Dragon Raja: Dragon Slaying Begins with System Hosting

Page 152

The system on the other end of the phone told him, "Relax. We're not asking you to do it now. You'll get your bonus when you complete the task. We're not forcing you to start work tomorrow."

"Oh, oh." Old Tang breathed a sigh of relief after understanding the details of the mission.

He had never imagined working that much overtime for the past month and a half! He almost died from overwork. Now that he's relaxed, he doesn't even understand how he got through it.

“The prize is $1500 million,” the system on the other end of the phone added.

"1500 million US dollars?" Old Tang's voice rose several octaves, and he became somewhat surprised and uncertain for a moment.

He was just planning how to spend that 500 million. A sports car and a villa would only take up half the money. He could use the remaining half to slowly enjoy the good things in the world.

For example, he just called a young and beautiful massage therapist who relaxed his entire body, making him truly understand what the beauty of the world means...

If $500 million can make him live so carefree, wouldn't $1500 million make him even more carefree? He could upgrade to a bigger villa, buy a limited-edition sports car, and hire a butler, servants, maids... He could even bring that young and beautiful massage therapist to his home, exclusively to serve him, and he could hire several of them!

"Yes, $1500 million. I'll give it to you whenever you finish."

"I understand."

Old Tang hung up the phone.

His vacation, which could have been a time of relaxation and enjoyment, was abruptly cut short by this incident. It wasn't that he wanted to do it, but rather that the $1500 million was dangling at him, causing him considerable distress.

The thought of that $15 million made him lose all interest in vacationing. If he could complete this task and forge a set of special alchemical swords, his original $30 million plan would only be a small fraction of what it was supposed to be…

"But does a bigger bonus mean a harder task? I was just about to take a vacation to relax..." Old Tang couldn't help but mutter to himself, wanting the $1500 million but also reluctant to give up the carefree vacation he would enjoy after receiving the money.

My phone chimed; it must be the task details from Boss Lu. Oh well, I'll take a look first.

Old Tang glanced at his phone, only to find it wasn't a message from the massage therapist: "Mr. Tang, thank you for your support. I wish all my customers were like you..."

Because the other person was very skilled, Lao Tang couldn't resist asking for her contact number. Just before Boss Lu called, he had been texting her, saying he would specifically request her services from now on...

After all, that girl's family background was really too tragic. Her father was a gambler, her mother was sick, her younger brother was in school, and she was broken. If I don't help her, who will?

However, there's only so much Old Tang can help with. His money seems like a lot, but that's only in the short term.

In the long run, he has other expenses and can't possibly spend it all on this girl... Unless he can make another big profit, completely upgrade his lifestyle, and provide her with a big house, a big car, a butler, maids, and all those other things, then he can help that girl to his heart's content, and even fulfill her wish to continue her studies and go to university...

Just then, my phone rang again; this time it was a message from Boss Lu.

Old Tang clicked on it and took a look. It was a complete set of alchemical swords, all different in length and size. It seemed that the boss wanted to create a set of weapons that could meet various usage scenarios.

"The requirements for materials made from recycled metal are indeed quite high. I haven't even scratched the surface of recycled metal yet; I'm practically starting from scratch..."

He was having a bit of a headache; it was practically like he was being asked to start all over again! The alchemical matrix he had come up with earlier wasn't even fully optimized yet.

"Ding ding ding..."

The phone rang; it was Boss Lu calling again. He answered the phone.

The system told him, "I've looked at the blueprints and requirements again and found that it's indeed quite difficult to complete and may take a lot of time. So I think we should increase your completion bonus. I've decided to increase it from $1500 million to $2500 million, so you can reach the first $3000 million directly."

"However, if possible, please get it done as soon as possible."

Increase the $1500 million to $2500 million? Give me the first $3000 million directly?

Old Tang was now really tempted. He thought for a moment and asked, "Boss, how fast is 'faster'? I have no clue about this recycled metal thing. It will definitely take a lot of time. Even if it's fast, it can't be much faster."

The system seemed a little tired as it said, "We should figure it out as soon as possible. Last night, Mr. Xia and I dug up a great treasure in the Three Gorges, and we were chased and bitten by a dragon."

