Time: June 30, 2024
Location: Room 404, Men's Dormitory Building 1, Rainbow Cloud University
Zhou Wang, unshaven and with disheveled hair, bid farewell to his last departing roommate.
"Brother Gou, you really don't want to come over to my place for a couple of days?"
"Nah, I have an interview tomorrow."
"Alright then. See you later! Let's keep in touch on WeChat!"
Zhou Wang watched his roommate drag his suitcase around the corner of the hallway, then surveyed the now-empty dorm room. He sighed heavily and picked up a broom to begin the final cleaning.
So, graduation has finally arrived...
The deadline for moving out was just two days away. Brother Gou, being a local from the provincial capital, was the last to leave. Those who lived farther away or had already secured jobs had departed in staggered groups over the past few days.
After finishing the cleaning, Zhou Wang slumped into his chair, his face a mixture of bewilderment and lingering resentment.
What about me?
He picked up his Xiaomi 12, its screen cracked in one corner, and reopened a certain group-buying app, navigating to the train ticket listings.
His hometown, Jing City, was in the same province, not far from the capital. An intercity express train would take only an hour and a half, and there were plenty of departure times available tomorrow—he could even leave today if he wanted.
Zhou Wang had already shipped most of his belongings home, leaving only a few daily necessities at the university. There wasn't much left to pack.
Yet, he hesitated, unable to make the final decision.
His parents had called a few days earlier, their message clear: Zhou Wang should return home and find a job.
They were an ordinary family, and buying a house in the provincial capital had already been a financial strain. Recent family setbacks had only made it impossible for them to offer Zhou Wang any financial support.
Life in a smaller city would be less stressful. With his parents' connections, he could easily find a decent job, marry a decent girl, and settle into a decent life.
Ugh, I'm not some rapper!
The sudden notification tone on his phone interrupted his thoughts.
He glanced down and saw an "@" mention in the class group chat. It wasn't directed at him specifically, but rather a girl whose group nickname was "It's Ding Yi" had tagged everyone.
"Hi everyone! My birthday party is on July 3rd next month. If you're still in the provincial capital, you're welcome to come! Just DM me for details. Sorry if this is a bother, and I wish you all bright futures and smooth sailing!"
Little Cat Waving.gif
Zhou Wang stared at Ding Yi's profile picture, a flicker of complex emotions crossing his eyes.
Ding Yi was the most stunning girl in their class and a perennial favorite in Rainbow Cloud University's online School Beauty polls. Her fair, flawless skin, uncommon for locals, combined with radiant features hinting at mixed heritage and a tall, striking figure with killer legs—it was no wonder she was the dream girl for countless male students.
Zhou Wang himself had once shared a brief, ambiguous connection with her.
After all, Zhou Wang wasn't bad-looking either. He was merely an unremarkable "class heartthrob" who had still managed to make a decent impression back in the relatively innocent days of freshman year.
Unfortunately, family troubles, a failed entrepreneurial venture, and a personal crisis had sent Zhou Wang into a prolonged slump. Naturally, he drifted apart from Ding Yi.
Now, they were practically strangers, even more distant than typical classmates.
The laptop screen remained open, displaying the interface of Teamfight Tactics—the game Zhou Wang had been playing for three years, commonly known as "Chess."
You have been eliminated: Ranked 8th.
Staring at the gray game interface, Zhou Wang chuckled self-deprecatingly.
If life were a chess game, I'd say I've played a disastrous opening these past four years of college.
Ding!
Suitable Host detected. Game of Life System successfully installed!
The game of life has only just begun. A perfect start always keeps you one step ahead.
Host has triggered the newbie reward, gaining the privilege "Prismatic Start."
Please select your first Hex Augment Rune.
Note: The next Hex will unlock after five "Action Rounds" have been triggered.
Current Action Rounds: 0
(Author's Note: No prior gaming experience is necessary to enjoy this book.)
Before Zhou Wang could react, a series of notification sounds echoed in his mind.
A translucent light screen materialized before him, presenting three distinct options: "Path of Progress," "Hedge Fund," and "Demonic Pact."
Everything happened so abruptly. Still reeling from the shock, Zhou Wang instinctively followed his gaming instincts, clicking "Hedge Fund" almost without hesitation, barely glancing at the choices.
Ding!
Host has selected "Hedge Fund."
Hex active. First earnings will be credited at 00:00 tomorrow. See System Interface for details.
"What the hell?"
Zhou Wang suddenly snapped awake and shot to his feet.
He had a System too?
Perhaps because he'd spent years immersed in Qidian novels, Zhou Wang found it surprisingly easy to accept this reality amidst his excitement.
He eagerly accessed the System Interface.
Active Hex: Hedge Fund
Hedge Fund (Prismatic Tier): All disposable cash in the Host's personal account will earn 10% daily interest, capped at 100,000 yuan.
10%?
Daily interest?
Confirming he hadn't misread, Zhou Wang was incredulous.
Even the best money market funds offered annual yields of around 4%, with a few rare exceptions reaching 6%. Most hovered between 2% and 3%...
And those were annual rates!
