We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

"Eight hundred each, you must hand it in to me before the end of get out of class today."

The voices that had just begun to disperse in the classroom were silenced by those words, and then chaos erupted in both the front and back rows.

"Eight hundred? Eight hundred right at the start of the semester?"

"We haven't even received our military training uniforms yet, where would we get the activity fee?"

"Who will manage the accounts after this money is paid?"

Sun Haoyu crumpled the chewing gum wrapper on the table into a ball, stood up, and his large frame blocked most of the view from the back row.

"Zhao Qiang, are you collecting class fees or grabbing back-to-school bonuses?"

Zhao Qiang stood by the podium, still clutching the half-chopped piece of chalk in his hand. The anger from his crushing defeat in the class monitor election had nowhere to go, and now it was all stuck in his throat.

"Sun Haoyu, you're new to Shanghai, you don't know how things cost here."

"Dinner parties cost money, water costs money, social gatherings cost money, and class activities will cost money too."

"Eight hundred yuan is really not much in Shanghai. Let's collect it in advance to avoid having to collect it one by one later, which would be troublesome for everyone."

Someone was muttering under their breath.

"You think it's too much trouble, and we think it's too expensive."

Lin Xiao stood up from the first row, holding the registration form she had just put away. Her loose gray short-sleeved shirt covered her waistline but not her full breasts.

She pressed the notebook in front of her when she got nervous, her cheeks flushed, but she still spoke fairly clearly.

"Zhao Qiang, the counselor didn't notify us about collecting class fees."

"If the class really wants to collect money, they should first make an activity plan, then prepare a budget, and finally have everyone vote to approve it."

"Eight hundred dollars is a lot of pressure for many students, and you can't just decide on it with a single sentence."

Zhao Qiang tossed the chalk back into the chalk box, chalk dust sticking to his fingertips, which he casually wiped on the edge of his pants.

"Lin Xiao, you are the class monitor, so you are only responsible for conveying notices. Living expenses and purchasing are the responsibility of the life committee member."

"My family is in business, and I've been looking at account books since I was a child. I know this better than you do."

"Give me the money, and I'll keep track of it, clearly noting where it's spent."

Tang Wan sat by the window, her white short-sleeved shirt tucked into a light gray pleated skirt, her waist strikingly slim, her long legs resting under the table, exuding a cool and eye-catching aura.

She closed the magazine in her hand and put it into her canvas bag.

"I won't submit it if there's no budget, no public announcement, and no confirmation from the counselor."

Zhao Qiang had originally wanted to use Lin Xiao to establish his authority, but when he heard Tang Wan speak, his expression turned even uglier.

He walked up to Tang Wan's desk, his tone curt.

"Tang Wan, if you don't cooperate with the class committee, how can we carry out class activities in the future?"

Tang Wan looked up at him.

"This is a problem for you to solve, not an obligation for me to assume."

Someone in the classroom laughed, not loudly, but enough to make Zhao Qiang lose face.

Zhao Qiang turned around and walked to the back row, finally stopping next to the row of dormitory 417.

His gaze swept over Sun Haoyu, then past Lu Wenbo, and finally landed on the black iPhone 4 on Ye Chen's desk.

Ye Chen was looking down at his phone.

The screen displayed a message from Han Yue.

New game data continues to rise, and the servers have been temporarily expanded.

Ye Chen replied with two words.

receive.

Zhao Qiang raised his hand and tapped twice on Ye Chen's desk.

"Ye Chen, you can afford the latest phone, so you should be able to come up with 800 yuan from the class fund, right?"

"You take the lead and pay the money, don't let everyone get stuck here."

The back row fell silent immediately.

Lu Wenbo, always eager for a good show, nudged Sun Haoyu with his elbow.

Sun Haoyu moved his chair back, waiting for Ye Chen to speak.

Ye Chen placed his phone face down on the table and looked up at Zhao Qiang.

"Where do we put the money after we collect it?"

Zhao Qiang hadn't expected him to ask that, and frowned as he replied, "Of course I'll put it in my bank card. I'll open a spreadsheet to keep track of it later."

Ye Chen tapped the blank ballot paper on the table.

"Receiving class funds through a personal bank card is against regulations from the very first step."

Zhao Qiang's face darkened.

"We're all classmates, why would you be afraid I'd be greedy for such a small amount of money?"

Ye Chen smiled, a bright and cheerful smile, and his tone was not harsh.

"Don't rush to label yourself; I didn't say you were greedy."

"You want to collect class fees? Fine."

"Do three things first."

Zhao Qiang looked at him but didn't reply.

Ye Chen extended one finger.

"First, make a budget, clearly stating the cost of food, water, and activity supplies."

He then extended a second finger.

"Second, the results will be posted in the class, and only if more than half of the students agree will the student be accepted."

When the third finger fell, many people in the classroom had already begun to nod.

"Third, have the counselor confirm the fee schedule and its intended use, and keep a written record of it."

"You don't have any of these three things, yet you're asking the whole class to transfer money to your personal account. At best, that's not following the rules; at worst, it's charging fees without authorization."

Zhao Qiang's lips moved, but he couldn't find the words to retort.

Sun Haoyu laughed and threw the chewing gum he hadn't finished into the desk drawer.

"Zhao Qiang, did you hear me?"

"Complete all the formalities before you come to collect the money. Don't treat the class monitor like a cashier."

Laughter broke out in the classroom again.

The laughter was louder this time than before.

Zhao Qiang's face turned ugly, and he turned to look at Lin Xiao.

"Squad leader, you think so too?"

Lin Xiao hugged her notebook tightly, walked to the back row, and stood next to Ye Chen.

"I agree with Ye Chen's opinion."

"We'll discuss the class funds later. The specific amount and purpose will be proposed by the class committee and then submitted to the counselor for review."

"Everyone, go back to your dorms today. Tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM, go to the playground to pick up your military training uniforms. Don't be late."

This statement effectively took back the speaking power that Zhao Qiang had just seized.

Zhao Qiang stood in the aisle, unsure whether to go forward or backward.

He looked at Ye Chen, the packaging of several packs of chewing gum in his hand crumpled up.

"Fine, if you don't pay now, don't come to me for buying water or other things for the class in the future."

Ye Chen picked up his phone and casually zipped up his backpack.

"Don't worry, we'll buy it ourselves if we get thirsty."

Sun Haoyu almost burst out laughing and quickly covered his face with a book.

Zhao Qiang knew that staying any longer would only make him look worse, so he turned and walked toward the door. As he passed the podium, he knocked the chalk box over, and several pieces of chalk rolled to the ground. He didn't pick them up and just left the classroom.

The atmosphere in the classroom immediately relaxed.

Many students packed up their things and left, while others whispered about how Zhao Qiang had eaten too quickly.

Chen Zhiqiang sat down, reached into his pocket and felt around; inside were only a few dozen yuan in change and a meal card.

His monthly living expenses are only four hundred.

If he were really forced to pay 800 today, he wouldn't even know who to ask for a loan.

Chen Zhiqiang looked up at Ye Chen, his throat bobbing.

"Brother Chen, thank you."

Ye Chen slung his backpack over his shoulder and casually replied, "No need to thank me. I'll keep the 800 yuan for food. It's better than pretending to be rich for him."

Sun Haoyu put his arm around Chen Zhiqiang.

"Let's go back to the dorm. Lao Lu is treating us to a social gathering tonight. Let's go back and prepare properly."

Several people left the classroom in a noisy commotion.