I am not just a tycoon

"Go ahead and tell us."

Ye Zhiyang and Cao Shunjin couldn't help but want to laugh, but they still gathered around Huang Haibao, eager to hear what it was all about.

"Tian Yuping said everyone coming to dinner today is her bestie and they were here to check me out. She hinted that I had to get along with her besties, saying whether she'd agree or not would depend on their opinion too."

"I didn't expect my first date to actually be one against many!"

Huang Haibao felt a surge of anger in his chest and gritted his teeth, "Damn her! Taking me for a fool!"

Cao Shunjin's face turned red from holding back, and Ye Zhiyang also covered his mouth, trying his best not to laugh aloud.

Seeing their expressions, Huang Haibao cursed, "You two are really killing me, how can you still laugh?"

"Cough cough."

Cao Shunjin cleared his throat, trying to suppress his laughter, and said in an experienced tone:

"Old Huang, finding a partner is important, but you have to learn to discern too. I told you before, Tian Yuping is not a good girl, but you insisted on jumping into the firepit."

Old Cao had never said such a thing at that time, and Huang Haibao wanted to retort, but in the end, Shen Yuan spoke up and said something fair:

"Old Huang, look at it from another angle, at least you've gained some experience. This tuition fee of 1800, it's not too much."

"You should know how many suck-ups out there spend tens of thousands and haven't even got a whiff of her underwear."

With such a comparison, Huang Haibao felt much more balanced in his mind, though the 1800 was half a month's living expenses, and it still felt somewhat reluctant.

Shen Yuan came over and patted his shoulder, "It's alright, with the experience from this time, you won't be fooled next time."

Thinking about it, a girl as hypocritical and realistic as Tian Yuping definitely wouldn't fancy Old Huang. But if she didn't like him, that was fine, tricking someone into a meal was just too much.

However, there was also a bright side to the incident. At least Old Huang wouldn't sink deeper into trouble.

Huang Haibao sighed with unspeakable frustration, "Old Third, you're a man who never knows the hunger of another, you don't understand how hard it is for us to find a partner."

Shen Yuan smiled, "Don't always focus on the pretty girls, lower your standards a bit."

"Ah~"

Huang Haibao listlessly took off his shoes, climbed onto his bed, covered himself with the duvet, and tried to numb himself with sleep.

Shen Yuan also prepared to go back to bed for a nap, when Ye Zhiyang suddenly stopped him, "Shen Yuan, last time Old Kong and Old Lui came to the dorm to invite you for dinner, what was that all about?"

Hearing this question, Cao Shunjin was also curious. He didn't entirely understand the specifics either, and Huang Haibao also poked his head out from under the covers, looking at Shen Yuan with an inquisitive gaze.

"I plan to invest in the university's entrepreneurship base, so now I am the investor, and the university is the investee."

Shen Yuan didn't plan to keep it from them; the matter would be known to all very soon.

"Investing?"

The three of them widened their eyes in unison.

Things like buying a Land Rover and keeping a mistress off campus were already shocking enough, and now Shen Yuan was even planning to invest in a school project?

"Hmm."

Shen Yuan nodded lightly.

"How much are you investing?"

Cao Shunjin stammered as he spoke.

Old Huang and Ye Zhiyang's throats went dry as they stared blankly at Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan held up one finger, "About this much."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Ye Zhiyang struggled to suppress the urge to swallow and tentatively asked, "One million?"

Shen Yuan smiled, "Add another zero."

"Sss..."

The three of them looked at each other and gasped in unison.

Investing 10 million!

If Shen Yuan had said this half a month ago, they would have never believed him; after all, back then Shen Yuan was so broke that Huang Haibao had to pay every time they went to a snack bar.

But now, having witnessed Shen Yuan buying a Land Rover and the university leaders personally coming to invite him for dinner, this definitely couldn't be false.

Yet the number was staggeringly huge!

Ye Zhiyang had seen Shen Yuan invest 300,000 at the café once, so he thought 1 million sounded reasonable, but he didn't expect him to be investing 10 million!

A whole 10 million, just like that. How much must his actual net worth be?

Being humans just like him, they suddenly felt an terrible disparity in life circumstances. His university life was so rich and exciting—driving luxury cars, dating school beauties, keeping mistresses off campus, maybe even more than one.

And now he was even willing to invest 10 million in a school project?

By comparison, they felt like they had been doing nothing worthwhile for the past three years of university!

They hadn't learned much, hadn't dated any girls, let alone invested and made money.

"Shen Yuan, that entrepreneurship base, I saw the school's document last time. Since you are the investor, you must have the right to decide which students get the investment, right?"

Ye Zhiyang was quick to sense an opportunity amid the shock. He moved closer to Shen Yuan's bed, casting a hopeful look, "I've always had an idea to start a business. What do you think about me?"

Ye Zhiyang frequented dorm 503, always waiting for this moment. In such a time, of course, he had to grab the opportunity!

Shen Yuan pondered for a while, "You can submit an application form and a business plan. I'll evaluate it, but the chances are quite slim."

"Why?"

Ye Zhiyang asked, puzzled.

"Because there will definitely be many applicants, and I need to make a comprehensive consideration. I must maintain fairness and impartiality."

Shen Yuan definitely wouldn't consider Ye Zhiyang, but since he was a classmate, he wanted to refuse politely. It wasn't possible to just say you lacked something that other girls had, right?

"I have so many pretty girls to invest in, why would I invest in a guy like you?"

