispers from bystanders, which made her feel even more embarrassed and uneasy. All she could do was hurry away with her confused emotions.
Suddenly, a translucent interface appeared in front of his eyes, which was the operation panel of the Wealth Redemption System. He remembered that the system had mentioned skill points, but he hadn't paid much attention to it at the time. Now, with curiosity and excitement, he began to explore this new feature.
He scrutinized the system interface and found a message suggesting that he had gained some skill points. These skill points were accumulated through his interactions with Emily during last night's quest.
Rick clicked on the detailed interface of the skill points and his eyes immediately lit up. The system provided a series of attribute options, and he could use these skill points to enhance his abilities in various aspects. The list of attributes included several aspects such as learning power, musical talent, financial intelligence, and so on, each of which corresponded to a different area of life.
Rick felt a surge of excitement that these skill points provided him with an opportunity for self-improvement and growth. He began to seriously consider how to allocate these valuable resources to achieve his long-term goals.
He decided to invest in his academic prowess first; Rick had always considered himself not to be academic material and had always been firmly in the bottom half of the class rankings. Books were like insurmountable mountains to him, and every exam was an uphill climb. But with the aid of the Wealth Redemption System, he decided to change his fate by first investing in his learning power.
He closed his eyes and focused his mind, selecting the Learning Power attribute on the system's interface and investing skill points. Instantly, he felt a warm current flow throughout his body, his mind became exceptionally clear and his thinking became agile. He opened his eyes and realized that the world in front of him seemed to have become brighter, and the words in the books were no longer so boring.