At the stairway, Lin Mo spotted Tong Dong approaching from the other side.
Lin Mo walked over.
"Make sure you keep your prize money safe."
Tong Dong nodded. "I know. After school, I’ll deposit it straight into the bank. The password is the digits from the 1,000th to the 1,008th decimal place of pi, square-rooted, rounded, and then square-rooted again—"
"Stop, stop. I wasn’t asking for your password," Lin Mo interrupted, raising a hand.
Tong Dong glanced at Lin Mo, as if only just realizing.
"Oh right, you could probably figure it out. But it’s fine—my dad can’t."
Such bizarre logic—hard to tell whether to praise or mock him for it.
The group ascended the stairs and soon arrived at the conference room door.
It wasn’t fully closed, and hushed conversations drifted out from inside.
Lin Mo pushed open the heavy wooden door, and a faint blend of cologne and tea fragrance greeted them.
Inside stood five or six middle-aged men in tailored suits, their wrists adorned with watches ranging from Vacheron Constantin to Patek Philippe—each piece silently declaring their status and wealth.
These were the school’s distinguished alumni, seasoned veterans of the business world, their presence both steady and sharp.
Lin Mo scanned the room and spotted a familiar face—Ma Linxi, the executive who had bought his fish.
Principal Shen Zhongping, the moment he saw Lin Mo and Tong Dong, beamed so widely his wrinkles bunched like blooming chrysanthemums. He strode forward, arms outstretched, voice booming.
"Oi! My star pupils!"
The plural "pupils" was a deliberate touch.
Lin Mo rubbed his temples in resignation. "Principal, we’re in public. Mind your image."
"What’s wrong with my image?" Shen Zhongping spread his hands defensively, turning to the suited alumni. "Tell me—when you’ve got two prodigies like these under your wing, is it so wrong to be proud?"
A bespectacled alumnus chuckled, shaking his head. "Not at all, Principal Shen. If it were me, I’d hang a banner in my office."
The others joined in with good-natured laughter.
Seizing the moment, Shen Zhongping cleared his throat and pulled Lin Mo forward for a grand introduction.
"Allow me to introduce Lin Mo—provincial first place in this year’s math competition, and the undisputed top scorer in the entire province."
Then he gestured to Tong Dong.
"And this is Tong Dong, also a provincial first-place winner, ranked second overall."
Shen Zhongping clapped Tong Dong’s shoulder, pride dripping from his tone. "In any other year, Tong Dong’s score would’ve made him the undisputed champion. He just had the misfortune of running into this little monster, Lin Mo."
The remark, half-teasing and half-praise, acknowledged Tong Dong’s skill while subtly highlighting Lin Mo’s exceptionalism.
Tong Dong, however, replied earnestly, "There’s always someone better. That’s just how it is."
Rankings didn’t really matter to him.
The room’s sharp-eared elites immediately grasped the subtext.
Hands rose in applause and congratulations.
First and second place in the province, both from the same school—what did that mean?
It meant these two were destined for greatness.
It meant the school’s reputation would soar even higher, and by extension, so would theirs as its alumni.
They already knew their alma mater had produced the top two scorers.
Now was the time to plant seeds of goodwill, to extend olive branches before these talents fully spread their wings. The return on such an investment? Immeasurable.
"Principal Shen, you’ve truly struck gold."
"The youth of today are remarkable. These two have boundless futures ahead."
Praise poured in from all sides.
If these boys achieved greatness later, today’s impression might just become tomorrow’s golden ticket.
The alumni stepped forward one by one to shake hands with Lin Mo and Tong Dong.
Their grips were warm and firm, their demeanor sincere yet measured.
Tong Dong, cheeks slightly flushed, responded with polite thanks, still a bit stiff.
Lin Mo, however, remained composed, acknowledging each gesture with a calm nod and a simple "Thank you"—neither submissive nor arrogant.
His unshakable poise only deepened the executives’ quiet admiration.
When it was Ma Linxi’s turn to shake hands, he held onto Lin Mo’s hand a moment longer, studying him closely.
"Lin, have we met before?"
The question, neither loud nor soft, drew the attention of nearby alumni.
Lin Mo nodded, unfazed.
"We have. At the farmstead. The bighead carp you ate was one I caught."
The moment the words left his mouth, Ma Linxi’s eyes lit up, his polite smile warming into genuine enthusiasm.
"So it was you!"
His grip tightened slightly. "That fish—the fattest, most flavorful I’ve had in years! Thirteen thousand? Worth every penny!"
His delight was unmistakable; money clearly meant nothing to him where such pleasures were concerned.
The surrounding alumni relaxed, their expressions softening into approval.
Earning Ma Linxi’s praise through skill alone? This young man was no ordinary talent.
"Glad you enjoyed it. Though it did come at a premium," Lin Mo replied evenly.
"The best things in life are priceless," Ma Linxi laughed, then recalled something.
"Ah, the fireworks at the farmstead that night—that was your doing, wasn’t it? Quite the spectacle."
Lin Mo nodded. "Thanks to you. The money from the fish sale went toward those fireworks. My classmates and I enjoyed them together."
The air seemed to freeze.
The alumni who had been smiling moments earlier now stiffened, their expressions locking in place.
A subtle shift rippled through the room.
The approving smiles faded, replaced by something harder to read.
Their professional masks held, but the flicker in their eyes betrayed them—surprise, confusion, and finally, a trace of... disdain.
Before this meeting, Principal Shen had briefed them: Lin Mo and Tong Dong came from difficult backgrounds. They were urged to show support.
And yet—thirteen thousand, spent entirely on fireworks?
Just for some noise and sparks?
If they were truly struggling financially, how could they burn money like this?
What kind of reckless extravagance was this?
Most of these alumni had clawed their way up from nothing. Their willingness to sponsor students stemmed from that very struggle.
Even Ma Linxi paused, though his gaze never lost its measured curiosity, only sharpening as he studied Lin Mo.
Lin Mo observed every reaction. He knew exactly what they were thinking.
They assumed he’d blown the entire sum on fireworks?
Maybe.
But did he owe them an explanation?
In the words of Lin Beixuan: Since when do I explain myself to the likes of you?
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
