Whispers of late-night chats wafted through the dorm window. In the city outside, energy coursed through the night—cars honking, students returning from late-night study sessions, deliverymen scurrying orders to cramped apartment complexes.
Lin Feng slumped against his desk, staring at the screen on his phone. The mobile banking app on his phone showed ¥4,600—the sum total of his proceeds from the sale of the laptop and the system reward.
It wasn't fortune. It wasn't even enough to leave him feeling safe. But it was more money than he'd ever had in his hands alone.
The temptation to breathe a little easier was there—to spend a little on himself, maybe buy new clothes or eat a real meal at a restaurant rather than the low-grade cafeteria food. That thought vanished nearly as quickly as it had appeared.
Money spent, money lost.
Lin Feng was not just fighting to survive. He wanted to change his life. And to change his life, he had to shift from being a poor student in mentality to thinking like an investor.
He opened his finance app and began browsing stocks.
The market was a confusing beast. Lines on lines of graphs rising and falling, lists of companies he'd barely ever even heard of, jargon-studded news accounts talking about liquidity ratios and market corrections.
He wasn't stupid—he understood the stock market wasn't something he could simply jump into headfirst. For now, he bookmarked a few articles and tracked some prominent companies on some alerting programs. If he couldn't invest yet, he could at least try to learn something.
But he still needed something urgently.
That was when the system beeped.
[New Passive Quest: A Small Businessman's Vision]
Objective: Find and invest in a small business venture.
Reward: ¥1,000 (if investment is profitable).
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed.
A small business investment?
That meant he wasn't shopping for stocks or real estate—he wanted something local, physical, and room for growth.
He opened a student marketplace forum, browsing threads.
Most were students offering services—freelance tutoring, graphic design services, reselling used sneakers. Good side hustles, but not investments. He was looking for something scalable.
As he prepared to close out the page, a post caught his eye.
[Partner Wanted: Expansion of Small Campus Café]
???????? Owner: Wu Kai (Third-year business major)
???? Business: Coffee stand near East Campus Gate
???? Objective: Expand delivery and menu services
???? Looking for: Small investors, ¥3,000 minimum
Lin Feng read the post twice.
A campus café?
As opposed to tutoring or re-selling, a café was not a short-term hustle. It was an actual business. Something that would bring him passive income without him having to work every single day.
More importantly, students drank coffee all the time.
If Wu Kai's café was already doing well, expansion could mean a steady source of profit.
Lin Feng checked the time. It was already past nine, but the café was still open. Without hesitation, he grabbed his jacket and left.
The Café at East Campus Gate
The outside air was chilly, with a dash of chill creeping into it as autumn had started. Lin Feng walked swiftly, already computing in his mind possible risks and benefits.
Cafés were profitable, but suppose there was so much competition?
Would Wu Kai really be able to run the business well, or was this a cash grab of desperation?
Was the return on investment justifiable?
He would know soon enough.
When Lin Feng walked up to East Campus Gate, he noticed the café at once.
It wasn't really a shop but rather a neat stall with a large umbrella and neatly arranged chairs. But even then, some students were gathered there, chatting as they waited for their drinks.
In the rear, there was a well-coiffed young man with sharp, attentive eyes working quickly—making coffee, handling payments, and chatting with customers in between.
Lin Feng watched for a while.
Wu Kai was not just running a stand. He was running it effectively.
Every movement was precise—he ground the beans while waiting for one order to perk, made the next cup while handing off a finished one, barely losing time.
But more significantly, customers seemed to like him. They weren't here for the coffee alone. They were here for the experience.
This was a good sign.
Lin Feng waited until the line had thinned before he went up to the counter.
Wu Kai wiped his hands on a towel and looked up. "You're here about the investment?"
"Yeah," Lin Feng replied.
Wu Kai gestured to an empty chair. "Alright. Let's talk business."
The Investment Breakdown
Wu Kai pulled out a small notebook, flipping through pages filled with handwritten notes.
"I started doing this stand a year ago," he said. "I just started playing around at first. But then after a couple of months, I realized there was genuine demand. The students require decent coffee, but the shops that are on campus are very pricey."
Lin Feng nodded. The standard price for coffee among big chains such as Luckin Coffee or Starbucks was between ¥25–30 per cup.
Wu Kai nodded to his menu.
"My cheapest coffee is ¥12, most expensive is ¥18. Still fairly affordable, but much higher quality than convenience store instant coffee."
"How much money do you make per day?" Lin Feng asked.
"On a good day, ¥800 to ¥1,000 in profit. After expenses, I'm left with around ¥8,000 a month."
Lin Feng did some rapid calculations. That was better wages than many part-time jobs.
"So why do you need an investor?"
Wu Kai slouched forward. "I have to increase. The university sanctioned a bigger stall space for me. If I invest in better equipment and offer sandwiches and pastries, I can increase my clientele."
"How much do you want?"
"¥8,000 at least, but I'd prefer to share it with investors. If you put in ¥3,000, I'll give you 5% of monthly profits."
Lin Feng tapped his fingers on the table.
This was a long-term play.
Unlike flipping laptops, he wouldn't see an instant return. But if the café grew, this could become passive income.
More importantly, Wu Kai seemed serious and competent.
Lin Feng made his decision.
"¥3,000," he said. "I'm in."
Wu Kai grinned and extended his hand. "Welcome to the business."
Lin Feng shook his hand.
As he walked back to his dorm, he checked his system.
[Quest Completed: A Small Businessman's Vision]
✅ Task: Invest in and find a small business venture.
Reward: ¥1,000 added to balance.
His total funds were once more ¥2,600.
Still, this was not a loss.
This was only the start towards something bigger.
Not just selling things for a quick profit—but building real financial momentum.
For the first time, he knew it for sure—
The road to wealth was not just an illusion anymore. It was real.
And he had just taken his first step forward.