36: Was this given to you by Xiaoqian?

She silently read each word, asking herself, "What are the benefits of upgrading the material exchange system?"

It wasn't that she was suspicious; she was just too cautious.

Although this system was miraculous, it was almost unbelievably so, and Bai Wanning didn't want to fall into a trap akin to predatory lending.

If this system was like those inexplicable organizations out there, then she would rather maintain the status quo.

She waited for a long time without any response, at one point thinking that this prompt would have no further development.

But a moment later, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in her mind: [There are many benefits to upgrading the material exchange system, Host.]

[Your current bartering level is 1, allowing only the most basic item-for-item exchanges, meaning you can swap physical items with other bartering Hosts.]

[However, if you upgrade the system, restrictions will gradually be lifted, and you will be able to see higher-level trade requests. For example, when you reach Level 2, you can acquire special goods in black markets or thief markets.]

[When you successfully upgrade to Level 3, you will have the authority to post your own trade requests, no longer limited by your current level, and can even communicate with other Hosts without entering the bartering arena. Additionally, at Level 3, you can also request other Hosts to help boost your abilities, temporarily of course.]

[At Level 4, you can purchase livestock, slaves, and many resources currently unavailable in the system.]

[And at Level 5, the system will open the bulk bartering function, allowing you to obtain a large quantity of items at once, provided certain conditions are met.]

[At Level 6, you will be qualified to trade with the system administrator. At that time, your accumulated points can be used to exchange for stars, islands, and even... planets.]

Listening to the mechanical voice, Bai Wanning's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Planets?

If she could really exchange for planets, then couldn't her son... live a normal life?

Bai Wanning suddenly felt a surge of excitement, as if she had been injected with adrenaline, and quickly asked the system, "How do I upgrade the material exchange system?"

[Exchange precious treasures, gold coins, or rare and unique items that can be resold.]

[Once the Host accumulates enough points, the material exchange system can be upgraded to the next level.]

Bai Wanning almost immediately understood the system's meaning.

Although she could now exchange items of similar or even slightly lower value with other Hosts, to upgrade, she had to trade through the system's own channels... and only high-value, rare items could accumulate enough points.

There was no upper limit to trading with the system; the system would never reject her goods, but... these points were just too difficult to accumulate!

She pondered for a moment, gritted her teeth, and took out the ancient artifact from her warehouse.

[Thank you for your patronage.]

[Bartered item value: one billion yuan.]

[Points obtained: ten thousand.]

[Do you want to upgrade the system?]

Bai Wanning: "..."

Although she had a vague feeling she was being scammed, she ultimately clicked "Yes."

[Thank you, Host.]

[The material exchange system has been upgraded to Level 2. You can now view black market merchants' bartering requests.]

[Points required for next upgrade: 100,000.]

Bai Wanning: "..."

Seeing this prompt, she angrily shut down the system on the spot, dove directly into her quilt, and curled up into a ball.

But turning off the system was useless; she was too angry to calm down, punching her pillow and cursing the system: "One hundred thousand points?! I sold a billion-yuan cultural relic and only got ten thousand points! How many billions do I have to sell to get one hundred thousand?"

At this rate, her son would be in his thirties, and she would be a grandmother herself!

Sure enough, this system was a scamming monster, now using the deadly bait of "planets" to lure her into jumping, and it was hard for her to ignore!

Damn system, get lost!

Worried about how to accumulate points, Bai Wanning didn't sleep well all night, adding another worry. Her mother and Older Brothers looked at her as if she were gravely ill and dying, as if they were preparing her funeral at any moment.

For the next few days, Bai Wanning felt like she was attending a "delayed funeral."

All week, her Older Brothers went in and out with worried expressions, searching everywhere for evidence to sue Chen Xiaoya.

Yan Meiyu, on the other hand, cooked a variety of dishes every day, with nourishing soups and porridges making their rounds, as if she wanted to wash away the grievances her daughter had suffered in the past few weeks with pots and pans of food.

Meanwhile, Fang Qing, upon learning that the Bai family had sold their house and land, immediately panicked. She hurriedly called Bai Jixuan, wanting to confirm where they were hiding.

Unfortunately, the moment the call connected, the person who answered was Bai Wanning.

Fang Qing immediately started cursing into the phone, questioning if Bai Jixuan had gone mad.

Bai Wanning gave a cold laugh, her tone icy: "If you don't want your whole family to end up in jail for conspiracy and coercion, you'd best keep your mouth shut."

Fang Qing, of course, didn't believe it. How could she believe there was any law in this world that protected men?

Bai Wanning didn't explain, just snorted coldly: "Then go ahead and cause trouble, the bigger the better."

After saying that, she immediately blocked Fang Qing's number, the chill in her eyes almost freezing... Time flowed like water, and the continuous overcast days seemed to foreshadow something; the city seemed enveloped in a layer of oppressive haze, even the sky losing its color.

A massive typhoon was quietly approaching.

Several weeks passed, and still no clear skies.

This morning, Bai Wanning returned after buying a new batch of winter clothes, coats, and several outfits. As soon as she walked through the door, she saw her mother sitting in the dining room, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

Her heart immediately sank, sensing trouble, but she still feigned composure and walked over: "Mom, what's wrong?"

Yan Meiyu's thoughts were instantly detected by her, startling her, as she hadn't expected to be so obvious.

She sighed, beckoned to Bai Wanning, and said, "Come sit, I've made you some porridge to nourish your body."

Bai Wanning knew her mother still wanted to say something, but she obediently walked to the table and sat down.

Yan Meiyu served a bowl of porridge, sat opposite Bai Wanning, clasped her hands, and then casually began: "Wanning, your Older Brothers have been looking for clues."

She didn't want to appear as if she was accusing or questioning her daughter; she just looked calmly at Bai Wanning, probing, "And they've heard some news from your company. This house, it wasn't given to you by the company, was it? You bought it with the compensation money from the person who took advantage of you, right?"

Bai Wanning was indeed eloquent; she had indeed kept many things from her mother and two Older Brothers. But just as Lei Qian had said, paper can't wrap fire forever.

The company employees all knew the truth.

Even if Lu Gui arranged for his assistant to lie to Bai Zhan and Bai Jixuan, the workers wouldn't lie. After all, what they loved most was gossiping about others, especially those in higher positions than themselves.

So, the two Older Brothers easily found out the whole story.

Not only did they know that Bai Wanning had bought this house with compensation, but they also found out who the compensation came from.

"It was Xiao Qian who gave it to you, wasn't it?" Yan Meiyu asked directly.

Bai Wanning stopped drinking her porridge, looked up, and frowned, asking, "Who are you talking about?"