Chapter 4: Dinner
"Ryan, are you dead or not?"
Olivia suddenly stormed upstairs, glaring at Ryan as she shouted, "Go wash up quickly! It's just a concussion. Stop looking half-dead. After you're done, come downstairs and wipe the tables and chairs."
"Who are you showing this pitiful face to? Aren't you used to being poor? Why are you pretending to be so pathetic?"
"Hurry up and wash, then come downstairs. Stop pretending."
Olivia finished her rant, unable to hide the disgust on her face, and went downstairs. Ryan looked at her, stunned, then clenched his teeth. A warning from the system rang in his mind:
"Warning, host. This system is a beast system. After beginning the mission, you can complete it to turn her into a sex slave. This is an advanced mission."
"Killing someone counts as sabotage. Violence is not allowed..."
"Olivia is the target of the mission. You must not kill her. You must not kill her..."
Ryan entered the bathroom, face dark with anger. He threw the gauze from his head into the trash, gritting his teeth as he gasped, "Why are there so many tasks all of a sudden? What if I don't complete them?"
"After completing the novice mission, you will unlock many side missions, and the 'Head of the Family' mission is the main one."
"What about the rewards? What are the rewards?" Ryan asked, his voice growing desperate.
"Rewards depend on what you need when completing the task. There are many options."
"Host, please believe me. If the reward for the Lion is a fruit forest, the Lion will tear the system apart..."
The system's voice sounded chaotic, and Ryan quickly realized that it was still in its early stages. This system was from an advanced civilization but was incomplete at the moment. It had only started collecting data from grievances of geeks in front of computers, activating itself for some special reason.
The system had not fully developed yet and was still collecting data to form standards in various areas. For now, it released tasks based on the desires of its users, and the rewards depended on how rational the tasks were in fulfilling those needs.
Ryan understood that the system was still in its initial phase, with much room for exploration.
He changed clothes in the bathroom. Although his head was bleeding, only three stitches were needed, and the bruises had disappeared. The wound was almost healed.
After washing up, Ryan came downstairs to find his mother-in-law, Olivia, wiping the table. When she saw him in casual clothes, she frowned and scolded, "Don't you have money to buy decent clothes? You only have a few pieces of tattered clothing."
"Mom, let me do it!"
Hatred flashed in Ryan's eyes, but he still approached and began helping to mop the floor.
Olivia hardly ever does housework at home. But as soon as her wealthy son-in-law arrives, she becomes very attentive to him, showing her typical mean-spirited demeanor.
Soon, Lily came back. Ryan wanted to help her, but she looked outside carefully and said softly, "Honey, you're still injured. Go rest first. What are you doing here?"
"Nothing!" Ryan replied, glancing at his wife. Seeing her virtuous nature made him feel strangely relieved.
Just then, the door opened, and Olivia's cheerful voice rang out: "Son, Daughter, you're here so early, but the meal isn't ready yet."
"Mom, that's not good news."
There was a festive atmosphere outside. Ryan and Lily hurried out, calling, "Sister, Brother-in-law."
Sophia, the eldest sister, was tall, standing at 172 cm. She had studied at an art school and always dreamed of becoming a star.
She had a perfect, devilish figure and had once worked part-time as a dance teacher. Now, she was married to a wealthy family and lived as a rich wife. However, she was still restless, constantly seeking fame.
Sophia wore delicate light makeup and had a gorgeous face, exuding a bit of charm with a look that could bewitch people, especially when she smiled. She was dressed in designer brands, looking glamorous and no less dazzling than any star. It could be said that she inherited her mother's genes and improved upon them.
Her husband, Liam, looked flashy but didn't match his wife's height. He had a greasy face, short legs, and a belly.
"Order... Tall and sexy sister-in-law mission to add content, standing from behind!"
Just as Ryan had some inappropriate thoughts, the system's teasing voice echoed in his mind.
"Second sister, let me help you!" Sophia said with exaggerated politeness.
