Chapter 45: S-Rank Gaming Talent

Lin Bai suddenly understood. He thought to himself that it was no wonder the man gave him that impression; he turned out to be the vice president of the student union. In a university, the power held by the vice president of the student union is far from ordinary.

"Your suitor?" Lin Bai asked in a low voice.

Xu Youmeng hesitated for a moment and gave a slight nod, her expression one of undisguised pain and torment. Lin Bai understood what she was thinking; she did not like this Zhao Sen and thus did not want to owe him any favors. Yet, if Zhao Sen did not help her pay, her e-sports studio would certainly not be able to continue. It was a dilemma.

While the two were whispering, Zhao Sen walked up to Uncle Liu and nodded slightly. "Uncle Liu, how much is it? I'll cover it."

Uncle Liu clearly knew Zhao Sen and, without much ado, opened the notebook he was carrying and flipped through it. "It comes to... 17,760."

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao Sen’s body gave an almost imperceptible tremble. He looked at Uncle Liu with a stunned expression and took the notebook from his hands. "How could it be so much?"

Uncle Liu replied, "The rent, utilities, and equipment rental fees are all included. For this e-sports studio, electricity and water are the biggest expenses."

Hearing this, Lin Bai almost laughed out loud. He knew what Zhao Sen was thinking. According to Zhao Sen's estimation, the rent for the entrepreneurship park was low—two or three hundred a month, adding up to just over a thousand. Zhao Sen could afford that, and it would leave a good impression on Xu Youmeng—why not do it? But he had overlooked the power consumption of the five or six desktop computers in the studio, as well as the rental costs for the computers, desks, chairs, peripherals, refrigerator, and daily necessities. Therefore, when he heard the figure of 17,760, Zhao Sen felt completely numb.

"Vice President Zhao, there's no need to trouble yourself. This is my business, and I can handle it on my own." Xu Youmeng saw Zhao Sen’s embarrassment and spoke up in time to smooth things over, though to Lin Bai, it felt a bit like rubbing salt in the wound.

Sure enough, as soon as Zhao Sen heard Xu Youmeng say this, his expression darkened. "Well, I don't have enough cash on me. Wait for me a moment; I'll go to the bank to withdraw some and be right back." After saying this, he returned the notebook to Uncle Liu and turned to leave, vanishing in a flash.

His lie was full of holes. Xu Youmeng could clearly tell, and she bit her lip, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"Uncle Liu, give me the payment code." Lin Bai stood up with his phone and walked over to Uncle Liu. Uncle Liu, seeing this freshman student for the first time, took out his QR code in confusion.

Lin Bai scanned it with his phone and transferred 17,760.

"Ding! Alipay received 17,760 yuan."

As the payment notification rang out, Uncle Liu realized that Lin Bai had actually paid the money and hurriedly took out his phone to check.

"You've received it, right, Uncle Liu? Thanks for your help during this time. I'll treat you to a meal another day." Lin Bai remained calm and composed. Uncle Liu nodded repeatedly as he looked at him. "Not bad. In that case, you two go ahead and get busy. I'll be going." With that, Uncle Liu turned and left.

Lin Bai turned his head to look at the dazed Xu Youmeng. "Consider this money my first investment. My investment officially begins from now—one thousand a day. Give me your payment code; I'll give you a week's worth of money first!"

Only then did Xu Youmeng react, pointing at Lin Bai. "You, aren't you..."

"Whether I have money or not is not something you need to worry about. Think about our future business." Seeing that Lin Bai did not seem to be joking, a hint of caution flickered in the depths of Xu Youmeng's eyes. "So, what do you want?"

Lin Bai hadn't actually considered this question. The reason he did this was to complete his mission. The countdown was still running, with only about twenty minutes left. However, Lin Bai’s mind worked quickly, and he soon realized that Xu Youmeng had misunderstood him again. She had likely encountered people like him before, where the condition for investment was simply Xu Youmeng herself. After all, who wouldn't like a campus belle?

But... "Don't overthink it. I have a girlfriend. My purpose in investing in you is simple: passion. However, an investment is an investment; there must be a contract and shares. I want 51% of the shares. Think about it. This is my phone number. Contact me whenever you've made up your mind."

Lin Bai picked up a pen and paper from the table, wrote down his number, stood up, and left without looking back.

"Wait!" Before he reached the door, Xu Youmeng's voice came from behind him.

Lin Bai stopped and turned around. "Hmm?"

Xu Youmeng stood up, walked over to him, and looked directly into his eyes, as if trying to see through them to determine if he was lying. Lin Bai’s expression was open and honest, lacking the timidity other boys showed when meeting her gaze, and even carrying a hint of playfulness.

"I agree. We can draft the contract now. Are you sure you will give us one thousand yuan a day?"

One thousand yuan a day was not much in the world of investment, but this was a school! Many students' monthly living expenses were only one thousand yuan! And Lin Bai was offering one thousand a day—thirty thousand a month! It was no wonder Xu Youmeng didn't believe him.

Lin Bai chuckled. He could now receive a ten-thousand-yuan subsidy from the system every day; using one-tenth of it to invest in his own business was simple. "Verbal promises are not enough. Let's draft the contract." Lin Bai chose to let facts speak for themselves.

Xu Youmeng stopped hesitating, went to the computer, and quickly typed up a share cooperation agreement. The agreement included many terms Lin Bai had emphasized, including but not limited to holding 51% of the shares, having the right to major personnel appointments and final interpretation, the right to change the team name, and so on.

"Enough! That is not what you said at the beginning!" When Lin Bai wanted to add yet another clause regarding his rights, he was sternly stopped by Xu Youmeng. Looking at her, there was clear indignation on her face; it was evident that Lin Bai's pushing for more had really angered her.

Lin Bai gave a silly laugh. "Fine, that's it then. Print it."

Xu Youmeng glared at him fiercely, printed three copies of the agreement, and both of them signed and pressed their fingerprints on them. Afterward, they exchanged WeChat contacts. Xu Youmeng sent the company's public account to Lin Bai, and he immediately waved his hand and transferred seven thousand yuan.

"Transferred. The top priority is to change the name. 'Dream Team'—what a terrible name. Think of ten team names and send them to me before tonight." Lin Bai quickly settled into his role, speaking with the tone of a boss.

Xu Youmeng stared at Lin Bai with resentment. "Fine! Received, Boss!"

"Hahaha, good, very good, hahaha..." Lin Bai was extremely happy. He waved his hand and left the room, laughing out loud.

Watching his retreating figure, Xu Youmeng took a few deep breaths, closed her eyes, and whispered to herself, "Don't let money pass you by, don't let money pass you by, don't let money pass you by..."

Outside the door, the high-spirited Lin Bai had just left when a mechanical sound from the system echoed in his mind.

[Beep! Congratulations to the host, the side mission is complete. Mission Reward: S-level Gaming Talent, now in effect!]

As the system's voice faded, scenes of playing games from the past surfaced in Lin Bai’s mind involuntarily, and his fingers trembled slightly. "So, this is how this game is actually played..."

...

Returning to the dormitory, Zhao Fangting was, as expected, playing a game.