What kind of madness was 10% daily interest?
Even loan sharks didn't dare charge such outrageous rates!
Though capped at 100,000 yuan, if he could somehow amass a million, his monthly interest income alone would reach three million!
Robbing a bank might be faster, but who could consistently steal 100,000 yuan every single day?
What's the point of going to work or looking for a job now?
Zhou Wang paced his dorm room, his initial excitement gradually giving way to a sobering realization: he didn't have a million yuan. Not only did he lack the funds himself, but his family couldn't raise such a sum either—even scraping together a hundred thousand yuan would be a struggle.
Their old family home might be worth a few hundred thousand yuan, but he couldn't possibly ask his parents to sell it for no good reason.
Moreover, he noticed the System's specific wording: "disposable cash."
As Zhou Wang understood it, this meant he needed complete control over the funds, not just temporary access to money parked in his account that he couldn't actually use. This restriction narrowed his options considerably.
Zhou Wang consolidated the money from his various accounts and stared thoughtfully at the 973 yuan in his WeChat balance.
I'm so broke...
That included his internship stipend from a few days ago. Without it, his account balance would barely have exceeded 500 yuan.
Where am I going to get the money?
He opened Alipay to check his credit limits: 2,000 yuan on Huabei and 4,731 yuan on Jiebei... mostly because he still owed over 5,000 yuan.
Zhou Wang's early entrepreneurial failure, coupled with shouldering the majority of his university expenses, had turned him into a young "debt-ridden man."
His liabilities included several thousand yuan on Jiebei, a few thousand on "Gold Bar," and over ten thousand on "Some Music."
He had initially planned to gradually repay these debts after finding a job, but now he wondered if he could try "borrowing a chicken to lay an egg"—making money with borrowed funds.
After some careful maneuvering, Zhou Wang's WeChat balance increased to 8,273 yuan.
Unfortunately, without formal employment, he couldn't apply for a credit card. Nor were these the chaotic years of unregulated lending, when securing tens of thousands of yuan might have been effortless.
"But if it's just about managing funds, shouldn't loans from friends count too?" Zhou Wang mused. He decided it would be best to borrow without immediate repayment pressure. Short-term loans, like borrowing today and repaying tomorrow, might be flagged as "non-disposable" by the System.
Opening his phone's contact list, Zhou Wang carefully considered his options before sending voice messages to only two friends.
Having weathered personal crises, especially during his family's difficult times, he had developed profound insights into the delicate art of borrowing money.
His first rule was simple: if you're unsure whether someone will lend you money, it's best not to ask at all.
Secondly, in the adult world, silence is often a veiled rejection. Even if you manage to borrow the money, you might lose a friendship in the process.
Thirdly, if you absolutely must ask someone for help, it's best to turn to someone who has helped you before. People who have helped you once are more likely to help you again.
Ding-dong!
A few minutes later, Zhou Wang's WeChat lit up. A transfer of 3,000 yuan from his contact labeled "First Adopted Son" appeared, accompanied by a voice message.
Zhou Wang tapped the voice message. Yang Hao's teasing voice filled the air: "If my son's in trouble, of course Dad has to support him!"
"Fuck off!" Zhou Wang replied, accepting the transfer at the same time.
Only 3,000... Yang Hao came from a wealthy family, but his playboy lifestyle and extravagant girlfriend left him with little savings, despite an 8,000 yuan monthly allowance from his parents.
Zhou Wang figured this 3,000 yuan was likely Yang Hao's last reserve. He couldn't ask for more.
His other childhood friend hadn't responded yet, but Zhou Wang wasn't worried. Glancing at the clock—it was barely past five—he lay back on his bed and resumed studying the Game of Life System.
According to the System, there would be second and third iterations of Hextech Black Technology in the future.
But how exactly could he trigger this "Action Round"?
The System hadn't explicitly stated it, leaving Zhou Wang completely clueless.
Moreover, he'd been too hasty earlier and hadn't even had time to examine the other two options. What effects did "Path of Progress" and "Demonic Pact" offer?
Demonic Pact... Surely it wasn't about trading life force for money?
Oh, that might explain why so many people seemed to have that buff already.
Furthermore, since the "Prismatic Tier" Hex was a beginner's protection gift, based on the game's tier system, there would likely be "Silver Tier" and "Gold Tier" versions later on, with the "Prismatic Tier" undoubtedly being the best.
After repeatedly confirming that the System's appearance wasn't a hallucination, Zhou Wang was pondering ways to quickly accumulate capital when his phone chimed again.
He picked it up and realized it was already past seven. The message was from another contact, whose name was simply "Liu Zixi" in his address book.
"Can you pay it back within three months?"
A simple question.
"Yes," Zhou Wang replied instantly. He'd already roughly calculated that even with only 10,000 yuan as initial capital, he could compound it to over 200,000 yuan in a month.
So he wasn't exactly in a rush.
Borrowing money was merely to accelerate his early progress and save some time.
A few seconds later, Liu Zixi sent a transfer.
Ding-dong!
"Please accept: 50,000 yuan"
Zhou Wang: "?"