Chapter 3: Is the Treasure a Living Creature?
Gu Fengchuan fled in disarray once again.
“Aren’t you going back for the family reunion, Xiao Xu? That’s a wealthy family with assets worth 50 billion!” Aunt Wang whispered.
Xu Youyou shook her head and said, “Why would I go back? They’re so stingy—I can’t be bothered with them.”
Aunt Wang sighed. “It’s probably for the best. That guy doesn’t seem like much of a brother anyway.”
Xu Youyou immediately perked up and asked, “Aunt Wang, you’ve seen a lot—why do you think that?”
Aunt Wang explained, “If they were serious about recognizing you, the whole family should’ve come. Just sending the brother feels pretty half-hearted.”
Xu Youyou gave her a thumbs-up. “Aunt Wang, your insight is spot on!”
Aunt Wang was pleased by the compliment but still studied Xu Youyou’s expression. “You’re not feeling upset, are you?”
“What’s there to be upset about? I was an orphan before, and I’ll keep thinking of myself as one,” Xu Youyou replied indifferently.
Aunt Wang nodded. “It’s fine if you don’t want to acknowledge them, but if they offer you money, don’t be silly—don’t turn it down like you did today. Take it from me, you can fight against anything, but never against money.”
Xu Youyou nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, Aunt Wang. I love money more than anything now!”
Seeing that she understood, Aunt Wang felt reassured and changed the subject. “So, you’re really moving out?”
Even though Xu Youyou lived in a run-down part of the city, Aunt Wang’s rent was cheap and easy to fill. She promptly refunded Xu Youyou’s deposit, but since Xu Youyou was a clean and quiet tenant, Aunt Wang felt a bit reluctant to see her go.
“I’ve found a better place,” Xu Youyou said with a smile.
Aunt Wang didn’t pry further and took the keys. “I’ll walk you downstairs.”
After leaving the neighborhood, Xu Youyou put the whole ‘Gu Fengchuan’ incident out of her mind. With some cash on hand now, she called for a taxi.
Destination: Tomson Riviera!
She had only heard of Tomson Riviera in her previous life. Now, thanks to completing a simple task, she owned a luxury apartment there. Would all her future “treasure hunts” yield such incredible rewards?
[Because it’s your first task and you didn’t own any property, the reward was especially generous,] the system explained.
Xu Youyou’s eyes sparkled. “What about future tasks?”
[Confidential.]
“Is the property legally under my name?” she asked.
[Rest assured, the system has already handled everything. The property deed is inside the apartment, and it’s fully furnished—move-in ready.]
The apartment wasn’t just any unit—it was the crown jewel of Tomson Riviera: a sprawling 1,200-square-meter flat worth over 400 million yuan.
When Gu Xueying got married in her previous life, her fiancé gifted her a 600-square-meter unit there, valued at 200 million. That gesture alone earned her countless envious glances.
When the taxi arrived, Xu Youyou’s heart raced as she gazed at the golden “Tomson Riviera” sign. She swallowed her nerves and walked toward the entrance.
Contrary to the cliché of snobbish security guards, the doorman merely asked if she had an appointment.
“I’m the owner of Building X, Unit X. You can check my name—Xu Youyou,” she said confidently.
A quick check confirmed her ownership, and the doorman’s attitude grew noticeably warmer. “Since you haven’t registered with property management yet, your face isn’t recognized by the access system. Would you like to complete the registration now?”
Xu Youyou followed the staff to complete the facial recognition process and received her elevator access card.
Soon after, a property shuttle escorted her to the entrance of her building. There, she found herself standing in front of an imposing, luxurious doorway.
[Your face and fingerprints have already been programmed into the security system,] the system informed her.
A soft beep sounded, and the grand door swung open.
“This…”
As she stepped inside, the sight of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Huangpu River took her breath away.
So, this is what it means to live like royalty.
Collapsing onto the plush leather sofa, Xu Youyou finally relaxed.
[Ding! The second treasure hunt task has begun. Please follow the system’s guidance to the target location.]
Xu Youyou perked up immediately—time to make more money!
She assumed the next task would require another taxi ride, but to her surprise, the system’s instructions kept her within Tomson Riviera.
As she followed the prompts, she arrived at a well-designed communal area. But when the system marker stopped at the trash bin, her expression darkened.
“Be honest with me—are you a treasure hunt system, or a garbage collection system?” she muttered.
[What is garbage? It’s just a misplaced treasure!]
The trash bins here were sleek and stylish, blending seamlessly with the upscale environment. But no matter how fancy, it was still a trash bin.
Just as she was about to investigate, a faint whimper caught her attention.
A dirty, yellow puppy peeked out from behind the bin, its eyes wide and pitiful.
The system’s marker shifted—pointing directly at the puppy.
The treasure… is alive?!
Despite her confusion, Xu Youyou softened immediately. She had always loved dogs. When she was little, stray dogs near the orphanage would often seek her out for warmth and affection.
This little dog, small and scrappy, looked like a mutt—a far cry from any expensive breed. But under its pleading gaze, she couldn’t bear to walk away.
Carefully, she knelt down and extended her hand. “Hey there, little one… Do you want to come home with me?”
The puppy let out a soft bark.
“You said yes! Awesome—I’m taking you home!” Xu Youyou beamed.
She promptly carried the puppy to the nearest pet clinic. There, she treated it to a thorough bath, vaccinations, and an entire shopping spree of toys and premium dog food. She even applied for a pet license.
Though the costs at a downtown pet hospital were exorbitant, Xu Youyou wasn’t worried—she had over six million yuan sitting comfortably in her bank account.
“Alright, cutie—let’s go home!” she cooed, leading the freshly-groomed pup back to Tomson Riviera.
As she strolled happily into the community, she failed to notice the sleek black Rolls-Royce Phantom gliding past the security gate behind her.
Inside the car, Assistant Liu reported diligently, “Mr. Lu, we’re making progress with Yunsheng Holdings. I believe we’ll secure the partnership soon.”
Lu Jingyao nodded absently, his attention drifting toward the window—until something caught his eye.
“Stop the car,” he ordered abruptly.
