In the dorm room at night, a few of the guys were messing around with a card game, but Leamon Lewis clearly wasn’t in the mood. He kept zoning out, his mind elsewhere.

Lately, life had been rough.

Ever since the Ministry of Education rolled out the Double Reduction policy, Leamon’s main source of income — tutoring — had basically dried up overnight, leaving his wallet completely empty.

Thinking about all he’d been through, Leamon felt a heavy gloom settle over him. His dad bailed on him and his mom when he was just a baby, and his mom worked herself into the ground to raise him and put him through college. In the end, the stress caught up with her, and she passed away, leaving Leamon to face the world on his own.

Over the years, he'd relied on his grit and a stubbornly positive attitude, scrimping by with tutoring gigs to cover tuition and daily costs. Sure, money had always been tight, but he made it work somehow. Until now.

With tutoring out of the picture, even basic living expenses were a struggle, never mind paying his tuition. The pressure was eating at him — even a simple card game felt like too much.

“Come on, man, don’t overthink it,” said Samuel Anderson, the oldest in the dorm, noticing something was off. He gave Leamon’s shoulder a light pat. “One of my relatives is hiring part-timers. Flexible hours, decent pay — enough to keep you covered. You’re in if you want it.”

Samuel wasn’t rich, but he came from a solid middle-class family and didn’t have to worry about money. Of course, seeing Leamon in this spot, he wanted to help out.

The other roommates were on the same page. Everyone knew Leamon had lost his tutoring job, and they all offered to pitch in if he needed anything.

Leamon forced a small smile, politely turning them down. “It’s all good. I’m still hanging in there. If things get really bad, I promise I’ll let you know.”

Seeing how stubborn he was, the guys didn’t push it. They all knew how he was.

After a bit more small talk, everyone started getting ready to sleep.

Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, Leamon’s mind kept spinning, running in circles about what he could do next to make ends meet.

And then — out of nowhere — an odd, electronic voice rang out in his head.

【Crazy Money Grind System initializing】

【Each month, one money-making method can be chosen. Different methods bring different rewards】

【Heads up: the crazier the money method, the more bizarre challenges you might run into】

【Month 1 options: Supplement Sales Rep, Real Estate Agent, or Ride-Share Driver】

【Please pick your preferred experience promptly】

...

The sudden system message left Leamon totally stunned — and more than a little excited.

Still, he quickly pulled himself together. He wasn’t the type to get carried away. He took a deep breath and started going through the info carefully.

It worked kind of like a monthly money-making simulator. Every month, he could try out a new gig, each one lasting for a full month.

He was basically looking at the ultimate side hustle guide — courtesy of some strange, out-of-nowhere system.Quitting within a month would void all rewards, and each calendar year, he had to try at least three different money-making routes.

Failing to meet that condition? Not only would the rewards disappear, but the system would also unbind itself and vanish.

Leamon Lewis stared at this sudden opportunity that had just crash-landed into his life, his heart racing.

It was like the universe had tossed him a key to a brand-new life.

After taking a few deep breaths, he sat down to weigh the three initial options the system had offered.

Health supplement sales? Yeah, hard pass. Scamming elderly folks totally went against his morals.

Being a real estate agent was tempting: nice suit, good pay as long as he worked hard—sounded decent.

But…

“I’ll go with designated driving.”

He didn’t think it was a dream job or anything, but right now, it was the only option that fit his schedule.

His graduation project still needed serious work. Real estate would tie him up all day with client calls and house listings. No way that'd fly.

Driving, though? It was flexible. Night shifts were totally doable.

Leamon wasn’t worried about putting in the hours. He already had a license and was a decent driver. Staying up late? Been there, done that.

One month of this? Totally manageable.

He'd been through harder times—this didn’t even count as a challenge.

Decision locked.

【Host has chosen: Designated Driver】

【Reward: Income from designated driving multiplied by 100,000 times!】

Then the system dropped that bomb—and Leamon nearly choked.

A hundred-thousand times?

If he normally made around 3,000 in a month, that would turn into... three hundred million?

That number was straight-up insane!

He practically launched himself off the bed, hurriedly throwing on clothes and running out of the dorm, face glowing like he could already smell the cash.

After calming down a bit, he started planning out his next move: land the job first.

The system only handed out the perks—it was on him to find the work.

He suddenly remembered a restaurant he’d passed recently on his way to a tutoring gig—Sun Ji Private Cuisine. There’d been a “Now Hiring: Designated Driver” sign taped up out front.

Wasting no time, he rushed there.

Turned out, their in-house driver had just quit due to personal stuff, so they were looking for a replacement ASAP.

Though it surprised the owner that a college student wanted to do this kind of gig, they still welcomed him on board without much fuss.

After filling out some paperwork, Leamon officially became their go-to driver.

It was a win-win setup. The restaurant could offer convenient ride services to tipsy customers, and Leamon didn’t have to waste time chasing orders around town.

Sure, he had to pay the restaurant 10 bucks per order as commission, but that’s just how the industry worked.

And just like that, Leamon’s journey as a designated driver had begun.