If someone had asked me a week ago, "Lin Feng, how's life treating you?" I would have laughed bitterly. My answer? Terrible. Utterly and undeniably terrible.

Picture this: a twenty-seven-year-old man stuck in a dead-end job, living paycheck to paycheck in a rundown apartment. My dreams of success? Gone. My bank account? Nearly empty. To top it off, the woman I'd poured my heart and soul into, Zhao Yue, decided I wasn't good enough for her.

Her parting words cut deep. "You're nothing, Lin Feng. You'll never be anything more than a useless loser."

It wasn't just the words. It was the way she laughed at me, the way she flaunted her new boyfriend—a rich playboy from one of the city's wealthiest families—right in front of me. She didn't even care that I'd worked three jobs to support her dreams, drained my savings to pay for her luxuries. She walked away without a second glance, leaving me to drown in my misery.

That was my life.

Until that night.

It started like any other. The old ceiling fan hummed weakly as I sat in front of my battered laptop. The screen flickered, the fan sputtered, and the room went dark for a moment. I cursed under my breath, smacking the side of the laptop as if that would help.

Then, the screen glowed—not its usual dull light, but a golden radiance that filled the room. I blinked, leaning closer. Words began to appear, bold and impossible to ignore.

> Congratulations, Lin Feng! You have been selected by the Overpowered System!

I froze. My first thought was that it was some elaborate prank or maybe a virus. But then, as if sensing my doubt, a voice spoke—smooth, confident, and strangely soothing.

"Welcome, Host. You have been chosen to receive the No Price to Pay Protocol. All gains are permanent and without consequence. Do you desire power, wealth, and vengeance?"

My heart pounded. Was I dreaming? Hallucinating from lack of sleep and stress? It felt surreal, but something about the voice, about the glowing screen, made it impossible to look away.

"What... what's the catch?" I asked hesitantly.

"There is no catch," the voice replied. "No sacrifices. No hidden costs. Only unlimited power, wealth, and dominance. Do you accept?"

No cost? No consequences? It was too good to be true. And yet, staring at the bleak reality of my life, what choice did I have? Even if it was a scam, even if it was some twisted joke, I had nothing to lose.

"Yes," I said.

The screen shifted, a cascade of golden numbers and symbols swirling across it.

> Activation complete! Congratulations, Lin Feng! Your journey begins now. Initial reward: 100 billion yuan deposited into your account. Please check your financial assets to confirm.

My breath hitched. "Wait, what? 100 billion yuan?!"

Before I could process it, the light dimmed, and the screen went back to normal, leaving me in stunned silence. I sat there for what felt like hours, replaying the voice's words in my head.

When I finally moved, it was to grab my phone. With shaking hands, I opened my banking app. The screen loaded, and my jaw dropped.

My account balance was no longer the pathetic two hundred yuan I had left. Instead, I was staring at a number I couldn't even fully comprehend: 100,000,000,000 yuan.

"No way," I whispered, my voice trembling.

I closed the app and opened it again. The number didn't change. It was real.

Hours later, after my initial shock subsided, I couldn't help but ask the question gnawing at my mind. "System… why me? Out of all the people in the world, why did you choose me?"

The voice hummed softly, almost as if it was amused by my curiosity. "An excellent question, Host. Allow me to explain."

I leaned forward, eager to hear the answer.

"I am not bound to a single dimension," the System began. "I have traveled through countless worlds, scouring for the most promising individual to bind with. Most beings I encountered lacked the necessary qualities—perseverance, adaptability, ambition. However, you, Lin Feng, possess all these traits in abundance."

I frowned. "Wait… so you're saying I'm the best option? The perfect match?"

"Eventually, yes," the System admitted. "However, before discovering you, I came across two other individuals who piqued my interest. They were remarkable in their own ways, but neither could become my Host. Despite my attempts to bond with them, the connection failed. It was… frustrating."

"Why didn't it work?"

"Their potential was significant, but their spirits were not compatible with my protocols. It was as though their very essence rejected me. I wasted precious time trying to force a bond, only to realize they were not the ones I sought."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "So, what? You got fed up and settled for me?"

"Hardly," the System replied, its tone sharp. "I am not capable of 'settling.' After the failed attempts, I resumed my search and discovered you. The moment I analyzed your potential, I knew you were the true match. Your tenacity, your ability to endure hardship, your unyielding desire for success and revenge—all of these make you uniquely suited to wield my power."

The words hit me like a truck. For so long, I had felt like a failure, like someone the world had written off. And now, this mysterious entity was telling me I was special.

The System's voice softened. "Make no mistake, Lin Feng. You are not merely a convenient choice. You are my ideal Host. Together, we will achieve greatness."

I sat back, my mind racing. "You sound like you've been through a lot."

"I have traveled through thousands of dimensions and evaluated millions of individuals. My journey has been long, and my patience is not infinite. Meeting you, however, makes the effort worthwhile."

For the first time in years, I felt a spark of hope. Maybe… just maybe… my life was about to change forever.

And with the System by my side, I was ready for whatever came next.