Inside a pristine white luxury high-rise known as Dominator's Dorm, the atmosphere was quiet and controlled—almost unnaturally so.
On the sixteenth floor, in Room Number 160, Xiao Ziyan sat alone on his bed.
The room was minimal.
Too minimal.
It was divided into three sections—a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom.
The kitchen was clean and modern in appearance, but completely empty. Not a single utensil, no stove equipment, nothing that could actually be used to cook.
The bathroom was no better.
A bathtub.
A toilet seat.
A single roll of toilet paper.
That was it.
The bedroom itself contained only the essentials—a single-person bed, a study table, and a bookshelf. The shelf already held neatly arranged books for the entire first academic year.
Everything was provided.
And yet, nothing felt truly usable.
Xiao Ziyan leaned back, letting half his body rest on the bed while his legs remained touching the floor.
He stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment before pulling out his phone.
Raising it above his face, his eyes scanned the screen.
April 1, 2026
4:15 PM
He lowered his hand slowly, letting the phone fall onto the bed beside him.
Silence filled the room again.
Then, a thought crossed his mind.
Let's go shopping first.
---
The shopping mart inside the campus was crowded.
Students moved through the aisles, baskets in hand, picking up daily necessities.
Some compared prices.
Some hesitated before buying.
Others grabbed things without thinking, still excited about their "wealth."
Among them—
Xiao Ziyan walked calmly.
He held a black basket in one hand.
Inside it were neatly arranged items—toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, facewash, and other basic necessities.
Nothing unnecessary.
Nothing extra.
After finishing his selection, he walked toward the drinks vending section.
Rows of beverages were displayed behind glass panels.
Cold drinks.
Juices.
Water.
His eyes landed on a familiar choice.
Coke.
He extended his hand toward it.
At the exact same moment—
Another hand reached for the same bottle.
Both hands stopped.
Neither grabbed it.
Xiao Ziyan slowly pulled his hand back and turned his head.
Standing beside him—
Su Qing.
Her cold eyes met his.
Her expression was the same as always.
Detached.
Indifferent.
Xiao Ziyan looked at her directly and spoke calmly.
"You can take it. I'll get another."
There was no hesitation in his tone.
Su Qing didn't reply.
She simply turned toward the vending machine and pressed the button for the drink.
A digital screen lit up.
2 Private Points
Without wasting a second, she completed the payment using her phone.
A soft mechanical sound followed.
The bottle dropped into the dispensing compartment below.
She bent down, picked it up, and straightened herself.
Then she looked at Xiao Ziyan.
Her face remained cold.
Her voice equally so.
"Thanks."
No emotion.
No pause.
She turned and walked away, heading toward the billing counter with her basket.
Xiao Ziyan stood there, watching her leave.
His eyes followed her movements briefly.
Then his thoughts shifted.
She only picked cheap or free items.
There's no way she burned through her points this fast.
Interesting.
He turned back toward the vending machine.
Pressed the same button.
Again, the screen displayed—
2 Private Points
He completed the payment without hesitation.
The bottle dropped.
He bent down and picked it up with his left hand.
As he straightened, his gaze instinctively shifted to his phone.
The screen updated.
Private Points: 99,998
His eyes lingered there for a moment.
Two points.
Just like that.
Gone.
These private points function just like real currency.
Xiao Ziyan walked toward the checkout counter, his steps unhurried.
As he approached, he noticed Su Qing already standing there, placing her items one by one on the counter. The cashier scanned them quickly while Su Qing stood silently, her expression as cold and detached as ever.
Xiao Ziyan stopped behind her, waiting for his turn.
A soft beep followed each scanned item.
Within seconds, she completed the payment.
She picked up the thin polythene bag filled with her items and turned without hesitation, heading straight toward the exit.
Xiao Ziyan placed his basket on the counter—
Then suddenly turned.
"Hey, wait."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough.
Su Qing stopped.
She turned her head slightly, her cold eyes landing on him.
"What?"
Her tone was flat.
Sharp.
Xiao Ziyan hesitated.
For the first time, his usual calm demeanor seemed to falter—at least on the surface.
"Ah… our dorms… they're in the same building…" he said, his voice awkward, almost unsure. "So… can we walk toget—"
"No."
Her response cut through his words instantly.
No pause.
No hesitation.
Just a clean rejection.
Before he could say anything else, she turned and walked out of the mart without looking back.
Xiao Ziyan stood there for a moment, watching her leave.
His expression returned to normal almost immediately.
Cold.
Unreadable.
"Sir, your total is 189 Private Points."
The cashier's voice pulled him back.
He turned, picked up his phone, and scanned the QR code.
Payment completed.
