Financial freedom starts from graduation

Chapter 609 Memory Palace
Zhou Wang was self-aware.

Even now, after being exposed to a wealth of knowledge and gaining more experience, he is no longer the naive and foolish college student he once was.

But he is essentially just an ordinary person among the masses. Without any special advantages, he might have been able to become a moderately wealthy middle-class person through hard work, but he would never have achieved what he has today.

Since this matter is beyond my capabilities, I have no choice but to resort to cheating.

After a period of accumulation, the system now boasts a dazzling array of items—

[Caroline's Used Stockings], [Caroline's Dreamy Undergarment], [Wang Ruxi's Cigarette Case], [Elementary Resume], [Jiang Mo's Soul-Soothing Greeting Card], [Su Yajing's Wish List], [Evelyn's Desire Manual], [Yasuo's Guide to Happiness], [Shen Yutong's Gemstone Encyclopedia]...

However, most of these seem to be inapplicable to the current situation.

After lingering for a while, Zhou Wang's gaze finally settled on two of the props.

【Jin's Stage Dress】

Yone's Devil Mask

These two items were rewards after completing the [Hidden Turn] in Shanghai. Zhou Wang hadn't used them before, but now they seemed just right.

With a flick of his wrist, Zhou Wang produced a beautifully crafted mask that shimmered with a silver-red luster and had two horns on its head.

The only thing that made Zhou Wang hesitate was that, according to the system's notes, this mask might also have some kind of side effects, because it was an ornament of a "god," and a mortal body could not withstand it.

If you wear a mask long enough, you'll forget the face behind it.

The side effects are likely hidden within this description.

Literally, it might mean becoming less and less like oneself, or developing a twisted second personality or something like that...

But the mask's function, even just from its literal meaning, is exceptionally powerful.

When wearing this mask, the host will briefly gain extraordinary mental abilities and be able to access a "memory palace."

Zhou Wang felt that even if it wasn't as awesome as his "clown clone," it should be very close.

In this state, he would certainly be able to easily come up with a solution.

"If you only wear it for a few minutes, there shouldn't be any problems."

Zhou Wang muttered to himself for a moment, then without further hesitation, gently pressed the mask onto his face.

A cool sensation came over him, and the mask melted into Zhou Wang's face the moment it touched him, disappearing without a trace, as if it were a ball of mercury.

Zhou Wang, however, had no time to pay attention to these mysterious changes.

boom!
He felt his mind explode in an instant, his thoughts soaring as if he had reached an infinite height. He saw the withering and flourishing of plants, the growth of all things, the rushing rivers flowing into the ocean, the skyscrapers rising from the ground, and the busy beings within them like ants...

He was like a cold, indifferent god, looking down upon the world.

This state may have lasted for two or three seconds before Zhou Wang's thoughts rapidly descended, returning to the study in the presidential suite.

Upon closer inspection, Zhou Wang appears unchanged, but if you shift your focus to his eyes, you'll find them filled with an inhuman coldness and profundity.

"Memory Palace?"

Zhou Wang muttered something to himself, and the next moment, he closed his eyes, his consciousness appearing in a space that seemed like a dream.

What lay before me was like a giant library, with rows of bookshelves arranged in a completely white hall. What was amazing was that the covers of those books were all covered with flowing patterns, featuring various images, most of which depicted Zhou Wang at different times, while some books contained various kinds of knowledge that Zhou Wang had absorbed.

“From my birth to the age of 22, all my experiences are recorded here in 3D projection. Whenever I want, I can recall all my memories, including every detail of that time…”

Zhou Wang suddenly understood and casually pulled a book from the bookshelf in front of him.

【XNUM X Year X NUM X Month X NUM X Day】

This is the title of the book.

Zhou Wang opened the book, and suddenly a giant screen projection appeared in front of him, showing Zhou Wang, who was only 7 years old and dressed in children's clothes.

The background of the picture is an old rural village with a blue sky. Zhou Wang and another little girl with a delicate and beautiful face are sitting on the edge of the field playing with mud.

As they played, Zhou Wang turned to the little girl and said, "Linlin, do you want to be my concubine?"

What is Ash?

Some little girls with unclear speech turned around and asked.

"That's right... if you become my concubine, we'll be the best couple in the world!"

