Chapter 10: 10. Chapter 10: The System is Fixed!

Chapter 10: System... Stuck... Fixed!

Meng Youyou asked herself honestly: although she had her grievances against him, if she were in his shoes, she wouldn't have gone this far.

One thing was one thing; if he ever truly needed help, she would still choose to lend a hand rather than stand idly by and watch him suffer.

Carrying her anger, Meng Youyou walked all the way to the office door. Through the slightly ajar gap, she could vaguely see a tall, upright man standing in the room making a phone call.

She rolled her eyes silently. It was a small world; she had run into someone she didn't want to see twice in a single day.

Facilities in the border defense units were quite limited and resources were relatively scarce, including offices. After Meng Youyou arrived, there were no vacant office spaces available.

Commander Peng had eventually slapped the table and decided to move Huo Qingshan's office and split half of it for Meng Youyou's use.

Anyway, the kid rarely used the office, spending all his time running around the training grounds; leaving it empty was a waste. Besides, sharing an office would make work coordination more convenient—a win-win situation.

The thought of having to work in the same room as this annoying man for the foreseeable future made Meng Youyou feel depressed.

"I didn't see a trace of him in the office the last few days, so how does he have the leisure to come here today?"

Meng Youyou pushed the door open irritably. She ignored the man on the phone, walking straight toward her own desk as if he were nothing more than thin air.

She didn't even want to maintain appearances anymore; she wasn't in the mood to be polite at all.

A cheerful male voice came from the receiver: "Then it's a deal. I'll be on a business trip to Fanzhou in a couple of days, and I'll bring the things directly to you then."

Huo Qingshan gave a low "mm" and hung up the phone.

Before stepping out, he glanced at the woman sitting at the desk. Her small face was puffed up with displeasure, looking as if she had a sign stuck to her forehead that read: "I am very annoyed! Watch out! Better not provoke me!"

"I wonder who has upset this young lady again?"

*

The training grounds.

Zhong Heng was hanging from a pull-up bar performing repetitions, while Zhang Yong stood to the side with a worried expression: "I shouldn't have spoken so fast just now. The relationship between Translator Meng and the Battalion Commander has definitely worsened again."

Zhong Heng leaped down from the bar, landing steadily on the ground.

He raised his hands and clapped them twice before stretching his shoulders and arms: "Don't you think the Battalion Commander is acting a bit strange toward Translator Meng?"

"Of course I do! The friction between the Battalion Commander and Translator Meng is plain as day; anyone can see it."

Zhong Heng shook his head cryptically and began to analyze the situation with great authority: "No, I mean the Battalion Commander's prejudice against Translator Meng is too great—so great that it's a bit unnatural. Based on our years of knowing him, he is definitely not the type of person to be petty. At first, I thought he was just annoyed by Translator Meng's grandstanding at the training grounds last time, which is why he seemed indifferent to her request for medicine. But then you told me that Ruizhi Xuan is owned by the Battalion Commander's family, and that's when I felt something was off. Given his character and personality, he wouldn't go to such lengths."

Zhang Yong slapped his forehead and nodded in agreement: "Now that you mention it, I also find it a bit strange. Battalion Commander Zheng from the neighboring Second Battalion is always at odds with our commander, looking for trouble whenever he can, yet our commander has never bothered to retaliate. This time, being so petty and confrontational with a female comrade is indeed very odd."

Unable to figure it out, Zhang Yong simply asked: "Then do you know why?"

Zhong Heng once again shook his head... cryptically: "I don't know yet."

Zhang Yong: "..."

What's the point of acting so mysterious?

*

Meng Youyou steadied her emotions and sat in the office, preparing her lessons seriously.

Most soldiers in the border defense units had only junior or senior high school educations. Most of them had very limited exposure to foreign language education; those who knew even a little English were few and far between, let alone a minority language like the Mang language.

This was also Meng Youyou's first time teaching foreign languages to such a group. An invisible sense of responsibility and mission stirred within her; she hoped to do her absolute best to make every lesson excellent.

Suddenly, a familiar-sounding electrical hum rang in her mind.

At the same time, the large text that had been displaying [Upgrading and Updating] on the illusory screen before her eyes disappeared, replaced by a continuously spinning translucent circle.

A few seconds later, the screen became completely clear, and a virtual human figure appeared in her field of vision: [Hello, Host Meng Youyou. I am Dou Dou, the system steward assigned to you by the Munda System. It is a pleasure to serve you.]

Meng Youyou: "..."

She couldn't process it for a moment.

Dou Dou: [Host, the system update is now complete. If you have any doubts, you may raise them now, and I can answer them for you.]

Recovering from her shock, Meng Youyou organized her chaotic thoughts and asked the question she cared about most: "What did you bring me here for? Is the world I am currently in a book?"

Dou Dou: [Host, you are currently in a real border defense unit in the 1980s, not a world within a book. The Munda System selected you because you need to complete the mission assigned to you—to protect the target's marital quality and property security.]

[Ding~] Another crisp system notification sounded.

