The Giant Money Tree

Silver Mountain Academy.

"Chuan Chuan, did you know? I heard Huang Haotian hasn’t come to school these past two days." Walking along the campus path, Luo Xi suddenly remembered this. Ever since the Taekwondo Club competition, those guys had gone missing.

"Didn’t come? Whatever." Ye Chuan wasn’t particularly interested. After all, Huang Haotian was nothing more than a—

Paramecium.

Yeah, that’s about right.

"Ah, Little Fish!" At that moment, Luo Xi spotted An Shiyu not far away and greeted her cheerfully. "Good morning, Fishy!"

"Yo." An Shiyu, wearing purple cat-ear headphones, lazily acknowledged Ye Chuan and Luo Xi. "The lovebirds are as clingy as ever today."

"We’re not! He’s my son." Luo Xi giggled.

"Bull." Ye Chuan retorted.

"He is!" Luo Xi kicked Ye Chuan’s butt, only to have him kick her back a second later.

"Ugh, my skirt’s dirty now!"

Watching the two bicker, An Shiyu twitched her lips. What a nauseating couple.

As if struck by a thought, she lifted her leg and gave Ye Chuan a light kick. "Hey, Ye Chuan, got something to tell you."

"What?"

"The Taekwondo Club thing’s gone viral." An Shiyu said flatly. "The short video got crazy views, so… you’ll probably have a lot of trouble coming your way soon."

"Trouble?" Ye Chuan thought about it. Who’d come after him for beating the Taekwondo Club? "Who posted it?"

"Me." An Shiyu deadpanned. "Money’s money, right?"

"So you’re the one who brought me trouble?!" Ye Chuan glared.

"Want a cut?"

"Now we’re talking. How much?" The prospect of money instantly brightened Ye Chuan’s mood.

"Ten bucks."

Ye Chuan: "…"

Suppressing the urge to punch An Shiyu, he asked, "So, what’s this trouble you mentioned?"

"The Taekwondo Club’s former president, Jin Zhengxi, is coming back to challenge you." An Shiyu said coolly. "Heard he’s some inheritor of ancient Taekwondo or whatever. You ruined the club’s reputation—no way he’ll let that slide."

"His name sounds so… kimchi."

"He is Korean. Handle it yourself."

"No problem! Chuan Chuan can take him down with one punch!" Luo Xi pumped her fist enthusiastically. "Super strong!"

"Weren’t you the one who didn’t trust me before?" Ye Chuan smirked, amused. Last time, she’d been terrified during the match, but now she wasn’t scared at all.

"You took down the entire Taekwondo Club by yourself. Of course I’m not scared now." Luo Xi said.

After a pause, she added in a whisper,

"Even if you lose, getting beat up by one guy isn’t so bad."

Ye Chuan: "…"

The morning classes were uneventful. After grinding through a few lectures, it was finally lunch break.

"Chuan Chuan, I’m heading to the broadcasting room. See you later!" As a member of the Broadcasting Club, Luo Xi occasionally had to play music or read submitted letters over the school speakers. Her voice was pleasant, and she’d gained a bit of popularity in the school.

"Mm."

Ye Chuan glanced at An Shiyu beside him. "Wanna grab lunch together?"

"Nah. What if people think we’re a couple?" An Shiyu sounded disgusted.

"…" You’d be lucky to be seen with someone as handsome as me!

Ye Chuan headed to the cafeteria alone.

Silver Mountain Academy had plenty of dining halls. He picked the one closest to the classroom and soon arrived at the rice noodle stall. "Auntie, double the beef brisket, and all the toppings."

Carrying a massive bowl piled high with ingredients, Ye Chuan found an empty seat and sat down, satisfied.

Being rich was great.

No need to save a single piece of brisket like treasure for the last bite.

As he wolfed down his food, a figure suddenly slid into the seat across from him, their voice tinged with excitement. "Ah, Senior—"

Ye Chuan looked up from his beef, recognized the face, and twitched his lips. "…"

It was Wang Yanran. Dressed in Silver Mountain Academy’s uniform, she looked surprised. "You eat here too?"

"I’m broke." Ye Chuan cut straight to the point.

He’d spent most of the million he’d gotten and had no intention of paying it back. Something about this girl felt… suspicious.

Wang Yanran blinked, then realized.

Last time, she hadn’t given him enough!

"I still have over 800,000 left. I’ll give it all to you first." She said quickly. "I’ll transfer the rest as soon as possible."

Ye Chuan paused, sensing something off.

What’s going on?

Why is she giving me money?

She’s not here to collect?

"Spit it out. What do you want? This ‘coincidence’ isn’t fooling anyone." Ye Chuan said coolly. He wasn’t an idiot—no way they’d just randomly run into each other in the cafeteria.

"Um… actually, it’s my grandfather’s idea. The Wang Family… hopes to establish a good relationship with you." Wang Yanran admitted honestly. There was no point hiding it—her intentions were obvious anyway.

Better to be upfront.

"I don’t know much about your ‘super warrior’ stuff." Ye Chuan said.

Wang Yanran’s eyes lit up with realization.

Just as Grandfather said!

Rumors said ancient clans and sects followed different cultivation systems from secular families, so they wouldn’t know about super warriors!

This senior before her was definitely a young powerhouse from one of those ancient lineages!

"Huh?" Ye Chuan felt a little weirded out. Why did her gaze grow even more intense after his reply?

"Super warriors are essentially martial artists with supernatural abilities—like controlling fire, lightning, ice…" Wang Yanran explained. "Our Wang Family specializes in manipulating spirits."

Ye Chuan frowned. Sounded a lot like cultivation.

Weren’t these just elemental spiritual roots?

"So you think I’m strong and want to cozy up to my ‘family,’ is that it?" Ye Chuan asked.

Wang Yanran shook her head. "No. The Wang Family simply wishes to be on good terms with you."

She knew full well that Ye Chuan’s background was beyond their reach. If anything, forming a connection with a young prodigy like him was already a rare opportunity.

Angel investor?

Ye Chuan seemed to grasp the situation.

Wait… isn’t this just a giant money tree?

"Easy, easy." Ye Chuan suddenly grinned. "So… Wang Swallow, was it? Sit, let’s talk."

"Senior, it’s Wang Yanran."

"Eh, close enough."

Wang Yanran: "?"