Chapter 96: Reaching 100 Points
“Old Ji, come quickly and look at what we’ve found — this thing is huge inside!” Ning Qingzhi waved excitedly at Ji Yanming. “We were just waiting for you to come so we could go in and investigate together.”
The five comrades who had come along with Ji Yanming all broke into excited smiles when they saw the entrance.
They had come here specifically because of intelligence reports — this laboratory was rumored to contain something their country desperately needed.
Even Ji Yanming, who rarely smiled, had a faint smile on his face. He nodded to Ning Xiyue and her two brothers. “Good work.”
“It’s mostly thanks to my younger brother and sister,” Ning Qingzhi said humbly. “They were lucky and opened the place by accident.”
Then he leaned closer to Ji Yanming and whispered, “If this really turns out to be the place we were searching for, don’t forget their contribution.”
He was clearly trying to secure some extra credit — and hopefully some rewards — for his siblings.
“Don’t worry. Their contributions won’t be forgotten. They’ll be properly rewarded,” Ji Yanming promised solemnly, patting him on the shoulder.
With that promise, Ning Qingzhi felt relieved. With contributions of this level, there was no doubt his younger siblings would receive commendations and rewards.
Ning Xiyue, meanwhile, wasn’t paying attention to their conversation. She and Ning Qingyuan were still crouched by the entrance, peering inside.
She was thinking about the “Detoxifying and Anti-Miasma Air Freshener” she had received from her latest check-in.
The item’s description clearly indicated that harmful substances were likely present in the air in certain areas of the underground space.
Even though they didn’t feel anything unusual at the entrance, Ning Xiyue was sure the item would be needed. She was just considering the best time to use it.
Meanwhile, Ji Yanming called two comrades forward. They took out a set of professional instruments and performed some tests at the entrance. Ning Xiyue watched curiously — the device looked like a simple detector.
“Report: all readings normal.”
Ji Yanming nodded and said sternly, “Everyone, put on your gas masks.”
“Two people will stay outside as backup,” he added, then turned to Ning Xiyue and Ning Qingyuan. “You two stay here as well. We don’t know what’s inside — it could be dangerous.”
“Alright,” they replied obediently.
On the surface they agreed cheerfully, but inside they felt a little disappointed. They had discovered such an unusual place — but they wouldn’t even get to see what was inside. Still, they understood. It wasn’t just a matter of safety — it was a matter of state secrecy.
Ning Xiyue also remembered that she had already used up her three check-ins for the day and had received the item. With that, there was nothing left to regret. Judging by the item’s nature, she already had a rough idea of what was inside — so it didn’t matter whether she went in or not.
Before heading in, Ning Qingzhi gave his siblings a final warning: “Don’t wander off. Wait patiently at the entrance. Once we’re done, we’ll escort you down the mountain.”
“Got it,” Ning Qingyuan nodded.
“Understood, brother,” Ning Xiyue waved and watched them descend into the tunnel, shining a flashlight to help light their path.
Since she couldn’t go inside, she decided to use the air freshener from here.
“System, how do I use the air freshener so it affects the interior?”
Ding! [As long as the host is physically within the cave space, the air freshener will purify the air throughout the entire interior.’]
Got it.
Easy enough.
Ning Xiyue casually walked to the entrance and sat on the first step, her feet resting naturally on the second. That meant she was technically inside the space.
The two comrades standing guard saw that she was just sitting on the steps and didn’t stop her.
Seeing his sister like that, Ning Qingyuan also came over and sat beside her.
“Sis, the view’s much better from here. You really know how to pick a spot.”
Ning Xiyue simply handed him the flashlight so he could look inside himself.
Then she contacted the system: “System, use the air freshener — apply it inside.”
Ding! [Usage conditions met. Detoxifying and Anti-Miasma Air Freshener activated. Air quality within the underground laboratory is now optimal.’]
Perfect.
Now she no longer had to worry about her brother or the others being poisoned.
She watched as they moved deeper inside, exploring different rooms. She could already see their silhouettes in the central hall. Her second brother was watching with great interest, studying the structure whenever he couldn’t see people. Ning Xiyue, however, started to feel bored sitting there — she had no idea how long they’d be.
So she rested her chin on her hand and sent part of her consciousness into her inner space to study.
Once inside her ring space, Ning Xiyue saw that the cherry tree she’d drawn as a reward from the lottery had actually borne fruit under the influence of the black soil. It was its first harvest — about twenty cherries. Several were already red, and in a day or two they would turn deep purple and ripen fully.
“Looks like it’s time to aim for a perfect 100. I wonder what kind of reward I’ll get,” she murmured, excitement bubbling at the thought of tasting fresh cherries.
Today, she had to hit 100 points before leaving.
The challenge she wanted to conquer was the first woven item she had ever learned to make — a rattan vegetable basket. Her average score so far was 98, with her best attempt reaching 99. She had been stuck at that point for ages — so close, yet so far.
But today, she had a new idea.
Ning Xiyue opened the teaching video to refresh her memory. The first time she had watched it, the “teacher” was the system itself. But after that, the same class appeared as a recording of that first lesson — essentially, a video of herself learning.
Every time she rewatched that first class, she gained new insights.
At the end of the video, she laughed at the ugly little basket she’d made — grinning like an idiot.
Now, she finally knew how to aim for 100 points.
She realized why she had always fallen short.
Each time she entered the simulation room for practice, her focus had always been on the score — How many points will this basket get? How can I score higher? She had never truly put her heart into the basket itself.
She entered the simulation room again and picked up the rattan. This time, she poured her whole heart into the process, her mind completely clear — weaving slowly and steadily without distraction.
This basket took longer than any she had ever made before — but she didn’t even notice the passage of time.
Finally, she trimmed off the excess rattan, and before her eyes appeared a basket shaped like a sunflower.
Ning Xiyue placed the finished product on the submission platform and studied it carefully. Yes — she was truly satisfied this time.
She walked up to the grading podium and submitted her work.
Ding! [Evaluation complete. Submitted vegetable basket: 100 points. Perfect quality achieved.]
Ding! [Perfect quality reward triggered: A time-accelerated study room (100:1 time ratio). One hundred minutes inside equals one minute outside. Free usage granted. Bonus: One spin on the Super Deluxe Prize Wheel and one blind gift box.]
Ding! [System upgrade feature triggered. System upgrade imminent. Host must exit the simulation room within 10 seconds.]
Within just a second, Ning Xiyue didn’t even have time to react before she was ejected from the simulation room.
Only one thought echoed in her mind:
“I, Grey Wolf, will be back! Awooo!”
