The taxi gradually slowed before coming to a stop near the roadside.

"We’re here."

Benny snapped out of his thoughts and looked out the window.

A brightly lit bank stood just ahead, its glass doors reflecting the glow of the streetlights against the dark evening sky.

He quickly paid the fare before stepping out onto the sidewalk.

The moment the taxi drove off, Benny instinctively opened the system interface once more.

[ Tycoon Investment System ]

System Fund: ¥820

Personal Wealth: ¥6,810

Benny stared at the numbers for a moment then he nodded seriously to himself.

"It’s a worthy sacrifice. I’ll make back 10x in return."

After all, compared to what he was about to obtain...

¥50 barely counted as a loss.

His mood immediately improved again as he lifted his head toward the bank entrance.

But before he could even take more than a few steps into the bank.

"Brother! Need a loan?"

A voice suddenly called out from nearby.

Benny paused and not far from the bank entrance, several men were standing around beneath the streetlights.

Some leaned casually against parked scooters while others sat on plastic stools smoking cigarettes.

The moment they noticed Benny looking toward the bank, their eyes instantly sharpened.

One of them quickly approached with an enthusiastic smile plastered across his face.

"Brother, looking for financing?" the man asked smoothly.

"Personal loans, business loans, fast approval, we can help with all of it."

Another man immediately chimed in from behind him.

"Low interest too."

"And there’s no complicated procedures," a third added.

Benny blinked once, then understanding dawned on him.

Ah.

These people.

Who else would linger outside a bank entrance like vultures circling over the desperate?

The moment they spotted hesitation, anxiety, or frustration, they moved in with warm smiles and honeyed words.

"Fast approval." "Low interest." "No collateral needed."

To someone cornered by life, those words sounded almost heavenly.

But Benny knew better.

These weren’t charitable saviors handing out lifelines. They were predators selling temporary relief at a price most people wouldn’t notice until it was already wrapped around their throats.

The real danger was never written in bold letters.

It hid in the fine print.

Maybe the interest was technically low.

But was it monthly? Weekly? Rolling?

Or worse, compound interest?

The kind that quietly snowballed in the dark until a small loan became a bottomless pit.

By the time borrowers realized what was happening, they were already drowning, desperately paying interest upon interest without ever touching the principal.

Benny’s gaze swept across the group again, and for some reason, they had never looked more reliable than they did right now.

The first man noticed Benny’s expression and immediately smiled wider, sensing interest.

"What kind of loan are you looking for, brother?" he asked.

Benny straightened slightly.

Then, with an unusually serious expression, he said,"Corporate operational funding."

The group fell silent for a moment and several of them exchanged glances.

The cigarette-smoking man even lowered his cigarette slightly while giving Benny another look from head to toe.

A college-aged kid...

Talking about corporate operational funding?

For a brief moment, they genuinely couldn’t tell whether this young man was a scammer, a rich second-generation heir, or mentally unstable.

Meanwhile, Benny remained completely calm because right now he was a CEO.

The few men outside the bank continued staring at Benny with increasingly strange expressions.

Finally, the man in front cleared his throat awkwardly.

"...Corporate operational funding?" he repeated carefully.

"That’s right." Benny nodded calmly.

The man looked Benny up and down once more.

Young. Student-aged. No briefcase. No assistant. No car.

Yet he spoke with complete confidence.

The cigarette-smoking man narrowed his eyes slightly. "You own a company?"

"Of course," Benny replied without hesitation.

That answer immediately changed the atmosphere a little.

One of the men quickly stubbed out his cigarette and stood up straighter.

"What company?"

"Autumn Investment."

The name sounded legitimate enough that nobody questioned it immediately.

The first man exchanged another glance with his companions before smiling again.

"Brother, why don’t we talk properly?" he suggested warmly. "Standing outside isn’t convenient."

Benny thought for a moment before nodding.

A few minutes later, he found himself seated inside a small tea shop beside the bank.

The atmosphere inside was noisy and filled with cigarette smoke, but the group clearly treated it like their regular negotiation spot.

Tea was quickly poured.

The man sitting across from Benny finally introduced himself.

"Name’s Qiang."

"Benny."

Qiang nodded and got straight to business.

"So, how much operational funding does Boss Benny need?"

Boss Benny.

Hearing that title made Benny feel strangely satisfied.

He leaned back slightly and tried to look experienced.

"Depends on the terms."

Qiang immediately smiled.

An answer like that sounded far more professional than directly blurting out a number.

Definitely not an ordinary student.

"We mainly help connect businesses with financing channels," Qiang explained smoothly. "Small companies, startups, restaurants... plenty of people need temporary cash flow."

Benny nodded seriously while pretending he completely understood everything.

In reality, he only understood about half.

Still, the important part was simple.

Borrow money. Company owes debt. Debt creates pressure. Pressure creates losses.

Perfect cycle.

Qiang continued speaking.

"Since your company is newly established, large loans may be difficult through formal bank procedures alone. But smaller operational loans? That’s manageable."

"How small?" Benny asked.

Qiang raised two fingers. "Fifty thousand should be no problem."

Benny’s heartbeat skipped slightly.

¥50,000.

That was over sixty times his remaining system funds.

And most importantly, it wasn’t system money.

Yet it could still be used by the company (or him!).

The realization alone almost made him dizzy with happiness.

Still, Benny maintained a calm face outwardly.

"What about interest?"

Qiang smiled.

"Depends on repayment schedule."

The moment the word interest entered the conversation, Benny became even more attentive.

"Explain."

Qiang pulled out a pen and quickly scribbled several numbers onto a piece of paper.

Short-term. Monthly repayment. Interest percentages. Service fees.

The more Benny looked at it, the more beautiful it became.

Every extra percentage point looked like future personal wealth.

At this moment, he finally understood something profound.

Debt truly was mankind’s greatest invention.

Meanwhile, Qiang was secretly observing Benny’s reactions carefully.

Normally, people became nervous seeing interest calculations.

But this young man?

The more they explained the costs...

The brighter his eyes became.

It was honestly unsettling.

After a long silence, Benny slowly placed the paper back onto the table.

"...I see."

Qiang smiled slightly. "So, Boss Benny, what do you think?"

Benny leaned back in his chair.

Then, after a few seconds of contemplation, he spoke in a low voice.

"I suddenly feel that fifty thousand is a bit too little."

The entire table went quiet.