My Days as a God in Ancient Times
Chu Qiuzhe had read countless books, and systems that required spending money were nothing new.
However, Xiao En's system had an entirely different approach to burning through cash.
Not only had he not lost anything, but he had actually profited.
Aside from the silver notes Lan An gave him, just the flying car alone was worth a fortune in modern times.
He thought about it carefully. The system’s purpose was to save the world, yet so far, his role seemed to be nothing more than a middleman, pocketing a massive profit margin.
Regaining the use of his legs had been an unexpected bonus.
Everything should have been great, yet for some reason, he couldn’t shake a guilty conscience.
Chu Tianze immediately picked up on the guilt in his brother’s eyes. His already nonexistent trust in Xiao En plummeted into the negatives.
Xiao En: "......"
He suddenly felt exhausted. Staring at Chu Qiuzhe in exasperation, he said, "Host, where’s your conscience? We’ve been together for nearly a month now. Do you really not know whether I’m a good system?"
Chu Qiuzhe felt a little embarrassed. He had spent a bit of money and gained so many benefits, yet somehow, he was the one doubting the system first.
He tugged at Chu Tianze’s sleeve. "Gege, at least up until now, he hasn’t made me do anything bad. Besides, he’s literally called the Gratitude System, and my tasks have just been about helping disaster victims."
Seeing how firmly his brother spoke, Chu Tianze nodded and signaled for him to continue.
This time, Chu Qiuzhe didn’t hesitate. He laid out everything he had experienced so far, except for pretending to be an immortal and flirting with the prince.
One was too embarrassing, and the other wasn’t even close to happening yet.
Chu Tianze listened carefully. The system seemed decent, but he shared the same initial thought as Chu Qiuzhe, there was no such thing as a free lunch.
"What’s the real purpose behind collecting gratitude points?" Chu Tianze’s instincts as a corporate mogul kicked in. His question was sharp and to the point.
There was no reason to hide it "I come from the interstellar era, three thousand years in the future. By then, even robots have independent thought. But..."
Xiao En’s owl-like face drooped. "But human emotions have grown cold. Robots handle most tasks, which seems natural, yet people have forgotten how to be grateful. That’s why Dr. X created me."
Chu Qiuzhe nodded, beginning to understand. "So what’s the end goal of collecting gratitude points?"
"Don’t rush me!" Xiao En continued explaining. "The interstellar age already has emotion extractors. And if there are extractors, there are also dispensers. I need to gather a large amount of gratitude points and bring them back to be released. The people I collect from won’t suffer any harm."
That was a reasonable explanation.
"Then why don’t you do it yourself?" Chu Tianze cut straight to the core issue again.
"I’m just data" Xiao En slumped in defeat. "I need human assistance to complete my mission. The people of ancient times benefit from our help while we collect gratitude points. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. Everyone helps each other."
As for Chu Qiuzhe, to put it bluntly, he was just the middleman.
At least Xiao En was better than other systems that erased their hosts at the slightest mistake.
Chu Tianze still wasn’t convinced. He turned to his brother. "What about your legs? Do they hurt?"
"Ge, they do." Chu Qiuzhe’s eyes lit up as he spoke about his legs.
Right now, he didn’t mind the pain one bit. "Ge, my legs already have a knee-jerk reflex, and I can even feel nerve reconstruction pains sometimes."
Chu Tianze didn’t respond immediately. His thoughts were tangled. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than for his brother to recover. On the other, this system had too many unknown factors.
"Tianze, my dear host’s brother!" Xiao En eagerly tried to boost his favorability. "Why don’t you take Qiuzhe for a check-up? See if I’m lying!"
A medical examination was long overdue. Chu Tianze didn’t bother arguing with Xiao En and immediately took his brother for a full-body scan.
The results were both surprising and expected.
Chu Qiuzhe had originally suffered from nerve damage in his thighs and compound fractures in both knees. Now, the fractures had all but healed.
Just as Xiao En said, Chu Qiuzhe’s legs were recovering. Nerve reconstruction was slow, but at the current rate of gratitude collection, he would be able to walk again in just a few months.
Everything was moving in the right direction.
Believing he had finally convinced his brother, Chu Qiuzhe tried to negotiate. "Ge, can I stop physical therapy now? It really hurts."
Chu Tianze didn’t argue this time. However... "Qiuzhe, you’re not going back to the past for now."
It was an order.
Neither Chu Qiuzhe nor Xiao En had expected this outcome.
"What about my legs?" Chu Qiuzhe panicked. What about the prince he hadn’t even started flirting with? What about the people still waiting for him to return?
Chu Tianze patted his brother’s back reassuringly. "Don’t worry. I’ll contact the specialists again for a full evaluation. We’ll see if modern medicine can help you recover"
If it couldn’t, then going back to that so-called ancient world to save people wouldn’t be too late.
Facing his brother’s concerned expression, Chu Qiuzhe had no choice but to agree for now. He glanced apologetically at Xiao En.
"No rush, Host" Xiao En comforted him instead. "If you don’t need me anymore, I already told you from the start, we can terminate our contract anytime."
"No..." Fine.
