My System Arrives 3 Years Earlier, But the Deities Haven't Come Yet

Listening to the system's notifications that occasionally rang in his ears, Zeng Shen was overjoyed.

"Why didn't I think of this last night?"

"I could take the city loop bus and quickly tour the entire city, triggering the first-time survival point bonuses in all these areas."

"In just about twenty minutes, I've already triggered two areas with Tier 3 deities and another occupied by intelligent species."

"I've gained 3000 survival points in one go, enough for another ten spins."

With a smile on his face, Zeng Shen looked forward to pulling the gacha again tonight.

After all, just up ahead was the Trade Tower, Jinhai City's largest building.

The Trade Tower was immense, over a hundred stories tall. The first three floors were dedicated to trade, the next three to dining, and the subsequent three to entertainment. Beyond those were residential floors and spaces occupied by various companies, private institutions, and foreign businesses.

[Warning, warning, you are approaching the Trade Tower, home to dozens of wandering deities, including a powerful Tier 4 deity with its followers. Given your current strength, being discovered could lead to capture or enslavement. Please leave immediately.]

As Zeng Shen drove towards the underground parking entrance of the Trade Tower, he heard the urgent warning in his ears.

The presence of many deities in the building didn't surprise him. Given its size and significance, it attracted the city's elite and talent. These individuals, with their intelligence and skills, were more likely to survive the cataclysm and last through the next three years compared to ordinary people.

After parking, Zeng Shen grabbed the backpack containing the raw emerald and, with Li Yuqing on his arm, took the elevator straight to the 20th floor of the Trade Tower.

As the elevator doors opened with a ding, a familiar urgent sound rang in his mind.

Simultaneously, a red-purple virtual panel, visible only to him, began to vibrate frantically.

[Warning, warning, a Tier 3 Water Deity is present on this floor. Given your current strength, being discovered could lead to enslavement and the stripping of your divine energy. Please leave quickly.]

"Is there really a Tier 3 deity here? Which office are they in?"

Zeng Shen paused, scanning the corridors on either side of the floor.

There were ten different company offices on the 20th floor of the Trade Tower. Zeng Shen knew that finding the deity among them wouldn't be easy.

He decided to take his chances, walking with Li Yuqing down the left corridor towards the farthest office.

As they walked, Li Yuqing explained, "My uncle, Shi Mingqiang, started out designing jewelry and now also deals in jade and emeralds. His jewelry design company is in room 2020 at the end."

"So, your uncle built his business from the ground up," Zeng Shen commented.

Li Yuqing nodded, "If you don't count the few million my dad invested in him early on, yes, he did."

"Oh," Zeng Shen chuckled, "seems like my future father-in-law is wealthier than I imagined."

Li Yuqing stopped, looked at him, and asked, "Do you want to know?"

"No," Zeng Shen replied with a smile, wrapping his arm around Li Yuqing's waist as they headed to room 2020.

In truth, Zeng Shen didn't care much about how wealthy his future father-in-law was. It wasn't about knowing a cataclysm was a year away; it was his attitude towards money. He believed in enjoying life by growing his own food and living a simple life, not indulging in excess.

If money was tight, he'd be frugal and work hard to live well in the present.

For him, money was just a means to an end, not something to obsess over.

This time, Zeng Shen intended to use emeralds to gain funds, not for a leisurely life but to use money's influence to quickly gain more survival points and enhance his strength.

At the reception of room 2020, a young woman, seemingly a recent graduate in a professional outfit, greeted them warmly. "Hello, do you have an appointment?"

"I'm Li Yuqing."

"Oh, Ms. Li Yuqing! Mr. Shi is expecting you in his office. Please go right in," the receptionist said.

"Thank you," Li Yuqing replied politely, leading Zeng Shen inside.

The jewelry design company had several offices. Li Yuqing seemed familiar with the place, quietly introducing each department as they passed. "This is the design department; my mom's jewelry is designed by them. That's the finance department, and this is operations..."

Soon, they reached the door labeled "General Manager's Office." Li Yuqing knocked lightly, and a middle-aged voice responded from inside.

"Come in."

Li Yuqing entered, and just as Zeng Shen was about to follow, an urgent warning rang in his ears.

[Danger! You are about to encounter a Tier 3 Water Deity on this floor. Please leave quickly.]

"Could it be that Li Yuqing's uncle is the Tier 3 Water Deity?" Zeng Shen wondered, startled by the sudden notification.

Peering inside, he saw a spacious office larger than his living room. Besides the middle-aged man at the desk, there was a glamorous woman.

The woman had striking features, a curvaceous figure accentuated by a fitted white shirt and a professional blazer. Her skirt hugged her legs, which were clad in seductive black hosiery.

Zeng Shen's gaze lingered briefly on the woman before shifting to the box on her desk, which contained a fist-sized stone with a sliver of emerald green peeking through a cut.

Li Yuqing addressed the man at the desk, "Uncle Shi, I hope we're not interrupting."

"Not at all, Xiaoqing. Have a seat and help yourself to some snacks while I finish with this lady," the middle-aged man—Shi Mingqiang—replied, gesturing to the sofa.

"Okay."

Li Yuqing pulled Zeng Shen to the sofa. It was stocked with her favorite snacks, as if prepared just for her.

She took two packets of cashews, handing one to Zeng Shen. "That's my Uncle Shi Mingqiang. He's always been good to me."

Zeng Shen nodded, briefly observing Shi Mingqiang before turning his attention back to the stone, listening to their conversation.

The woman glanced at them but continued talking to Shi Mingqiang. "Mr. Shi, if you still wish to collaborate, this raw emerald containing imperial jade can be developed and auctioned by your company. But you must sign a risk agreement for 30 million, or I'll take it upstairs to your rival."

"Ms. Liu, I know your company needs a cash injection. I can sign the risk agreement, but only after the emerald is fully evaluated and priced post-processing," Shi Mingqiang replied steadily.

"Without fully processing the stone, we can't accurately predict the volume of imperial jade inside. If it's just that small sliver, the net profit might only be ten million, which would mean I'd owe you twenty million."

The woman closed the box, standing up. "In that case, we'll discuss this another day."

"You're welcome anytime," Shi Mingqiang responded, standing as well.

With that, the woman left the office.

[The host has been blessed and survived being in the same room with a Tier 3 Water Deity, gaining 1000 survival points.]