After Class - 11:00 AM
Zhao Yifen stretched his arms as the lecture ended, shifting his gaze toward Lin Qingya.
"Lunch?" he asked casually.
Qingya blinked at him, then quickly shook her head. "No, I'm going with a friend."
Yifen glanced at the girl sitting beside her, then back at Qingya, raising an eyebrow. "That friend?"
Qingya nodded. "Yeah."
He exhaled lightly, leaning back in his seat. "Oh. Thought you were rejecting me for a guy."
Qingya frowned slightly. "Why would that matter?"
Yifen grinned. "It wouldn't. Just means I still have a chance."
For a split second, Qingya's heart skipped a beat. A chance? What does he mean by that?
She quickly looked away, pressing her lips together. He's just teasing. It's nothing.
The girl beside her chuckled, nudging Qingya. "Is he always like this?"
Yifen smirked. "Only when I see something interesting."
Qingya's grip on her pen tightened slightly. He's messing with me. That's all. Right?
She forced herself to focus on her book, but no matter how much she tried, his words kept replaying in her mind.
System Upgrade
After leaving class, Yifen walked down a quiet hallway and muttered, "System, open window."
A translucent panel appeared before him.
[Hearts: 107]
A notification blinked at the corner of the screen.
Unread message detected.
He dismissed it for now and noticed a level-up option.
[1 point = 100 Hearts]
[Current Progress: Level 1 (4/100)]
Without hesitation, he spent 100 Hearts.
[Level 1 → Level 1 (5/100)]
Still a long way to go.
The Chaos Over Free Snacks
As Yifen wandered through the institution's mall, he noticed a small crowd forming near a promotional booth. A massive banner hung above it:
"FREE CHIPS! LIMITED STOCK! PROMOTION BY [Company Name]"
He raised an eyebrow. Free? He wasn't particularly hungry, but curiosity got the better of him.
The moment he stepped closer, chaos erupted.
—
"Move! I was here first!" A guy in a varsity jacket practically lunged forward.
"Bro, it's just chips—" someone tried to reason, only to be shoved aside.
A girl with glasses clutched a bag to her chest like it was gold, eyes darting around suspiciously. "No way I'm letting this go. It's free snacks!"
"LIMIT ONE PER PERSON!" the employee behind the counter yelled, overwhelmed. But no one was listening.
One guy grabbed a bag, turned to leave, then hesitated. Greed flickered in his eyes. He casually circled back, attempting to grab another.
"Hey! You already took one!"
"No, I didn't."
"It's literally in your hand."
"Oh… this? Nah, I brought this from home."
The employee squinted suspiciously.
Meanwhile, a group of girls had completely different priorities.
"Omg, look at the packaging! It's so cute!"
"We should take a pic first!"
They turned their backs to the counter, raising their phones for the perfect selfie with the chip bag.
Yifen stood at the edge of the madness, watching the spectacle unfold. Are these chips laced with something?
A small kid dashed between people's legs, snatched three bags, and disappeared into the crowd like a professional thief.
One guy groaned at the chaos. "This is why I just buy my own snacks."
Yifen smirked, hands in his pockets. "All this for a bag of chips, huh?"
The employee, now on the verge of a meltdown, glared at him. "DO YOU WANT ONE OR NOT?!"
Yifen shrugged. "Nah, I'll pass. Watching is more fun."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving behind a battlefield of snack-hungry students.
The Power of Hype
Yifen leaned against a wall, observing the crowd.
People pushed, argued, and even schemed just to get an extra bag. The company wasn't losing money—they were gaining attention. The hype made people want the product more.
It wasn't about the chips.
It was about reactions.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The bigger the reaction, the better the system rewards…
He didn't need a system hint to put the pieces together.
Attention. Influence. Notoriety.
That's what fueled him.
If people could go crazy over snacks, imagine what they'd do for something they actually needed every morning.
His lips curled into a smirk.
Coffee.
There were only two options:
1. Liu Feng's dad's company (obviously not an option).
2. Another brand—smaller but decent quality.
Setting the Stage for the Deal
Yifen wasn't the type to walk into a meeting blind.
Before making any moves, he did his research. The coffee brand had solid quality but a weak market presence. The owner had sought investors before, but none took the risk.
He picked up his phone and dialed the main office.
"Hello, this is [Company Name]. How may I assist you?" a receptionist answered.
Yifen's tone was calm and direct. "I need to set up a meeting with your owner regarding a collaboration that could increase brand engagement by 300%."
The receptionist hesitated. "May I ask who you are?"
Yifen didn't hesitate. "A potential partner. If he's serious about expanding, he'll want to hear this. I can come today."
The mention of investment made the receptionist pause. "May I ask which investing company you represent?"
Yifen expected this.
He wasn't part of a firm—he was just Yifen. But that didn't mean he wasn't serious.
Leaning forward slightly, his voice remained calm but firm.
"I don't represent a company. I represent opportunity."
The receptionist wasn't convinced.
"Without a firm name, I'm afraid the owner will stick to his schedule."
Yifen wasn't fazed.
"Then tell him this—if he's satisfied with his current investors, he won't need me. But if those meetings don't go as planned, he should remember my name."
A brief silence. Then—
"…Understood. Your meeting remains in two days."
Yifen smirked as he hung up.
By the time the owner sat across from him, he'd be out of options.
And that's when Yifen would strike the deal.