"No, I treat them like my own children." Even if I was angry, I had to maintain an air of magnanimity in front of Xu Chen.

Xu Chen pulled out a large cardboard box from under the bed, completely stuffed with drawing paper. I gathered an armful and spread them out on the **. There were many sketches, as well as a good number of watercolors. The draftsmanship was excellent; it was clear Xu Chen was a diligent girl, and she genuinely possessed some talent for art.

Although I lacked the critical eye of an expert, I could still distinguish good from bad. It was rare for a sophomore art student to have this level of skill, especially considering Xu Chen spent a significant portion of her time working odd jobs to earn money. If nurtured, she would surely become a promising painter in the future.

As I looked through them, I said, "These are very good. Give me a few, they'll be quite valuable once you become famous."

Xu Chen's expression immediately darkened. "Brother Zhao, don't tease me. Pick whichever ones you like. My professor says I'm still far from success. He says my paintings lack a certain vitality, suggesting I participate in more outdoor sketching to observe how the real world truly lives and breathes. However, outdoor sketching is too expensive, and besides, I don't have the time."

I sighed. "What a shame, Xu Chen. You have real potential. I think you should change your job. Working off-campus wastes too much time, and the pay is meager."

Xu Chen sat on the edge of the bed. "I have no choice. Are there any jobs that let me earn money while staying in the dorm?"

"There are!" I countered. "Your foundational art skills are quite good right now. Have you had much exposure to digital painting?"

Xu Chen replied, "I just started learning digital painting this semester. I previewed the material myself and it doesn't seem too hard, but I have too little access to the computers, so I haven't mastered the software operations."

I told Xu Chen, "Then you need to buy a computer, learn digital painting, and then you can create LEAHs, websites, and 3D animations yourself. From what I know, many companies require animated sequences for demonstrations, and they are critically short on talent in this area. These animations are billed by the second; if you can produce one piece a month, your income will be substantial."

The flame of hope was ignited in Xu Chen by my words, but after a moment of thought, her face dimmed again. "Thank you, Brother Zhao, but I don't have the money for a computer. Even a decent used one costs over a thousand yuan. Moreover, even if I learn animation, there's no guarantee a company will hire me—after all, I’m just a university student. They might not trust me."

I waved my hand. "That's not an issue. You have a good relationship with Mengmeng, and I know many company executives. I can line up work for you; you just give me a commission, and I can earn some extra spending money too."

Xu Chen was won over, a suppressed excitement lighting up her face. "But I can't learn anything without a computer! If I rely only on the limited time at the school labs, I probably won't master the software until next year."

I stood up and pulled Xu Chen along. "I’ve finally found an opportunity to earn extra income; I won't let it slip away easily. I’ll cover the cost of the computer upfront. You can pay me back once you land jobs and start earning. But I charge interest—you know I’m quite mercenary."

Xu Chen exclaimed happily, "Really! Aren't you afraid I’ll never learn anything and the investment will be wasted?"

"I am afraid," I admitted. "That’s why I’ve decided to visit every day to supervise you. You’d better be ready for work in half a month; I’m not planning a long-term investment."

Xu Chen declared, "If I truly had a personal computer, I guarantee I could operate the software independently within a week. If I do land a job in the future, we’ll split the earnings six-four, with you taking six parts and me taking four, though the cost of the computer will be mine."

I didn't bother arguing over the split. I cheerfully agreed, "Deal! Let's go buy a computer right now. I’ll start contacting those friends to line up some work immediately. A single project will probably fetch over a hundred thousand yuan. We’ll have zero costs, pure profit. I’ve really struck gold this time."

Xu Chen did some quick mental calculations. At a rate of one hundred thousand yuan per project, her four-tenths share would be forty thousand yuan—enough to cover four years of tuition. As stated, computer animation involved no material costs, purely intellectual labor. If she performed well, she might even be directly recruited by a major company after graduation. This was truly a blessing from heaven.

Outside the school gates, there were three or five second-hand shops primarily dealing with items graduates couldn't take with them. There were also vendors who brought in goods from outside, as not every student had money, ensuring a steady market for cheaper wares.

Leaving the campus, I guided Xu Chen toward flagging a taxi. Xu Chen grew anxious. "Brother Zhao, where are we going? Aren’t we going to look at used computers at the second-hand shops? I’ve been with Su Xue before; they had a few good-spec machines at decent prices."

"I’ve changed my mind," I said. "For a lucrative venture like this, we shouldn't bother with used computers. We’re buying a high-spec laptop. A single contract will cover the cost. Of course, if the initial cost of the machine increases, I will subsidize a portion for you accordingly. Also, I need to sign a contract with you: no stopping midway or transferring to work for someone else."

Xu Chen couldn't find a strong argument against it. Used computers lacked speed; if the workload grew, it would affect the schedule. In business, time was money; increasing the investment was aimed at greater returns. Although she was a bit reluctant about the extra expense for the new machine, he did say he would subsidize a portion, and one contract would fully reimburse the cost. Xu Chen had some understanding of 3D animation pricing—it was truly worth a thousand dollars a second.

The driver dropped us off in front of a tech building in Zhongguancun. Seeing a National Agricultural Bank branch on the roadside, Xu Chen turned to me. "Brother Zhao, I need to go in and withdraw some money. Please wait for me for a moment."

"Why withdraw money? Are you afraid I'll run off with the profits if you let me invest? How about we switch to a six-four split then?"

Xu Chen quickly waved her hands. "No, Brother Zhao, that's not what I meant. First, I need living expenses. Second, I want to buy some reference books—I can’t just imagine how to create animations out of thin air, can I?"

"That’s true, but as the investor, I will support this venture all the way through. You won’t need to cover these costs; I can even advance you some wages. The key is that you master the technology, otherwise our entire plan to make money will be wasted."

"Then let me withdraw some money to treat you to a meal," Xu Chen insisted. "You came up with such a brilliant way to make money; I must thank you properly. Besides, I’ll be relying on you to secure contracts later. And I never properly thanked you and Mengmeng for helping me last time. If I treat you today, it covers everything."

I felt awkward refusing further, so I conceded. "Fine. I’ll wait for you outside. For lunch, just treat me to some ramen at an outdoor stall—I’ve been craving it these past few days. Get some cold appetizers and an ice-cold beer too, hehe, pure bliss."