By Monday morning, Li Cheng had officially decided two things:
Drama followed him like mosquitoes in summer, and
If he couldn't escape it… he might as well monetize it.
He yawned as he entered the classroom, his usual lazy grin hiding the dangerous gleam in his eyes. Around him, the chatter was louder than ever.
"Did you hear? Li Cheng wiped the floor with Gu Minghao yesterday!"
"Yeah, the guy made him yell 'I'm the most handsome clown alive!' across the whole courtyard!"
"Legend. Actual legend."
Li Cheng dropped into his seat, pretending to be bored.
[Host Popularity +25%.]
[Achievement: Campus Trendsetter – Rank B Unlocked.]
"System," he muttered under his breath, "how does being a meme qualify as an achievement?"
[Meme = mass influence. Mass influence = market value.]
[Recommendation: Begin monetization sequence.]
He froze. "Monetization what now?"
[New Quest Unlocked: "Entrepreneurial Awakening!" Objective: Establish a profitable venture before graduation.]
[Reward: Skill – Strategic Vision Lv.1 + 50,000 Yuan funding bonus.]
Li Cheng blinked. "Wait—you're giving me startup capital?"
[Technically, it's your accumulated face-slapping revenue.]
"…My what?"
[You've humiliated enough people that the System has generated ad revenue from audience engagement.]
He just stared. "I… have passive income from roasting people?"
[Correct. You are now a monetized protagonist.]
Dorm Room, Later That Night
Li Cheng's dorm was the definition of chaos — energy drink cans, tangled cords, and three computers stacked like futuristic shrines. On the bed sat Lin Xiaoyu, cross-legged, munching chips like a gremlin.
"So let me get this straight," she said through a mouthful of potato chips. "You're starting a company. From our dorm room."
Li Cheng nodded seriously. "Exactly."
She blinked. "A company. Like, with clients and employees?"
"Yep. The System even gave me startup funds."
"Your System gave you money?"
He shrugged. "Let's just say… it believes in ROI."
[Return On Insults: Maximized.]
Li Cheng groaned. "That's not what it stands for."
Xiaoyu leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "So, what's the business?"
He turned his laptop toward her, grinning. The logo on the screen read:
『RedCore Solutions』 — "Turning Data into Power."
"It's a software and marketing firm," Li Cheng explained. "AI analytics, app optimization, custom security systems — basically, we sell digital power."
Xiaoyu whistled. "Wow. That actually sounds… legit."
"Of course it's legit. I coded the prototype myself."
He clicked a few keys, and the screen flashed — lines of code streaming like cascading light.
"Right now, I've built three core tools," he continued. "One for academic data tracking, one for automated social marketing, and one—"
He hesitated.
Xiaoyu tilted her head. "And one what?"
"…A small-scale predictive engine. It can project market trends before they happen."
Her jaw dropped. "You made an AI prophet?"
Li Cheng grinned. "I prefer 'business oracle.'"
[Skill Unlocked: Market Foresight Lv.1.]
Xiaoyu jumped off the bed. "Okay, I'm in. Co-founder, right?"
He blinked. "You? You can't even code."
"I have people skills. And snacks. That's like… HR, right?"
[Recruitment Complete: Lin Xiaoyu – Role: Chaos Manager.]
Li Cheng rubbed his temples. "System, stop giving people fake job titles."
[Correction: Titles are 100% accurate.]
"Ugh."
The Next Morning — Campus Entrepreneurship Fair
The student entrepreneurship fair was supposed to be boring. Rows of booths filled with dull banners and overconfident wannabe CEOs.
Then Li Cheng walked in.
He wasn't wearing his uniform jacket — instead, a sleek black shirt and a crimson tie that made half the female population turn their heads.
"Is that… Li Cheng?"
"He's actually hot in business mode."
"Wait—didn't he just found a company overnight?"
"Yeah, it's called RedCore! Apparently it's already trending on campus forums!"
[Host Attractiveness +10%. Investor Interest +8%.]
Qin Ruo was already at her booth when she saw him. Her eyes widened slightly — not that she'd ever admit it.
"You're… participating?" she asked when he stopped by.
"Of course," he said casually. "Why let all the rich kids have the fun?"
