"Do you think... I look like someone who's short on money?"
Jiang Che's single sentence threw Chu Tao into disarray.
Damn, I forgot about Jiang Che's background. He's the son of Hangcheng's richest man, with a net worth of billions. Yuanche Pharmaceutical alone is worth nearly a trillion.
He's definitely not someone who needs money.
"Mr. Jiang, how about giving me a chance? No one ever complains about having too much money, right? I can make even more money for you."
Jiang Che shrugged. He wasn't planning to keep intimidating Chu Tao. This guy was just a cowardly loser, and even as a "chosen one," he couldn't cause any real trouble.
......
Chu Tao was bailed out by Jiang Che.
The guy was practically dancing with joy, while his system was completely numb.
This host of mine... has no bottom line at all!
As soon as they stepped out of the police station, Chu Tao flatteringly approached Jiang Che.
"Young Master Jiang, you must know my identity by now, right? I can make money for you."
Jiang Che stroked his chin and nodded slowly.
"Right, you're bound to the 'Prodigal Son System,' aren't you? You get stronger by squandering money? Are you planning to make me rich?"
He went straight for the kill!
Chu Tao was completely dumbfounded. A cold sweat shot up from the soles of his feet.
He had guessed that Jiang Che might be impressive, but he never expected... that Jiang Che would know the exact name and function of his system?
Is this a joke?
Chu Tao felt utterly exposed.
[Hey... hey, System, are you there? I'm kind of scared.]
[Not here~]
Despite the overwhelming fear in his heart, Chu Tao managed to pull himself together.
"Young Master Jiang, since you already know about my golden finger, I can use the Prodigal Son System to make money for you! I'll give you 99% of what I earn, and I'll only take 1% as a service fee... How does that sound?"
It has to be said, Chu Tao is really clever.
Taking only 1% might sound spineless, like a total loss.
But the Prodigal Son System isn't something just anyone can handle!
If he squanders 100 million and gets 200 million back, he pockets 2 million. Not only does he get to show off... but he also makes money, and with Jiang Che backing him... funding won't be an issue.
Sure, he's got a big boss riding on his head, but as long as his life isn't in danger, it's fine.
Seeing that Jiang Che remained silent, Chu Tao gritted his teeth. "Young Master Jiang, if that's not enough... I'll take just 0.1% of the profit? The rest is all yours?"
Jiang Che glanced at Chu Tao's loyalty level, which had already reached 80%. It wasn't absolute loyalty, but at least he wouldn't betray him.
"Here's a card for you. There's 5 million in it. Consider it your starting capital. Go to Qiangsheng Group and find someone named Monkey. He'll help you handle the money flow."
Chu Tao nodded obsequiously, his face blooming like a chrysanthemum.
At the same time, Chu Tao's loyalty level increased by another 5 points.
After Jiang Che left, Chu Tao finally let out a long breath, feeling like he had narrowly escaped death.
The pressure was just too much!
[Host, are you really willing to bow down to someone else forever?]
Chu Tao was furious. "Do you think I want a big boss on my head, you dumb system that screwed me over? You better come clean... Are you the bottom of the barrel in the system world?"
The Prodigal Son System instantly jumped to its feet!
[You're the bottom of the barrel! There are even worse systems than me... I think there's some kind of stock trading system, that's the real bottom!]
"So you're saying you're second to last, huh?"
[......]
"Forget it, I'm not going to argue with you. At least I've got a big shot backing me now. As long as I make enough money for Jiang Che, my life should be safe."
All of Chu Tao's pride and backbone had been shattered by Jiang Che's earlier intimidation.
He realized that he wasn't the only "chosen one" in the world, and his system was just a small fry. Deep down, he sensed the intricate game being played among multiple chosen ones.
And he was just a small pawn in it.
"Now that I've got Young Master Jiang's backing, I'm going to blow through this 5 million today. I'm going to slap those cheating scumbags in the face!"
He thought of his childhood sweetheart. If he didn't thoroughly humiliate her and those rich kids, his life would always feel like it had a thorn in it.
......
As time passed, the college entrance exams had been over for more than a week.
The grading of papers was in full swing across various provinces.
In one of the Chinese language grading rooms.
Zhang Dagan, a retired Chinese language teacher, had been invited to grade papers.
"Another essay praising teachers for their hard work and sacrifice. I'm so sick of this. Can't they come up with a different theme?"
"This one changed the theme, but it's off-topic. Let's give it 10 points for effort."
In the grading room, over a dozen teachers were reviewing papers. Everyone said grading essays was the most exhausting task, and now they knew it was true!
It was mind-numbing!
But suddenly, Zhang Dagan was drawn to one particular essay.
"Discourse on Teachers"?
As he casually glanced at the content, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Classical Chinese? Well, well... I've been grading papers for years, but this is the first time I've seen someone write an essay in classical Chinese."
Every year, there were students who wrote essays in classical Chinese, but very few actually scored well.
Most were just showing off. If they pulled it off, they could get full marks and maybe even become famous. But if they failed, no one would know since the exams were confidential.
"Let me see how good you are. Your old man here was a master's advisor in ancient Chinese studies back in the day..."
"In ancient times, those who learned must have had teachers. Teachers are those who pass on the Dao, impart knowledge, and resolve doubts."
Zhang Dagan's eyes lit up. "Oh, not bad! Just this opening line alone is worth 10 points."
"People are not born with knowledge; who can be without doubts?"
But as he read on, Zhang Dagan fell silent. The smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by a look of deep seriousness.
The more he read, the more his scalp tingled. Some of the sentences even gave him a sense of sudden clarity, like a light breaking through the clouds.
In this world, there was no Confucius or his disciples, so Jiang Che had deleted some content from the latter parts.
The final paragraph was rewritten: "At nineteen, I developed a fondness for ancient texts and studied the Six Classics thoroughly. I wrote this 'Discourse on Teachers' to present it."
If he hadn't changed it, wouldn't people have found out immediately if they checked? Who is Confucius? Did he ever say these things?
"A true talent! A true talent!"
Zhang Dagan couldn't help but exclaim, and instantly, all eyes in the grading room turned to him.
"What talent? Brother Zhang, are you hungry or something?"
Zhang Dagan quickly waved his hands to explain. "No, no, come over here... I've got an essay written in classical Chinese, and it's absolutely brilliant."
Many of the teachers, who were already exhausted from grading, perked up and gathered around.
In an instant, the quiet grading room turned into a bustling marketplace.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
