chapter 2

[Greetings, Host! Welcome to the system. During the initialization of the「Be the Change You Wish to See」system, we are here to guide you. Our mission is to provide the best experience as you strive to complete your assigned tasks.]

Liú Zhēn froze. "What?" The words made no sense. What tasks? What system? Was he hallucinating?!!

The voice continued, relentlessly upbeat, like a corporate HR rep trying too hard to sound friendly:

[Host, you have been bound to the Villain-Biased System, also known as the Villain Salvation System. This system was designed to resolve the resentment, regrets, and grievances accumulated by villains across countless worlds, as well as to address the dissatisfaction of readers who mourn their unjust fates. Please note: failure to complete the assigned missions will result in the permanent destruction of your soul, with no possibility of reincarnation.]

Liú Zhēn's brain short-circuited for a moment. His first instinct was to unleash a torrent of curses, but he barely managed to hold it in. Grinding his teeth, he forced himself to ask, "Am I... dead?"

[Yes, Host. Your body in your original world has already been cremated. Please accept our condolences.]

The casual delivery of that bombshell nearly made him choke. He stared at the ceiling, utterly speechless. Finally, he let out a long, defeated sigh. "Well, shit."

Before he could spiral into despair, the voice chimed in again, accompanied by a series of cheerful dings, like a cheap mobile game:

[System Activation Successful! Binding Role: Mèng Yīchéng, Protagonist of Heaven's Rule]

Current Location: Mèng Clan Estate, Northwestern Galecrest City, Eastern Wind Continent — Heavenly Unity Realm

Age: 11 Years Old

Role: Young Gongzi, Future Heir of the Mèng Clan]

"What?!" Liú Zhēn bolted upright.

Immediately, an ear-splitting siren blared in his head, and the voice barked:

[WARNING: Such behavior is unbecoming of a protagonist. Kindly adjust your actions to fit your role!]

Liú Zhēn winced and rubbed his temples. "Becoming of a protagonist? Are you kidding me?!"

But the words didn't come out. It was as if someone had slapped a mute button on him. Furious, he cursed internally, summoning every creative insult he could think of.

Just as he began to calm down, a new voice joined the chaos. High-pitched and annoyingly sweet, it dripped with artificial cheer.

"Hi, Host! I'm Angella, your system assistant! I'll be here to help you every step of the way. Isn't that great? But, um, please don't curse at me—it's rude. Oh! And if you curse too much, higher management might apply a censor to your thoughts."

Liú Zhēn shivered. The voice slithered directly into his brain, and it felt like someone dragging an ice cube down his spine. "What the hell is this? A ghost trying to sound cute?"

Angella gasped. "Rude! I'm not a ghost, thank you very much. I'm your invaluable guide to surviving this world!"

He groaned. "Why can't I talk? What did you do to me?"

"Oh, that's just a temporary adjustment," Angella chirped. "It's to help you transition into your role! Don't worry, you'll get your voice back soon. Just behave, okay?"

Liú Zhēn clenched his fists, muttering curses under his breath. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Fine. Then tell me this: why am I here? Why me? And if this is a Villain-Biased System, why am I the protagonist?"

The system chimed in, its mechanical tone laced with disapproval: [Host, sarcasm is not conducive to progress. You were chosen because your perspective aligns uniquely with the reformation process required for Mèng Xīngyào's arc.]

Liú Zhēn narrowed his eyes. "How so?"

[Based on your online post, you believe the villain received an unjust ending. You argued that Mèng Xīngyào's death lacked depth and failed to honor his role as a rival to the protagonist. The Villain-Biased System exists to address these narrative imbalances, ensuring villains are not discarded as mere cannon fodder.]

Liú Zhēn snorted. "Seriously? I wrote one comment saying the author did Mèng Xīngyào dirty, and now I'm the magical fixer for this novel?"

Angella's cheery voice returned, undeterred. "Host, that single comment demonstrated profound emotional investment and narrative insight! Your outrage at the unfair treatment of Mèng Xīngyào triggered the karmic imbalance recognition algorithm. You're practically a hero already!"

Liú Zhēn stared blankly, a mixture of exasperation and disbelief etched across his face. "A hero? For calling out lazy writing? What's next—Oscars for Twitter rants?"

Angella giggled. "Oh, Host, you're so funny! The System simply needs your cooperation to achieve narrative justice. Together, we'll redeem Mèng Xīngyào's arc, restore his villainous coolness, address his grievances, and balance the scales of Heaven's Rule."

He let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Right. So, I'm supposed to rewrite the plot of a story I never even finished reading because I was busy dying like a dumpling in a broken microwave. Sounds totally doable."

The system didn't miss a beat: [Your cooperation is not optional. Failure to complete assigned missions will result in the permanent annihilation of your soul.]

Liú Zhēn's expression darkened. "Fantastic. I'm the protagonist, but if I mess this up, I'm toast. Literally. So, what's next? A crash course on sucking up to Mèng Xīngyào?"

Angella's sugary tone chimed in. "Oh, Host, don't be so dramatic. We'll take it one step at a time. Your first task is super simple!"

The system's voice cut in, cold and emotionless: [Loading data... First task: "Gain the villain's trust." Objective: Maximize trust points. Current trust points: ... ERROR. Trust level cannot be determined. ERROR.]

Liú Zhēn threw his hands in the air. "Oh, great. A broken system. This just keeps getting better!"

As the weight of the system's revelations settled on his shoulders, Liú Zhēn—or rather, Mèng Yīchéng—let out a long, exhausted sigh. His head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton and left out in the rain.

"Fine," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "I get it. I can't do anything about it. But can I at least have a little time to process this? Maybe half a day to... I don't know, pretend this isn't happening?"

Angella's voice chirped in, as gratingly perky as ever. "Host, what's there to process? You've been given a mission, and it's not like you have any other options anyway."

The system followed up, its mechanical tone devoid of sympathy. [Host, inactivity will only delay your progress. You should get started immediately.]

Mèng Yīchéng pinched the bridge of his nose. "Thank you both for the uplifting reminder of my grim fate. But please, I'm begging you—just give me half a day to pull myself together. I promise I'll get to work after that."

Angella huffed. "Fine, Host. I'll listen to my superior."

The system begrudgingly agreed. [There is a provision within the system for rest. Since humans fatigue so quickly, you may take the allotted time.]

Yīchéng rolled his eyes. "Oh, thank you, mighty overlords. Such generosity." Then, with a frown, he added, "By the way, can I just have one of you nagging me at a time? The two of you together are like an irritating duet I didn't ask for."

Angella giggled. "No problem, Host! From now on, I'll be your one and only guide. Are you happy now?"

He gave her a sarcastic thumbs-up. "Ecstatic. Can't you tell?"

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