All I want is to make money.

The other person also noticed Chen Ling and took the initiative to wave in greeting. “Chen Ling~”

“Hello, Sister Dou~” Chen Ling responded with equal enthusiasm.

Sister Dou’s real name was Feng Lifang, Chen Ling’s counselor. She was only three years older than Chen Ling, having stayed on at the university as a teacher. When everyone found out her QQ nickname was “Dou Dou Teases Tease,” they started calling her “Sister Dou.”

Feng Lifang was not only tall and beautiful, but also outgoing and approachable. She had no airs about her and tacitly accepted the nickname, which stuck from then on.

“Have you settled on an internship yet?” Feng Lifang asked. “If you need any help, be sure to let me know right away!”

“I’ve thought it over and decided not to intern for now,” Chen Ling replied honestly. “I’m thinking of trying my hand at a small business.”

At this, Feng Lifang frowned. “That won’t do! Internships are an essential step before you enter society. They’re very helpful for finding a job after graduation. There’s still two years, so there’s no rush, but you should make good use of your time in college.”

“When you graduate, you’ll realize just how regrettable it is to waste these carefree university days!”

Chen Ling understood everything she said. For the average student, these were golden words. He could appreciate her advice, but it didn’t mean much to him. Right now, his mind was occupied with one thing—making money!

“I’ll intern next year,” Chen Ling decided to brush the matter aside. “This year… well, something happened at home and I need money more than anything.”

Hearing this, Feng Lifang immediately pressed, “What happened? Does the school need to step in? Is it your parents?”

“Stop! Sister Dou, that’s enough!” Chen Ling said, half laughing, half exasperated. “It’s really not that serious. I’ll handle it myself. You’re busy, so don’t waste time on me.”

Feng Lifang could only sigh at his attitude, especially in light of the increasingly money-centric mentality among students these days. In the last year or two, the materialistic atmosphere of society seemed to have seeped into the ivory tower, and now so many students had nothing on their minds but money!

How could things go on like this… But then she thought, such broad and weighty concerns weren’t really for a low-level counselor like herself to worry about. Shaking her head, she prepared to return to her office.

Just as she was about to leave, Chen Ling suddenly turned back to look at her.

“Is there something else?”

“Sister Dou, I just realized—you’re really beautiful!”

“???”

To Feng Lifang, this almost sounded like flirting. But considering he was a student, perhaps it was just a harmless joke. She smiled. “Thank you.”

But then Chen Ling added, “Whoever marries you will be truly blessed!”

With that, he boldly looked her up and down from head to toe!

Now, Feng Lifang couldn’t help but wonder.

What did he mean by that? Could it be… he’s interested in me? Honestly, Chen Ling is an outstanding young man—good grades, steady character. His family background may not be the best, but he’s definitely got potential…

Feng Lifang! What are you thinking? He’s your student! There’s no way anything could happen between you!

But then again, in this day and age, teacher-student relationships aren’t quite the taboo they used to be…

In an instant, her mind was running wild. No longer knowing how to respond, she pretended to be annoyed and said, “I’m not going to stand here and banter with you,” then turned and walked away.

In truth, Chen Ling had just unconsciously paid Feng Lifang a compliment. After all, “a woman dresses up for those who appreciate her.” She was the beautiful counselor, and tossing out a few cost-free compliments could only help.

However, just as he turned to leave, a chime sounded in his mind—

“System notification!”

“Emotional template unlocked!”

“Template level: Sea God!”

“Note: Emotional template is a fixed level, one-time adaptation, cannot be changed!”

Chen Ling: “…”

“How did I become a Sea God? Did the system consult anyone about this? I’m still a fledgling who hasn’t spread his wings!”

Feeling a bit awkward, he glanced back at Feng Lifang, only to see that she too had just turned to look at him…

In the split second their eyes met, Feng Lifang’s cheeks flushed red. She quickly lowered her head, a shy smile unconsciously appearing at the corners of her lips, and hurried away.

Somewhere deep inside, she sensed that something was quietly changing…

Chen Ling stood rooted to the spot, a bit flustered.

