The Coffee That Made Me Rich

The morning sun was barely peeking over the high-rises of Yunhai City, but the traffic already screamed chaos. Lu Yu sat hunched in his beat-up car, fingers gripping the steering wheel like he was trying to hold his life together. “Ang tagal naman ng traffic,” he muttered under his breath, kicking the gas pedal half-heartedly. The honking horns, the constant weaving scooters, the impatient shouting—he felt like the city itself was conspiring against him. His phone vibrated on the passenger seat. Glancing at it, he saw the time: 7:58 AM. His office’s lobby closed at 8:00 sharp. That meant two minutes. Two minutes to make it or… well, who even wanted to think about what happened if he didn’t? “Okay, okay… breathe, Lu Yu. Kaya mo ‘to,” he said, trying to psych himself up. He wasn’t really sure if it was encouragement or just a way to stop hyperventilating. By some miracle—or maybe sheer desperation—he squeezed through a gap in traffic, narrowly missing a scooter that probably belonged in a stunt show. He parked in the last available spot and bolted out, hair sticking out in every direction, suit wrinkled, briefcase swinging dangerously. Panting, he reached the glass doors of the building and thought, Yes… made it. Still in time. Then reality hit him like a truck. “Lu Yu, you’re fired.” The HR lady didn’t even look up. She sounded like she was describing the weather rather than ending someone’s livelihood. “What… wait… what? Fired? Why?!” His voice cracked halfway, a mix of panic and disbelief. “Company restructuring. Your position… eliminated. Documents on your desk.” He froze. Five years. Five freaking years of work, overtime, sacrifices… and just like that? He felt like the world had decided to play a cruel joke. Around him, his colleagues avoided eye contact. A few glanced with pity, while the rest just looked like the building’s air-conditioning was more interesting than human drama. Typical. People love watching someone fail but never care about the grind. He took the papers, sliding into the nearest chair like a deflated balloon. Rent was due next week. Utilities. Groceries. Life. He had no idea how he’d survive. He stepped outside into the street, letting the noise of the city wash over him. Sige, deep breath. One thing at a time. And that’s when his phone buzzed. Weird notification. “System Binding Complete. Congratulations, User: Lu Yu. You have been granted the ‘Shenhao Consumption System.’” Lu Yu blinked. Shen… what? He tapped the notification, half expecting a scam website to open. Nothing. Just a blinking message on his screen. And then a voice, clear as day, rang inside his head: “Welcome, Lu Yu! Every time you spend money, you will receive rewards of equity in various companies. Your goal: become the wealthiest human in the world.” Lu Yu stared. I must be dreaming. Or dead. Definitely dead. “This… can’t be real.” He laughed nervously. Half to himself, half hoping someone was filming. “Current balance: 0 yuan. Next reward milestone: spend 3 yuan to receive 80% ownership of Tianmao Building,” the voice continued. Eighty percent? Lu Yu laughed again, louder this time, trying to make sense of it. “Okay… fine. Let’s see what happens if I buy… a coffee. Yeah, a coffee.” Minutes later, he found himself in a small corner store. Fine, 3 yuan. Just a coffee. He handed over the coins, fully expecting… nothing. His phone buzzed. Bright notification. “Congratulations, Lu Yu! You now own 80% of Tianmao Building. Current net worth: 3 billion yuan.” Lu Yu stared at the screen, mouth slightly open. The coffee slipped from his hand, hitting the floor. People in line stared, some whispering, some clearly worried. I… own a building now? His brain refused to process it. He grabbed his phone again, checking. Maybe it was a glitch. Maybe he hit the jackpot of a lifetime, but… he didn’t even buy stocks, he bought coffee. “Wait… this is insane. Totally insane,” he muttered. His inner monologue sounded like someone losing their mind slowly. The voice in his head, unbothered by his panic, continued explaining how the system worked: “Every purchase grants you equity in companies. Spend 10 yuan—receive 70% of Xiangjiang Hotel. Spend 50 yuan—receive 60% of Qingshan Hospital. You may also receive random rare bonuses from special events.” Lu Yu dropped into a chair, head in his hands. So… I’m basically a billionaire for buying things I don’t even need? He thought about rent. Do I… buy toilet paper? Snacks? Oh god, the possibilities… Across the street, someone noticed his reaction and whispered to a friend: “That guy looks… crazy.” Lu Yu shrugged. Let them think what they wanted. The first thing he decided to do was… not spend recklessly. He needed to figure this out. If I just start buying random junk, I might accidentally buy an island or something. Still, curiosity gnawed at him. He wandered into a mall, scanning his phone. A small candy store caught his eye. 5 yuan for a chocolate bar. Simple. Safe. “Okay, chocolate bar. Let’s see what happens.” Handing over the coins, he felt the familiar buzz on his phone. Notification incoming… “Congratulations, Lu Yu! You now own 70% of Xiangjiang Hotel. Current net worth: 8 billion yuan.” He staggered backward. Eight billion. From… chocolate. Lu Yu’s knees nearly gave out. Someone behind him yelped as he accidentally knocked over a display of gum packets. “Sir! Watch out!” “Sorry! Totally… just… celebrating a little,” he mumbled, still staring at his phone. By now, a small crowd had gathered, half fascinated, half confused. Someone muttered: “Is he… rich?” He muttered back, not even realizing he said it out loud: “Rich? I think I might own the world already…” By the time he left the mall, he had accidentally acquired a hospital and a hotel chain just from buying snacks and a bottle of water. Lu Yu felt like a lunatic. Or a god. Or… a lunatic god. Sitting on a bench outside, head spinning, he tried to organize his thoughts. He had three big problems: He had no clue how to manage wealth this insane. He had no idea how to explain this to anyone. He desperately needed coffee. Lu Yu sighed, rubbing his temples. Okay, new life. Weird, insane, terrifying new life. But… maybe… fun? Somewhere deep in the city, the traffic roared on. People went about their ordinary, boring lives. But Lu Yu’s life had officially gone off the charts. And it all started with one tiny, ordinary cup of coffee. He looked at the cup in his hand, half empty, half sacred. I guess… this is it. My life is officially insane. A notification buzzed again: “Next milestone: spend 100 yuan to unlock rare bonus. Do you wish to proceed?” Lu Yu groaned. Why do I feel like I’m about to break the universe? Then, with a wry grin, he muttered: “Sige na… let’s see how crazy this world can get.” And somewhere, unseen, the city of Yunhai trembled slightly… because its newest billionaire had officially begun his reign.