Chapter 2: Do Not Disturb My Studies!

Waking up in the early morning to take a shower and brush his teeth, Li Yan’s phone was soon flooded with messages.

Mom: “Breakfast is in the bowl. If you eat and don’t wash the dishes, just wait until you get home!”

Li Yan wiped his hair and replied with a single word, “Yes, ma’am!”

And so, shirtless and clad only in oversized shorts, he sat down at the dining table.

Breakfast consisted of steamed bun slices dipped in beaten egg and fried, served alongside a bowl of vegetable and lean pork congee, with a small pile of homemade pickled cucumbers on the side.

Li Yan thought this was far tastier than most breakfasts outside, especially compared to the high school cafeteria.

If you asked Li Yan how his high school life was, the only word to sum it up would be “hardship.”

He was never the type to be naturally gifted; no one knew better than him how much effort it had taken to keep the Divine Tycoon System running smoothly.

Fortunately, Li Yan was lucky—all his hard work yielded visible rewards.

Even a mere thousand-yuan bonus played a crucial role throughout his long academic journey.

Often, people don’t quit because they can’t persevere, but because they see no meaning in their persistence, receiving no positive feedback.

Li Yan had thought about it: if, during the struggle, one could clearly see their progress—like a game’s experience bar—then surely many would be able to hold on.

That was exactly how his high school experience was: one positive feedback after another kept him going.

Li Yan knew this very well.

He had completed over two hundred system tasks, initially aiming for Tsinghua or Peking University, but sadly, he wasn’t cut out for those.

As someone who loved photography, he eventually chose Sichuan University in Sichuan Province—a 985-level institution—which was enough to make his parents proud.

The Divine Tycoon System he had long awaited had yet to receive its latest update, but after accumulating so many task rewards, Li Yan was already a small-scale wealthy individual.

Sometimes, he secretly found the system fascinating—it was far from a mindless tool.

Over three years, Li Yan frittered away a small portion of his bonuses but also successfully earned the nickname “Young Master Li” in Class One of Grade Three at his high school.

Of course, that was just a teasing nickname.

More prominent were the titles that made Li Yan famous: “The Buffett of No.1 High” and “The School Casanova.”

With over two hundred thousand yuan in bonuses, aside from a few tens of thousands spent on indulgences, the rest was invested under the system’s guidance in both long- and short-term ventures.

In Grade One, following the system’s advice, Li Yan invested most of his task rewards in products.

This was his initial attempt at building an investment portfolio.

From then on, he left it alone, not paying it any mind.

Back then, Li Yan knew nothing about funds or stocks; he only knew of their existence.

Starting in Grade Two, his investment portfolio matured, and the system notified him it was time to sell.

Li Yan began to analyze it seriously, though he understood nothing.

The conclusion was: about 32,000 yuan in annual returns.

By Grade Two, Li Yan had grasped the idea.

He barely squandered his funds anymore, instead studying hard, completing system tasks to earn rewards, and plowing all the money into new investments suggested by the system.

It was from Grade Two onwards that Li Yan’s grades truly soared.

And starting then, the system’s investment recommendations became bolder and more aggressive.

He ventured into money market funds, bond funds, mixed funds, virtual currencies, and so on.

Li Yan couldn’t make heads or tails of it; there was no discernible pattern, and trying to learn investing by analyzing the system’s picks was utterly absurd.

Another year of hard work passed, and his ranking improved to the top ten in the entire grade.

By the end of Grade Two, Li Yan’s Alipay balance had reached 680,000 yuan.

Looking at the daily interest of 63 yuan from his Yu’e Bao account, he felt immensely satisfied.

Just living off the interest, his monthly living expenses in high school were fully covered.

Naturally, the next chapter unfolded.

“I’ve worked so hard for so long; why not enjoy a little?”

In Grade Three, Li Yan’s academic performance fluctuated wildly.

His girlfriends changed one after another.

From a junior girl in Grade One to a peer in Grade Three, within just half a year, Li Yan had dated four girls.

Without exception, they were all beautiful, fair-skinned, and well-proportioned.

What was Li Yan’s capital?

First, good grades—top ten in the grade.

Second, wealth and generosity.

As for looks? Not so important, and he wasn’t unattractive.

At 1.75 meters tall, neither tall nor short, Li Yan thought he could still improve—and besides, he had the system.

His skin was fairly fair; his youthful features decent, with a scholarly and confident aura.

With such qualities, he was practically unstoppable in high school.

What was his secret?

It lay in the seven- or eight-thousand-yuan genuine Nike backward-swoosh sneakers on his feet.

In the Acne Studios and Loewe clothes he wore.

The prices? Acne Studios T-shirts cost over two thousand yuan each; Loewe wide-leg jeans were around five or six thousand.

These were secondary perks; the key was his generosity.

Couldn’t win a girl over? No problem—Li Yan would spend several thousand or even over ten thousand yuan on jewelry or bags the girl liked, then treat her to a weekend meal costing a thousand or more yuan, and more often than not, he’d succeed.

Coupled with his academic achievements, the four girlfriends were only the official ones.

Of course, his flirtations beyond those were not counted.

Following the nicknames “Young Master Li” and “The Buffett of No.1 High,” another title was added:

“The Casanova.”

Of course, this was only the label from the four ex-girlfriends who broke up with him; Li Yan did not agree.

He merely wished to offer a warm embrace to all the beautiful girls—what was wrong with that?

He never cheated or betrayed their trust; he upheld his integrity. The ebb and flow of romance between men and women was perfectly normal.

This phase lasted only half a year.

Eventually, Li Yan came to his senses.

There was no way to get into the prestigious universities required by the system, so the true Divine Tycoon System update wouldn’t happen.

He remembered clearly pushing away a delicate junior girl who tried to sit on his lap, sternly telling the puzzled girl:

“Classmate, please don’t disturb my studying!”

Thus began his final six months of relentless effort, burning the midnight oil and driving himself to the limit.

After all, he still had the foundation laid in the previous two years.