Chapter 4: Buying Magazines
Assistant Liu followed Lu Jingyao’s gaze and happened to see the back of Xu Youyou holding a small yellow dog.
The girl was dressed plainly. She didn’t look like a resident here—more like someone hired to walk dogs.
“President Lu, do you think that dog looks like the lost Ah Huang? But Ah Huang went missing in Gusu, which is quite far from Hucheng,” Assistant Liu said.
Even though Liu said this, Lu Jingyao still wanted to confirm. He pushed open the car door, just about to get out, when his phone rang.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll head over now.”
After hanging up, Lu Jingyao instructed the driver, “Back to the company.”
Hearing this, Assistant Liu felt a twinge of anxiety—it seemed like there would be no rest today, and they’d be working overtime again.
Lu Jingyao glanced once more at Xu Youyou’s distant figure with the dog and said to his assistant, “Look into that girl later.”
It took Assistant Liu a moment to realize he meant Xu Youyou. Although he doubted the dog was Ah Huang, he didn’t dare refuse the boss’s orders.
Xu Youyou was unaware of the events behind her. At this moment, she was petting the dog’s freshly bathed, soft fur, feeling deeply satisfied.
[Congratulations, Host. You’ve completed the “Lucky Find” task and earned the reward: Dog Language Mastery.]
A flash of insight crossed Xu Youyou’s mind, and suddenly, the dog’s barking became remarkably clear.
“Woof woof! My teeth are itchy!”
Xu Youyou hesitantly handed the dog a chew stick.
The dog bit into it with obvious satisfaction.
Xu Youyou marveled at the magical nature of the system’s rewards.
[The “Lucky Find” task has been activated. Please follow the system’s instructions to the target location.]
Tightening the dog’s leash, Xu Youyou’s eyes lit up as she followed the system’s guidance out of the residential complex. The system directed her straight down the road, which stretched far beyond her sight.
It seemed like this time, the destination was not close.
She booked a private car through a ride-hailing app, specifically choosing a female driver.
Five minutes later, a car arrived at the entrance of the luxury complex. Upon seeing Xu Youyou with the dog, the driver, Xu Fang, got out of the car with a troubled expression. “Miss, dogs aren’t allowed in the car.”
Unlike humans, pets lack self-control. If the dog made a mess in the car, it would be difficult to take new passengers.
Xu Youyou considered taking the dog back home.
But the dog suddenly barked, “Woof woof! Is my owner abandoning me?”
Feeling a pang of sympathy, Xu Youyou said to the driver, “I’ll book your car for the entire day and pay an extra 500 yuan for cleaning.”
Xu Fang’s eyes lit up. Interior cleaning in the city costs 200 yuan, but in the suburbs, it’s only 100. With the private hire fee of 800 yuan, this trip would earn her over 1,000 yuan. Her expression changed instantly, and she opened the back door with a welcoming smile.
“Please get in, Miss. The dog princess is welcome too.”
Xu Youyou: …
“Where are we heading?” Xu Fang asked with a smile.
“Drive slowly—I need time to think,” Xu Youyou replied.
Though new to the job, Xu Fang had already encountered many eccentric passengers. Someone without a clear destination wasn’t the strangest by far.
“Turn left at this intersection.”
Xu Youyou felt lucky that the system’s directions were faster than popular navigation apps—otherwise, the car would be constantly turning around.
Half an hour later, Xu Fang asked, “Miss, the alley ahead is too narrow for the car. Should I turn around?”
Xu Youyou followed the system’s instructions into the alley and shook her head. “Find a place to park and wait for me here.”
Fortunately, there was a parking lot nearby. Upon seeing the fees, Xu Fang gasped.
“I’ll cover the parking cost,” Xu Youyou said casually. With six million yuan in her account, she didn’t care about a 30-yuan-per-hour fee.
Xu Fang’s frown disappeared.
The alley was narrow, with blackened walls on both sides that looked like they hadn’t been cleaned for years.
At the end of the alley, the system indicated a turn leading to a residence where the sounds of movement could be heard.
The door was wide open, revealing people inside clearing out old furniture for renovation. Several elderly women sat outside, peering curiously into the house.
“Poor Chen Hai—died without even getting married.”
“Who would’ve thought his uncle would end up inheriting the house?”
“Chen Hai and his uncle never got along. When his parents died, his uncle tried to steal the house, but Chen Hai chased him off with a cleaver.”
“Kids these days stay up too late. I’ve seen his lights on at 2 a.m.—no wonder he dropped dead. All his money benefits his enemies now.”
After hearing the gossip, Xu Youyou stepped inside.
The workers barely glanced at her as they moved the furniture. However, a middle-aged man with a sharp face eyed her suspiciously.
“Who are you? What are you doing in my house?”
Unfazed, Xu Youyou replied calmly, “A friend of mine used to live here.”
The system’s instructions pointed to a box of old magazines. Xu Youyou began planning how to acquire them.
Unexpectedly, the man’s expression turned guarded. “Are you Chen Hai’s girlfriend?”
Xu Youyou remained silent.
The man, Chen Chunsheng—Chen Hai’s uncle—stared at her stomach with suspicion and blurted out, “Chen Hai is dead! By inheritance law, I’m the rightful heir to his property. Even if you’re pregnant, you can’t prove it’s his child!”
He was clearly terrified that someone would contest the inheritance.
Xu Youyou said, “I just want to see where he lived.”
“Everything’s being renovated—there’s nothing to see! You’re not welcome here!” Chen Chunsheng snapped.
He suddenly stepped forward, intending to push her out—using enough force to cause a miscarriage if she really were pregnant.
Before he could touch her, the dog leaped up, barking furiously.
“Get your mutt away from me!” Chen Chunsheng shouted, visibly scared.
Satisfied with his panicked reaction, Xu Youyou called the dog back.
“I just want a keepsake—those magazines he used to read,” she said.
Desperate to be rid of her, Chen Chunsheng handed her one magazine.
“I’ll take the whole box,” Xu Youyou insisted.
“They’re worth money as recyclables,” he protested.
“I’ll give you five yuan,” she offered, unwilling to pay more.
“Fine!” He snatched the money.
With her reward secured, Xu Youyou carried the heavy box out. Seeing her handle the weight so easily reassured Chen Chunsheng—she clearly wasn’t pregnant.
“Back to the luxury complex,” she instructed the driver.
Settling into the car, she began flipping through the magazines. Most were issues of Computer and Network, suggesting Chen Hai might’ve been a programmer.
When she reached the bottom of the box, the system finally stopped directing her.
But she couldn’t figure out—what treasure could be hidden in such an ordinary magazine?
