Chapter 29: The Lonely Fantasies of Childhood (Requesting bookmarks, requesting monthly votes)

Jiang Shuyi recognized Chen Yuan as well, her gaze lingering for a moment. Among the freshmen, there were few handsome guys, but Chen Yuan was certainly one of them. During military training, he had gained a bit of fame for his basketball skills and his good looks. Being her junior, she had initially thought of taking advantage of their proximity to recruit him into the External Liaison Department, but he had turned her down after hearing the process.

Seeing him here, however, was a bit strange. He didn't look like he was staying at the hotel; it was more as if he knew the staff. But the two only exchanged a nod, and Chen Yuan left with Song Jianian.

Afterward, Jiang Shuyi walked over to Xu Jing politely. "Hello, I am the Minister of the External Liaison Department at the University of Science and Technology. We are planning to host a campus top-ten singer competition soon and have some sponsorship slots available. May I have a word with you?"

Hearing it was the University of Science and Technology, Xu Jing didn't refuse immediately. Since the young mistress was a student there, she had to pay close attention to any developments at the school. Uncle Zhang, sitting on the sofa nearby, continued looking at his phone without offering any indication.

"What are the rates?" Xu Jing asked.

"The best position is the exclusive sponsorship for 3,000 yuan. In addition to the banner, there will be extra poster displays. Our school's students have quite strong purchasing power."

Located in the university town, Xu Jing had lost count of how many times students had come to solicit sponsorships. However, Lanting was a four-star hotel with relatively high prices, and not all students could afford to come. Still, the hotel did set aside a budget for such things, and deciding who received it was a purely subjective matter.

"Student, do you know Chen Yuan?" Uncle Zhang asked casually.

"Yes, we are in the same department; he is a freshman this year," Jiang Shuyi replied decisively.

"Is he in the student union?"

"No, but as long as you provide the sponsorship, I can get him into the student union."

"Fine, leave your number, and I'll consider it."

"Alright, thank you, Manager Zhang."

Jiang Shuyi left her number and headed out of the hotel with her newly recruited department member.

"Senior, judging by what he said, does it mean that as long as we get Chen Yuan, we'll get the sponsorship?" the department member, Li Yongan, asked.

"Yes, that was the subtext."

"But recruitment is already over. Can he still get in?"

"As long as the money is right, let alone joining the student union, he could poop on the president's head and no one would care."

...

After picking up the fruit, the two strolled slowly back toward the University of Science and Technology. The evening breeze brushed their faces; the temperature was pleasant—the best time of the day.

The system said he would have a boy-girl twin pair in the future. Song Jianian had been around for a long time, but where was the boy? Seeing so many boys coming and going, Chen Yuan felt that any of them with a decent look could potentially be his son.

Song Jianian stopped in front of a small stall selling figurines. "Boss, how much for this?" she asked, pointing at a Gatomon figure.

"Thirty," the owner stood up and said with a grin.

"I want this one." Song Jianian took out her phone to scan the code.

Chen Yuan pushed her phone away. "Too expensive, don't buy it."

"Oh, okay." Song Jianian obediently put her phone away, looking a bit reluctant.

"Hey, don't go! If you think it's expensive, we can haggle," the vendor called out, not wanting to lose a sale.

"Haggling makes it cheaper?"

"Right now, this item exists in a superposition of being haggle-able and not haggle-able. If you don't haggle, you'll never know its state, so you have to try. Understand?"

Damn. What kind of Schrödinger's pricing was this?

"Go haggle," Chen Yuan told Song Jianian.

"I'm afraid to."

"Even if you're afraid, you have to do it."

"Uh..." Song Jianian hesitated for a long while, her face turning red. "Is twenty-nine okay?"

Chen Yuan: ...

"Ten yuan," Chen Yuan suddenly interjected.

Song Jianian stared at him in shock. Thirty down to ten? Wouldn't the boss yell at them for such a low offer?

"Fine, take it for ten."

Damn. Offered too much.