Boss Lu was chased and bitten by a dragon? Old Tang was somewhat surprised.

The book says dragons aren't that common, right? It's only been a short time since that White King in Japan, how come Boss Lu has run into two all of them?

This dragon doesn't seem to be rare at all!

"That dragon was too tough. I was at a great disadvantage. Against an enemy of this level, without powerful offensive weapons, I was very passive and had almost no effective means of breaking through its defenses."

"This dragon encounter was very sudden, and I don't know when I'll be face-to-face with a dragon again, so I urgently need a suitable set of attack weapons to prevent any unforeseen events."

Boss, how about we skip slaying the dragon? You seem to be attracting dragons.

Old Tang muttered to himself, but didn't dare say it aloud. After all, this was his boss who paid him, and whatever the boss said had to be right! As long as the money was there, he would do whatever the boss told him to do!

He replied, "I understand, boss. I will figure it out as soon as possible."

The system said, "Well, don't push yourself too hard. You were very tired last time, so you can rest for a while before taking action. I won't go far during this period. I don't believe the dragon can come looking for me again."

"By the way, is five million enough? Last night you fought that dragon. The alchemy matrix you developed was really useful. I'll give you an extra 100 million bonus. Have fun... The finance department will transfer the money to your account later, take a look."

"Yes, yes, I understand, boss. Thank you, boss." Old Tang immediately nodded and bowed to the phone.

Shortly after hanging up the phone, Lao Tang received a text message saying that $100 million had been deposited into his bank account. This... Boss Lu is so considerate. How about he rests while researching recycled metals? And create a suitable alchemical weapon for Boss Lu as soon as possible?

Under the combined pressure of money and emotional appeal, Lao Tang's desire to take a vacation wavered, and it seemed that he could endure the hardship for a while longer.

Just grit your teeth and you'll get through it! We've already made it through the previous month and a half, so just hang in there a little longer, and it'll be over in the blink of an eye!

This isn't just about money; the boss is also so considerate.

I swear to be loyal to Boss Lu to the death!

Meanwhile, Lu Mingfei, who was looking at the system analysis logs, remained completely silent.

First, he told Lao Tang there was no rush, then he added a bonus, saying it was actually quite urgent, and then he played the emotional card...

However, the system did indeed give out real money; it didn't just make empty promises.

This money is also a long-term emotional investment...

Chapter 183 Plan

The system sent people to keep an eye on things at the Three Gorges for a while, and sure enough, the dragon didn't come out to cause any more trouble, and there were no problems with shipping or anything like that.

Lu Mingfei continued his studies, but he was somewhat depressed at school.

"You don't seem very happy. Is something on your mind?" Su Xiaoqiang asked.

"Yes, it is a little, but it's not a big deal." Lu Mingfei nodded slightly.

"Can you tell me something to cheer me up?" Su Xiaoqiang asked with a grin, and then took a stool and sat down.

“There are always some annoying things bothering me.” Lu Mingfei looked at Su Xiaoqiang’s abruptly stopped smile and said, “I’m not talking about people, but some animals. I seem to attract them.”

"Oh."

Su Xiaoqiang stopped laughing, even though Lu Mingfei's words were most likely not directed at them.

She said seriously, "Is it mosquitoes? The weather has warmed up a bit recently, and there are more mosquitoes and such. I heard that some people with certain blood types are more attractive to mosquitoes than others, because mosquitoes are particularly fond of that blood type because it can promote their reproduction."

"Is that so?" Lu Mingfei asked, "But what if we can't get rid of them?"

"Then let's get rid of them all and create a world without mosquitoes," Su Xiaoqiang said. "The North is better. It's not very cold here. As soon as the weather warms up a little, the mosquitoes come out immediately."

"Sigh, our place is sandwiched between the north and the south, caught in the middle, suffering from both ends. We don't enjoy the abundance of tropical produce and natural scenery, nor do we have the endless snow and boundless landscapes of the north... We haven't gotten many advantages but have gotten all the disadvantages, with lots of mosquitoes and no national heating..."

Su Xiaoqiang naturally chatted with Lu Mingfei, starting with the single issue of mosquitoes and then moving on to other things.