Lily immediately shook her head and said, "Sisters, you can chat with Mom. I'll handle the kitchen; it's not a lot of work."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, second sister."
Sophia's offer to help was merely polite. She had slender, beautiful hands, said to be those of a hand model, wearing a stunning diamond ring with manicured nails—hands that clearly weren't made for housework.
"Son, please sit down."
Olivia gestured for Ryan to sit, pulling her beloved son-in-law down beside her. Ryan clearly saw Liam's lustful gaze as he ogled Olivia's deep cleavage.
Indeed, while Sophia had a great figure, Olivia's bust was undoubtedly larger, and even with a bra, her breasts would swing with the slightest movement. No man could resist the temptation.
As they chatted, Liam would deliberately steal glances at Olivia. Olivia didn't notice, but Sophia did and pinched Liam, which made him a little unhappy.
Soon, the meal was ready. As it was served, Olivia picked up a crab shell with her chopsticks and offered it to Liam, saying, "Son, try this. These blue crabs are the most plump these days."
"It must be plump and delicious!" Liam replied, his voice laced with innuendo.
Sophia took a bite, then looked at the crabs disdainfully. "Second sister bought the food? Even if she didn't buy double-shell crabs, at least she could have bought crab roe. What's the point of buying meat crabs?"
Liam laughed and said, "You don't understand, buying crab meat is the cheapest. The price is half of what the crab roe would cost."
Olivia's face darkened, and she said, "Lily, what's wrong with you? Why are you so stingy with the food for your sister and brother-in-law? Are we really that poor?"
Lily blushed and was about to explain, but Sophia immediately interjected, "Okay, Mom. My second sister's job doesn't pay much, and Ryan isn't doing well either, so it's good enough that he was able to buy this."
Ryan clenched his fists, barely holding back his anger. Lily, embarrassed, said quietly, "Sister, it's not that I don't want to spend more; I just don't know how to pick crabs."
"Crabs can't be picky, but fish should at least be delicious. Grouper isn't expensive right now, so why buy this cheap pomfret?" Sophia replied dismissively.
Liam picked up his chopsticks a few times and said, "Luckily, there are no outsiders here. Otherwise, people would think our family is poor and destitute with how shabby this is."
Lily silently ate with her head down, not saying anything. She was used to this kind of bullying.
Ryan was furious, but when his wife's hand subtly grabbed his under the table, he sighed and said nothing more.
Lily took it upon herself to clear the table and wash the dishes, as though it were her responsibility. Just as Ryan was about to offer to help, Liam called out, "Ryan, come here."
The three of them were enjoying their conversation when someone suddenly shouted at them. Although Ryan wasn't happy about it, he had no choice but to sit down.
As soon as he sat, Liam frowned and spoke condescendingly, "You're so ignorant. You dared to stop the boss's wife's car? Honestly, in the past, you'd have been beaten up for that, at least."
Sophia chimed in, "Even if we don't know who the other person is, can anyone driving a Ferrari really be ordinary?"
Ryan couldn't help himself and replied, "Brother-in-law, that's the rule there. The railing is electronically controlled, and I couldn't access the computer to open the door for her."
"Your brother-in-law is only looking out for you, and you dare talk back?" Olivia snapped.
She was furious. "Rules are fixed, but people aren't! Don't you understand that?"
"Exactly," she continued. "You should have reported to your captain as soon as you saw the car. How could you be so stupid?"
After dinner, the activity was clear: teach Ryan a lesson. Ryan gritted his teeth and lowered his head, glancing occasionally at his wife, who kept looking worriedly from the kitchen.
He silently fumed, thinking, Just wait until I figure out how to use the system, then I'll show you all how I plan to deal with you.
Liam snorted and added, "The security team said they don't blame you for this. They'll give you a week's vacation and 1,000 dollars for medical expenses."
Olivia immediately responded, "It's all his fault for not having good judgment. How can he take other people's money with a clear conscience?"