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墨書 Inktalez
He let out a long breath, but before he could feel happy, 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 was sound asleep. In his dreams, he saw the system transform into a giant beast, its gaping maw ready to swallow all the money. When he woke up, he realized he had drooled on Su Yuqing's shoulder, leaving a small wet spot.
"I'm so sorry!" He fumbled for a tissue.
Su Yuqing remained silent, merely pointing outside. The bus was passing through the city, and on the window of a nearby bakery, red letters proclaimed "Store for Rent."
"This will be our first collaboration," she said.
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 Personally Attending." The owner was a weary-looking middle-aged woman who became suspicious upon hearing their intentions.
"Charity collaboration? No money involved?" The owner wiped her flour-covered hands. "Don't kid me; city folks have deep 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 publicity and enhance 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 notification boosted Lin Xiaofan's confidence. While Su Yuqing and the owner discussed details, he quietly added a clause to the contract: Weiguang Public Welfare would receive 20% of sales as a management fee. The small print was buried among dense appendices and would be hard to notice without careful scrutiny.
Three days later, the "Buy Bread = Do Charity" campaign swept through the city. A long line 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 campaign, Su Yuqing burst into the temporary office and slammed a stack of papers on the table.
Lin Xiaofan looked up to meet her fiery gaze. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Su Yuqing pulled out a copy of the contract and pointed at a clause highlighted with fluorescent marker. "20% commission? Is this what you call 'transparent charity'?"
Lin Xiaofan's ears burned with embarrassment. "It's a reasonable management fee..."
"Reasonable?" Su Yuqing's voice rose. "Do you know that the owner hasn't slept for three days trying to meet orders? Do you know her husband had a stroke and is bedridden? This shop is their only hope!"
Outside the office glass door, several volunteers peeked in curiously. Lin Xiaofan stood up and lowered the blinds, speaking in a hushed tone. "The money still goes into the charity account..."
"Does it make a difference?" Su Yuqing scoffed. "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 Weiguang Public Welfare?"
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 were his legs—his right pant leg was empty, while his left leg lay stiffly on the wheelchair's footrest.
"I heard you are looking for genuine public welfare projects?" the old man said as he pulled 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 scenes of disabled children painting: a boy without arms holding a brush in his mouth, 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 one 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." He suddenly raised his gaze to meet Lin Xiaofan's eyes. "But now, I need money—not for myself, but for these children."
Lin Xiaofan felt a tightness in his throat. The system vibrated at just the right moment:
[High-value public welfare 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 space, 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 revenue at the current cashback multiplier offered by the system. But Su Yuqing's warning gaze 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 behind them, 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 straightened his collar. "I'm not that shameless." He pointed to the children's drawings pinned on the wall. "But you have to 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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