Although Hu Qi expressed his reluctance, his hands were quite honest as they reached out and took it.
After all, his understanding of this world was extremely limited. Relying solely on the original owner's memories felt a bit unsafe.
Besides, while stuck in a hospital bed, having a phone would undoubtedly be a huge help.
At the very least, he could use it to pass the time.
The two of them chatted for a little while.
Li Yi had plans with a classmate that afternoon, so after helping empty the urinal, he left with the lunch box.
Before he left, he reminded Hu Qi to call him if he needed anything.
Watching Li Yi's retreating figure, the smile on Hu Qi's face slowly faded.
'My current situation isn't too terrible.'
'At least my so-called aunt's family treats me pretty well.'
'Even if it's only for the original owner of this body, not for an outsider like me.'
'But the result is the same.'
'Even so, I can't rely on their support forever.'
'I, Hu Qi, am not that shameless. Besides, I'm not the original owner, so I have no right to enjoy their kindness with a clear conscience.'
'Therefore, the best solution is to make money.'
At this thought, he fell into deep contemplation.
From what he could tell, this world's technological level wasn't much different from his previous one. It had all the same basics, with only slight differences in the details.
This world was called Earth Star. It was about three to four times larger than Blue Star, the world from his past life.
It was once a world of countless nations locked in perpetual warfare.
However, that situation changed about a hundred years ago.
The two most powerful nations, Longyuan and Purple Gold, suddenly ceased their hostilities and made peace.
They formed the current Xia Federation, achieving complete unification.
This led to a greater concentration of educational resources, producing all sorts of talented individuals and elites.
The body's original owner, however, was just an unfortunate young man who had dropped out after high school to work, earning only a meager living.
What's more, he was now very likely to become a cripple with immobile legs. His future was bleak.
'Trying to get rich using the scientific knowledge from my past life is clearly unrealistic.'
'After all, this world's technology isn't backward; in some areas, it even surpasses my old one.'
'As for plagiarizing classic poems and song lyrics from my old world to become a great author or songwriter?'
Ha! He sadly realized he only knew a few simple lines of poetry and a handful of song lyrics.
'In a world that had advanced to a Federation system and was almost globally unified, there was no way I could compete with the established masters.'
'But if I play my cards right, making a little money shouldn't be a big problem.'
'Of course, I'll need to look up some information later to understand the situation in this world before making any decisions.'
Hu Qi sighed internally. 'This new life is even worse than my old one.'
'In my past life, I at least worked hard enough to buy a house and had paid off most of the mortgage.'
'I was considered a homeowner.'
The only benefit of this transmigration, in Hu Qi's opinion, was that it had turned him from a man in his thirties into a young man in his early twenties.
Suddenly, a flash of red light appeared before his eyes again.
This time, however, the red light didn't vanish in an instant.
The light seemed to have a life of its own, twisting and contorting.
Soon, it formed a line of strange runes that looked as if they were drawn in fresh blood.
[Crimson Modifier activating... Activation complete!]
Although he didn't recognize the characters, the moment he saw them, Hu Qi clearly understood their meaning.
He froze for a moment, then discreetly pulled aside the tan-colored partition curtain. He saw that his two roommates were still, apparently taking a nap.
Seeing this, he withdrew his gaze and began to examine the panel floating before his eyes.
[Host: Hu Qi]
[Status: Abnormal (Broken Legs) △]
[Age: 21 (Remaining Lifespan: 59 years)]
[Skills: Culinary Skill (Mastery) △]
[Modification Points: 8]
The panel was extremely simple, with just a few lines of text.
This thing was no stranger to Hu Qi; it was a cheat program he had written for a game. He had named it the Crimson Modifier because of its font.
Its function was also simple: it could modify anything about a game character with no side effects.
However, there hadn't been any "Modification Points" back then. The Modifier must have undergone some unknown change during his transmigration.
He then fiddled with it for a bit and quickly grasped the function of these Modification Points.
Using Modification Points, he could modify anything on the panel.
Furthermore, the modification panel could be hidden or displayed at will with a thought.
Just like a character's personal status screen in a game.
Hu Qi's gaze began to scan the panel.
He soon noticed a flashing, rotating, triangle-like symbol after both "Status" and "Culinary Skill," which indicated that they could be modified.
However, his eyes fell on the remaining Lifespan under the Age category.
Instantly, a more precise set of numbers appeared in his vision.
59 years, 36 days, 5 hours, 23 minutes, 36 seconds.
The final 36 seconds were constantly ticking down.
'Can this be modified too?' The thought suddenly popped into his head.
Unfortunately, there was no triangle symbol after this entry to indicate it was modifiable.
'It might be because I don't have enough Modification Points, or for some other reason.'
Shaking his head, he lowered his gaze to the Skills section.
There was only one Skill listed, Culinary Skill, and it was at the Mastery level.
His gaze fell on the word "Mastery," and a stream of information flowed into his mind.
Normal skills like Culinary Skill were divided into six levels: Entry-Level, Proficient, Minor Achievement, Mastery, Great Success, and Perfection.
This Culinary Skill didn't come from the original owner, but from Hu Qi himself. In his past life on Blue Star, he had worked as a chef for over a decade.
For him, cooking various cuisines was second nature.
But he hadn't expected that the panel would only rate him at Mastery.
'It seems there's still a lot of room for my Culinary Skill to improve.'
Hu Qi's gaze paused for only a moment before moving on.
He had other uses for his Modification Points.
Thinking of this, he focused on the triangle symbol after the Status entry.
As his thoughts concentrated, a line of information appeared.
[Status: Abnormal (Moderate leg fractures)] Modify?
'It really works!'
Hu Qi's eyes lit up, and without a moment's hesitation, he issued a command in his mind.
'Crimson! Modify!'
HUM!
The moment Hu Qi's command was given, the translucent crimson panel before his eyes trembled slightly.
His Modification Points dropped from 8 to 7.
At the same time, the runes in the Status line distorted.
When they became clear again, the line had changed.
[Status: Abnormal (Mild leg fractures)]
'So one Modification Point turned my moderate fractures into mild ones?'
Hu Qi mused.
He could clearly feel two cool streams of air flowing into his once numb and painful legs.