Song Shi'an, huddled under the covers, tapped the system: " Brother System, how many more cannon fodder missions do I have left to complete?"
[Congratulations, host! Cannon fodder collection is 98/100. Only two more tasks to complete!]
"It was completed in just one year? Are there any extra rewards for finishing ahead of schedule?"
The system froze for a moment, and after a while, the processor finally uttered the message: "[This system needs to request assistance from headquarters!]"
Song Shi'an immediately sat up straight, his eyes lighting up. "Really, Brother System! I knew I didn't choose the wrong person to follow! I'd be happy to accept even a few hundred billion more!"
[Host, aren't you being a bit too greedy! This system has never seen such a shameless person.]
"Eight years! I've shortened it to one year!" Song Shi'an shamelessly counted on his fingers, "I've been getting up earlier than the rooster and going to bed later than the dog this past year. As a great system, can't you see my contributions?! It's heartbreaking!"
After saying that, he buried his head in the pillow, and his shoulders twitched twice.
The system processor hummed for a while, then remained silent for a long time before finally uttering, "[Add a maximum of five billion, no more!]"
Song Shi'an remained lying still.
The system panicked. "[Add another hundred! That's all I have, not a drop left! If you keep draining the system, it'll be completely naked!]"
Hearing this, Song Shi'an probably knew that this was the maximum the system could achieve. He looked up, his eyes crinkling with laughter, and said, "Thank you, Brother System! Brother System is so generous! Brother System is the best in the world!"
[Host... you lied to this system... you weren't sad at all!]
"This isn't a scam," Song Shi'an said, leaning against the headboard with his pillow, "Look, we can get it, isn't this for our benefit?"
The system remained silent for a while, Song Shi'an suddenly thought of something, "Will you still be there after the mission is completed...?"
[Mission complete. System unbound. Go to other small worlds to continue collecting cannon fodder points. This is the purpose of the system's existence.]
Song Shi'an paused for a moment, holding his phone, and remained silent for a long time. Why was he even a little reluctant to part with it?
I've been bickering with Brother System for a year now. Although Brother System always sells me cheap stuff, he's never let me down when it really matters.
[This system has submitted an application to headquarters. Don't be too touched, host; this is just a routine procedure.]
Song Shi'an tossed his phone onto the pillow and muttered under his breath, "Who's moved?"
The next morning, Lin Fan knocked on the door, but there was no response.
Lin Fan swiped his card and went in, nearly scared to death when the door opened.
The curtains were drawn tightly shut, and his brother sat motionless on the bed with his back to the door.
Lin Fan asked tentatively in a low voice, "Brother... what's wrong?"
Lin Fan gasped the moment the light was turned on.
Song Shi'an turned his head, looking dejected, with dark circles under his eyes and pale lips, as if he hadn't slept for a week.
I've been with his brother for a year, filming all night without sleep, and I've never seen him look like this.
With a hoarse voice and weak voice, Song Shi'an said, "You've come, Lin Fan..."
"Brother, are you alright?" Lin Fan asked anxiously, leaning closer. "I'll contact today's coach right away, and we can practice another day."
"Figure skating coaches aren't cheap; they're charged by the hour. I'm free..."
Lin Fan stood up unsteadily to wash up. Looking at his brother's back, he felt worried. His brother had worked too hard this year. He must let him get a good rest after this movie is over.
Turning my head, I saw Song Shi'an sitting in the noodle shop, engrossed in eating knife-cut noodles. Three large bowls were stacked in front of him, and his listless appearance from that morning seemed to have never existed.
When we arrived at the training base, there were already people practicing on the ice rink early in the morning.
Song Shi'an stood on the sidelines watching for a while when a man in sportswear and ice skates walked up to him and said, "These are the results of more than ten years of training."
Song Shi'an turned to look at him. "So what can I learn this week?"
The man turned to look at him. "Being able to complete basic gliding and spinning is already a sign of exceptional talent."
"That's about right, thank you." Song Shi'an nodded. "I'll go train now."
He had just taken a step when the man called out to him from behind, "I'm your coach. Where are you going?"
Song Shi'an turned around and asked, "You're Xiao Heng?"
"Absolutely genuine." Xiao Heng smiled. "Let's go to the training room to practice the basics first, no rush to get on the ice."
Song Shi'an followed Xiao Heng to the training room, and without any preamble, they immediately began practicing balance.
After a few rounds, Xiao Heng nodded. "Your balance is pretty good. Looks like you've been training regularly. Let's get on the ice soon. I'll teach you some basic moves; that'll be more than enough for acting."
Song Shi'an changed into the ice skates he had bought temporarily. Xiao Heng glanced at his skate laces, frowned, and half-squatted down.
Song Shi'an asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Coach?"
"Make sure to tighten the straps around your ankles," Xiao Heng said, reaching out to untie his shoelaces and put them back on, "Otherwise you could easily get injured."
Just as Song Shi'an was about to say he would do it himself, he felt a tightening on his foot. Xiao Heng had tied his shoelaces into a tight knot, stood up, and clapped his hands. "Now try standing up."
Song Shi'an stood up and stomped his feet twice. "It's much more stable now."
Once on the ice, he held onto the railing and slowly glided along. A hand reached out from beside him. "I'll guide you."
"No need," Song Shi'an waved his hand, "I'll do it myself first."
The hand twitched slightly before being quickly withdrawn. "Alright, you can practice first."
Song Shi'an carefully shuffled forward on the ice rink, holding onto the railing, like a penguin that had just learned to walk.
After stumbling and sliding for over half an hour, someone next to me took out their phone, filmed a video, and posted it on D Station with the caption. "After falling all morning, I've found true love. What's the best way to approach someone?"
The boy in the video is wearing a gray hoodie, with his arms outstretched to maintain his balance. Occasionally, he slips and frantically grabs the railing, hanging on it for a couple of swings before starting again.
The comment section exploded instantly.
"What an amazing waist! Even when she falls, she looks so graceful."
"Excuse me, where is this ice rink? I want to go and fall right now."
"The greenhorns are here; they've got some serious training to do."
"That guy next to me looks familiar; I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."
"Wow! I know who it is, isn't that Wei Jinghong! He's preparing for his new drama!"
"Who? Is that the guy who's always trending on social media? I have to say, even I, someone who doesn't watch dramas or follow celebrities, am impressed by him. He learns a new skill with every drama he acts in; if he keeps acting, he'll become an all-around entertainer!"
"Let me give you a little background information. He's already incredibly versatile; he's practically an all-around entertainer in the entertainment industry."
"[Image], I don't usually go online, but I saw a picture a year ago and made it into my wallpaper. I only just found out who the person behind it is..."
Xiao Heng stood on the sidelines watching his movements and shouted, "Bend your knees a little, shift your weight forward, don't lean back."
Song Shi'an tried shifting his weight forward, and his footing became much more stable.