Chapter 14 — The Midnight Refresh
After drinking a bit, he decided to have dinner, as it was already 8 o'clock.
As usual, the dinner came just five minutes after his call — perfectly on time, as if the staff downstairs could read his mind.
After finishing his meal, he went straight to bed, knowing that tonight — at exactly 12:00 a.m. — the system would refresh.
He was very excited about it. His mind kept spinning with curiosity: What would be the choices this time? He also looked forward to the system upgrade that would occur once his total worth reached 10 billion RMB.
Though,he is far away from his system upgrade goal of 10 billion RMB but can't he dream about it.
Lying on his king-sized bed, he tried to sleep.
Before closing his eyes, he set three alarms on his phone — 11:58, 11:59, and 12:00 a.m. — just to make sure he'd wake up before the system update.
After all that effort, he lay still, but his thoughts refused to settle. His mind kept creating endless scenarios: Why did the system choose me? What if one day it disappears? What if everything I have vanishes overnight?
The thought of losing the system sent a chill down his spine.
"No," he whispered, eyes firm with determination. "I have to take full advantage of this. I'll rise to the top so that my future wife and children never suffer like I did."
At the mention of marriage, his gaze softened — and then darkened again with a flash of anger and pain.
He couldn't help but remember her — his ex-girlfriend, the woman he had been with for nearly ten years.
They had met in middle school. Back then, Lin Hao was already good-looking — tall, with sharp features and calm confidence that made him stand out. He had received countless love letters from girls, so many that he barely bothered to open them.
Instead, he always handed them over to a close female friend — a quiet, introverted girl who was, in truth, breathtakingly beautiful. She was gentle, soft-spoken, and kind — the kind of beauty that felt pure and effortless. If someone were to rate her appearance out of a hundred, she would easily score ninety-nine.
She take care of these girls and tell them that he said no and say something like he is not looking for a relationship just to not make them feel bad about it.
Well,to say the least she was always there for him,a friend he could depend on for many things.
Many people thought that they were a couple even their teachers would have this doubt sometimes.
He heard from a friend of his that students of their class call him and his female best friend, a Golden Couple, just based on their looks and grades.
But to Lin Hao, she was just a friend.
And then came An Na. Her name meant graceful and peaceful, though Lin Hao would later realize she was the exact opposite — impulsive, jealous, and anything but peaceful.
She was the one who confessed first, boldly asking him out and he rejected her first but after she kept proposing to him from time yo time and persistently,Lin Hao was young and flattered, so he agreed.
Looking back now, he realized that might have been his biggest mistake.
She was possessive from the very start. She told him not to talk to his female friend, the "introvert," claiming that innocent girls were often the most dangerous.
At first,he thought that she was just joking so he laughed it off by saying that she was just being jealous.
An Na wasn't ugly — she could score an eighty out of a hundred in beauty — but her attitude ruined whatever charm she had.
Through middle school and high school, she clung to him like a shadow, never letting him meet or even text that old friend again. Lin Hao had always felt a strange bond with that girl — something warm and genuine — but in the face of An Na's endless warnings, he gave up.
And as a girl and beauty at that,his friend also had pride and knew about his situation so she didn't make things difficult for him.
Though,both of them had a bit of connect,but that was little and during their university years it was almost non-existence.
He had been loyal. Too loyal.
Aside from confessing first, An Na never did anything good in their relationship. She was bossy, controlling, and quick to anger — often over trivial things.
Every argument ended the same way — Lin Hao apologizing and buying her gifts. They weren't expensive, but they were always sincere, bought with love and care.
And what did he get in return?
He got nothing.
When his financial situation worsened, she left him — as easily as one throws away a used napkin.
Saying that she wanted a life that he would never be able to give her.
Now that he looked back, everything made sense. She had only dated him to show off — to brag to her friends that she was the one dating Lin Hao, the boy every girl admired in high school.
When he lost his money, he lost his "value" in her eyes.
He chuckled bitterly. "Now that I think about it… she never loved me. Haha."
His laughter echoed softly in the quiet room.
Now,he even thought if he was insane in past to even be with such a girl.
"Well, those matters can wait," he said, exhaling and rubbing his temples. "Right now, my focus is on making money — real money."
He took a deep breath, eyes gleaming with newfound determination.
He looks at time and sees that it is already 11:40 pm.
"This is what people say over thinking."he thinks.
(You don't even realize how fast the time flies when you are watching reels,reading novels and overthinking.)A highly valued saying of this novel's author.hehe.
After waiting for sometime,the first alarm rang which he had set a few hours ago.
"Oh! I think I set these alrams for no purpose"he though knowing that there was no way he was gonna sleep in current conditions.
---
(Refreshing the Flash Sale Choices...)
---
A bright golden light flashed before his eyes. The familiar digital interface of the Godly Rich System appeared in midair, floating above his bed.
Three sleek black gift boxes materialized one after another — identical in every way.
1. (Black Gift Box)
2. (Black Gift Box)
3. (Black Gift Box)
All three boxes looked exactly the same — not even the slightest difference could be found between them.
Their glow was identical. The golden ribbons tied around them were perfectly symmetrical. Even the shadows they cast on the virtual floor were uniform, without a single corner out of place.
In physics,they say that two things be exactly alike and there are also quantum laws that state this fact but these boxes even seem to defy those laws as their cannot be seen any difference among them.
Lin Hal even suspected that even if studied on the quantum level this things might be the exact same.(just a guess.)
Though,his major was not physics but he does understand some basics of physics.
Lin Hao blinked. "What…? Is this some kind of joke?"
Previously, each option had detailed descriptions — hints of what kind of reward he could expect. But now, there was nothing. Just three pitch-black boxes, mysterious and silent.
He frowned, scratching his head. "System, what's going on? Where are the details?"
---
"System Reminder: Please make a choice as soon as possible."
---
The sudden voice snapped him out of his confusion.Foolishly thinking that he might have been a bit rude earlier. He cleared his throat and asked politely, "Dear System, would you mind explaining where the information went?" — careful to sound respectful, even flattering.
A clear ding chimed in response.
"Host, those two previous times where you could view detailed contents were part of your beginner's privilege."
Lin Hao's expression softened with understanding. "Ah, that makes sense," he muttered. "If I could see what's inside every time, I'd always pick the most expensive one."
Another soft chime echoed.
"Host, please make a selection immediately. If you fail to do so within 60 seconds, the System will automatically select the box with the least value for you."
"Wait, wait!" Lin Hao said quickly, straightening up in bed. "Alright, alright — I'll choose!"
Without hesitation, he pointed at the second box.
"I'll go with number two," he said, excitement rising in his voice. "Let's see what I get this time!"
His eyes with expectations.
---
"Ding!"
"Thank you, Host, for making your choice."
"Opening the mystery box…"
A moment of silence followed, the golden ribbons untwisting themselves slowly, as if savoring the suspense.
Lin Hao leaned forward, eyes wide. His heart pounded against his chest.
Then the System's voice echoed again — crisp, mechanical, and full of mystery.
---
"Congratulations, Host, for obtaining…"