Lin Feng sat at the study desk, staring at the system screen before him.
The only thing he'd discovered about the system was that it was known as the Infinite Money System. He had also realized that he could summon or dismiss it at a thought, and that was it.
As for anything else - what it could do, how it worked - nothing.
"Not much of an Infinite Money System when it shows all zeros, now is it?" he thought.
He sighed. Maybe there was some sort of condition he needed to meet to trigger something.
At that moment, the door opened and someone walked in.
It was a young man, about Lin Feng's age and with average looks. One could say he and Lin Feng were quite similar in that regard.
The young man seemed surprised to notice Lin Feng here. He greeted politely with a bow.
Lin Feng stood up and returned the greeting.
The young man walked past him toward the wardrobe, picking up the book from the table as he went. Lin Feng watched as he grabbed some grooming items from his wardrobe before leaving the same way he came.
Lin Feng dismissed the system screen.
"It seems people can't see this thing," he thought. He hoped he hadn't developed some sort of mental illness.
As for the young man who had just left, Lin Feng's memory finally refreshed and he remembered him. His name was Zhang Wei. He was from a rural town in Anhui Province. Lin Feng remembered they'd gotten along fairly well - both scholarship students from non-privileged backgrounds.
As for the future... after college, they hadn't interacted much. Though he had heard from a mutual acquaintance that Zhang Wei had gone on to become a corporate slave for some tech company.
The door swung open again.
Someone came rushing in, stopping at the entrance and breathing heavily. He seemed to have been running for a while and held what looked like posters in his hand.
"Oh, someone's already here!" he said, noticing Lin Feng.
He dropped his backpack down and walked up to him with a bright smile.
"Hey! Nice to meet you - I'm Chen Ming, your roommate!" He extended his hand along with one of the posters. "Are you interested in our campus food delivery network? We connect hungry students with the best local restaurants. Fast, convenient, and affordable! First-time users get a special discount!"
"Sure, I guess I can take a look," Lin Feng said, taking the poster.
This was Chen Ming, his other roommate.
From what he remembered, Chen Ming was a Hangzhou local, and his parents owned a small restaurant near West Lake. Chen Ming had always been restless, always chasing new opportunities. He'd started many "businesses" just in his freshman year alone, though most of them failed.
From what Lin Feng had heard, Chen Ming went on to start a livestreaming agency in 2024 but went bankrupt a few years later. The last Lin Feng heard - around 2038 - Chen Ming was selling insurance and still owed creditors. His parents had to sell their restaurant to help cover his debts.
The door opened once more.
Someone else stood by the entrance - a tall, handsome man with short black hair. He was well-dressed, the kind of clean, expensive styling that spoke of a wealthy family.
Chen Ming turned around and noticed him.
Seeing how well-dressed the newcomer was, it was as if a switch flipped in Chen Ming. He immediately ignored Lin Feng, quickly moving before the new arrival and bowing ninety degrees while offering the poster.
"Hello, senior! I'm Chen Ming! Are you interested in our campus food delivery network? We connect hungry students with the best local restaurants. Fast, convenient, and affordable! First-time users get a special discount!"
The newcomer remained silent for a second.
Chen Ming began to feel self-conscious, his smile wavering slightly.
But the man eventually extended his hand and took the poster.
"Sure, I'll take a look," he said.
He walked past Chen Ming, gave a slight nod to Lin Feng, then climbed up onto one of the upper bunks.
Lin Feng watched him carefully.
This was his third and final roommate. His name was Li Jun, and Lin Feng didn't know much about him beyond the basics - he liked games, was a Beijing native, and his parents were rumored to be mid-level government officials.
After graduation, Li Jun had seemingly vanished. He was never heard from again.
…
Everyone was doing their own thing in the room.
Li Jun was on his bed with earphones on, seemingly playing a game. Zhang Wei sat at the study desk, absorbed in his textbook. Lin Feng sat beside him, scrolling through his phone, looking at the latest news and the stock market.
He stared at the graphs, his eyes tracing the lines.
"Why did I regress so late?" he thought bitterly.
At the moment, the S&P 500 had almost completely recovered. If he had regressed to March and bought stocks at the lowest point, he'd be rich by now.
He sighed.
Then again, what money would he have had to buy stocks even if he went back that far?
That being said, not everything was over. He still had knowledge of future developments in the stock market. Although he'd never tried speculation himself, he'd always paid attention - just watching and doing nothing, then regretting it later.
He chuckled self-deprecatingly.
If he could use this knowledge, he could profit greatly. He just needed the initial capital. But how was he going to get it...
At that moment, the door opened and Chen Ming entered.
He looked over Lin Feng's shoulder. "Are you interested in the stock market?" he asked.
"Not really," Lin Feng said, closing his phone quickly. He didn't want to be given another ad read by this guy.
"Ah, that's a shame," Chen Ming said.
Lin Feng glanced at him thoughtfully. Although Chen Ming had the grind mindset, he was quite unlucky - nothing he did seemed to work out. That being said, Lin Feng might need his help with something eventually, so it was best to get along.
And the same went for the rest of his roommates.
"Hey," Lin Feng said, standing up. "It's getting late. Why don't we go out to eat as roommates? Get to know each other more?"
Chen Ming's face lit up immediately. "Yes! Great idea!"
Lin Feng turned to Zhang Wei. "What about you?"
He hesitated for a moment but seeing their looks, he finally gave in. "Sure," he said, closing his book.
"What about him?" Chen Ming asked, gesturing toward Li Jun.
Lin Feng walked over to Li Jun's bed and called out to him.
No response. The earphones.
He called again, louder this time.
Li Jun finally heard him and removed one earphone, looking down at Lin Feng with mild curiosity.
Lin Feng explained. "The three of us are going out to eat. You down?"
Li Jun considered for a moment, then nodded. "Sure."
He dropped down from his bed, and the group of four headed out together.