At 11:00 AM sharp, Song Yuncheng practically fled from the table. Chen Yansen watched, mildly amused, as she ducked behind the canteen counter and emerged moments later in a slightly-too-large staff apron, a serving spoon in her hand.
So that's why she was rushing me.
He lingered for a moment, sipping his water. Student loans, scholarships, work-study… just how tight were things for her that she hustled harder than he did? The question settled in the back of his mind as he finally left, taking a slow, meandering walk back to digest both the food and the morning's events.
He was blissfully unaware that in his absence, a storm was brewing in the digital halls of Xu Cheng Academy.
School Forum & Tieba – Trending Section
Post Title: [PHOTO EVIDENCE] Rich Freshman Dumps 200K+ in Cash in Canteen! Is This Real Life?
User: GossipHunter88
(Attached: A blurry, phone-cam photo of a figure at a table surrounded by stacks of cash)*
🔥 Hot Comments:
CampusCardNoob: Are campus cards this lucrative?! Someone take me as your disciple! I want in!
MercedesSpotter: Can confirm the rich kid part. He rolled up to registration Day 1 in a black E-Class. Vibe check: passed.
BlurryCamComplainer: Who took this pic? With a potato? Can't even see his face properly. Fraud?
Fangirl_Alice: I've seen Senior Chen in person!! The photos do NOT do him justice. He makes Jing Boran look basic.
FactCheckerBob: @Fangirl_Alice He's a FRESHMAN. Not a senior. Get your facts straight before simping.
Fangirl_Alice: @FactCheckerBob I'll call him whatever I want! You're just jealous! SENIOR CHEN SUPREMACY!
The thread had devolved into a 200+ comment war between newly-minted "Chen Yansen fanclub" members and exasperated logic-enforcers, only quelled by a moderator's banhammer.
But the damage—or rather, the fame—was done. Bolstered by the glowing testimonials of dozens of paid-off second-tier agents, the name Chen Yansen was no longer confined to the freshman class. Sophomores and juniors were now buzzing with curiosity about this mysterious big spender.
Girls' Dormitory 6, Room 412
Su Meiling scrolled intently through the forum threads, a calculated smile playing on her lips. Such visibility. Such capability. She didn't just see a popular freshman; she saw a trophy.
Her fingers flew across her phone's keypad.
To Tang Zhenzhe (Class Monitor): "Hey! Don't forget our dorm gathering this afternoon! Make sure everyone from 8302 comes, okay? 😊"
She needed Chen Yansen there. In her orbit.
Boys' Dormitory 8, Room 302
Chen Yansen pushed open the door to a scene of concentrated preening. Tang Zhenzhe was meticulously sculpting his hair in the mirror, a pot of gel nearby.
"Working the part-time job as a streetlamp again?" Chen Yansen quipped, dropping his bag. "What is that in your hair? Shoe polish?"
"Brother Sen! You're back!" Tang Zhenzhe spun around, forgetting his hair. "Covered for you last night when the counselor checked in. Told him you were showering."
"Not bad. You're learning." Chen Yansen gave an approving nod, then noticed the others—Song Yang polishing sneakers, Wang Zhengqiang buttoning a shirt. "Going out?"
"Class monitor's invite," Song Yang explained without looking up. "Dorm mixer. KTV this afternoon, dinner after. You're coming, right?"
"You guys have fun," Chen Yansen said casually, kicking the door shut and peeling off his shirt.
"Wait, Brother Sen, you're not coming?!" Tang Zhenzhe's voice jumped an octave. Su Meiling's specific instruction echoed in his head.
Before Chen Yansen could answer, Wang Zhengqiang let out a strangled noise. "HOLY— Brother Sen! Since when do you have an eight-pack?!"
All eyes snapped to Chen Yansen. The physique revealed was not that of a lazy rich kid, but of disciplined effort—clean lines of muscle, defined but not grotesque, humming with latent strength under the dorm's fluorescent light.
(Power Stones for the secret grind! 💎)
Chen Yansen just smirked, swatting away Wang Zhengqiang's approaching hand. "Keep your paws to yourself, Qiang. New fetish?"
"No, no! I mean… damn. You look stronger than us guys who run drills every day!"
Tang Zhenzhe saw an opening and pounced. "Brother Sen, please. It's a group activity. You haven't joined any. It'll look bad if our dorm is incomplete. Give me some face here?"
Chen Yansen sighed internally. He did have plans—Meng Yaqin had set up a viewing for a faculty apartment that afternoon. Perfect for Senhai's first office.
He grabbed two iPhone boxes from his bag, tossing one on his desk. The sleek, unmarked white box was a beacon.
"Whoa! iPhone 4?! It's not even officially out!" Song Yang's eyes went wide. The ultimate status symbol for a 2010 techie.
"Perk from the telecom company for moving volume," Chen Yansen said, as if discussing a free pen.