A model of a kraft-paper dossier appeared on the screen. Immediately after, the virtual dossier opened, and the information inside met Meng Youyou's eyes.

[Host: Meng Youyou.

The Munda System officially assigns you the system mission: "Protect Military Brother's Wallet!" Your target is: Huo Qingshan, male, 26 years old, border defense officer. He is one of the many unnamed, loyal, and brave soldiers who made significant contributions to the construction and defense of the motherland in history.]

[However, four years from now, he will experience many upheavals, including his wife's infidelity, his family fortune being drained by his wife in collusion with outsiders, and the discovery that his child is not biologically his.

Your mission, Host, is to prevent this series of events from occurring and to prevent the target from going astray in his marriage. While ensuring the moral standards of the military family, you must also protect the property security of our people's soldiers!!!]

Looking at the three neat and clear characters on the screen—Huo Qingshan—Meng Youyou fell into a long silence.

"Does it... have to be... this 'unlucky'?"

Meng Youyou laid her cards on the table: "I can't do this job. Change me for someone else, or just replace me entirely."

Dou Dou: [Host, that... cannot be changed. Our system algorithm believes you are the optimal candidate most compatible with this target in the entire host database. Based on your profile, the calculated success rate for completing this mission is very high.]

"Then you can just scrap that broken algorithm of yours; it's not accurate at all. He and I are fundamentally incompatible; we clash the moment we meet. We can't coexist peacefully in the same space, let alone have me protect him."

Meng Youyou continued to vent her frustrations: "You have no idea how much he dislikes me. Even though that medical clinic is his own family's, he lied and said he didn't know anything about it.

And from the very first time he saw me, he decided I was just a superficial person here to pad my resume. How can a person's prejudice be so huge? Is this something a normal person would do?

But none of that matters. It doesn't matter if he dislikes me; I don't like him either, so we're even."

Dou Dou advised rationally and objectively: [Comrade Meng Youyou, in the face of national righteousness, personal grievances can be set aside for the time being.]

Look... look at how professional this system is... such vision!?

Such breadth of mind!?

Such spirit!?

Meng Youyou retorted mercilessly: "Stop acting all high and mighty; I don't buy into moral kidnapping.

The more Meng Youyou spoke, the more she felt her reasoning was incredibly sound. She even began to generously offer suggestions to the system.

She attempted to subvert the system's previously established strategy: "Actually, I think your system should just introduce him to a good ophthalmologist. That would address the root of the problem and be much simpler and more effective than going through this huge loop of finding a host to protect him."

After proposing this suggestion, Meng Youyou was extremely satisfied with herself, lost in the pride of "How am I so smart? I'm so witty!"

Seeing her stubborn attitude and refusal to budge, Dou Dou could only bring out its trump card, speaking gloomily: [Then, do you want to stay in this world for the rest of your life?]

Meng Youyou: "..."

She was speechless.

So this wasn't moral kidnapping? It was forced sales?

Fine! One must bow when under someone else's roof.

Fortunately, Meng Youyou adjusted her thinking quickly. She promptly switched gears and asked: "Then tell me, how am I supposed to protect him?"

After a two-second pause, Meng Youyou followed up with interest: "What exactly do I have to do to prevent him from growing a vast, green meadow on his head later on?"

Dou Dou: [The mission letter has already explained it clearly. You must ensure that the future spouse of this soldier has good moral character and that no similar behavioral issues occur.]

Meng Youyou's face darkened: "How am I supposed to guarantee that? The human heart is unpredictable. Even if I were looking for a partner myself, I couldn't be one hundred percent sure the other person would be loyal to the marriage for the rest of their life, right?"

Dou Dou was once again left speechless: [...]

Meng Youyou: "Forget it, forget it. Just tell me directly: how have previous hosts completed this type of system mission?"

Dou Dou gave a preemptive warning: [You asked for this yourself. Don't go crazy after I tell you.]

Meng Youyou: "..."

Dou Dou: [According to historical data in the system database, the Munda System has successfully completed a total of 832 such protection missions.

Over 95% of hosts gradually fell in love with the target during their daily interactions, and the two eventually ended up together.

The remaining less than 5% of hosts completed the mission by selecting reliable marriageable candidates for the target and then using their wisdom to play matchmaker for them.]

Meng Youyou: "...Without hesitation, I choose Option Two."

In a corner where no one could hear, Dou Dou added silently: [Actually, most of that 5% of hosts also tried Option One first, but they failed in the end because the target didn't take a liking to them... oh, I mean, didn't fall in love with them. That's when they switched to Option Two.

After all, our Munda System is the highest-level system in the industry. The protection targets we select have undergone multiple layers of screening; they are of excellent quality in both personality and ability.]

Meng Youyou shot a glare at it: "Are you questioning my charm? Please get this straight: it's because I don't care for him at all, okay? In my list of suitors, he wouldn't even make the top one hundred."

Dou Dou tried to soothe her: [Yes, yes, yes. The Host is beautiful and kind-hearted, loved by all, and everyone who sees you will adore you. No one could possibly dislike you.]

(End of Chapter)