Because the system gave him yet another notification—

“Sea God level: What makes a Sea God is not necessarily their own will, but rather an unrivaled attraction to the opposite sex, drawing countless moths to the flame, unable to extricate themselves, hopelessly ensnared!”

“Whether to indulge or to restrain, it’s all a matter of the heart. Take what you want, succeed everywhere, invincible in both attack and defense—thus is the Sea God!”

“Goodness…” Chen Ling thought. “Maybe I really am in for something big!”

Suddenly, Feng Lifang’s smile floated before his eyes—the flowing dress, the faintly visible triple row of straps behind her, helping him sketch a graceful silhouette in his mind. His fledgling wings instantly felt ready to spread and soar…

“Damn it…”

Chen Ling quickly forced the distracting thoughts away, feeling utterly speechless!

His own wealth was barely at a subsistence level; he wasn’t fit to be a Sea God! Making money should be his priority! Yes, all he wanted was to make money!

…

Chen Ling attended Qujiang Business University, located on Education Road in the Binhu District of Linjiang, the provincial capital. Nearby were Qujiang University of Technology, Qujiang Industrial University, Qujiang University of Finance, Linjiang Normal College, Linjiang University of Electronic Technology, Qujiang Academy of Fine Arts…

The area had originally been planned as a university town years ago, but the planners back then clearly hadn’t foreseen Linjiang’s rapid development. What was once a desolate suburban zone was now a bustling city center.

Now, in Chen Ling’s eyes, each of these schools was like a glowing nest of gold, each offering the chance to find golden eggs.

From memory, Chen Ling turned left out of the school gate and walked a dozen meters to find a medium-sized Century Lianhua supermarket.

“If I remember correctly, these supermarkets should all offer certain services…” Chen Ling mused as he walked.

Sure enough, at the entrance, a large sign was posted on the inside of the glass counter: “We buy all kinds of cards and vouchers at high prices.”

After a moment’s thought, Chen Ling went inside.

“Boss, a pack of Soft Zhonghua, please.”

“Here you go—need a lighter?” The shopkeeper, a man in his forties, was glued to a TV drama on his computer as he handed over the cigarettes, barely bothering to look up as he took the money.

Chen Ling glanced at the screen. It was “Struggle,” a drama that had been hugely popular in recent years, starring Tong. What a coincidence.

He couldn’t help but laugh. Fan, Li the queen, Wen Zhouyi—come to think of it, Tong seemed to bring bad luck to her co-stars. Even those who later worked with Zhao Gege and Zheng Xiaohua all ended up with scandals!

Hearing him laugh, the shopkeeper turned to look at Chen Ling. “You’ve watched ‘Struggle’ too?”

“Of course,” Chen Ling nodded. “Lu Tao is insufferably pretentious. If his father and the women in his life weren’t so obsessed with doting on him, he’d have been left out in the cold ages ago.”

“Exactly.” The shopkeeper nodded. “I don’t like the main character either. Actually, I find Xiang Nan and Yang Xiaoyun a lot more interesting.”

“Yang Xiaoyun, huh…” Chen Ling opened the cigarettes and offered him one, joking, “Her hairstyle really is something else!”

The shopkeeper didn’t quite get the joke, but at that moment the two characters were sneaking off to get married in the show, and he laughed heartily…

“By the way, boss, I’ve been coming here for a while but never asked—what should I call you?” Chen Ling took the initiative to make conversation.

“No need for formalities, just call me Old Jin. There are business cards in the box.” Old Jin pointed at the card holder on the counter—a common feature in such shops for customers who want home delivery.

Chen Ling picked one up. The shopkeeper’s name was Jin Youde.

He pocketed the card, then got down to business. “Old Jin, I see you buy cards and vouchers here. What’s your rate?”

“Hmm?” Only now did Jin Youde pause his show and turn around. “Ten percent off face value, but if you have a lot, we can negotiate.”

“Only ten percent off?” Chen Ling feigned disappointment, shook his head, and made as if to leave.

Jin Youde hurriedly called after him, “Wait! How much do you have? We can talk!”

Chen Ling grinned. “Biting off more than you can chew—I’m just worried you can’t handle it…”