He grabbed the polythene bag and walked out of the mart.
A quiet sigh escaped him as he stepped outside.
The air felt slightly cooler.
He took a deep breath.
I just wanted to know why she only picked the cheapest and free items…
But she won't even let me get close.
His thoughts were calm, analytical.
Not frustrated.
Just… observing.
Suddenly—
A loud voice shattered the quiet.
"You bastards! If you want to fight, then come try it!"
Xiao Ziyan turned his head to the left.
Just outside the mart, a small crowd had formed.
At the center of it stood a familiar figure.
The orange-haired boy from his class.
His posture was aggressive, his fists clenched, his eyes burning with anger.
Xiao Ziyan narrowed his eyes slightly.
Lim Sudo.
He recalled the name instantly.
I saw it on his desk earlier.
His gaze shifted forward.
Standing opposite Sudo were three older-looking boys.
Clearly seniors.
One of them smirked.
"Haha… kids these days really don't know how to respect their seniors."
Another cracked his knuckles, stepping slightly forward.
"Brat, go hide behind your mother."
The third laughed loudly.
All three of them mocked him openly.
But instead of escalating the situation—
They simply turned around.
And walked away.
Laughing.
As if Sudo wasn't even worth their time.
For a second—
Everything went still.
Then—
Bang.
Sudo kicked a loose stone on the ground with full force.
The stone shot forward like a bullet—
—and slammed into the glass wall of the mart.
Crack.
The glass shattered instantly, fragments scattering across the ground.
A sharp silence followed.
Xiao Ziyan's eyes moved upward instinctively.
Above the entrance—
A camera.
Recording everything.
His gaze lingered there for a brief moment.
Then he looked back at Sudo.
Anger.
Impulsiveness.
Lack of control.
Without another thought, Xiao Ziyan turned away.
This doesn't involve me.
Carrying his bag, he walked down the street toward Dominator's Dorm, his pace steady and expression unchanged.
Behind him, the noise slowly started to rise again.
Walking along the wide campus streets, Xiao Ziyan kept his pace steady, his gaze drifting from one storefront to another.
What he saw made the situation even clearer.
Some of his classmates were already inside luxury clothing stores, trying on expensive outfits in front of mirrors.
Others crowded into make-up shops, picking branded products without hesitation.
A few had gathered in gaming stores, excitedly purchasing consoles, accessories, and high-end devices.
Laughter.
Excitement.
Careless spending.
They were throwing away their Private Points like it meant nothing.
Xiao Ziyan watched all of it silently.
His expression didn't change.
But his mind moved quickly.
This school is giving each student 100,000 Private Points.
Class-D has 40 students.
That's 4,000,000 points for just one class.
There are four sections in the first year alone…
That's 16,000,000 points.
And that's only the first years.
He exhaled slowly.
I haven't even considered the second and third years.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
What the fuck kind of system is this?
Soon, he reached the entrance of Dominator's Dorm.
He stopped.
Tilting his head slightly, he looked up at the towering building.
The white structure stood tall against the sky, its polished surface reflecting the fading sunlight.
Even if this is government money…
They're going all out.
This isn't normal.
His gaze lingered for a moment longer.
This school isn't just providing comfort.
It's creating an environment.
A controlled system.
A deep experience.
Something they want us to understand… or fall into.
After a few seconds, he lowered his head and walked inside.
---
Back in Room 160, silence returned.
Xiao Ziyan lay flat on his bed now, his body fully relaxed.
His coat was neatly placed on the study table.
The room remained as empty and lifeless as before.
His eyes were fixed on the ceiling.
Unmoving.
His face showed no emotion.
The same expression he had maintained all day.
His thoughts drifted.
He remembered earlier.
When he tried to speak.
Tried to walk together.
And got rejected by Su Qing.
I came here to make friends.
I tried.
And failed.
His eyes didn't blink.
Maybe… I'm just not meant to have any.
Silence filled the room again.
Then—
A memory surfaced.
Suddenly.
Uninvited.
A small girl.
Wearing patient clothes.
She sat on a bed that looked like it belonged in a hospital—
—but something about the room felt off.
It didn't look like a normal hospital at all.
Cold.
Empty.
Artificial.
The girl sat there quietly, her head lowered.
Her face—
Expressionless.
Just like his.
Slowly, she lifted her head.
Her eyes looked straight ahead.
"Xiao Ziyan."
Her voice was cold.
Flat.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
In the next instant—
Xiao Ziyan's eyes opened.
The memory vanished.
He was back in his room.
Lying on his bed.
Staring at the ceiling.
He slowly closed his eyes again.
His face didn't change.
Not even slightly.
As if that memory—
Meant nothing at all.