Seven-year-old Zhou Wang used what he considered to be the most fitting description.

"Yeah!"

Seeing that the little girl agreed, Zhou Wang imitated what he saw on TV, holding the bewildered little girl down and kissing her on the lips.

Even though Zhou Wang wasn't experiencing much emotional fluctuation right now, he still couldn't help but twitch his lips when he saw this scene.

Am I that gifted? I started being a scumbag at the age of 7...

He closed the book and continued walking.

1岁、3岁、9岁、14岁、17岁、20岁……

As Zhou Wang continued reading, it was as if he was re-examining his entire life and discovering many details that he had not noticed at the time.

"Is your elementary school English teacher really that pretty? And if I'm not mistaken, she doesn't seem to like wearing underwear."

"My junior high 'girlfriend' came from such a wealthy family; she was already driving a Bentley back then. I missed a chance to be with a rich woman..."

"It turns out that Dad went to wash his feet secretly that day. I thought he had never done anything like that in his life because he was so honest."

"Oh, so our university's sports committee member is gay. No wonder I always felt that the way he looked at me was weird. And the snacks that always mysteriously appeared in my drawer were actually put there by him. I always thought it was Ding Yi."

"Huh? I actually saw this senior in college, we even ate back-to-back in the cafeteria, and I didn't even notice..."

"Ding Yi... sigh."

As Zhou Wang wandered around, he saw that beautiful figure countless times in the books from his university days, in those corners he had overlooked, and in the background.

Young people are always stubborn and naive. If he had been willing to let go of his so-called pride, and if there hadn't been that deliberate distancing, he and Ding Yi would probably have been together long ago...

Although, due to the difference in family background, there may not necessarily be a good ending in the end.

Zhou Wang, observing the memories with detached indifference, offered his own judgment.

Furthermore, given his current level of understanding, he could easily calculate that in the past 22 years, he had missed four opportunities to change his fate, 19 opportunities to make a fortune, and at least two opportunities to become a man prematurely...

But this is the kind of life a normal person should experience.

Missed opportunities and regrets are always the main themes.

After all, even if we could do it all over again, given our understanding at the time, we would still make the same choice.

This is what a mediocre "ordinary person" is like.

Having figured out the pattern of the "memory palace," Zhou Wang didn't linger. He blinked, and his consciousness returned to reality. He hadn't forgotten his purpose: to resolve the potential public opinion crisis caused by BlackPink, which was why he chose to wear the mask.

Zhou Wang picked up a pen from his desk and twirled it between his fingers. Several solutions had already formed in his mind, and as he pondered, even more solutions came to mind with ease.

The problem was easily solved.

Each plan is fully feasible in reality, and the results achieved will vary... It all depends on how far Zhou Wang wants to go.

All he has to do now is choose the one he thinks is the most suitable from the 27 options that instantly come to mind.

"It's too easy to just deal with public opinion; they also need to pay a price."

Zhou Wang thought coldly, and soon made a decision.

He scribbled on the paper and instantly formed a simple plan. All the steps were clear at a glance, and he only needed to fill in the details.

The matter was resolved in less than three minutes. Zhou Wang reached out to remove his mask, but hesitated.

After experiencing it, the feeling of having extraordinary thinking skills is simply wonderful.

His brain is like a high-speed computer, completely exceeding the limits of normal humans. In other words, as long as he wears the mask, he is a true "genius".

From then on, nothing could stump him anymore, and he would truly become the "Mr. Zhou" in the eyes of Li Youlong and others.

He can do whatever he wants, manipulate the world, satisfy all his desires, and break free from all worldly shackles...

But when Zhou Wang realized his hand was going down, he was startled and quickly touched his forehead, then ripped off the [Demon Mask].

"Whoosh..."

Zhou Wang was panting heavily, remaining alert.

He felt like he was under a spell; a voice in his head kept telling him not to take off the mask. Thinking about it now, it was terrifying.

"This 'mask' is indeed sinister. It seems we really have to use it with caution, or we'll completely lose ourselves."

Fortunately, Zhou Wang had just experienced the "side effect halo" yesterday, so he was very sensitive to the feeling of the beast in his heart being unleashed. Therefore, as soon as he sensed that something was wrong, he quickly took off his mask.

