Chapter 401: The Encounter of Two Hosts
Su Tao stood frozen on the spot, almost thinking she had misheard.
Once she calmed down, she caught onto a crucial detail—the word “also” in Luo Yan’s sentence.
Disbelieving, she asked, “You?”
Luo Yan, seeing her reaction, knew he had guessed correctly. Without hesitation, he confessed:
“Yes, I’m like you. Honestly, when I first met Manman, I wasn’t an ability user—just a broke guy with no background. My father-in-law despised me, thinking I was a toad lusting after a swan. To be honest, it wasn’t just him—I looked down on myself too.”
At this point, he couldn’t resist expressing his love for his wife, throwing a handful of dog food at Su Tao:
“Thankfully, Manman never gave up on me. She’s always been by my side, encouraging me. Marrying her—someone so kind, beautiful, and understanding—has been the biggest blessing of my life.”
Su Tao rolled her eyes. “Get to the point.”
“One day, after getting into a fight because someone smashed my motorcycle, I suddenly heard a voice in my head:
[Energy collection complete, loading successful. Would the host like to bind to the Infinite Vehicle Modification System? Upon successful binding, a brand-new diesel motorcycle will be gifted for personal use.]
I thought I’d been hit too hard and was hallucinating.”
Su Tao stood in shock as she recalled the first time she heard the same voice when she was kicked out of her home. The initial message was identical—word for word.
The only difference? In her case, the system asked if she wanted to bind to the Landlady System, offering her a one-bedroom apartment upon binding.
“You heard the same thing, didn’t you?” Luo Yan asked.
Su Tao nodded and repeated the system message she’d received.
Luo Yan murmured, “If these systems weren’t from the same company, I’d be surprised. The wording is exactly the same. By the way, did the system approach you when you were in desperate need of a place to stay?”
Su Tao’s mouth fell open. “It did.”
Back then, when she was homeless and vulnerable, the system’s offer of a house felt like a lifeline. Without hesitation, she had agreed.
Hearing Luo Yan’s story sent chills down her spine—was this all just a coincidence?
Luo Yan fell silent for a moment before saying, “I used to think I was some chosen one—that I was the only person in the world with a system. That was until I met Elder Xiao and now you. I’m afraid we’re just a few of many hosts out there.”
“Elder Xiao? You mean Xiao Wenyu’s father?” Su Tao was filled with questions.
She had always believed she was the only one bonded to a system. Now, it turned out there were others—even more beyond Luo Yan and Elder Xiao.
Luo Yan nodded. “I’m only guessing, but I’m pretty sure. Elder Xiao’s system is similar to mine—both related to modifying and building vehicles. But yours seems to be far more versatile and comprehensive.”
Su Tao scratched her head.
Luo Yan mused, “I wonder what the creators of these systems are really after.”
Su Tao, however, had a clear perspective:
“Whatever their motive, the system has only helped us so far. It’s never forced me to do anything that endangered my life or harmed humanity. On the contrary, it’s provided us with shelter, food, and even life-saving medicine.”
To her, even if the systems had an ulterior motive, it aligned with their goal of helping humanity survive the apocalypse—or perhaps ending it altogether.
Her words struck a chord with Luo Yan.
Yeah—what did the motive matter, as long as it was helping them?
He felt a wave of clarity, amazed that this young woman, almost ten years his junior, could see things so clearly. He clapped her on the shoulder like a comrade:
“You’re right! With you leading Taoyang, its future is bright. And with your all-encompassing system, your potential is limitless. More than that—you’re a good friend to me and Manman. If you ever need anything, Qian’an will always have your back.”
Su Tao, still dizzy from her fever, nearly toppled over from the force of his slap. She steadied herself and managed a smile. “Thanks.”
Feeling generous, Luo Yan added, “By the way, the base vehicle Manman promised will arrive in Taoyang the day after tomorrow. Plus, for any future base vehicles, you get priority purchasing rights—plus a 20% discount.”
His excitement made his voice louder, which prompted Manman to shout from outside the room:
“You stingy man! Don’t bother with a discount—I’ll buy the vehicle myself and give it to Taoyang!”
Luo Yan: “…”
After seeing the couple off, Su Tao collapsed back into bed, pressing a cooling patch to her forehead. She quickly drifted into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, night had fallen. Her fever had significantly subsided, and her strength was returning.
She even sensed an immense power surging within her, waiting to be unleashed.
Right on cue, Shi Zijin floated through the window, punctual as always for his 7 PM “shift.” Noticing her improved condition, he smiled:
“Congratulations—you’ve officially joined the ranks of ability users.”
Su Tao stared at her hands, stepped out of bed, and, with ease, lifted the entire bed frame before setting it gently back down.
The feeling of strength coursing through her veins was exhilarating—almost like the brief moment when she first used the “Manipulate” crystal core to become a temporary ability user.
More importantly, she knew that she had advanced to a second-tier ability user.
At tier one, her “foresight” ability had been vague, offering only a gut feeling at critical moments.
Now, as long as her energy remained sufficient, physical contact would allow her to foresee precise events up to three months in the future.
Just as she was reveling in her newfound power, Black Sesame’s vision-sharing ability activated. Through his eyes, she saw a backpack lying in the desert—and inside it, a fresh human skin.
It was something Hua Pi had left behind during her escape.
“Black bean! Have Ling Yu bring it back to me immediately!”
With an item belonging to Hua Pi, Su Tao could use her foresight to locate her next hiding place. They could lay a trap and capture her once and for all.
It was practically a guaranteed success.
Black Sesame meowed twice in acknowledgment, relaying the order to Ling Yu. With the backpack secured, Ling Yu soared through the night sky, racing back toward Taoyang.