"How… how much is that?" Zhu Xiaopeng asked, clutching his brick-like knockoff.
Song Yang whistled. "The 32GB version? About 6,000. Could buy ten of yours, Peng."
Zhu Xiaopeng's jaw dropped. "More than… a year's tuition?"
Tang Zhenzhe saw Chen Yansen's resolve wavering and doubled down with puppy-dog eyes. "Brother Sen… it's my first time organizing. I'll be lost without you there."
The act was so contrary to his meticulously groomed appearance it was almost funny. Chen Yansen relented. "Fine. I'll come later. After my errand. No earlier than 5."
"Deal!" Tang Zhenzhe exhaled in relief, though a petty part of him was happier Chen Yansen would arrive late. Less time for him to hog the spotlight.
(Comment: Team Tang Zhenzhe or Team Chen Yansen? 💬)
"Campus cards all sold?" Chen Yansen changed the subject, pulling out his thick wallet.
Tang Zhenzhe brightened, explaining their strategy of using freshman solidarity to make sales. Chen Yansen listened, impressed by their initiative. He counted out bills.
"500 each. Commission."
The mood in the room instantly lifted, plans upgrading to a "more upscale KTV."
Shaking his head with a faint smile, Chen Yansen pocketed his new iPhone and left.
"Try to be on time!" Tang Zhenzhe's voice chased him down the hall.
Faculty Apartments, Building 3
The apartments, nestled behind the dorms, were perks for young faculty—compact one-bedrooms. Some teachers, after marrying and moving to the city, rented them out to grad students or, in rare cases, undergrads with connections.
Chen Yansen stood at the base of a stairwell building, phone to his ear. "Teacher Liu? Meng Yaqin referred me. Chen Yansen. Is now a good time to see the apartment?"
The voice that answered was soft, gentle, and carried a natural, melodic lilt. "Oh, sure. Come on up. Room 0418."
The fourth floor. Chen Yansen suppressed a groan. He hated stairs. But he was already here.
"On my way."
Taking the steps two at a time, he was mildly surprised to reach the fourth landing without breaking a sweat. The system's constitution upgrade is no joke.
Knock, knock, knock.
The door opened.
A young woman, maybe twenty-five or twenty-six, stood there. She wore gold-rimmed glasses that framed a round, baby face with a peaches-and-cream complexion. Her figure was pleasantly plump, radiating a gentle, scholarly air. Her most striking feature, however, was her voice—exactly as on the phone, soft and carrying that same, unintentionally coquettish lilt.
"Teacher Liu? I'm Chen Yansen, Journalism, Class of '10. My student ID." He offered it politely.
Liu Muyan took it, her eyes briefly scanning the card and then him—tall, well-dressed, earnest-looking. Seemed reliable.
"Come in," she said, stepping aside. Her voice was like warm honey. "It's a one-bedroom, one-living room with a separate bath. You can cook, but induction only. Appliances are all there: AC, fridge, TV, washer. Oh, and broadband is included, a gift from telecom."
Chen Yansen toured the space. It was clean, bright, tastefully renovated with quality appliances. No pet smells. It was… perfect. Except for the damn fourth floor.
Liu Muyan noticed his hesitation. "Since you're Sister Meng's friend… I can knock 50 off the rent." She sounded almost nervous, as if bargaining wasn't in her repertoire. She'd initially asked 450, hoping her nice renovations justified it.
"4800 a year? Can you do a little better?" Chen Yansen asked, playing the game.
Liu Muyan blinked behind her glasses. "Um… another 20 off?" she ventured, immediately conceding more ground.
Chen Yansen almost laughed. She was terrible at this. "Deal, Teacher Liu." He pulled out his wallet, thick with the morning's cash, and began counting.
Liu Muyan's eyes widened slightly at the roll of bills. This student… his family must be very supportive.
"That's 2300. I'll take it for six months first. Do you have a contract ready?"
"A contract? I… I can find one online and print it later?" she offered, clearly unprepared.
"That's fine." Chen Yansen wasn't overly worried. She was a teacher on campus; the risk was minimal.
Key in hand, he returned to his dorm to pack a suitcase of essentials. With his roommates gone, the move to 0418 was swift.
As the late afternoon sun cast long shadows, Chen Yansen found himself walking down Xuehai Road, toward a distinctive two-story building with red walls adjacent to the Music Department.
He climbed to the second floor, stopped before an office door marked "Campus Entrepreneurship Park Administration," and knocked.
A middle-aged man looked up from his desk.
"Excuse me, teacher," Chen Yansen began, his tone switching to polished and respectful. "I'd like to inquire about the process for renting office space in the entrepreneurship park."
The real work was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)
Author's Note: A new base acquired! The campus fame is a double-edged sword. Will it attract opportunities... or unwanted trouble? The entrepreneurship park is the next step for Senhai. What will his first project be? Let me know in the comments!