Ten Thousand Yuan
1826 Words
Chen Wei sat in a 24-hour internet cafe, staring at the computer screen. His body still ached, but Enhanced Recovery was working. Bruises faded faster than they should. Cuts sealed themselves overnight.
He had ten thousand yuan from the System. Not enough to fight Chen Feng directly. But enough to start.
The System inventory worked like a mental storage space. Chen Wei focused and a translucent interface appeared showing his currency. He could withdraw it to his hand or transfer it digitally. Convenient.
First problem: he had no bank account. Chen Wei's old accounts were frozen five years ago when the family destroyed him. Opening a new one required identification, proof of address, employment records. Things he did not have.
Second problem: he needed income. Ten thousand would not last long in Donghai City.
He opened a search browser and typed: high return investments short term.
Business Sense (Basic) activated automatically. Information filtered through his mind. Stock patterns. Market trends. Risk assessment. The skill was not making him an expert, but it sharpened his natural intelligence.
Chen Wei spent three hours researching. His new attributes made learning faster. Details stuck in his memory perfectly. Connections formed between concepts that would have taken him days to understand before.
A notification appeared.
DAILY QUEST UNLOCKED
Quest: Foundation Building
Objective: Establish sustainable income source within 7 days
Reward: Business Sense (Intermediate), 5,000 Yuan bonus
Failure: No penalty, but progress will be slower
Timer: 6 days, 21 hours remaining
Chen Wei leaned back. Seven days to create income from nothing. The System was pushing him to move fast.
His stomach growled. He had not eaten in over a day. Chen Wei left the cafe and found a small restaurant. Rice, vegetables, and pork cost him forty yuan. The food tasted better than anything he remembered.
While eating, he activated Observe on the other customers. Most showed as ordinary—construction workers, taxi drivers, shop owners. But one man in the corner caught his attention.
Target: Unknown Male
Age: approximately 55
Occupation: Probable small business owner
Status: Frustrated, financial stress detected
Threat Level: None
The man was reading a newspaper, circling classified ads with angry strokes of his pen. Chen Wei watched him for a moment, then stood and approached.
"Excuse me. I could not help noticing you seem to be having difficulties."
The man looked up, suspicious. "Who are you?"
"Someone who might be able to help. What are you looking for?"
The man studied Chen Wei. Saw the worn clothes, the fading bruises. His expression softened slightly. "My restaurant needs a dishwasher. Third one quit this month. Nobody wants the job anymore. Too much work, not enough pay."
Chen Wei activated Observe on the man again.
Target: Liu Dacheng
Occupation: Restaurant Owner (Golden Fortune Restaurant)
Financial Status: Struggling, high turnover, poor management
Opportunity Detected: Low
Not what Chen Wei needed. He was about to decline politely when the System chimed.
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITY DETECTED
Liu Dacheng's restaurant has potential
Current problems: inefficient kitchen workflow, poor supplier contracts, no marketing
Solution difficulty: Low
Potential return: Moderate
Recommended action: Offer consulting services
Chen Wei paused. A restaurant was small scale, but it was real business. A place to practice his new skills.
"I am not looking for a dishwashing job," Chen Wei said. "But I might be able to help your restaurant become more profitable."
Liu Dacheng laughed. "You? Kid, you look like you sleep on the streets."
"I do. But I have business training." Not a complete lie. Chen Wei had studied under his father for two years before the exile. "Give me three days. If I cannot improve your profit margin by at least twenty percent, you pay me nothing."
"And if you succeed?"
"Ten percent of the increased profits for three months."
Liu Dacheng's eyes narrowed. He was desperate enough to consider it. "Three days. But you work in the kitchen while you figure things out. I still need a dishwasher."
Quest progress updated
Potential income source identified
Prove your value to gain foothold
Chen Wei nodded. "Deal."
Golden Fortune Restaurant was exactly what Chen Wei expected. Small, cramped, struggling to compete with newer establishments. The kitchen was chaos. Three cooks argued over preparation methods. Ingredients piled in disorganized heaps. The workflow made no sense.
Chen Wei spent the first day washing dishes and observing. His Observe skill worked overtime, analyzing everything.
Kitchen Efficiency: 34%
Primary Issues:
- Ingredient preparation redundant across stations
- Cook #2 spends 40% of time searching for items
- Ordering system causes bottlenecks during rush hours
- Menu too large for kitchen capacity
Food Quality: Acceptable but inconsistent
Cost Management: Poor - supplier prices 15-30% above market rate
Liu Dacheng was getting robbed by his suppliers and did not even know it.
On the second day, Chen Wei approached Liu with a proposal.
"Your suppliers are overcharging you. I checked market rates. You are paying fifteen to thirty percent more than you should for vegetables, rice, and cooking oil."
Liu Dacheng frowned. "Old Wang has supplied me for ten years."
"Old Wang is stealing from you for ten years. Here are the numbers."
Chen Wei showed him the breakdown. Business Sense skill provided exact calculations. Liu's face darkened as he read.
"That bastard."
"Fire him. I found three other suppliers who will give better rates and guarantee quality. The contracts are ready. You just need to sign."
Liu stared at him. "You did this in one day?"
"I had time between dishes."
The old man laughed despite himself. "What else?"
