Chapter 3 — The 100x System

Idling with nothing to do, I decided to check the security cameras, only to discover that my younger sister had once again brought Luu Sinh into my apartment. They sat together in the living room, a smug, triumphant smile plastered across her face.

Luu Sinh, do you still have food left at your place?

Luu Sinh let out a frustrated sigh, Not much. Had I known, I would have stocked up beforehand. With the ground floor nearly flooded now, I cannot step outside anymore.

He immediately turned his attention to my sister, Gia Gia, does your family have any food left? Could you spare some for me? My parents and younger sister are with me at home, and that tiny bit of supplies is simply not enough for all of us.

Gia Gia playfully tapped his chest, then coyly traced circles on it with her finger. She pressed her body close against his and whispered into his ear, Why wouldn't I? I even have something special.

What? Really? Luu Sinh sprang up instantly, disbelief etched across his face.

Of course. If you do not believe me, just watch this.

Activating her shrinking and enlargement system, Gia Gia enlarged an apple on the table a hundredfold, causing it to throb heavily onto the surface with a loud thud.

Luu Sinh's astonishment rapidly morphed into ecstatic delight. He eagerly grabbed her by the shoulders, Gia Gia, thank goodness for you! Then please do me the favor of enlarging all the food supplies in my house!

Gia Gia nodded shyly, Very well, Luu Sinh... but I do have one small condition.

Name it! Luu Sinh agreed almost without a moment's hesitation.

You already know how I feel about you, Luu Sinh... If I can save your entire family, will you be willing to be with me?

Gia Gia bashfully covered her eyes, completely blind to the complex expression of hidden disgust that flashed across Luu Sinh's face. The very next second, he smoothed his features into a gentle expression and took her hand.

What are you saying, you silly girl? Haven't we been together for a long time already? You know very well that we were childhood sweethearts. Of course I love you too. Once this storm passes, I will marry you!

Overjoyed, Gia Gia threw her arms around his neck, This is wonderful! I knew you loved me! My older sister even said you would never care for me, but she was probably just jealous!

Then... where is your sister?

Gia Gia replied offhandedly, Her? She claimed she had to work overtime. With such heavy, continuous rain now, she has probably already been washed away by the floods and drowned.

A flicker of cunning crossed Luu Sinh's eyes, and he quickly resumed sweet-talking her into fetching all the household provisions from her room.

Watching this farce unfold through the monitor, I felt a strange urge to laugh and cry at the same time. How on earth did I manage to raise a younger sister who was simultaneously this foolish and this malicious? Being stupid was one thing, but actually hoping for her own flesh and blood to die quickly was unforgivable. Yet, what did any of that have to do with me? I had hidden myself away where no one could ever find me, perfectly content to live out my days in peace.

I strolled back into my kitchen, brewed a bubbling, steaming hot pot, retrieved a chilled bottle of soda from the refrigerator, and happily settled down to enjoy my evening meal. Savoring the delicious flavors, I snapped a picture of the feast and posted it on my social media circle: The wind and rain howl outside, while inside I enjoy a steaming hot pot. Truly wonderful.

To my utter lack of surprise, Gia Gia immediately left a comment: Where on earth are you?

Before long, a barrage of WeChat messages followed: Older sister, with such heavy rain outside, are you alright? Where are you staying? You are still eating hot pot? I want some too. Sister, please tell me where you are. With this terrible storm, I cannot go outside. Could you bring some food back for me?

I ignored every single question, simply taking another snapshot of the cold soda I had just been drinking and sending it straight to her: The soda is refreshing, the hot pot is piping hot, and it tastes amazing.

Moments later, my phone rang with her call. Sister, how can you still be eating hot pot? Can you bring some over for me? I have been chewing on dry bread for days now. Sister, I am starving, please feed me, please!

Despite her whining words, the hurried, frantic tone of her voice betrayed an entirely different subtext — How on earth could an older sister still be eating so luxuriously in the middle of a torrential apocalypse?!

I chuckled softly, lifting my gaze to survey my surroundings. All around me was absolute tranquility, completely untouched by the raging storm outside.

I am still at the company office, and this hot pot was provided by the firm. The downpour is far too severe for me to leave, so you will just have to scavenge around the house for whatever you can find to eat.

Hearing this, Gia Gia immediately resorted to the spoiled whining of her childhood: No way~ the bread at home tastes awful, I want hot pot too!

