Morning classes hadn't even started, yet Li Cheng was already trending.
#RedCodeCEO #FaceSlappingGenius #CampusIdol
Everywhere he walked, whispers followed like confetti.
"Is that him?"
"The Red Code guy? He made Chen Hao cry yesterday!"
"I heard he's starting his own company in the school courtyard!"
He sighed as he made his way to class, hoodie up, pretending not to notice the murmurs.
[Host Popularity Level: 63%.]
[Warning: Fame approaching 'celebrity nuisance' threshold.]
"System, define 'celebrity nuisance.'"
[When people start asking for selfies mid-lecture.]
He groaned. "Oh, no."
"LI CHENG!"
A camera flash went off in his face. He blinked — Lin Xiaoyu stood in front of him, holding her phone like a weapon.
"Perfect! You look tired and mysterious. That's your CEO aesthetic!"
"Xiaoyu, stop turning my sleep deprivation into marketing."
"Too late. I just posted it with the caption: 'He codes, he conquers, he doesn't sleep.'"
He facepalmed. "Delete it."
"It's already at 2,000 likes."
"…Keep it."
Recruitment Mayhem
During lunch break, Li Cheng set up a small booth near the fountain. A cardboard sign read in bright red marker:
RED CODE ENTERPRISES IS RECRUITING!
Talented, ambitious, slightly unhinged welcome.
Students gathered immediately. Some curious. Some skeptical. Some just there to stare at him.
A tall, nervous boy approached first. "Uh, I'm good with numbers. Like, really good. I once calculated the entire cafeteria revenue for fun."
Li Cheng nodded. "Congratulations, you're now the CFO."
The boy blinked. "Wait, really?"
"Your job is to make sure we never go broke. Or at least look rich while we are."
[Recruitment Success: Finance Department Established.]
Next came a girl with dyed silver hair and earphones. "I design UIs. Clean, aesthetic, minimal."
Xiaoyu grinned. "You're hired. We need someone to make Li Cheng's messy sketches look like genius."
The girl smirked. "Already sounds like a challenge."
One by one, the team grew. Coders, designers, marketers—even a quiet law student who claimed he specialized in "creative loopholes."
Within an hour, Red Code Enterprises had become the talk of campus.
"Did you see? They're actually recruiting!"
"I heard Li Cheng's paying in charm points!"
"Nah, he's paying in bragging rights and memes."
Li Cheng couldn't help smiling as he looked at the growing crowd. "System," he murmured, "for once, this actually feels… normal."
[Error: Host experiencing happiness. Diagnosis: rare.]
"Shut up."
The Jealous Ex
Of course, normalcy never lasted.
A familiar, overly sweet voice drifted over the chatter.
"Well, if it isn't my ex playing CEO."
Li Cheng stiffened slightly, turning to see Su Yan, the so-called "campus goddess" — beautiful, poised, and dangerously fake. She walked with two friends trailing behind her, a smirk painted perfectly on her lips.
"Oh," he said casually, "didn't recognize you without your filter on."
Her friends gasped. "You—!"
Su Yan's expression twitched, but she quickly recovered, laughing softly. "Still as childish as ever. Tell me, Li Cheng, do you really think your little club project will amount to anything?"
He smiled coolly. "You're right. It's not a club. It's a company."
"Company?" she snorted. "What could you possibly run? A fan page for yourself?"
"Funny," he said, stepping closer. "Didn't you once tell me I'd never be more than a loser? Guess we both miscalculated."
Her smile faltered.
He tapped his watch, and the holographic Red Code logo shimmered into view. Around them, whispers spread fast:
"He's showing the prototype app!"
"It's real!"
"That's Li Cheng's tech!"
Su Yan froze as the System interface reflected in her eyes — sleek, futuristic, undeniable proof of success.
He grinned. "Still think I'm just a loser?"
For once, she didn't answer.
[Face-Slap Count +2.]
