Lin Feng stared at the radiant blue screen hovering in front of him. The gentle hum of his retro ceiling fan and the muffled sounds in the dormitory corridor faded into the background.
[Mission Completed: Earn ¥500 Within Seven Days.]
[Reward: Investment System Unlocked.]
His own breath was frozen in his throat.
Investment System?
The login bonus on a daily basis had already given him a hint of what the system could do, and the system of missions had been a systematic way of accelerating his progress. But this—this was something else.
It wasn't freebies. This was a way of doubling funds.
No sooner did the notification vanish than a new screen appeared in front of his eyes.
[Investment System]
Available Balance: ¥530
Investment Options:
Stocks – Sell and purchase real company shares.
Small Business Opportunities – Invest in small local enterprises.
Property Shares – Partial ownership of real property.
Note: Increased investment options will become accessible as the host becomes more experienced.
Lin Feng's fingers trembled. This… this was powerful.
If he played his cards right, this could be his way out of poverty.
But he also knew to never act on impulse. Greed was dangerous.
He sat up and took a deep breath. His mind quickly went through the situation.
Step One: Understanding the System
He initially tapped on the "Stocks" section. A minimalistic stock market interface came up with various company names and their respective prices.
[Stock Market Overview]
Tencent Holdings (0700.HK) – ¥315.4 per share
Alibaba Group (9988.HK) – ¥85.6 per share
BYD Auto (1211.HK) – ¥223.8 per share
Ping An Insurance (2318.HK) – ¥46.2 per share
Lin Feng frowned. He only had ¥530. If he invested now, he could barely buy one or two shares at most.
Not worth it.
He needed more money before even thinking about stocks.
Step Two: Considering Small Businesses
The second choice was investing in small businesses.
Tapping on the department, he saw ads of various local companies seeking investments. Most required at least ¥500 to ¥1,000.
One of them caught his eye.
[Local Milk Tea Shop Expansion]
Minimum Investment Required: ¥500
Monthly Return Anticipated: 8-12%
Lin Feng's heart pounded.
This was the type of opportunity he had dreamed of—investing in actual businesses instead of hoarding every penny.
But at the same time, if this flopped and failed, he would end up with barely anything.
Was he brave enough to take the risk?
He breathed slowly, closing his eyes for a split second.
No.
He had just started making money. If he lost all at once, he'd have to start all over again. He needed a buffer first.
Instead of investing outright, he decided to resort to what he was accustomed to: hustling.
For now, he would continue making money through tutoring, build more capital, and only invest if he really was ready.
Growth of the Business
The ensuing days were a blur of work.
Lin Feng continued to take on tutoring and essay-writing work, being discerning in his clients and raising his prices as the business picked up.
He used to charge ¥100 per paper—now, he was charging some students ¥200-¥250 per paper.
Some better-off students even started coming to him on their own, having heard from their classmates that he was reliable.
At night, he barely got any sleep.
Daytime, he juggled work at the café, classes, and writing assignments.
By the end of the week, he checked his earnings:
Essay 4 – ¥150
Essay 5 – ¥200
Essay 6 – ¥250
Café shifts – ¥240 (16 hours worked)
Total: ¥1,370
The First Investment
With over ¥1,300 in hand, Lin Feng felt comfortable enough to experiment with the Investment System.
He opened the interface, scrolled back to the listing for Milk Tea Shop Expansion, and tapped Invest.
[Investment Confirmed]
-¥500
Projected Monthly Return: 10% (Estimated: ¥50 per month)
It wasn't much, but it was a start.
For the first time in his life, his money was working for him.
And this was only the beginning.
The First Face-Slapping Moment
Lin Feng's progress hadn't gone unnoticed.
One afternoon, as he was leaving the library, he bumped into Zhang Hao.
Zhang Hao, the rich bully who had bullied him on the first day of school, stood beside his luxury car smirking.
"Ah, well, if it's not the peasant," Zhang Hao taunted. "Still subsisting on instant noodles?"
Lin Feng did not bother to respond. He just walked away from him.
Zhang Hao, irritated by the lack of reaction, clicked his tongue. "I heard from Zhao Lei that you're writing essays for money now. What's next? Washing people's shoes?"
His friends laughed.
Lin Feng stopped. He turned around, his expression calm.
"I overheard Zhao Lei say to me that you failed your last exam. If you studied harder and didn't act like such an idiot, you wouldn't have to use your father's money for everything."
The laughter ceased abruptly.
Zhang Hao's face went black. "What did you say?"
Lin Feng smiled faintly. "Nothing. Just that some of us work for our money instead of being handed it."
For the first time, Zhang Hao had no comeback.
The Road Ahead
Lin Feng knew that this was only the beginning. He still had to go long before he could stand firm at the top.
But for the first time in years, he felt master of his fate.
No longer managing to survive.
Now, constructing.
And nobody would ever again be able to look down upon him.