OFR – Chapter 224 Mentality

Two hundred thousand yuan—for a senior white-collar worker, that would be two to three years’ worth of salary.

For ordinary working-class people, it might take five to six years, or even longer, to earn that much.

Even for a well-operating game studio, 200,000 is still a significant expense.

But Xu Jinhuan could now clearly feel that the man in front of her, Mu Bai, genuinely didn’t care about the 200,000 at all.

In his eyes, perhaps it wasn’t worth mentioning.

She had no idea what kind of level or status Mu Bai held in Nanjing.

But she knew—it was likely a level she could only look up to for the rest of her life.

Just as she was lost in these thoughts, Mu Bai glanced at the perpetual calendar in the living room and realized it was already 5 p.m. without him noticing.

He turned his head and looked out the window. Sure enough, the evening was beginning to fall.

Winter nights always came early.

Mu Bai thought of how he still needed to contact Kang Yunyun online later about the Border Lao-Viet trafficking exchange meeting, so he stood up and softly said to the beautiful and charming Xu Jinhuan beside him, “It’s five o’clock. I should be heading out.”

“It’s so late already. Why not stay for dinner before you go? It’s already dinner time,” Xu Jinhuan stood up as well, politely trying to keep him.

Hearing this, Mu Bai realized it was dinnertime. He’d be eating alone later anyway, so why not have some company?

So he nodded and said, “Alright, that sounds good. But let me treat you to dinner instead.”

“No need, Mu Hao. Just eat at home. I’ll cook. I’m quick in the kitchen. And my sister ordered me a cake today—if we don’t eat it, it’ll go to waste.”

Xu Jinhuan gently shook her head, speaking in a soft, pleasant voice.

“Hm? A cake? Is it your birthday today?”

Mu Bai was slightly surprised.

Then he turned and looked toward the birthday cake sitting on the dining table.

From what he knew, city professionals—no, Xu Jinhuan was already more like an elite—usually spent birthdays with a group of friends, maybe at a party.

So seeing this rather solitary scene in front of him was completely unexpected.

Sensing the surprise in Mu Bai’s eyes, Xu Jinhuan quickly nodded and explained, “Yeah, it’s my birthday. I usually celebrate it with my sister, but she had something to do today, so I’m by myself.”

“Oh, I see. Alright, then we’ll stay in. I remember last time I tried your cooking—it was really good.”

Mu Bai didn’t refuse anymore.

After all, leaving Xu Jinhuan to spend her birthday alone felt a bit heartless.

Plus, he had tasted her cooking before and had to admit—it was better than that of many four- or even five-star hotel chefs.

“Mhm! Mu Hao, I’ll start cooking now. Just wait a little bit, okay?”

Upon hearing Mu Bai’s agreement, a joyful smile appeared on Xu Jinhuan’s pretty face.

After a few more polite exchanges, she turned and busied herself in the kitchen.

A few minutes later—

As Mu Bai listened to the clinking of pots and pans from the kitchen and watched Xu Jinhuan’s busy figure, a strange warmth crept into his heart—the feeling of home.

He remembered that before he had acquired the Divine Tycoon System, his dream had been to own a house in Nanjing, marry a woman—not necessarily a stunning beauty, but someone he could spend his life with—and live a quiet life where he went out to work while his wife stayed home, and the two lived in peace and harmony.

What he saw in front of him now… was exactly the life he had once dreamed of.

So naturally, Mu Bai felt a little moved.

But only a little.

Since gaining the Divine Tycoon System, he could clearly feel that his mindset had been subtly changing day by day.

He was becoming harder to impress, harder to stir emotionally.

Mu Bai faintly remembered how, back when he first acquired the system, he had been overjoyed selling a cactus for a few thousand yuan. When meeting someone like Han Mengyun—a boss worth over a hundred million—he’d felt anxious and uneasy.

But now?

That mindset was long gone.

Even just a few days ago, when his product sold 2.5 billion yuan worth, he didn’t feel especially elated.

Aside from an extraordinary calmness, Mu Bai could also sense other vague, hard-to-describe changes within himself.

Do people always change after becoming wealthy?

He wasn’t sure.

But one thing he knew—the changes in his mindset were directly tied to the influence of the system.

It was as if the system was grooming him into a kind of supreme tycoon, someone untouchable by any rules.

Take the “One Man Rules the Field” side mission, for example: Douyu (a streaming platform) merely wanted to use him, but the mission triggered by the system would result in consequences so severe that Douyu would regret it for life.

Or the “Tycoon Aura” mission—just because he’d marveled at Han Mengyun’s expensive watch, a whole series of luxury-brand tasks had been triggered.

It was almost like something out of ancient times:

Like a king who stood above all laws, feared no one, and was never awed by anything—because the entire world belonged to him.

And if anyone dared provoke him or his authority, the consequences would be catastrophic.

In that kind of mindset, the simple, ordinary life Mu Bai once dreamed of… was already slipping further and further away.