The System's Golden Standard

The summer sun beat down like a relentless hammer, turning the streets into shimmering ribbons of heat.

The air was thick and heavy, clinging to the skin like a damp blanket. Even the slightest breeze felt like a warm caress, offering little respite from the unrelenting heat.

Sweat beaded on foreheads, trickling down faces and staining shirts a sickly yellow. The town square, usually bustling with life, was eerily quiet.

Only a few hardy souls ventured out, their faces drawn and their movements sluggish. The heat seemed to sap the energy from everyone, leaving them feeling listless and lethargic.

A sigh escaped from a young man as he contemplated the mountain of assignments piled on his desk.

Just as he was about to reach for his textbook, a strange glow emanated in front of him.

Intrigued, he approached it, his heart pounding with a mix of curiosity and unease.

A blue window screen that seems to be saying something binding him.

In bold, flashing letters, the message was clear:

{SHOW OFF WEALTH}

Lee Minho blinked, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

The message remained, pulsating with an eerie intensity.

"What did it mean to "display wealth" in a place like this? Was it some kind of cruel prank, or something more sinister?

Curiousity began to set in as a chorus of identical messages echoed through the dormitory room.

{Hello host I'm Show off Wealth System at your service.}

{This system will shape you into a rich man by showing off wealth!}

Confusion arises as he tried to decipher the meaning behind the cryptic demand.

As the night wore on, Lee Minho found himself unable to sleep, haunted by the enigmatic message and the growing unease that had gripped the dormitory.

By showing off your wealth means that the system will help him become rich but to achieve that, he needs to spend money to show off to people.

The thing is Lee Minho is an orphan and very poor. But the system is asking him to spend money to show off.

Accepting the reality Minho starts a conversation with the system thinking that it will help him change his life.

"So... How am I gonna do it?" Minho asked and continued.

"I'm just a poor collection student with no family who's struggling in every day life"

The system replied enthusiastically carrying a sense of pride.

{Don't worry host we are now one and I will help you become rich by showing off wealth.}

The system continued his explanation happily.

{First of all to show off wealth you must have a elegance, temperament and knowledge about everything.}

{This system will provide you a teacher. You need to learn how to act as a rich man.}

{Penalty for slacking off is electric shock through the body.}

Minho is already a senior and about to graduate. But finding money to support himself is been hard for him.

His part time jobs are only temporary which will only give him about a 200 cash as a weekly salary.

'Tired of it all why not try to give his all for this learning' He thought.

The learning session began.

Minho expected that the lessons will be difficult in the virtual session with his teacher but unexpectedly the teacher is really good at teaching.

After several hours now it's past midnight. The lessons for Minho is finally done transforming him into a complete different people.

His aura now gives off a vibe of subtle elegance and a really good temperance.

Being exhausted from learning Minho fell asleep immediately.

Lee Minho is not living alone in the dormitory room. He has three roommates and he consider them as his dear friend.

His friends is really hardworking and caring. They always helping Minho for tuition in the college.

The next day the first of his roommate to arrived is Kim Jaehwan.

Kim Jaehwan is tall with good physic befitting for him as the captain of a basketball team.

But because of his being too upright maybe he has a lot of girlfriends now.

Looking at Lee Minho who looks messy like a dried wilted flower.

"What's wrong with you? Are you sick?"

Kim Jaehwan ask curiously as it seems like there's a subtle changed in Minho's aura.

Thinking that he's just tired he scanned Minho from head to toe.

Looking at Lee Minho's handsome and fair skin looks pale he can't help but worry.

Jaehwan reached out his hands and touched Minho's forehead.

"Strange... You don't have a fever tho."

Upon hearing this Minho answered weakly.

"Jaehwan.... It's really hard to be a rich man!"

Kim Jaehwan felts weird upon hearing this. Lee Minho sounded like a rich man just now.

Jaehwan flicked Minho's forehead and said.

"Whatever. I'll leave then I'm going to have a breakfast."

Minho's was feeling hungry as well so he asked Jaehwan to wait for him.

After changing his clothes and brushed his teeth. They went to a simple food stall outside the school for breakfast.

Minho immediately picked bowl and chopsticks and filled them with rice, soup and dumplings.

Minho remembered that Jaehwan's basketball team won the game last night and ask him to treat him.

Jaehwan glared at Minho blankly and said.

"If not seeing you hungry just now. I might as well punch your cute face."

Taking it as a compliment Minho give him a satisfied look with a thumbs up.

"As expected of our school's pride basketball team captain, he's really kind."

Jaehwan gave a blank faced stare and didn't answer.