[Public Humiliation Bonus: 3.2×.]
Her friend tugged at her sleeve. "Yan-yan, let's just go—"
But before leaving, Su Yan shot one last glare. "You'll regret embarrassing me."
Li Cheng smirked. "You've already used that line three times. It expires after the second."
The entire crowd burst into laughter.
Media Mayhem
By evening, photos and clips of the "Ex Scene" flooded campus social media.
#LiChengvsSuYan#CEORevengeArc#RedCodeUprising
The school's journalism club even reached out.
"We'd love to feature you in the campus magazine as our Entrepreneur of the Month!"
Li Cheng sighed. "I just wanted to eat lunch in peace."
[Popularity +150.]
[Charm Bonus Applied.]
When Xiaoyu showed him the headline draft, he nearly choked.
"From Nobody to CEO: How Li Cheng Code-Slapped His Way to Fame."
He buried his face in his hands. "I'm suing whoever wrote that."
Xiaoyu giggled. "You can't sue fame, boss."
"Watch me."
Chaos in the Tech Lab
Two days later, they got permission to use the school's innovation lab. Dozens of computers hummed, cables tangled everywhere, and half the team was running on caffeine and chaos.
Xiaoyu yelled over the noise, "The prototype's live! We're calling it CampusRank!"
The system displayed an animated interface ranking students by skill metrics—grades, creativity, teamwork, and more.
Li Cheng watched proudly. "It actually works."
Just then, a nervous programmer waved. "Uh, boss? Someone's trying to breach the server."
"What?"
"Looks like… Chen Hao's account."
Li Cheng grinned. "Perfect. Activate 'Reverse Code.'"
The programmer hesitated. "That's the one that—"
"Yes."
A few clicks later, Chen Hao's computer across campus displayed a full-screen message:
"NICE TRY. NEXT TIME, PAY YOUR CODERS FAIRLY."
Students burst into laughter when screenshots leaked online.
[Face-Slap Combo: +3.]
[Skill Gained: Digital Defense Lv.2.]
"System," he muttered with a smirk, "tell me that was legal."
[Legality: 49%. Confidence: 100%.]
"Close enough."
Rooftop Reflections
That night, the campus lights shimmered like stars. Li Cheng leaned against the railing again, the faint hum of the city below mixing with laughter from the dorms.
For once, there was no fight, no duel, no System chaos — just the feeling of building something real.
He looked up at the moon. "System… do you ever wonder why you're so invested in my story?"
[Because you're interesting to watch, Host.]
"…That's creepy."
[Correction: You are statistically more entertaining than 99% of the population.]
"Still creepy."
The door opened softly behind him. Qin Ruo stepped out, her silhouette outlined in silver.
"I thought I'd find you here," she said quietly.
He smiled faintly. "Should I be worried?"
"No," she said. "I just wanted to say… I'm impressed."
He blinked. "That's rare."
"You've built something out of nothing," she said. "Most people can't even build themselves."
There was something in her eyes — admiration, but also something deeper, harder to read.
He chuckled. "You're full of surprises, you know that?"
"Coming from you, that's ironic."
The breeze carried their laughter into the night.
[Emotional Resonance: 41%.]
[Quest Update: "Whispers of the Heart" – Progressing.]
The Warning
As she turned to leave, she hesitated. "Li Cheng…"
"Yeah?"
"Be careful. Someone's watching your app—someone from outside the school."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
She shook her head. "I don't know yet. But it's not just gossip anymore."
Before he could question further, she vanished down the stairs.
The System pinged quietly.
[Unknown Network Access Detected.]
[External Intrusion Probability: 72%.]
Li Cheng's eyes narrowed, his voice low. "So the game's changing again, huh?"
[Affirmative. Recommend: Upgrade Security… and prepare for chaos.]
He smirked, hands in pockets, eyes on the stars.
"Good," he whispered. "I was starting to get bored."