1: Chapter 1: Money is fun for a moment, and borrowing money is even more fun.

"Did you borrow ten thousand from 'Speed Loan Treasure' before?"

Across the desk, the bald man flipped through his phone; on the screen was Li Zhengyang's credit report.

"Yes."

"Do you own any property?"

"No."

"What about a car?"

"Brother, how could a student like me have a car or property?"

The bald man slapped the phone onto the table, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, not bothering to look at him again. "Then why are you here? We aren't a charity."

Li Zhengyang sat on the stool, unmoving.

This so-called "financial company" was hidden on the third floor of an urban village.

The office had only one table and two chairs, with a few boxes of mineral water tossed in the corner; it was just a shell company.

"Brother, take another look, please."

Li Zhengyang leaned forward. "I have a stable income. My school gives me a stipend every month."

"What school?"

"Martial Arts Technical College."

The bald man shot him a sidelong glance. "A college student with no property, no car, and already ten thousand in debt—and you're telling me you have a stable income?"

"I can pay it back."

"What are you going to pay it back with?"

Li Zhengyang pointed to his kidney. "This."

The bald man froze for two seconds, then laughed.

Ash fell onto the table, but he didn't care, wiping it away with his hand.

"You're an interesting kid."

"I'm serious, Brother, it's urgent." Li Zhengyang's tone was very sincere, so sincere that the bald man took an extra look at him.

Early twenties, thin, wearing a faded jacket; he looked just like a broke student with no money.

But looking closer, the kid was quite handsome.

The bald man had actually seen plenty of people like this.

Gamblers, addicts, young people who overspend—all sorts. Not a single normal person walked through that door.

But this kid in front of him was different from those people; he was too calm.

"I can only give you the most predatory loan: borrow ten thousand, get seven thousand, pay back twelve thousand. Overdue interest is calculated daily at two percent." The bald man stated the ugly truth up front. "If you can't pay it back, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Deal."

The answer was absurdly fast.

The bald man's eyebrow twitched.

He'd been in this business for six years, and this was the first time he'd met someone who agreed without even asking about the terms.

Most people would hesitate at least a little when hearing these terms, even if they just pretended to look conflicted.

This kid, on the other hand, didn't hesitate at all.

"Did you understand? Borrow ten thousand, get seven thousand, three thousand shaved off the top, overdue..."

"I understood." Li Zhengyang interrupted him, then said something that completely stunned the bald man: "Can I borrow more?"

"...What?"

"With this kind of interest, can the limit be higher? Like eighty or one hundred thousand?"

The bald man's cigarette almost fell out of his mouth.

He stared at Li Zhengyang for several seconds, confirming the other party wasn't joking.

In six years, he'd seen many different types of borrowers, but this was the first time he'd seen someone proactively ask to increase their limit, specifically choosing the most predatory option.

"What on earth are you using it for?"

"Cultivate."

The bald man thought he was spouting nonsense, but Li Zhengyang's expression was too serious.

After half a minute of silence, the bald man stubbed out his cigarette and looked him over again.

"Twenty thousand, get fourteen thousand, pay back twenty-four thousand." The bald man held up two fingers. "If it's overdue, there's a two percent daily interest, compounded. You need to think carefully; this money will grow to a lethal amount."

"Brother, can the limit be increased if I take nude photos?"

"Get out!"

"Don't be angry, Brother. Twenty thousand is fine. Deal."

Signing, pressing fingerprints, photographing the front and back of his ID, holding the ID for a photo.

The whole process took less than ten minutes.

The bald man pushed a stack of money over—fourteen thousand, counted neatly.

Watching Li Zhengyang shove the money directly into his pocket without counting it, the bald man suddenly felt that he might not get this money back.

Not the kind of not getting it back because the kid couldn't afford it.

It was the kind where he never intended to pay it back at all.

"I'm heading out, Brother. I'll be in touch." Li Zhengyang stood up and patted his pants.

"Wait." The bald man called out to him. "Don't change your phone number."

"I won't, I won't. Don't worry."

When the door closed, the bald man muttered to the empty office, "Is that kid crazy?"

Leaving the urban village, Li Zhengyang turned into an empty alley.

Reaching into his pocket and feeling the stack of money, he pulled out his phone.

On the screen, a translucent interface emerged.

Others couldn't see it; only he could.

[Pay-to-Win Martial Arts System]

[Function: One yuan equals one day of the host's Cultivate progress.]