Her lips twitched. "I thought you didn't care about competitions."
"I don't," he said with a grin. "I care about winning."
Her gaze lingered, curious. "What's your project?"
He leaned closer, voice low. "RedCore Solutions. Software that reads market trends and social dynamics. Including… emotional patterns."
Her brows lifted. "You mean like predicting what people want?"
He smiled faintly. "Exactly. Including what they feel."
For a second, their eyes met — something electric flickered in the air.
[Romantic Resonance +10%. Emotional Connection Deepening.]
Xiaoyu suddenly appeared beside them, waving pamphlets. "Our first marketing target! Hi, Qin Ruo! Join our company's loyalty plan and get a free hoodie!"
Qin Ruo laughed softly. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"
Li Cheng gestured to his booth, where a crowd had already formed. "Looks like it."
Onlookers were whispering.
"Whoa, his booth's design looks better than the business school's projects!"
"Is that a holographic logo?"
"I heard he coded his own AI overnight!"
Gu Minghao, lurking nearby with a bruised ego, scowled. "Tch. Probably fake hype."
But then, one of the professors — Professor Zhang, head of the Entrepreneurship Department — stopped in front of Li Cheng's table.
"This is impressive," he said, adjusting his glasses. "You developed this predictive AI alone?"
"Yes, sir."
"Run a test for me."
Li Cheng typed a few lines. The AI interface appeared — sleek, black, and pulsing with light.
Query: Predict market shift in campus food trends next month.
Processing…Result: Bubble tea sales projected to rise 34% due to seasonal events.
Professor Zhang blinked. "That's… accurate. How did you—"
[Accuracy: 99.2%. Data verified via System cross-reference.]
"Trade secret," Li Cheng said smoothly.
The professor smiled. "Remarkable. You might qualify for the university's innovation grant."
Minghao's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!"
[Face-Slapping Event Triggered: Rival Envy +120%.]
[Reward: 20,000 Yuan + Skill Upgrade – Strategic Vision Lv.2.]
Xiaoyu leaned close and whispered, "You're enjoying this way too much."
He smirked. "Maybe a little."
Afternoon — Rooftop Break
After the fair, Li Cheng escaped to the rooftop again, a soft breeze cooling his face.
He leaned against the railing, gazing at the city skyline.
[Host Company Established: RedCore Solutions.]
[Growth Potential: 87%. Risk Index: 14%.]
[Optional Quest: Hire Two More Employees.]
He exhaled. "A company, huh? From dorm life to CEO life."
"Talking to yourself again?"
He turned — Qin Ruo stood there, her hair fluttering like midnight silk.
"You've been doing that a lot lately," she teased.
"Occupational hazard," he said. "I'm a CEO now."
She laughed softly. "So I heard. RedCore Solutions. Impressive work, Li Cheng."
"Thanks." He hesitated. "You came to congratulate me or to challenge me?"
"Neither." She stepped closer. "I came to give you this."
She handed him a small flash drive.
"What's this?"
"Data," she said quietly. "Encrypted. From the school's internal network. You might want to see what's in it."
He frowned. "Why give it to me?"
"Because…" Her eyes flickered — that same unreadable softness. "You're the only one who can decode it."
[New Quest: Hidden File – "Origin Protocol." Difficulty: Unknown.]
Before he could ask more, she turned to leave.
"Qin Ruo."
She stopped, glancing back.
"You said before that maybe we're not so different," he said quietly. "What did you mean by that?"
For a heartbeat, she didn't answer. Then, in a whisper carried by the wind:
"You'll understand when you open that file."
And she was gone.
[Main Plotline Updated: RedCore x Origin Protocol – Convergence Path Activated.]
Li Cheng stared at the flash drive in his hand.
"System," he murmured, "why does this feel bigger than just code?"
[Because it is.]
[Warning: Your company's algorithm may be linked to the same energy that powers your System.]
He blinked. "…What?"
[Proceed with caution. Destiny and data have begun to merge.]
Li Cheng sighed. "Of course. Because life wasn't complicated enough."
He gazed up at the darkening sky, the city lights flickering below — and for the first time, he wondered if his empire was really built by ambition… or by fate.