Zhou Wang quickly put the mask back into the warehouse, leaving only the "Jin's Stage Dress" on the desk.

According to the plan he had just formulated, this "formal dress" that could enhance his persuasiveness was also an important part of the plan, so there was no need to put it away for the time being.

In addition, you will need to exchange for another item at the reputation shop.

Zhou Wang opened the "Mystery Shop" and quickly found what he needed:

"Industry One Yuan Acquisition Card (Intermediate), Price: 200 million Reputation Points".

Zhou Wang had previously received this "one-yuan industry acquisition card" as a system reward, but those cards were all "basic" cards, which could only acquire industries with a maximum value of no more than 1 million.

All three levels of "Industry Acquisition Cards" are available for sale in the Mystery Shop.

The basic card costs 200 reputation points, the intermediate card costs 2000 million reputation points, and the advanced card costs 20 million reputation points, making them among the most unattainable items for Zhou Wang at this stage.

The value of the intermediate-level card has increased from 10 million to 1 billion.

Currently, Zhou Wang's reputation points, after exchanging for the intermediate-level [Business Plan] and with the recent increase, are just over 200 million points.

Exchanging for this intermediate-level "Industry Acquisition Card" is tantamount to going all in.

But it's not a big problem, and Zhou Wang thinks it's worth it.

After reviewing his draft paper again, Zhou Wang picked up his phone and made a series of calls.

……

About an hour later, Zhou Wang, having finished arranging everything, stretched lazily.

He had faith in Jiang Qingkui and the others' ability to execute the plan, and now all he needed to do was wait for it to take effect step by step.

Rubbing his temples, Zhou Wang realized that he hadn't checked the reward from last night.

The "first blood" reward from Choi Min-ah.

……

Ding!
A spring breeze overnight, as if weeping and lamenting.

[Detected that the host has had his first sexual encounter with an extremely high-quality woman, and has received a 'first blood' reward.]

[Host obtains permanent item: Choi Min-ah's Service Chest]

……

?

After seeing the system message he missed last night, a question mark flashed through Zhou Wang's mind.

Last night, Cui Min'er forcibly opened the lock... and actually found a treasure chest?
But what's with this "Servant's Treasure Chest"? It doesn't sound very proper.

Zhou Wang muttered to himself, and with a thought, he extracted the reward from the [Servant Treasure Chest] into the system warehouse.

It was only at this moment that Zhou Wang was able to see the text description above.

[Choi Min-ah's Service Treasure Chest: Contains "Long-Lasting Spray" x1, "Naked Feeling Artifact" x1, "Cute Collar" x1]

???

When Zhou Wang saw the items in the treasure chest, even more questions popped into his head.

Are these things... legitimate?
Is it as I imagined?
With a mix of doubt and excitement, Zhou Wang took out the three items from the treasure chest one by one and examined them carefully.

After a moment, Zhou Wang understood.

Yes, they're all proper props...

[Endurance Spray] grants Zhou Wang the Perseverance trait at night, making him better at carrying bricks. For example, if Zhou Wang could only carry bricks for 15 minutes, after using the spray, he will gain a continuous supply of stamina, and his brick-carrying time can be increased by 1 to 3 times.

There's not much to say about the [Naked Feeling Artifact]. It's just that after Zhou Wang wears it, he can get the lightness and skin-hugging feel of not wearing clothes when he sleeps... Well, he won't need such cumbersome things as "pajamas" anymore.

As for the "docile collar," it's for female partners and doesn't have much use. It simply makes the other person more docile and less likely to argue, thus making the relationship more harmonious.

In short, it's definitely not what everyone thinks. These three props are completely innocent and perfectly legitimate.

Zhou Wang solemnly took them out and put them all into a small bag, intending to carry them with him from now on.

He was genuinely surprised.

Su Yajing and Shen Yutong both provided material rewards, but these kinds of props that are beneficial to physical health are obviously something that can't be bought with any amount of money.

However, after seeing the system's evaluation criteria, Zhou Wang understood.

Choi Min-ah was actually categorized as an "extremely high-quality woman," in the same tier as her senior... Of course, she might have just barely met the minimum standard, but considering that the senior's "Soul Card" reward wasn't some mundane material gift, one can understand the system's reward logic.

In short, this was a huge profit!
(End of this chapter)