American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

The giant shark attack in Florida is clearly a reference to the movie "Jaws".

The exorcist couple, Warren and his wife, are the protagonists of a series of supernatural horror films.

As for the luxury cruise ship and its passengers that mysteriously disappeared in the Indian Ocean, it all seems like a plot from the movie "Deep Rising".

To outsiders, these things would be troublesome problems, but to Zhu Mingyao, who possessed the system, these demons and monsters were nothing more than walking experience gift packs.

The giant octopus sea monster in "Deep Rising" alone, in the boy's opinion, is a beast that has lived for at least several hundred years. Its combat power in the story is much more ferocious than Jason's country zombie. Presumably, the reward points obtained after defeating it would be much more.

"After spending so much time assisting the old man when he goes out to exorcise evil spirits, plus occasionally completing some simple tasks on my own, I've only accumulated enough points to barely level up my cultivation technique. This is just too slow..."

It seems we still need to find an opportunity to take action against these big guys.

Zhu Mingyao rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

However, his cold-faced but warm-hearted old man would never agree. Although Zhu Mingyao didn't say it, he knew perfectly well that the commissions he was assigned to were all pre-selected by Zhu Mingyao. Only after ensuring that there was no danger would Zhu Mingyao let him practice.

Moreover, even if the old man agreed to let him travel, Zhu Mingyao wouldn't dare to go.

Since Jason, who should have been diligently cleaning up reckless young people by Crystal Lake for decades, can suddenly appear in the Los Angeles sewers, who can guarantee that those movie plots from the past will continue to unfold as before?

This is a real, dynamic world. The people and monsters are not computer-controlled NPCs; they just wait for you to trigger the quest before the story begins.

Perhaps they're preparing themselves according to the original story, confidently enjoying hotpot and singing songs as they head to exorcise the demon, only to be ambushed by a monster halfway there.

Or perhaps you arrive only to find that the enemy's strength was only the tip of the iceberg in the original work or film, and you're just delivering yourself to their doorstep, getting attacked by the demon instead of fighting it—that would be hilarious.

Zhu Mingyao casually closed his laptop and stood up.

In short, to succeed, one must first improve oneself and take things one step at a time.

Chapter 8 Visitors (Part 1)

"Why hasn't the old man come back yet..."

The next morning, Zhu Mingyao was home alone. Too lazy to cook breakfast properly, he made himself a slice of bread with a fried egg to fill his stomach, and then rolled up his sleeves and cleaned the shop counter.

By the time he finished all this, the sun was high in the sky. Seeing that the old man still hadn't returned, the young man wondered if he should call the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to ask.

Wherever there are people, there is a social dynamic. Extraordinary individuals are also human, and naturally, they cannot escape the common customs. It is normal for them to band together and form organizations based on factors such as race, region, and lineage.

Within the Federation, the vast majority of Chinese-American extraordinary individuals are, at least nominally, subordinate to or semi-subordinate to the Chinese Federation—the Five Continents Chinese Business Association. This old gentleman of mine is no exception; every year during festivals, they would present him with a gift.

And since one has this identity, one inevitably has to fulfill a duty from time to time.

As the saying goes, since ancient times, scholars have used their writings to disrupt the law, and knights-errant have used their martial arts to break the law!

Throughout history and across the world, no official government has ever liked the existence of uncontrolled armed groups under its rule.

These outsiders, with their different skin color and religion and their own armed forces, were able to establish themselves under the nose of the federal government not only because they were very powerful, but also because of the Chinese Federation's consistently friendly and cooperative approach with the government.

In the eyes of those high-ranking politicians, no matter how much of an eyesore these Chinese people are, they are at least much better than those dark creatures who cannot understand human language, and those demon cultists who are always trying to make a big splash.

Of course, during elections at all levels, the political donations sent through various covert channels also play a decisive role, but this is something that cannot be discussed with outsiders.

You see, as long as you follow the rules of my great beacon country, have a full wallet, and adapt to local customs, then everyone can become a good friend.

Just like the Western proverb says, "Gold to a pagan is gold too."

Since its existence has been tacitly approved by the authorities, it is only natural to reciprocate.

Just like how I was rescued from the sacrificial rituals of a cult back then.

On a regular basis, they conduct unseen patrols around the base, cooperate with federal special departments to combat superpower crimes, eliminate dark evils, and maintain local peace.

The West Coast, especially the Golden State area, is the main sphere of influence of the Chinese Federation. They usually have a relatively large number of people and rarely need to trouble their own elders, who are over ninety years old. Even among cultivators who generally have long lifespans, their age is not considered young.

The fact that they suddenly invited the elderly over to discuss things all night suggests that something important might be happening at the Chinese Federation.

Just as Zhu Mingyao wiped his hands and was about to make a phone call, he heard the sound of a car outside the gate.

As the welcome bell hanging on the shop door rang crisply, the old man pushed the door open and entered with a slight frown.

Zhu Mingyao quickly went up to take the clothes and hat, and carefully helped him sit down on the sofa.

Seeing the boy pour out the hot tea that had been brewed earlier from the thermos, Zhang Shouzhong's brows relaxed a little. He reached out, took a sip, and smacked his lips.

"No need to bother, the driver is waiting at the door. I'll just grab some things and leave, and give you a few words of advice."

The old man paused for a moment, then continued:

"Well, I have some things to take care of at the Chamber of Commerce. Starting today, I'll be going to the headquarters of the Chinese Association in San Francisco and won't be back until the end of the month. During this time, you should stay home and focus on your cultivation. Don't wander around. You can close the shop for now."

"Ok?"

Zhu Mingyao's heart skipped a beat, and a look of curiosity appeared on his face. He asked with interest:

"Is there some big event happening? Could you take me to see it?"

