Douluo—Chapter 1: Massage Parlor, Open the Picture Book
Suotuo City.
The morning mist had not yet dissipated.
Dew condensed in the cracks of the stone slabs, reflecting the gilded plaque of "Ye's Massage Clinic."
Ye Chen opened the shop door and looked at the quiet street, feeling inexplicably happy.
"System, sign in——"
Ye Chen said silently in his heart.
The next moment, the system's voice sounded on time: [Sign in successfully, gain soul power level +1.]
"Good, it's the soul power level again." Ye Chen grinned.
This was the ninth day that Ye Chen had been in Suotuo City and the third day since the store opened, but it was also the 16th year since he traveled through time.
Half a month ago, he awakened the system — the "massage system."
He could receive rewards by massaging female characters, including various achievement rewards, score rewards, and more.
However, the system had certain requirements for female characters—they had to meet appearance standards to be included in the system's illustrations.
Rewards could only be obtained by massaging women depicted in those illustrations.
Ye Chen had managed to receive a few guests in the past few days, but these female guests did not even have a rating in the system, so he couldn't earn any rewards, and other functions remained locked.
Currently, the only available function was the daily "check-in," which was considered the most useful.
The rewards for system sign-ins were completely random and could include items, cultivation resources, attributes, talents, etc. There were both trash and treasures.
The worst reward Ye Chen could get from signing in right now was 1 Bronze Soul Coin.
The best reward was a "2000-year soul ring."
But Ye Chen's talent was too poor. Although he had awakened his martial soul, "Spirit Eyes," his soul power had not been detected. He was almost unable to cultivate, relying solely on sign-in rewards. Therefore, he was only level 8 and couldn't equip soul rings.
This thousand-year soul ring could only be stored in the system backpack and collect dust.
Ye Chen only wanted to meet some women who meet the standard set by the system as soon as possible.
He had tried paying someone to make small cards and distribute them throughout Suotuo City.
Unfortunately, he was fined by the urban management department the next day.
Visiting customers' homes was a bit unusual, and it was easy to get reported, arrested, and detained...
So now Ye Chen was laying low; he had plenty of time anyway.
He also inquired and found out that Xiao Wu and Tang San seemed to have recently joined Shrek Academy.
Ye Chen had caught a glimpse of them from afar a few days ago, so he still believed he had a chance.
If he could massage Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, or Zhu Zhuqing, he thought the system might activate their illustrations!
…
The sun was at noon.
Ye Chen was planning to have lunch.
Suddenly, he heard silver bell-like laughter coming from a distant street corner.
Ye Chen turned his head slightly and saw two beautiful figures standing in front of a sugar painting stall across the street. His eyes lit up slightly.
The girl with bunny ears on her head trembled with laughter.
Next to her, a pretty girl in a light green dress was poking the itchy spots on the bunny-eared girl's waist.
The two were Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu.
"Rongrong, stop making trouble. It's fine if you sneaked out, but why did you drag me along..." Xiao Wu held Ning Rongrong's mischievous little hand and said helplessly.
"Hehe, what do you mean by sneaking out? We were just hungry and came out to buy something to eat~"
Ning Rongrong took the sugar paint cake handed over by the vendor, opened her red lips, and took a bite. Then she continued: "And I heard there's a good massage shop in the city. Shrek's training is too tiring, so it's just right to relax~"
Ning Rongrong said this while subconsciously stomping her sore legs.
"Massage parlor? But I don't have any money. Is this kind of service very expensive?" Xiao Wu asked in a low voice.
"It's okay, I'll treat you~ The massage shop just opened, and there's a 50% discount. Two people only pay for one, so it's very affordable~"
Ning Rongrong said, pulling Xiao Wu toward the address written on the small pink card she took out.
After a while, Ning Rongrong led Xiao Wu to the door of Ye Chen's massage parlor.
"Boss, I heard that you..."
As Ning Rongrong stepped inside and was about to ask something, her eyes suddenly fell on Ye Chen, and her voice stopped abruptly.
She didn't expect that the owner of a massage parlor specializing in female massages would be a man!
Moreover, he was so young—seemingly only a little older than her—and handsome... He was much more attractive than Oscar...
But she always felt something was strange.
"Ladies, do you need a massage?" Ye Chen quickly suppressed the corners of his mouth and put on a very professional smile when he saw Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu enter.
A virtual panel appeared in front of him:
[Target: Ning Rongrong]
[Illustration Rating: A+]
[Symptoms: Gastrocnemius strain (mild), plantar fascia tension (lactic acid buildup after running)]
[Recommended plan: Dredge the spleen meridian of the foot Taiyin]
…
[Target: Xiao Wu]
[Illustration Rating: A+]
[Symptoms: Lumbar fascia strain (mild), backlash injury from a fall]
[Recommended plan: Back acupoint massage, using soul power to remove blood stasis]
…
As the virtual panel disappeared, Ye Chen noticed that the previously empty atlas now displayed two more character portraits: Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu.
Then, the system's voice sounded again:
[Ding~ The favorability module has been unlocked successfully. You can earn rewards by increasing your favorability~]
[Ding~ The character check-in module has been unlocked successfully. The massage characters can check in daily. Rewards are available for each check-in and for cumulative check-ins~]
[Ding~ The mastery breakthrough module has been unlocked successfully. The number of massages for the same target can be accumulated. Rewards can be obtained at each stage~]
…
"Yes, but are you the only one here? Aren't there any female technicians?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
"Haha, miss, you are mistaken. I am a technician. In my eyes, you are just a customer who needs a massage. There's no difference between men and women."
Ye Chen said seriously.
"That's right... Sorry, I was presumptuous." Ning Rongrong felt that what Ye Chen said made a lot of sense.
"Miss, I notice from your walking posture that you may have over-exercised, which could have caused gastrocnemius strain. Since you are our first customer, I can offer you a free trial massage."
Ye Chen smiled as he spoke.
"Ah! You can see that? That's amazing—you're worthy of being a top technician!" Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up instantly, and she immediately trusted Ye Chen.
[Ding~ Ning Rongrong's favorability has reached 5%. Congratulations to the host for obtaining "Soul Power Level +3." The reward has been stored in the system backpack and can be withdrawn at any time.]
Ye Chen was pleased and then asked politely, "By the way, may I ask your names, young ladies?"
"My name is Ning Rongrong, and this is my friend Xiao Wu. Boss, you can just call us by our names~" Ning Rongrong replied very familiarly.
End of Chapter