"What system do you hope to awaken?" Xiang Beifei asked.
"The best would be the Scholar System, allowing me to shock everyone, see how we can turn things around despite our poor performance, and capture and beat up those scumbags. See if they dare to laugh at our grades then."
Kong Xiuwen spoke animatedly and then added, "The Superstar System wouldn't be bad either; it'd be a good choice to enter the entertainment industry in the future. If all else fails, I wouldn't mind the Tycoon System."
Kong Xiuwen happily fantasized; no matter what system it was, it was for improving one's cultivation, but a good system could accelerate the enhancement of one's abilities.
Many people's life trajectories would change during the college entrance examination year because that's when they awakened their systems, affecting their future choices.
If a person had always been interested in computer science but awakened to a medical system, they would have to give up their dream and apply for medical school instead.
This wasn't too different from how, in Xiang Beifei's original world, parents forced their children to apply for majors they deemed promising.
Therefore, the best system to awaken would be one that aligns with oneself, as only then would one be motivated to complete tasks.
A moment later, Kong Xiuwen asked again, "What about you, Xiang Beifei? What system do you hope to awaken?"
"Me? I'm not picky; anything goes."
Xiang Beifei was new to this world, and he had not fully understood it yet, so his demands for a system were not high.
Kong Xiuwen said, "How can you have no aspirations like that? That won't do! Let me tell you a secret..."
Kong Xiuwen glanced at the others, leaned in close to Xiang Beifei's ear, and said in a hushed, mysterious voice, "My dad bought a special herb for a hefty sum from a knowledgeable master. He said he's studied the talent systems for many years, and supposedly, eating this herb gives you a fifty percent chance to awaken the system you desire."
Kong Xiuwen held out his hand, revealing two black pills that emitted a pungent, strange smell, "Dad told me to eat both, one pill gives you a fifty percent chance, and two are a sure thing!"
Huh?
Fifty percent with one pill, and a hundred percent with two?
That math is kind of magical!
Xiang Beifei didn't know whether to laugh or cry, suspecting that the "knowledgeable master" Kong Xiuwen spoke of might well have been an Awakener of the Bluff System or the Charlatan System.
Kong Xiuwen, looking very serious, pushed a black pill into Xiang Beifei's hand and said, "I don't need a hundred percent assurance, this one's for you."
Xiang Beifei was startled, "For me?"
"Shh, keep it down. It cost over ten thousand each! Dad told me to keep it quiet. I just can't stand how the homeroom teacher always picks on us, we have to awaken an SR system and show them, really give them something to talk about."
Kong Xiuwen's family was doing alright, while Xiang Beifei's was struggling; they got along well and Kong Xiuwen had always been generous to Xiang Beifei.
Xiang Beifei weighed the black pill in his hand, certain that it was nonsense; if it really worked, the world would be teeming with geniuses by now.
"You use it! I'll just leave it up to fate."
Xiang Beifei couldn't bear to shatter Kong Xiuwen's illusion and handed back the pill.
But Kong Xiuwen insisted on pushing the pill back to Xiang Beifei, clapping him on the shoulder and saying, "Take it, why be so formal with me? We're like brothers, right? Don't worry! If I awaken an advanced talent system, I've got your back from then on!"
"Then I'd better start clinging to your coattails now."
Xiang Beifei chuckled.
As they discussed, a wave of envious exclamations suddenly erupted from another part of the crowd.
"Oh my gosh! Someone has awakened an S-rank system!"
"I'm so jealous, that's the first S-rank system Awakening of the day!"
The crowd became restless, everyone craning their necks with envy to see the person who had awakened the S-rank system.
It was a girl from class one, named Liu Qianrou, not only was she top of her class, but she was also very pretty.
Tall and elegant, gentle and refined, she was like a goddess among the class, known as the Class Belle, and many boys secretly pined after her.
"My goddess, she's awakened an S-rank system, oh my god! I must work hard, awaken an S-rank system, and be with her!" a boy from class two said.
"Pfft, keep dreaming. Take a good look at yourself first."
"My pee is yellow, let me help wake him up!"
"I've got bad breath, let me talk to him!"
Many boys were discussing enviously, with eyes full of admiration, and quite a few girls were a mix of envy and jealousy. Not only was she good-looking, but even the level of her awakened system was so high.
Xiang Beifei curiously looked toward Liu Qianrou.
A pale yellow dress, fluffy hair.
Her outfit was quite trendy.
Xiang Beifei glanced at her system:
[Host: Liu Qianrou]
[S-grade, Backup Snatch System]
[Realm: Ordinary person]
[Mission: Please find five backups]
...
Liu Qianrou seemed to be pondering her system's abilities as well, and after some thought, she walked toward the crowd under everyone's envious gaze.
She approached the boy from Class 2 who hadn't awakened a system yet but fantasized about being with the goddess. She accidentally twisted her ankle and bumped into the boy.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it," Liu Qianrou apologized with a regretful face.
The boy was stunned— he had been accidentally hit by the goddess!
And the goddess even apologized to him!
"It's, it's, it's okay!"
The boy was overwhelmingly excited and even felt a bit over the moon.
"Hello, my name is Liu Qianrou."
Liu Qianrou revealed an elegant and gentle smile, extending her hand for a handshake with the boy.
—Oh my god, is today my lucky day? The goddess not only apologized to me, but she also wants to shake my hand!
The boy's eyes shone with some kind of light.
"Hello, I am Zhao Tian from Class 2, very, very nice to meet you."
Zhao Tian hurriedly extended his hand, grasping Liu Qianrou's delicate palm.
—The goddess's palm is soft and boneless, I won't wash my hand for a month!
Zhao Tian thought excitedly.
At this moment, Xiang Beifei saw new text appearing on Liu Qianrou's system interface:
[You have gained a potential backup, backup value +1]
[You shook hands with a backup, you've snatched the strength from the backup's arm, your strength +1]
[You conversed with a backup, you've snatched the backup's social skills, your social skill +1]
...
Nobody knew what Liu Qianrou's awakened system was; they only knew Liu Qianrou was an S-grade honor student with limitless potential, but only Xiang Beifei could see it clearly!
"This system is a bit creepy!"
Xiang Beifei couldn't help thinking that Liu Qianrou's system was actually about nurturing backups and then snatching their various abilities?
And the way to get these backups was so easy—just by taking an interest in her, one could become a backup?
What a cunning act!
Xiang Beifei looked with pity at the boy who was used as a backup and snatched of his abilities without a clue, thinking that if he followed Liu Qianrou every day, he might eventually have all his abilities snatched away by her.
This system explained what it meant to be a 'lickspittle'—to the point of ending up with nothing.