Chapter 6: First Mission and breakfast with Emma

"Have you had breakfast?" Rex asked.

"Not yet why?" she replied curtly.

Rex grinned. "Let's have breakfast together.

They seem to have really tasty breakfast options."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you inviting me to a meal? It isn't easy to dine with me.

But you're lucky—I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give you the chance to have a meal with me."

"It's my honor to dine with such a beautiful lady," Rex replied.

Hearing her somewhat narcissistic reply, he responded jokingly.

 Just then, the elevator finally reached the lobby with a soft click, and as the doors slid open, they were greeted by a magnificent lobby.

The space was decorated in warm colors, with beautiful paintings adorning the walls, filled with men and women in luxury clothes and neat appearance just like seen in Hollywood movies, the air was filled with different fragrances, light music reaching the ears, and a magnificent chandelier on the ceiling showcasing its grandeur.

This was exactly how he had imagined a luxury hotel.

'Rich people really know how to enjoy themselves'. He couldn't help muttering.

As just the rent of a simple room is equal to common peoples' months of salary.

At that moment, Emma quickly adjusted her glasses and covered herself tightly.

Seeing her act so cautiously, he couldn't help but tease, "Are you really so famous?"

Hearing this, she turned to face him and replied with pride, "If I reveal myself, it wouldn't take long before this lobby is swarmed by paparazzi and reporters." 

Even though he still didn't believe she was really a famous star, at most she could be a bit known, I mean what are the chances of bumping into a famous star just after travelling through?

But he had to accept that she indeed had enough potential to become famous just by the virtue of her beauty. 

Thinking about that, they left the elevator together and headed toward the buffet.

After looking around, he found a remote corner for better privacy.

After getting some simple breakfast—omelet, French toast, poached eggs, croissants, fruit juices, warm milk, and some fruits—they walked towards their seats and sat down.

Seeing that there weren't many people at that time and that their location was very remote, she carefully removed her glasses as it was very uncomfortable eating with glasses.

 As they started eating, Rex decided to take the initiative.

 And shortly they began by discussing trivial topics like the weather, the food, and the hotel's services.

Gradually, their conversation shifted toward current affairs—especially the entertainment industry. Rex listened intently, occasionally interjecting when he found something interesting, as he didn't know enough about this world. By listening to her, he could also get valuable insight.

At first, he ate with relish, as he was starving due to earlier affairs.

But after some time, he became attracted to her narration because there were many interesting things he hadn't heard before, not even on the internet.

After talking for about half an hour, she suddenly paused, she finally realized that she might have been talking a bit too much for their first meeting, she didn't know why she felt so comfortable with him, maybe it's because of his unique temperament and the aura of ease and control he exude.

Normally, she wouldn't talk with a stranger much less having such a conversation.

She blinked mischievously at him and said, "Sorry. It's been a long time since I had such a relaxing conversation with someone. So, I got a bit carried away and thank you for patiently listening to my chatter."

Rex smiled warmly. "No, no—it's completely fine. I enjoyed it, too."

She continued, "Sometimes, I also want to enjoy life like a normal person, but unfortunately, it's very hard due to my current status. It's not like I don't like my career—I love it—but I also want to do things like a normal person: go shopping, have fun with friends, and freely talk to someone.

But due to my status, everyone who approaches me seems to have other intentions."

"So, it's very rare for me to have such conversations."

"Sorry if I'm taking up your time," She apologized.

"No problem. I don't have anything important today, so I'm all ears," he replied.

Mission aside, he was honestly enjoying talking to her, listening to her sweet voice was such a pleasant experience.

Hearing this, she just smiled and continued sharing her insights into the entertainment industry, like how cruel the competition is, how companies squeeze value, and how no matter how famous you are, in front of capital you still have to bow down.

Listening to her complaints, he gained a new understanding of the entertainment industry and its inner workings, even though she mainly talked about the music industry.

As she vented her grievances, it was clear that she felt the pressure of constantly having to bow to capital.

After finally pouring over all the grievances, she felt much better.

She also couldn't help but develop a good impression of this handsome man named Rex, as she saw how he listened with full attention without any complaint or judgment.

In these times, It's actually very rare to be able to have someone who listens to you without any other thoughts.

As everyone is busy with their own affairs and won't bother talking to someone without much benefit.

Thinking about it, she suddenly straightened up. "By the way, let me formally introduce myself. My name is Emma Swift Alison.

I'm a singer, and I write my own songs too. Well, you can find all the other information on the internet," she said, smiling mischievously.

"What about you, handsome guy?" she asked.