Zhang Shouzhong glared at him and said irritably:

"Go away! Don't get involved. Don't you know your own limitations?"

"Don't look down on me. Didn't you notice that I look refreshed and calm today? It's obvious that my skills have improved."

The boy shook his head and spoke, looking incredibly arrogant.

The old man squinted and looked him over, a fleeting look of satisfaction crossing his face. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and his tone softened a bit, but his words were still sharp.

"You've only made slight progress, look at you! Just stay home."

Seeing that the old man firmly refused, Zhu Mingyao stopped arguing and instead helped pack the luggage quickly while chatting and laughing.

After seeing the other person off, Zhu Mingyao turned around and went back into the house, looking thoughtful.

"Judging from the situation, it really is something serious. Judging from the old man's words, even several directors of Hualian are going to be mobilized..."

As the largest non-governmental organization among overseas Chinese, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce is not only financially powerful on the surface, but also has a wealth of experts on the side. There are at least a handful of people who can easily outmaneuver this old man.

The fact that they've mobilized such a large force this time suggests they have something important planned, perhaps to exterminate some powerful demons or monsters.

Based on what he had heard and seen over the past two years, as well as the information he had collected privately, strange and bizarre events all over the world, including the Federation, were on a straight upward trend. Even with the governments of various countries doing their best to cover it up and appease the situation, there were still eyewitness accounts from time to time, and there was a sense that a storm was brewing.

It's a pity I couldn't go with them, otherwise I probably could have earned a lot of points.

……

A few days later, in the afternoon.

"I'm sorry, this item of yours is clearly not what it seems! I cannot accept it."

Zhu Mingyao tilted his head, sat behind the long wooden counter in the living room, pointed at the small silver statue in front of him, and spoke with great enthusiasm.

"The four-faced, eight-armed form is indeed the image of Brahma, the principal god of Brahmanism, but he rides a peacock or a swan, not a bull!"

It's obvious at a glance that the person who created the statue only had a superficial understanding and made it haphazardly. He probably thought that all the gods in Indian religions rode oxen.

The materials are also vastly different. The outer layer is indeed silver, but the inner layer is probably filled with some kind of alloy to save money.

It wouldn't be noticeable unless you looked closely, but he overdid it, making it look too aged! There are two places where it's worn so badly that the underlying color is showing, and the two materials don't match at all!

The boy reached out and pushed the things back.

"In short, it's just a modern craft item, not worth much money."

His erudite and well-researched speech left the customer across the table looking annoyed, and he could only reluctantly pick up his things and leave.

Having satisfied his craving to be an expert in antique appraisal, Zhu Mingyao took a sip of tea, still feeling a bit unsatisfied. He nodded in satisfaction as he watched the words "Experience +1" appear in the [Antique Appraisal] skill section of his mental panel.

He turned his head and glanced at the setting sun outside the window, which was about to sink below the horizon.

He's done for the day. He's not counting on this to make money. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't level up his skill and had to slowly hone his skills, he wouldn't want to waste his time sitting at the counter.

The boy strolled leisurely to the entrance, then pulled a long iron hook from the corner of the wall, placed it on the roller shutter door, and pulled it down forcefully.

Another peaceful day has passed...

"Wait a moment!"

Accompanied by shouts, a series of hurried footsteps approached, followed by a slightly thin hand reaching out and supporting the slowly descending roller shutter from below.

“Please slow down, be careful not to pinch your hand, Mrs. Williams.”

Without even seeing the person's face, Zhu Mingyao knew who it was just by looking at the large, bohemian-style bronze bracelet on their wrist.

He had no choice but to forcefully slam the door shut again, looking with a hint of helplessness at the robust, silver-haired, yet still energetic white woman in front of him.

However, the outgoing old woman didn't care about the other person's gaze. Carrying a cardboard box, she squeezed straight in, shouting in a loud voice:

"Cute little one, these are freshly baked snacks, eat them while they're hot!"

Newbie here, need some support! I've almost written 20,000 words, but still no one's sent me a private message 〒_〒

Chapter 9 Visitor (Part 2)

Mrs. Williams

Female

66 years old

She is a member of the community committee, a kind-hearted and gentle old lady.

"It's just that sometimes his enthusiasm is a bit too much."

Zhu Mingyao held the box that had been stuffed into his arms, smelling the slightly overbaked pastries with a burnt aroma, and smiled bitterly to himself.

Regardless of what he thought in his heart, he still had to put on a happy and touched expression, and pulled the old lady into the house to sit down and pour her tea.

They meant well, and the boy isn't some ungrateful postmodern overgrown child.

Perhaps it was her own status as an orphan that gave this widowed old lady a sense of sympathy for him. In addition, the community committee had an obligation to visit women and children in the area and protect their rights. Since he moved in with Zhang Shouzhong under the guise of being adopted, the old lady had visited him many times.

Later, in order to earn some karma points as a reward, Zhu Mingyao went around looking for cats and dogs and helping others, which greatly increased the goodwill of the elderly people in the community. This was not the first time he had fed them like this.

The only problem is that your baking skills are a bit...unaware of your own limitations. Haven't you noticed that every time you bake a pastry, it's a bit tough on your teeth?

While crunching away on the as hard chocolate chip cookie as always, Zhu Mingyao secretly wondered if he should go to the Hualian Chamber of Commerce, find a familiar pastry chef, and copy a recipe for Chinese pastries to give to the old lady.

Maybe it can give her a different perspective?

At least overcooked glutinous rice cakes will at most turn into a lump of mud, which is still better than these rock-like cookies...

After exchanging a few casual words about everyday matters, Mrs. Williams rubbed her hands together and somewhat embarrassedly revealed the purpose of her visit.