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墨書 Inktalez
He let out a long sigh, but before he could feel pleased, Su Yuqing handed him a bus ticket. "Back to the city. There are 56 hours left, enough time to discuss three business collaborations."
On the return bus, Lin Xiaofan slept soundly. In his dreams, he saw the system transform into a giant beast, opening its gaping maw to swallow all the money. When he woke up, saliva had already soaked a small patch of Su Yuqing's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry!" He fumbled for a tissue.
Su Yuqing remained silent, merely pointing outside. The bus was passing through the urban area, and on the window of a nearby bakery, red letters proclaimed "Shop for Rent."
"This will be our first collaboration," she said.
The Sunshine Bakery was even more desolate than he had imagined. A few dry croissants sat lonely in the display case, and a handwritten sign at the cash register read "Owner on Duty." The owner was a weary-looking middle-aged woman who, upon hearing their intentions, shifted from caution to suspicion.
"Charity collaboration? No money involved?" The owner wiped her floury hands. "Don't try to fool me; city folks have their tricks."
Just as Lin Xiaofan was about to explain, Su Yuqing pulled out a contract. "For every bread sold, you donate 1 yuan to children in mountainous areas. In return, we will handle the publicity and increase your shop's visibility."
"Is it really that simple?"
"And," Lin Xiaofan added, "we will pre-purchase ten thousand breads to give to sanitation workers. You only need to charge us the cost price."
The owner's hand trembled slightly. "T-ten thousand?"
【Business Collaboration Assessment】
【Model Evaluation in Progress...】
【Preliminary Determination: Compliant】
The system's prompt boosted Lin Xiaofan's confidence. While Su Yuqing and the owner discussed details, he quietly added a clause in the contract: Micro Light Charity would receive 20% of sales as a management fee. The fine print was hidden among dense appendices and would be hard to notice without careful scrutiny.
Three days later, the "Buy Bread = Do Charity" campaign swept across the city. Long lines formed outside the bakery, and local media rushed to cover it. Funds returned by the system flowed in like a tide; Lin Xiaofan watched the numbers in his account rise rapidly, his heart racing.
"Are you hiding something from me?" On the fifth day of the event, Su Yuqing suddenly barged into the temporary office and slammed a stack of papers on the table.
Lin Xiaofan looked up and met her fiery gaze. "What’s wrong?"
"What’s wrong?" Su Yuqing pulled out a copy of the contract and pointed at the clause highlighted with fluorescent marker. "20% commission? Is this what you call 'transparent charity'?"
Lin Xiaofan felt his ears burn. "It’s a reasonable management fee..."
"Reasonable?" Su Yuqing's voice rose sharply. "Do you know that the owner hasn’t slept for three days trying to fulfill orders? Do you know her husband is bedridden from a stroke and relies entirely on this shop?"
Outside the office glass door, several volunteers peeked in curiously. Lin Xiaofan stood up and pulled down the blinds, lowering his voice. "The money isn’t going into a private account..."
"Does it make a difference?" Su Yuqing sneered. "The system’s cashback has doubled, right? You’re still profiting off other people's goodwill!"
Lin Xiaofan was left speechless. The system had indeed generously offered a 200% cashback, far exceeding the usual 150%. Just as he was about to argue, there was a gentle knock on the office door.
"Excuse me..." came a hoarse voice, "Is this the Micro Light Charity?"
As the door opened, an elderly man in a wheelchair slowly entered. He appeared to be in his sixties, his faded suit meticulously pressed, and a rusty artist badge pinned to his chest. What stood out most was his legs—his right pant leg was empty, while his left leg lay stiffly on the footrest of the wheelchair.
"I heard you are looking for genuine charity projects?" the old man said as he took out a stack of yellowed photographs from an old briefcase. "Take a look at these; they are all children I have taught."
The photographs depicted various disabled children painting: a boy without arms biting down on a paintbrush, a blind child touching paint with his fingers, and deaf-mute children practicing expressions in front of a mirror... Each photo had a date marked in the corner, with the earliest already yellowed and curled.
"My name is Zhou Guoan, an art teacher," the old man said softly as he caressed the photographs. "For forty-five years, I have never asked for a penny in return." Suddenly, he looked directly at Lin Xiaofan. "But now, I need money—not for myself, but for these children."
Lin Xiaofan felt a tightness in his throat. The system vibrated at that moment:
[High-value charity target detected]
[Suggestion: Immediate connection]
[Special reminder: Sincerity will affect cashback coefficient]
Su Yuqing's expression softened as she crouched down to meet the old man's gaze. "Teacher Zhou, how much funding do you need?"
"Three hundred thousand," the old man replied calmly. "That would be enough to rent a venue, buy materials, and hire two assistants. I can teach these children to make a living through art instead of relying on charity."
Lin Xiaofan's heart raced. Three hundred thousand meant nine hundred thousand in returns based on the system's current cashback multiplier. But Su Yuqing's warning glance made him feel uneasy...
"We need to discuss this." Su Yuqing pushed Teacher Zhou's wheelchair toward the exit. "Xiao Zhang, please pour a cup of tea for Teacher Zhou."
Once the door closed, Su Yuqing turned around and grabbed Lin Xiaofan by the collar. "Listen, if you dare to play tricks on this old man, I will make sure your shady system is exposed!"
Lin Xiaofan shook off her hand and adjusted his collar. "I'm not that shameless." He pointed to the children's drawings pinned on the wall. "But you must admit that without the system, these children wouldn't even have the chance to be helped."
The two stood facing each other with tension in the air, neither noticing that the office door had cracked open slightly. Teacher Zhou's wheelchair quietly remained outside, and a strange light flickered in the old man's murky eyes...
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