Absolutely not, I flatly refused.

She opened her mouth to argue further, but I hung up right in her face.

Switching on the security monitor once more, I caught her flying into a blind rage at her phone, completely shedding the docile persona she usually wore. Having to pretend to be sweet and obedient for all these years must have been quite exhausting for her.

I picked up my tablet to watch a movie. Stored inside were hundreds of novels, anime series, and television dramas—more than enough to comfortably pass the long, idle hours.

Once my stomach was thoroughly satisfied, I stretched out lazily across the bed, casually tapping my phone screen to switch the camera feed to the hallway outside Luu Sinh's front door.

Instantly, the voices of Luu Sinh and my family drifted through the speakers: Gia Gia is truly brilliant! That means our family will never have to worry about food again. We have practically struck gold!

That was the voice of Luu Sinh's mother—it seemed his entire household was now fully aware of my sister's miraculous system.

Gia Gia's voice rang out, thick with smug pride: You flatter me, Madam. Being able to use this ability to help your family is my greatest wish. After all, we will all be part of the same family soon enough.

The atmosphere fell dead silent for a brief second, before Luu Sinh's parents chimed in together with honeyed praises: Indeed! Without Gia Gia, how could our family ever have acquired so many provisions? For Luu Sinh to win her heart is his greatest blessing. I always said from the moment I laid eyes on this child that she was an absolute gem!

Intoxicated by their flattery, my sister floated on cloud nine, entirely losing touch with reality.

I let out a cold, cynical laugh and clicked off the camera. I knew precisely what kind of people Luu Sinh's family truly were. Years ago, the moment they received their government relocation compensation, they began looking down their noses at everyone around them, even cursing and driving away all their old relatives and friends. They constantly suspected that anyone who approached them was merely after their money. More than a few villagers whispered about their insufferable arrogance; even the village chief, passing by and simply asking for a cup of water, had been turned away. How could such cold-hearted snobs ever treat my sister with genuine kindness?

As for Luu Sinh, I had seen right through his arrogant facade since we were children. Both openly and behind closed doors, he had frequently uttered disparaging remarks about my sister, never truly holding her in any real regard deep down. Still, I had no intention of interfering in their little drama—especially since I was now shrunk down to one-hundredth of my original size.

Before long, my phone rang again. Gia Gia's voice bubbled with triumph: Sister, let me share some wonderful news with you! Luu Sinh and I are officially together!

Mhm, I replied, my tone as flat as if she were reporting that it was raining outside. I was busy feeding my little flock of chicks as I asked, Why did you call me?

The baby chicks had grown a bit larger now, though they still chirped noisily, scrambling eagerly over each other for feed.

Sister, why do I hear the sound of chickens coming from your end?

Ah, I am just feeding the chickens.

The line went silent for a moment. Gia Gia sounded completely baffled: In a storm this heavy, where on earth did you get chickens?

I did not give a direct answer, merely replying, I raised them.

The cabbages and eggplants I had planted earlier were already sprouting tender green leaves, requiring me to occasionally step outside to weed and water them. The preserved meats stocked in my freezer were more than plentiful enough to last me for a very long time.

Gia Gia clicked her tongue in disbelief: Exactly where are you staying? How can you manage to eat hot pot and raise chickens at the same time? Is that place completely unaffected by the storm?

No.

She could never possibly imagine that I had not gone anywhere at all, but was resting right inside my own bedroom. A single wall separated two entirely different worlds.

That is wonderful! Since that place is untouched, hurry up and tell me where it is so I can bring Luu Sinh along with me. After all, we will be family soon anyway.

A hint of sarcasm laced my tone: Go search for it yourself. If you manage to find it, you are welcome to come.

What is that supposed to mean? You do not want us to come?

Ever since we were little, I had always yielded to her every whim; this was the first time I had ever spoken to her with such biting mockery. I gently nudged a stray chick out of my path with my shoe and strode back indoors from my indoor garden.

My refrigerator was still well-stocked with ready-made meals: pizzas, steamed buns, mantou, dumplings... I flipped on the small fan and pulled a freshly baked pizza out of a miniature microwave. The crust was golden and crisp, the cheese fragrant and gooey, looking utterly appetizing.

I casually snapped a picture and sent it straight to my sister.

Which meant—news of my sister's magical enlargement system was beginning to spread far and wide, drawing an increasingly large and desperate crowd of seekers right to their doorstep.