After the meal, Zhao Yifen's phone rang.
"Mr. Zhao, did you buy a stadium?" Chen Rui's voice came through, laced with disbelief.
"Yes," Yifen replied casually.
"Mr. Zhao... did you even research it before buying?"
"No," Yifen answered without hesitation.
Chen Rui was stunned. "How can you buy something like that without research?"
Yifen chuckled. "Do you research when you buy food you want to eat?"
"That's completely different-"
"Relax, don't get worked up," Yifen interrupted. "I know what I'm doing. You can check its value if you want."
Chen Rui fell silent for a moment, still processing his audacity.
"Oh, and I'll buy a 43-floor building for you guys. That's where our Zhao Capital Investment will be headquartered."
"Mr. Zhao, there's no need to increase the company's fixed costs. We can just rent a place," Chen Rui advised.
"You don't understand my ambitions," Yifen said firmly. His tone carried an unshakable conviction. "I want Zhao Capital to be the biggest company in the world-this year."
Chen Rui hesitated before asking, "Will you let me help you achieve that ambition?"
Her voice wavered between sadness and joy-like someone who had finally been trusted, someone who was needed.
Yifen smiled. "Of course."
Chen Rui's inner thoughts raced. Mr. Zhao's ambitions are on another level... We are nothing compared to him.
Without hesitation, Yifen purchased the 43-floor skyscraper in the heart of the financial hub for ¥1.5 billion.
"Hey, I bought the building. Arrange everything-buy new furniture. I'll send ¥1 billion for company operations," Yifen instructed.
[Ding! Chen Rui's favorability toward you has increased by 3%.]
Chen Rui took a deep breath. "Mr. Zhao spends money like sprinkling water... His pockets run deep."
Inside the classroom, whispers spread like wildfire.
"Hey, I heard Liu Feng reached Level 3!"
"Level 3? That fast?"
"Heh, he joined pre-classes, just like Xu Qingya."
"What's Qingya's level?"
"She's at Level 2, 93/100."
"Wow, they're both doing great. They'd make a perfect match."
"Hey! Who the hell said that?! Xu Qingya is mine!"
A few students burst into laughter.
"Look at yourself in the mirror first."
"Forget that-did you hear about the new student who joined late? He's ranked the lowest in the class."
"What's his level?"
"Level 1... 6/100."
"Aah?! What the hell?! That's a massive gap! The second lowest is at Level 1, 90/100!"
"That means... he's the worst."
---
Yifen, standing near the door, overheard everything. His expression remained calm, but deep inside, he knew-he had to get serious.
I need more Hearts. If I don't take this seriously, I'll stay at the bottom.
Without hesitation, Yifen pulled out his phone and texted Chen Rui.
> Yifen: Ask the secretary of the old boss of the coffee shop who's reporting today to prepare the best team and hire employees.
Chen Rui, always cautious, replied swiftly.
> Chen Rui: What kind of team do you want? Finance? Marketing? Or something else?
Yifen's lips curled into a smirk.
> Yifen: A team that's the best at teasing the public. I want them to grab attention-even if it's hate.
Xu Qingya walked in and casually took a seat beside Yifen.
Liu Feng approached, his tone laced with irritation. "Hey, that's my seat."
Yifen didn't even glance at him. "I'm not in the mood. Go away."
Liu Feng narrowed his eyes. Look at him, acting like he's some big shot. "Hmph. I'll see you in a week at the Ranking Test."
Yifen turned to Xu Qingya. "What's the Ranking Test?"
"It's an assessment to measure everyone's level," she explained. "Based on the rankings, students will be grouped to challenge dungeons. It also allows classmates to duel each other in combat."
Yifen's interest piqued. "Sounds interesting."
Curious, he checked his system. Current Hearts: 9,000.
A smirk formed on his lips. Not bad. I could push my level up to 1 (96/100) right now... but I'll hold off for now. Better to stay low-key and level up later.
Yifen noticed the crowd heading toward the gym.
"Why is everyone going there?" he asked.
Lin Xixi glanced at him. "There's only a week left. If you don't break through to Level 2, you'll have to attend extra classes and sparring sessions. Plus, it'll be recorded in your student file-big guilds won't even consider you."
"Oh," Yifen replied casually.
He observed the students, realizing they had been training diligently, even outside of lecture hours. Meanwhile, he had been taking it easy the entire time.
Yifen stretched and sighed. "I should start working hard too."
The system chimed in. "Yeah, finally! Someone realizes what they need to do."
Yifen smirked. "Actually, I should ask Chen Rui if they've hired new people yet."
"What-?" The system was stunned. "You... You were just talking about hard work!"
[Ding! You have received 1,000 Hearts.]
The system was stunned. "Wait... what?! You got rewarded for this?!"
Yifen smirked. "Looks like the system recognizes my brilliance."
Yifen chuckled. "You gave me an option, and I shouldn't use it? Am I a fool?"
He called Chen Rui. She picked up and reported, "Lin Xiyan has already hired someone, and she's still looking for more."
Final Status Update
Total Hearts 13,173
Waifu's Love
Xu Qingya 47%
Chen Rui 33%
Tang Yuxi 18%