"Your menu is too large. You have forty-seven items. Your kitchen can handle maybe twenty-five efficiently. Cut the underperformers. Focus on what you do best. Speed improves, quality improves, waste decreases."
"Which items do I cut?"
Chen Wei handed him a list. He had tracked every order for two days, calculated profit margins and preparation time for each dish.
"These fifteen dishes account for sixty percent of orders and seventy percent of profit. These twelve are moderately popular. Everything else is dead weight."
Liu Dacheng studied the numbers for a long time. Then he nodded. "Alright. We try it your way."
Changes implemented within 24 hours. New suppliers started deliveries. The menu was slashed. Chen Wei reorganized the kitchen workflow, positioning ingredients and tools for maximum efficiency.
The cooks complained at first. Then they realized their jobs became easier. Rush hour stopped being a nightmare. Food quality improved. Tips increased.
On the third day, Liu Dacheng checked his receipts.
"Twenty-eight percent increase," he said quietly. "In three days."
Chen Wei nodded. "It will stabilize around twenty to twenty-five percent over the next week. Customers will notice the quality improvement. Word spreads."
Liu looked at him with new respect. "Who are you really? Where did you learn this?"
"I had a good teacher once." Chen Wei's expression hardened. "Before someone took everything from me."
The old man did not press. "Your ten percent of the increased profit. Based on this week, that will be about fifteen hundred yuan per month."
It was not much. But it was legitimate income. A foundation.
"I will take it."
"You want the job permanently? I could use someone like you."
Chen Wei shook his head. "I have other plans. But I will consult for three months as we agreed."
QUEST COMPLETE: Foundation Building
Rewards:
- Business Sense (Intermediate)
- 5,000 Yuan bonus
- Title: Problem Solver (Effect: +2 Intelligence when analyzing business situations)
New knowledge flooded into Chen Wei's mind. Business Sense (Intermediate) was not just about numbers anymore. It was about reading people, predicting market trends, seeing opportunities others missed.
He checked his status.
CURRENT ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 9
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 12 (+2 from title when active)
Constitution: 9
Charisma: 4
Combat Ability: 6
His intelligence now exceeded normal human limits when he focused on business problems. Good. He would need every advantage against Chen Feng.
Chen Wei left the restaurant that evening with his first legitimate payment in five years. Liu Dacheng had insisted on paying a week in advance. Three hundred yuan cash.
Combined with his System currency, he now had fifteen thousand three hundred yuan. Still not much. But more than yesterday.
He was walking through the business district when he saw the building.
Chen Group Tower. Sixty-eight floors of glass and steel dominating the Donghai skyline. His father's company. His birthright. The empire Chen Feng stole.
Chen Wei stood on the sidewalk and stared up at it. Observe activated automatically.
Chen Group Headquarters
Current Market Value: 8.7 Billion Yuan
Primary Holdings: Real estate, manufacturing, import/export, technology
Current Chairman: Chen Zhentian (your father)
Current CEO: Chen Feng (your cousin)
Security Level: Extreme
Notable: Annual shareholders meeting scheduled in 47 days
Forty-seven days. Every year, the company held a meeting where major decisions were announced. Family members attended. Business partners. Investors.
Chen Wei smiled slowly.
Forty-seven days to become someone they could not ignore.
He was about to leave when a woman exited the building. Mid-twenties, professional attire, carrying a tablet and looking exhausted. She walked quickly, heels clicking on pavement.
Chen Wei activated Observe out of curiosity.
Target: Xiao Ru
Age: 24
Occupation: Junior analyst, Chen Group strategic planning division
Status: Overworked, underpaid, unappreciated
Threat Level: None
Notable: High intelligence, strong work ethic, frustrated with current position
She walked past him without a glance. Just another nobody on the street.
But the System highlighted her profile in gold.
SPECIAL NOTICE
Fate's Notice activated
This individual's path intersects with yours
Significance level: HIGH
Recommended action: Establish connection
Chen Wei turned and watched her disappear into the evening crowd. The System had never marked anyone as significant before.
He made a mental note of her name. Xiao Ru. Junior analyst.
His phone buzzed. Chen Wei frowned. He did not have a phone. Then he realized—the System could interface with nearby devices.
A message appeared in his vision.
URGENT ALERT
Chen Feng will be attending a business networking event tomorrow evening
Location: Dragon Palace Hotel, 7 PM
Attendees: Mid-level business owners, potential investors
Security: Moderate
Opportunity: HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD
This is your chance to enter his world
Will you take it?
NEW QUEST AVAILABLE: First Contact
Objective: Attend the networking event and make an impression
Reward: Negotiation (Intermediate), Charisma +2, ?
Failure: Possible exposure, physical danger
Accept? YES/NO
Chen Wei stared at the message. Tomorrow. Less than twenty-four hours to prepare.
He would be in the same room as Chen Feng for the first time in five years.
His cousin would not recognize him. Five years of hell had changed his face. Made him harder, leaner, older.
But could he stand there calmly while the man who destroyed his life shook hands with investors? Could he play the role without his rage showing?
Chen Wei thought about his mother. About his father's silence. About Lin Yue's betrayal. About sleeping in gutters while Chen Feng lived in luxury.
He selected YES.
Time to meet his enemy.
- Writer