The clash over the price left Song Jianian wide-eyed, opening a door to a new world for her. He was so impressive, getting the price down by twenty yuan in one go. I only dared to ask for one yuan off.

I am a useless college student.

After paying the ten yuan, Song Jianian left with the ping-pong-ball-sized Gatomon.

"You're so amazing, I wouldn't dare bargain with the boss."

"It's a necessary skill for the poor, but you don't need it," Chen Yuan said.

"I do need it. My uncle limits my living expenses, so I have to be thrifty too."

"What kind of wicked uncle is that? You need to learn to resist; he has no right to control you like that." Although he didn't know why Song Jianian's living expenses were covered by her uncle, the situation perfectly matched the trope of a wicked villain in a novel. Maybe he even had thoughts of annexing her family's property.

"What should I do? Ask for twenty thousand for next month's expenses?"

"Wait, twenty thousand?" Chen Yuan looked at her. "How much does your uncle give you each month?"

"Ten thousand," Song Jianian pouted. "He told me that's all I get each month, and if I spend it all, he won't give me any more, saying I need to learn to be thrifty."

Chen Yuan: ???

Ten thousand a month for living expenses, and he calls that thrifty? Is your uncle a god? I've completed so many tasks, and I haven't even made that much in a month! Uncle, I'm sorry, you're a good person; it's just that these numbers feel a bit alien to me.

"Is that enough for you to spend?"

"Not really, but Uncle Zhang gives me more." Song Jianian looked happy, unwrapping the Gatomon and waving it in front of Chen Yuan.

"Isn't it pretty? After it digivolves, it becomes Angewomon. I'm going to hang it on my bag."

"So your childhood consumed high-quality grain too. But why don't you like Angemon?" This unlucky kid wouldn't have any strange tendencies, would she?

"I think Angewomon is very pretty."

Indeed, especially the one with the shredded armor.

"Haven't you seen the second season?"

"Second season?" Her small head was filled with big question marks.

"If you haven't seen it, that's good. Never watch it." Don't look up Angewomon; it's a bad reputation.

"So you only like it because Angewomon is pretty?"

"That's not it. When I was little, no one was around to keep me company, only Uncle Zhang and the auntie. Back then, I really wanted a Digimon so I wouldn't be lonely."

A lonely child from a wealthy family... Chen Yuan could understand that feeling a little bit; he had had similar fantasies when he was a kid. I will sortie in Gundam form... It's just that I wasn't lonely.

"So that's when you started liking Angewomon."

Song Jianian nodded earnestly. "I even showed Uncle Zhang and said I wanted this, so he secretly bought me a cat."

"Did you pat its head to make it transform?"

"I did, but it hissed at me, so I didn't dare pat it anymore, but I would sleep holding it every night."

"Then just treat it like a Gatomon that can't transform."

"Yeah, but when I was eight, it went back to the Digital World, and I could only see it in my dreams."

"That kind of thing has happened to me, too."

"Really?"

"I was the ninth chosen child. My Digimon was Huabei-mon."

Chen Yuan really didn't want to use such a lame joke, but the atmosphere had become a bit sad, so he used it to lighten the mood.

Slowly, the two returned to school and arrived downstairs at Apartment Building Nine.

"Here, have one." Song Jianian handed Chen Yuan a box of cut fruit. "I had Sister Jing make five boxes."

"Thanks."

"Bye-bye."

Song Jianian went into the apartment building, and Chen Yuan walked toward Apartment Building Three with the fruit.

[System Task: As a qualified dad, one must have a good physique. Jog one kilometer every day for five consecutive days. Reward: 1,300 yuan in cash, professional postpartum recovery techniques.]

Come on, buddy... I can learn postpartum recovery techniques from someone else. You should be giving me contact information for married women! You've given me so many skills, but I don't have a single client to serve. Please push the contact info of all the married women in East China to me. I'm bold; those who aren't divorced are fine too.

...

Thanks to the reader [Heavy Rain Tonight] for the coins. Brothers, please keep reading and give me monthly tickets; I want to get on the Sanjiang list!