Rex coughed lightly and straightened his posture. "Well, my name is Rex Lee. I'm 20 years old and currently studying Business Management at UCLA. I'm pretty good at studying… I guess that's about it for now."

He really didn't know what to say because he didn't have time to digest the memories and adjust to this strange world.

Hearing his overly simple introduction, she couldn't help laughing. "It seems like you have to work on your extracurricular activities too. Being a nerd with such a handsome face is such a waste."

"How about I teach you guitar? It's my favorite instrument".

She offered with a playful glint in her eye.

"Don't boys like to carry a guitar and show off?"

Hearing this, he almost agreed on the spot, because it would be an easy excuse to get her contact information; but on the surface, he hesitated. And she noticed his uncertainty.

"What, you don't want to? A beautiful woman is offering to teach you, isn't it your honor?" she teased, her tone a mix of playful indignation.

"Seeing her like this he quickly replied, "No, no, I was just thinking it might be too much trouble, and I'd be taking up your precious time."

She smiled immediately. "Don't worry about that—I'm basically free these days," she said, though for a split second her expression betrayed a hint of worry before returning to normal.

But Rex still caught that—'it seems even big stars have troubles,' he thought to himself.

Just then, her cellphone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she hesitated.

 Noticing her hesitant look, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I have to take this call," she said.

"No problem, go ahead," Rex replied.

After she took the call, Rex stood up to get some water, not wanting to eavesdrop.

Watching his retreating back, she paused and inexplicably smiled sweetly. Seeing that she had finished her call, Rex returned with a glass of water.

 As he approached, he noticed she had already stood up and put her glasses back on.

Seeing him approaching, she immediately gave him an apologetic look and said, "Sorry, I gotta go; I have something urgent," and hurried toward the door.

Seeing her like this, he was stunned because he hadn't had time to ask for her number yet—he wanted to get a bit more familiar first; otherwise, his chance of success was basically zero.

And just when he was about to succeed, she left like that.

Noticing that there were still 10 minutes left to complete the task, he was about to go after her, but seeing her hurriedly returning, he stopped.

Stuffing a note into his hand, she said, "Here's my personal number; let's talk later. I enjoyed your company." And with a sweet smile, she left even faster.

Rex was left in a daze. He hadn't had time to come to his senses, but seeing the phone number in his hand, he felt a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

He hadn't expected this mission to be completed in such an unexpected way.

Just then, the system's prompt sounded:

[Congratulations to the host for completing the mission

Evaluation: C

Prize: C-grade gift box.]

He was ecstatic to see the prize but confused by the rating.

Didn't he just have to complete the mission? Where did this evaluation come from, and what is a C-grade gift? Does that mean he could have gotten a better reward?

So, he immediately did what any qualified system host should do and called out,

"System daddy, can you explain what this evaluation means?"

Soon, the system's voice rang in his ears:

"Of course, host. During a mission, the system evaluates your performance and gives corresponding rewards—the better your performance, the better your reward.

For example, if you had completed this mission earlier, you could have received a higher-grade reward.

However, since you intended to get familiar first instead of blindly completing the mission, the system decided to give you a C-grade gift box."

"Ahh, this is so complicated—can't you just give the reward directly after completing the mission? And what is this C grade?" he asked.

"Well, if you simply complete a mission, the system will give you the most basic F-grade reward.

But if you perform exceptionally, the system will upgrade the F-grade reward to a corresponding grade," the system explained.

"These grades range from S to F, with S being the highest reward normally and F being the lowest."

"Okay, it's pretty simple—but what does 'normally' mean?" Rex inquired.

"During special times or due to your special performance, the system may sometimes award a higher-grade prize—such as RARE, LEGENDARY, or MYTHICAL," the system explained.

"Oh, that's pretty neat.

" Hearing this, he was happy and was almost about to grin from ear to ear—after all, a higher grade means better rewards, right? Shouldn't I be happy about it.

"But chances of getting these rewards are infinitely close to zero, so host, you don't have to be so worked up," the system added, immediately pouring cold water on his excitement.

"Can't you explain it all in one go? You made me so happy in vain," he angrily complained.

Hearing this, the system didn't bother to reply and simply disappeared.

After fuming for a while, Rex calmed down, thinking about those rare awards. He consoled himself that, at the very least, he still had a chance to win—and even if he didn't receive a rare reward, he'd still get the normal ones.

Thinking this, he became very excited and started planning on getting more and more missions and completing them brilliantly.

He finally turned his attention back to the screen and saw that his gift box was still shining brightly.

He excitedly clicked it, and immediately he was bombarded with a strong sensory stimulation as fireworks exploded and colorful confetti burst out.

(End of Chapter)