The autumn rain fell steadily over Jianghai University, matching the gloom in Chen Wei's heart as he stood outside the campus café, his phone still clutched in his trembling hand.
"We're done, Chen Wei. Don't contact me anymore."
Those words echoed in his mind like a death sentence. Five minutes ago, his girlfriend of two years, Liu Meng, had just broken up with him via text message. Not even a phone call. Just a cold, clinical text.
Chen Wei stared at the message again, his thumb hovering over the call button. Maybe if he explained... maybe if he promised to work harder...
His phone buzzed with another message.
Liu Meng: "I'm sorry, but Zhang Hao can give me the life I want. You're a good person, but being good doesn't pay for designer bags or luxury apartments. I hope you understand."
Zhang Hao. Of course it was Zhang Hao.
The son of the CEO of Huateng Corporation, the guy who drove a Porsche 911 to class and wore watches worth more than Chen Wei's entire year of tuition. The guy who had been circling Liu Meng like a shark for the past three months.
Chen Wei's grip tightened on his phone until his knuckles turned white. He wanted to be angry, to curse, to throw something. But all he felt was... empty.
Twenty-one years old, a third-year business administration student, and utterly unremarkable. His family wasn't poor—his parents ran a small convenience store back in his hometown—but they certainly weren't rich either. He survived on a modest allowance, worked part-time at a bookstore on weekends, and had exactly 847 yuan in his bank account.
Apparently, that wasn't enough.
"Bro! There you are!"
Chen Wei turned to see his roommate and best friend, Wang Lei, jogging toward him with an umbrella, his round face creased with concern.
"I heard about Liu Meng," Wang Lei said, pulling Chen Wei under the umbrella. "That materialistic—" He caught himself, shaking his head. "Forget her, man. She's not worth it."
"Two years, Lei," Chen Wei said quietly. "I gave her two years. I thought... I thought we had something real."
"What you had was a gold-digger who hid it well," Wang Lei said bluntly. He clapped Chen Wei on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's get some food and beer. My treat."
Chen Wei let himself be dragged toward the street food vendors near the university's west gate. Wang Lei kept up a steady stream of chatter, trying to distract him, but the words washed over Chen Wei like meaningless noise.
How could he have been so blind?
All the signs had been there. The way Liu Meng's eyes lit up whenever she saw luxury stores. Her constant complaints about his "lack of ambition." The way she'd started comparing him to other guys, especially after Zhang Hao started pursuing her.
"Two lamb skewers and... bro, you want your usual?" Wang Lei asked.
Chen Wei nodded absently.
As Wang Lei ordered, Chen Wei pulled out his phone again. Against his better judgment, he opened WeChat and navigated to Liu Meng's Moments.
His stomach dropped.
Posted twenty minutes ago was a photo of Liu Meng sitting in a white Porsche, making a peace sign at the camera. Her caption read: "New beginnings with someone who truly values me ❤️ #blessed #luxurylife"
The comments were already rolling in:
Li Xiao: "OMG! Is that Zhang Hao's car? You guys are together?!"
Liu Meng: "😊❤️"
Sun Mei: "So happy for you! He's such a catch!"
Zhao Ting:"What happened to Chen Wei?"
Liu Meng: "Some people are just meant to stay in the past. Moving forward to bigger and better things! 💅"
Chen Wei felt something crack inside his chest. Not just his heart—his pride, his dignity, everything.
She'd posted it publicly. Made him a joke for the entire university to see.
"Bro, your skewers—whoa, you okay?" Wang Lei's voice seemed distant. "You look like you're about to pass out."
Chen Wei wasn't sure what happened next. The world seemed to tilt, colors bleeding together as a wave of dizziness washed over him. He stumbled, Wang Lei catching his arm, and then—
DING!
A sound rang in his ears, clear as a bell, though Wang Lei didn't seem to hear it.
[Congratulations! You have been selected as the host of the Money God System!]
The words appeared in Chen Wei's vision, glowing gold letters hanging in the air like a holographic display that only he could see.
"What the..." Chen Wei blinked, shaking his head.
"Bro, seriously, you're scaring me," Wang Lei said, guiding him to a nearby bench.
[Initialization complete. Welcome, Host.]
[You have been chosen for your pure heart and unfortunate circumstances. The Money God System exists to transform your destiny and prove that true worth cannot be measured by mere wealth—though wealth certainly helps!]
Chen Wei stared at the floating text, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. Was he having a mental breakdown? Had the breakup literally driven him insane?
[System Status: Active]
[Current Balance: ¥0]
[Host Level: 1 (Beggar Tier)]
[First Mission Available!]
"I'm hallucinating," Chen Wei muttered. "I've finally lost it."
"What? Who's hallucinating?" Wang Lei peered at Chen Wei's face. "Did you hit your head?"
[This is not a hallucination. The Money God System is real and bound to your soul. Would you like to view your first mission?]
Two options appeared:
[Yes] [No]
Chen Wei laughed—a slightly hysterical sound. Why not? If he was going crazy, might as well embrace it.
He focused on "Yes."
[First Mission: Prove Your Worth]
[Details: Your ex-girlfriend has humiliated you publicly. Show her that dumping you was the biggest mistake of her life.]
[Task 1: Spend ¥50,000 within 24 hours]
[Task 2: Gain the attention of at least one woman more beautiful than Liu Meng]
[Reward: ¥500,000 + Mystery Gift Box + Beginner Skill: "Intimidating Aura"]
[Failure Penalty: System will be permanently locked. You will remain poor forever.]
[Starting Bonus: ¥100,000 has been deposited into your bank account.]
[Time Remaining: 23:59:58]
Chen Wei's phone buzzed. He looked down at a notification from his banking app.
[Agricultural Bank of China: Your account ending in 8247 has received a deposit of ¥100,000.00. Current balance: ¥100,847.00]
His hands started shaking.
"Bro, what's wrong? You're white as a sheet," Wang Lei said, genuine worry in his voice.
Chen Wei stared at his phone, then at the translucent golden interface only he could see, then back at his phone.
One hundred thousand yuan.
In his account.
Real money.
"Lei," Chen Wei said slowly, his voice strange to his own ears. "How much does that Patek Philippe watch in the luxury mall window cost? The one you're always drooling over?"
Wang Lei blinked. "The Nautilus? Like... ¥380,000. Why?"
Chen Wei stood up, a strange calm settling over him. The emptiness from before was gone, replaced by something else. Something that felt like... power.
"No reason," he said, a smile tugging at his lips. "Just wondering. Come on, we're not eating street food tonight."
"What? But I already ordered—"
"Cancel it. We're going to Tianxiang Pavilion."
Wang Lei's jaw dropped. Tianxiang Pavilion was the most expensive restaurant in Jianghai City, where a single meal could cost thousands of yuan.
"Have you actually lost your mind? We can't afford—"
"I can," Chen Wei said, pulling out his phone and showing Wang Lei his bank balance.
Wang Lei's eyes went wider than dinner plates. "What the... how... did you rob a bank?!"
"Something better," Chen Wei said, looking at the countdown timer in his vision.
[23:58:12]
He had just under 24 hours to spend ¥50,000, gain attention from a beautiful woman, and begin his transformation from abandoned boyfriend to someone even Liu Meng couldn't touch.
The Money God System had chosen him.
And Chen Wei was going to make damn sure he didn't waste this chance.
As they walked toward the luxury district, Chen Wei felt his phone buzz again. Another WeChat notification—probably more people commenting on Liu Meng's post.
He didn't even bother to check.
Let them laugh now.
Tomorrow, everything would change.