Fang Qin was cooking in the kitchen. Shen Ting wanted to help, but she was promptly chased out with a remark, "You're just a kid, go play outside, don't get in the way."
Shen Ting went back upstairs and began studying the system.
"Venus 001," she called softly, lying on the bed.
[Host.]
"Do I always have to speak out loud to summon you? Is there any way we can communicate silently without you reading my thoughts?"
If she was alone, it would be fine, but talking to herself in public would surely make her look like a lunatic.
[Yes, host. You can block the neural connection and communicate through other methods without the system accessing your private thoughts.]
Is that so? Shen Ting closed her eyes and mentally repeated the method the system had just explained. When she opened her eyes again, she silently thought, "Venus 001."
[Host.]
It worked. A flash of joy crossed Shen Ting's face. She eagerly asked in her mind, "I want to become beautiful. Hurry up and tell me what to do."
[Please remain patient, host. Venus 001 is not omnipotent. To change your appearance, you must earn points by completing tasks, which you can use to purchase beauty tools from the shop. Everything must be gained through your own efforts.]
It was like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over her. Shen Ting's excitement immediately plummeted. Tasks? What kind of tasks?
[Since you're the first user, the system has assigned tasks of medium difficulty. There are random tasks, which you can choose to do or not, and compulsory tasks that must be completed. The system will reward or punish you based on how well you complete them.]
It sounded like a game. Tasks that come with punishments if failed? And what exactly are compulsory tasks?
[The compulsory task is to win over ten handsome men chosen by the system, increasing their favorability to earn points from them.]
Stunned, Shen Ting was speechless for a while before she realized what the system had said. It wanted her to seduce handsome men—not just any men, but beautiful men. Looking like this, how could she possibly pull that off? Surely, the system must be joking.
[It's not a joke.] The system's voice was cold and serious, leaving no room for doubt.
But given how she looked, even ordinary men wouldn't give her a second glance, let alone handsome ones. Shen Ting smiled bitterly.
Since it was a compulsory task, there was no avoiding it. Shen Ting rolled over and sat up. If there was no escape, then bring it on.
"Explain all your functions to me clearly and concisely," she thought.
[Understood, host.]
For the next hour, Shen Ting listened to the cold yet sweet mechanical voice describe every feature of the system.
In her past life, Shen Ting had read many stories about systems, but now that she was experiencing one firsthand, she realized the reality was far less god-like.
Venus 001 had downloaded all the knowledge available on Earth upon its arrival, including search engines, encyclopedias, every human language, cultural customs, global beauty standards, and much more.
Shen Ting could not only access all this information whenever she wanted but also use it flexibly, which was the one thing that truly delighted her.
However, the one thing she really needed—a quick way to become beautiful—was entirely out of reach. The only way to achieve it was to complete tasks, earn points, and buy beauty tools from the shop.
In the sea of Shen Ting's consciousness, there was a seemingly endless display panel filled with strange items: small bottles sealed with corks, unfamiliar-looking fruits, and papers tied with ribbons.
All of these things were greyed out. According to Venus 001, Shen Ting would need to earn enough points to unlock them for use.
Currently, Shen Ting's point balance was -100. According to Venus 001, she needed to win over ten handsome men. Each man offered a different amount of points, but ultimately, she needed to gather a total of two million points. Otherwise, the system would stay with her until she had collected them all.
It sounded like a tyrannical contract. Shen Ting, curious about why Venus 001 had chosen her, heard the sweet but cold voice reply.
[Because all your indicators are quite challenging, host.]
What indicators?
[Charm points: -20,000]
[Appearance: Catastrophic]
[Interpersonal skills: Extremely poor]
[Positive energy: Barely existent]
[Negative energy: Overwhelming]
[Personality: Extremely introverted, unsociable]
[Aura: Gloomy, cold, out of place]
[In summary, host, you are an unattractive, insecure, antisocial, highly negative individual. This is precisely the type Venus 001 was designed to transform. Not only do you possess all these traits, but each of your indicators hits its peak value.]
Shen Ting felt her heart sink at its words. Charm points of -20,000? Most people, no matter how average, had at least a little charm. How could hers not only be negative but negative by 20,000?!
[Do not be discouraged, host. With Venus 001, your charm points will rise in no time.] The system's cold voice attempted to offer some semblance of comfort.
As a mature adult in her past life, Shen Ting wasn't one to dwell on such things. Hearing its words, she felt slightly relieved. That's right, as long as she earned enough points to make herself beautiful, her charm would naturally increase, wouldn't it?
A sudden knock on the door pulled Shen Ting out of her thoughts. She guessed it must be Fang Qin calling her to dinner. She got out of bed and opened the door.
To her surprise, it wasn't Fang Qin. Shen Ting had to admit that the girl standing before her made quite the visual impact.
Shen Ting had only seen the 'non-mainstream' style online in her past life.
Her impression was of a striking image—figures with exaggerated smoky eye makeup and hair dyed in vibrant, outrageous colors that left a lasting impression.
The girl in front of her, with an impatient expression, had bright red, spiky hair that stuck up like a bunch of cotton candy. Shen Ting's lips twitched slightly as she took in the girl's face, heavily adorned with makeup that clashed with her youthful features. Kids and their odd ways of thinking were truly incomprehensible.
"Are you Shen Ting?" the girl asked, her thin brows furrowed, though her expression was more impatient than hostile.
Shen Ting nodded, already guessing her identity. She must be Fang Qin's daughter—the one she mentioned, who wasn't good at studying and had a bad temper.
"My mom told me to call you for dinner," the girl said before turning and walking away.
Shen Ting looked at her tall, slender figure and then glanced down at her own flat physique. They seemed to be about the same age, yet people could really be so different.
[Random task triggered: Become friends with Fang Kelu within a month. Task completion rewards: 1,000 points.]
Shen Ting: "..."
Wasn't that task a bit too difficult? From the looks of it, this girl didn't seem like the type to befriend someone like her. And it even had a deadline. It takes more than a month to make a regular friend, let alone a difficult, rebellious one.
Since it was a random task, could she give up on it?
[As this is your first task, it is not recommended to give up.]
...Fine. Shen Ting resigned herself, closed the door, and headed downstairs. Since she had to become friends with her, she might as well start by learning more about Fang Kelu's personality and interests.