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This handshake was like a meteor crashing into the Earth, or the successful docking of Shenzhou 8 and Tiangong 1. It was absolutely worthy of being recorded in the personal annals of He Zhizhou, a moment he would never forget for as long as he lived.

He Zhizhou's eyes filled with tears, his voice thick with a hint of a sob: "A specter is haunting Europe—the specter of Communism."

Ning Ning stared back at him without blinking, answering with resonant, ringing words: "Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony. Freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law. Patriotism, dedication, integrity, friendliness."

What beautiful, melodious twenty-four characters. What exquisite prose.

He Zhizhou's eyes turned red. Like a party member in a spy drama who had finally reunited with his organization, he was so moved he nearly wept on the spot: "Comrade! I've waited for you until the flowers have withered!"

Ning Ning nodded: "Don't be afraid. I'll pour you a cup of cappuccino, and we shall battle until dawn."

"So," Ning Ning took a sip of water, "you were also brought here by a system?"

"Yes, yes, yes! But my situation is different from yours."

After hearing her account, He Zhizhou wore a look of realization: "You said you read a novel and turned directly into a supporting female character, forced to constantly stir up trouble according to the plot—but I never knew such a novel existed."

Seeing Ning Ning's confusion, he lowered his voice to explain: "I came directly to this space-time, born as an infant. From the moment I was born, a voice in my head kept telling me it was called the 'Whetstone System.' To ensure the Son of Destiny of this world was tempered through hardship, I had to follow its instructions and constantly do evil things, acting as a whetstone."

That wasn't actually much different from her.

He Zhizhou looked intrigued as he spoke: "If the novel you read really can predict the entire story, then what is my ending? Did I become incredibly wild, cool, and domineering, waking up every day on a five-thousand-square-meter bed?"

"You barely appeared in the novel."

Ning Ning paused, thoughtful: "You are an uncertain variable brought into this world by the system by accident. It makes sense that the character He Zhizhou had very little screen time in the original story—after all, without the system, you wouldn't have gone out of your way to provoke the protagonist group, so naturally, you wouldn't have had many opportunities to show your face."

He Zhizhou's eyes went round, looking like a not-so-bright artificial intelligence; there wasn't a trace left of the composure he'd had while reciting poetry.

After a long while, he suddenly realized something and blurted out: "So it was you who hired people to beat up Pei Ji!"

As soon as these words were spoken, both of them looked weary, tears welling in the corners of their eyes.

The wicked supporting character Ning Ning looked blankly ahead: "Do you still have money to pay the medical bills?"

The male villain character He Zhizhou clutched his chest: "It drained the last drop of spirit stones I earned when I was a courtesan. I really don't understand—why is it that even though we're the ones trying to ruin Pei Ji, we're the ones who end up hurt? Are we Wolfie and Wolnie, or Team Rocket? Our misery is just so textbook."

Right.

The two heinous villains looked at each other, their pale, powerless smiles reflecting their perfectly round, zero-achievement track record.

"But my next mission is incredibly powerful; it's a one-hundred-percent guaranteed success."

He Zhizhou sighed, clenching his fist with conviction: "The system won't let me reveal the details, but after this evening, I'll tell you everything. Everything is prepared so thoroughly that it's impossible for Pei Ji to insta-kill me. If this operation fails again, I'll eat this water cup right here on the spot!"

Ning Ning nodded: "You take being a villain very seriously. Do you have any winning techniques?"

"I studied acting in my past life, so I get into character very quickly."

He Zhizhou chuckled foolishly, scratching his head in embarrassment. "I don't really have any special techniques. I can only say that this mission was very simple; it would have been hard for me to fail even if I wanted to."

Oh.

Ning Ning thought for a moment, then asked, "Then do you have any ways to make money?"

He Zhizhou's eyes lit up instantly. "If you want to talk about that, I'm wide awake! I heard from the older sisters in the kitchen that besides me, there was another girl who went begging. Was that girl you?"

Ning Ning: "Yes, yes! That was me!"

And so, the two greatest villains of the first half of the story huddled together, discussing for a long, long time how to pay off their debts and live the normal lives of decent human beings.

From spirit stones to Bitcoin, from penny-pinching to Engel's coefficient—by the end, they were holding hands with teary eyes, practically ready to film Dreaming of the Rich Circle.

--What's the point of ruining the male lead? Isn't a bulging money bag much sweeter?

Evening, in front of Pei Ji's courtyard.

He Zhizhou secretly gripped the object in his hand. He didn't have to wait long before he saw Pei Ji returning late.

Although he had been bound to a system ever since he transmigrated, he hadn't even caught a glimpse of Pei Ji's shadow for many years. He had only truly started carrying out missions recently.

Ning Ning said that he was the protagonist of a fantasy power-fantasy novel, a claim He Zhizhou couldn't wrap his head around.

Based on his experience reading such novels, the protagonist of a male-oriented story was usually handsome and steady-natured. Nothing like Pei Ji, who radiated an aura of "stay away" from head to toe and was so beautiful he was almost demonic.

Forget being the male lead; if someone said he was the final boss, people would believe it.

But! No matter how terrifying Pei Ji was, as a successor of socialism, he would not retreat easily! The light of righteousness would always shine upon the earth!

"Junior Brother Pei Ji." He Zhizhou steeled his resolve, utilizing his acting major's expertise to project the image of a frustrated, sinister villain. "My name is He Zhizhou. I came to see you today... because I want to show you something. Don't move around, or you might get hurt."

Well done! Keep up this style, He Zhizhou, you are the Oscar-winning actor of the cultivation world!

Pei Ji gave him a faint glance, ignored him, and walked straight toward the courtyard gate.

He Zhizhou naturally wouldn't let him pass, grabbing his sleeve. "I was born into a Demon-Subduing Clan and have an innate ability to sense the Devil Race. Passing by this place recently, I detected a very dense presence of Devilish Qi—I wonder if Junior Brother Pei Ji could offer an explanation?"

After saying this, he couldn't help but think that this demeanor was truly 24k pure scum. Never mind Pei Ji; even he felt like punching himself.