[Recharge Rate: 100 great xia currency = 1 point of Qi and Blood Value.]

[Current Qi and Blood Value: 108]

This thing appeared three days ago.

No Transmigration, no Rebirth, and no old man in a ring.

Just one morning when he woke up, there was something extra in his head, like his phone had automatically updated with an app—simple and brutal to an outrageous degree.

Spend money, increase Qi and Blood.

Qi and Blood reached a certain value, it would automatically Breakthrough to the next Realm.

The principle? Don't know. The origin? Not clear. The safety? Screw it.

He was just a poor student; why should he care about these things? Just enjoying it was enough.

The ten thousand he borrowed before was recharged, adding 100 points of Qi and Blood, bringing his Qi and Blood value to 108 points, directly crossing the threshold from Martial Apprentice to a First-Rank Martial Artist.

What was the concept of a First-Rank Martial Artist? He had been training at the Martial Arts Technical College for two years, and his Qi and Blood value was stuck at 8 points; no matter how he trained, it wouldn't go up. His teacher said his Aptitude was average and suggested he switch careers to become a masseur after graduation, saying a Martial Apprentice had strong hands, which was suitable for that.

But now, ten thousand yuan had solved the problem he hadn't been able to solve in two years.

So, he went to another place to borrow.

Li Zhengyang pulled the fourteen thousand out of his pocket and, without hesitation, tapped "Recharge" on the System interface.

A flash of white light appeared, and the money was gone.

[Recharge Successful!]

[Recharge Amount: 14000]

[Obtained Qi and Blood Value: +140]

[Current Qi and Blood Value: 248]

[Current Realm: Second-Rank Martial Artist]

A wave of heat exploded from his Dantian, his internal organs heating up along with it. His muscles expanded, his bones creaked—it was painful, but the kind of pain that was addictive.

Li Zhengyang leaned against the wall, waiting for the sensation to pass.

Second-Rank.

The strongest student in the entire technical college was Fourth-Rank. Having trained for three years, he could be considered exceptionally talented in a technical college, undefeated among his peers, and he had even secured a spot for a college-to-university transfer.

He had spent twenty-four thousand yuan in debt and already caught up by half.

Li Zhengyang looked down at his hands.

Clenched, relaxed.

The sense of power in his hands was completely different from three days ago.

Worth it. It was so damn worth it.

Li Zhengyang leaned against the wall and started calculating.

He had previously borrowed ten thousand and recharged 100 points of Qi and Blood; today he borrowed another twenty thousand, got fourteen thousand, and recharged 140 points.

In total, he had received twenty-two thousand eight hundred, with a total Qi and Blood value of 248.

What about the debt? The first loan needed to be paid back with ten thousand, the second with twenty-four thousand—adding up to thirty-four thousand.

Was it a loss?

By a normal person's way of thinking, it was a massive loss.

But by Li Zhengyang's way of thinking.

"Why should I pay back money that I borrowed with my own ability?"

He said this out loud, without any sense of guilt.

It wasn't that he was born lacking morals; it was that the System had given him a very clear realization: by the time those debt collectors came knocking, his Qi and Blood value would only be higher, not lower.

The loan sharks hit people?

We'll see whose fist is harder when the time comes!

Were there any Martial Artists in the debt collection team?

There were, but at most they were Fifth-Rank. He would just keep recharging.

The problem wasn't whether to pay back the money or not.

The problem was where to borrow the next sum of money.

It was just a pity that he had no father, no mother, no car, and no property, making it hard to borrow money.

Li Zhengyang put away his phone, loosened his shoulders and neck, and his joints emitted a dense series of cracks.

His entire demeanor was like a different person compared to ten minutes ago.

At this moment, his phone rang.

A number saved under the note "School."

He answered, and a middle-aged man's voice came from the other side, sounding impolite.

"Is this Li Zhengyang?"

"I am."

"I am Director Wang from the Academic Affairs Office. Where are you now? Come to my office."

"What is it, Director Wang?"

"Come here and we'll talk."

The call hung up.

Li Zhengyang looked at his phone screen, a bit dazed.

What could the Academic Affairs Office want with him? Skipping class? He really hadn't been to class much lately, busy researching the System and finding money.

But the Martial Arts Technical College wasn't that strict about attendance; as long as he passed the assessments, it was fine.

Could it be that the end-of-month combat assessment had been moved up?

Regardless of what it was, it was better to go now.