"Shen Yuan, when the time comes, take a look at my business plan. It will absolutely wow you," Ye Zhiyang persisted, thumping his chest.

"Alright, we'll talk about it then," Shen Yuan said, waving his hands dismissively, not saying much else. He then began to feel drowsy. There were quite a few tasks lined up for the afternoon, including meeting Yingzi and signing an agreement at the Youth League Committee.

At that moment, Huang Haibao and Cao Shunjin's expressions were somewhat complicated. Damn, had Shen Yuan's influence really grown this much in just half a month?

How much had Old Third actually made with Bitcoin?

It was kind of sad when they thought about it; they struggled even to find partners, yet Shen Yuan had soared to the peak of life!

...

When the alarm rang at 3:30 PM, Shen Yuan woke up and got out of bed. Huang Haibao and Cao Shunjin were also packing up their stuff, and seeing Shen Yuan rise, they asked in surprise, "You're going to class too?"

No wonder they were surprised, as Shen Yuan hadn't been to the academic building in at least half a month.

"No, I'm headed to the cafeteria," Shen Yuan replied without much explanation. For him, attending class was now irrelevant. With the entrepreneurship base project, even if he failed, the Youth League Committee and the school would ensure he graduated smoothly.

Of course, with his financial resources, a diploma from a second-tier college was practically useless, so he didn't care much.

"Oh right, next week there's a recruitment event..."

"Uh, never mind."

Huang Haibao had wanted to say, "There's a recruitment introduction next week, do you want to go?" but realized it was pointless to ask since Old Third was already financially set. Why would he bother working?

Shen Yuan glanced at him curiously but didn't inquire further, continuing down the stairs.

He and Yingzi had agreed to meet in the cafeteria. Although it wasn't mealtime, there were still plenty of students sitting on stainless steel chairs, chatting and laughing.

"Shen Yuan!"

A sweet and pleasant voice suddenly called out. Shen Yuan instinctively turned his head and spotted Yingzi.

Yingzi had an oval face and auburn hair, a high-bridged nose, and cherry lips. Today, she wore a blue crop top and washed-out denim shorts, her long, shapely legs covered by white socks and sneakers.

The whole persona radiated a lively, youthful vibe, and combined with her sweet voice, she truly looked like the very picture of an energetic sweet girl.

"Have you been waiting long?"

Shen Yuan sat down beside Yingzi and asked.

The two knew each other, but they had never interacted face-to-face like this before.

Because both of them had a certain reputation in their department. Yingzi was known for her beauty and her versatile voice, as well as being the head of the broadcasting station, making her the campus goddess in many boys' hearts.

Meanwhile, Shen Yuan was known for supposedly dating several upperclassmen women, a reputation that preceded him.

"Not at all, I just finished class and just got here," Yingzi replied animatedly, her familiar personality shining through as she flashed Shen Yuan a sweet smile.

Her smile revealed dimples, easily giving off an approachable illusion.

However, according to Shen Yuan's understanding, as of now, Yingzi had not accepted Old Cao's WeChat request, nor could anyone add her on QQ.

There had been boys in their class who had tried to pursue her, all of whom were unequivocally rejected, which indicated that she was quite picky.

"Then let's get straight to business, have you been to check out the activity room? Does it have the facilities?" Shen Yuan asked.

"I've checked, the activity room is divided into two parts, and it's filled with a lot of discarded desks and chairs. It's also been a long time since it was cleaned, so there's a lot of dust," Yingzi replied earnestly, her eyes sparkling: "Secretary Lui has already mentioned that they will clear the facilities out in the next two days, and then clean it up."

As a student cadre of the Youth League Committee, Yingzi was more informed than the average student. So, she knew that Shen Yuan was planning to invest 10 million in the entrepreneurship base.

"Okay," Shen Yuan nodded and scrutinized Yingzi for a few seconds: "Besides the work arranged by the Youth League, I also have some tasks here that I need your help with. Would that be okay?"

"Of course," Yingzi agreed without hesitation.

In fact, securing a job with Shen Yuan was something she had volunteered for; she was eager to establish more connections with him in other ways.

"Help me pick out a set of solid wood office desks and chairs, and a sofa set too. Choose ones of good quality, environmentally friendly, and with less odor. Once you've picked them out, send me the bill and I'll pay for it."

"Also, help me get a count of all the currently operational businesses on campus, like the milk tea shop, fruit store, campus supermarket, courier station, and print shop. It would be great if you could find out how these stores are doing."

"Lastly, about those vacant stores that the school is offering, take photos from several angles and send them to me. It's best if you capture the inside environment too."

Shen Yuan laid out his three requests to Yingzi.

He likely wouldn't visit the campus often in the future, so it was best to delegate these chores to others. Since Yingzi had been appointed by the Youth League to liaise with him and, even if she wasn't the most capable, she was certainly above average among the students.

It was a good opportunity to evaluate her through these tasks to see if she could be of use.

"Okay, noted," Yingzi said as she opened the memo app on her phone and diligently typed everything Shen Yuan had just mentioned.

"Yingzi, there you are; I've been looking for you for a long time!"

Just then, a surprised voice came from behind.

Shen Yuan turned around and saw a tall male student, wearing a Nike T-shirt and sports shorts, looking quite spirited, holding a teahouse takeaway bag.

"I knew you just finished class and specifically went to buy your favorite 'Shengsheng Oolong'," the male student said, handing over the bag and sensing Yingzi sitting with another guy, his expression immediately changed:

"Yingzi, who is he?"

"....."