Chu Qiuzhe was about to continue speaking when he noticed Xiao En giving him a subtle signal.
Thinking about it again, the disaster situation in Dahan was mostly under control. As for Lan An, he could wait a couple more days.
Serves him right for acting so indifferent toward him. Hmph!
First, he had to deal with his brother.
But Chu Tianze wasn’t foolish. After leaving the hospital, he went straight to Chu Qiuzhe’s villa and decided to stay there until the test results were out.
He followed him everywhere: to meals, to the bathroom, and even insisted on sleeping in the same room at night. It was practically round-the-clock surveillance.
For the first time, Chu Qiuzhe realized just how persistent his brother could be. It was both amusing and touching. He knew Chu Tianze acted this way out of love.
Originally, he had planned to slip away and check in with the other side, but now that idea was out the window.
The team of specialists arrived overnight on a flight from abroad. Chu Qiuzhe spent an entire day undergoing various tests, so exhausted by the end that he didn’t feel like speaking.
The results finally came in, but the specialists needed further discussion before deciding on a treatment plan.
There was a possibility that modern medicine could restore his legs.
Chu Tianze wasn’t ungrateful. He knew his brother wouldn’t have this opportunity without the system’s help.
While Chu Qiuzhe slept from exhaustion, Chu Tianze pulled Xiao En aside.
“If the surgery can be done, I’ll help my brother collect gratitude points” He got straight to the point.
Xiao En understood the love and responsibility behind Chu Tianze’s words, and for a moment, he was touched.
Just as he had said at the start, they could unlink at any time. If he lost Chu Qiuzhe, he could always find another host. Choosing Chu Tianze instead wouldn’t be a bad option.
However, after working together for nearly a month, he and Chu Qiuzhe had developed a sense of trust, even friendship.
He was chosen for this mission among countless systems because he understood human emotions.
He could tell that although his host often spoke recklessly, his feelings for that prince were sincere. And when it came to the people of that world, Chu Qiuzhe genuinely cared.
Xiao En didn’t answer Chu Tianze directly. “Tianze-ge, I think the host is a grown man, not a child. He knows what he’s doing”
Chu Tianze frowned. He knew his brother had grown up, but he refused to let him be surrounded by danger.
That dynasty, which didn’t exist in history, and the prince his brother deliberately avoided mentioning, both were risks.
Their conversation ended on a sour note.
The next day, they received the specialists’ final assessment.
The surgery was possible, but the success rate was less than twenty percent.
If it succeeded, he could gradually recover through rehabilitation. If it failed, he might face amputation.
What kind of choice was this?
There was nothing to think about.
Chu Tianze immediately rejected the surgery. Compared to that slim chance, he would rather trust the system, which, at least for now, was still under control.
Back home, Chu Tianze grabbed his brother’s hand. “System, take me to the past.”
Chu Qiuzhe was stunned. “Ge, what are you doing?”
“I’ll help you with the missions,” Chu Tianze said. “Whatever needs to be done, I’ll do it. You just watch from the side.”
“No, no, no way!” Chu Qiuzhe thought his brother was being ridiculous. “Ge, I barely do anything over there. I mostly just talk.”
As he spoke, he pulled out a flying vehicle from the system’s storage. “I got this using gratitude points. I just ride it around for inspections. That’s it.”
Perhaps no man can resist the allure of a fine vehicle. Chu Tianze gazed at the hovercar, his eyes brimming with interest.
"Want me to lend it to you for a couple of days?" Chu Qiuzhe originally planned to bribe his brother, but then he hesitated. "Actually, taking it out might not be the best idea. The technology isn’t quite there yet."
Chu Tianze didn’t respond. He simply waved a hand, signaling that it didn’t matter. There would be other chances.
Chu Qiuzhe continued to persuade him. "I’ve grown up, Ge. With you handling the company, I’ve never had to worry about a thing. I could have spent my life as some spoiled second-generation heir, indulging in food, drinks, and entertainment without a care in the world. But I can’t. And I don’t want to."
He grasped his brother’s hand. "Ge, I want to have my own worth. I want to use my abilities to help those in need."
Ah… Chu Tianze let out a sigh. That speech sounded noble, but didn’t it just mean his little brother was hiding something from him?
As a responsible older brother, he had a sinking feeling that his delicate, well-raised cabbage was about to be stolen.
And the prince his brother refused to talk about was probably the pig coming to snatch it away.
He knew his brother had likely made the first move, but weren’t ancient men known for having multiple wives and concubines?
How could he possibly feel at ease about this?
A crisp chime suddenly rang out. Xiao En’s voice switched to a robotic tone. "Congratulations, Host. The disaster relief mission has been completed. You have received the following rewards."
【Unbreakable Protective Shield x1】
【Interstellar Hovercar Disguise Armor x1】
【Longevity Pill x1】
"Please keep up the good work and continue your efforts." After the announcement, Xiao En returned to his usual voice. "Amazing! We’ve finished our first mission. It must mean the relief supplies arrived on the other side"
"Ge, did you see that?" Chu Tianze was beyond excited. "I can complete missions on my own!"
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