"Yeah, that's a huge loss. I wonder if there are any cold-resistant mosquitoes in the world. That way, the north and south can be balanced..." Lu Mingfei said something ridiculous that almost made Su Xiaoqiang choke.

Cold-resistant mosquitoes? If you developed that, people would probably kill it! And why can't you just say something positive? Why do you have to say the worst?

However, this tastes quite like Lu Mingfei's.

Last semester and this semester, Lu Mingfei has completely changed his previous impression, almost making Su Xiaoqiang forget how good he is at spouting nonsense and how annoying he is.

The school bell rang, and Su Xiaoqiang returned to her seat to continue the lesson.

Lu Mingfei was left alone in his seat, still looking worried.

"System, do you think it's possible that you're more likely to encounter dragons?" Lu Mingfei asked the system secretly, trying to shift the blame onto it.

However, what he said wasn't entirely unreasonable. Before encountering the hosting system, he wouldn't have gotten involved in so many trivial matters...

[...There is a definite probability that this exists, because the existence of this system has given the host strength far exceeding that of ordinary people. "He who walks by the river will eventually get his shoes wet." Once a person's strength reaches a certain level, it becomes easier to match them with circles of a corresponding level...]

Unlike Lu Mingfei, the system didn't try to shift the blame. After quietly analyzing the situation, it realized that there was a certain probability that the blame might fall on it.

When Lu Mingfei saw the analysis log, he felt that it made some sense, but he couldn't blame the system for being too powerful, could he?

He experienced the benefits of becoming stronger; he was the center of attention! He didn't care about power, but the spotlight was indeed quite enjoyable.

For example, right now, he's lying on the table, looking like he's about to doze off. In the past, the teacher would have pointed him out, but now they pretend not to see him and even show concern for him when they come down from the classroom!

……

After a full set of aromatherapy spa treatments, Lao Tang stretched comfortably. The masseuse who had given him the massage said while tidying up, "Brother, you don't earn money easily, do you? Don't come to places like this so often in the future, it's too expensive."

Old Tang was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "How did you figure that out?"

He never told the technician about his profession or income, so how can he be assumed to be a poor person who occasionally indulges in luxury?

"You have calluses on your hands," the technician said softly.

Old Tang fell silent.

Before seeking refuge with Boss Lu, he was an orphan in an orphanage, and no one cared about him. After leaving the orphanage, he worked multiple jobs to complete his high school education. He was capable of going to university, but he couldn't handle the pressure, so he didn't continue his studies after graduating from high school.

No, he didn't really want to study anymore; he just couldn't take it anymore. These calluses were left from when he used to take on multiple jobs a day.

After a moment of silence, Old Tang said, "It was indeed tough before, but I've changed jobs. I'm being taken under the wing of a big boss, and the income is quite high, so it's not too difficult for me. Let's add another hour, I'll almost be done resting. I'll go back to work tomorrow, and I don't know when I'll have time to come here again."

"I see. You've really met a benefactor. Talented people are common, but such happiness is rare."

"Talented horses are common, but discerning judges are rare; isn't that something from elementary school textbooks?"

Old Tang wasn't quite sure if it was elementary school knowledge, since he had never attended elementary school in China.

However, he could understand that her knowledge base was limited. She envied those who went to university, but he hadn't even finished high school, nor junior high, and had dropped out of school before elementary school...

He smiled and said, "But if I don't come, how will you make money?"

"I earn a good amount of money doing this job. Once I've saved enough to buy two houses, I'm planning to switch to a more stable job..."

……

Old Tang: "Boss, creating recycled metal may require a super-large furnace and a lot of people. I plan to inscribe an alchemical matrix on my body to make my work easier."

Upon seeing this message, the system replied, "What if I directly gave you the Samadhi Fire and the Heaven and Earth Furnace? Would that be easier?"

Old Tang: "I've been thinking about the smelting conditions for recycled metals. For this level of metal, the Samadhi Fire and the Heaven and Earth as a Furnace don't actually help much. They just make it easier to smelt after mastering this level of alchemy, but that's not the fundamental problem. The problem now is that we need to figure out a furnace that can smelt recycled metals."

Lu Mingfei: "Okay, I understand. Write down the conditions you want in a document and send it to me. I'll have someone arrange it for you."

Old Tang: "It's already written and sent to your email."