Lu Kai pedaled furiously through the neon-lit streets of Shenzhen, his electric bike humming under the weight of a dozen takeout orders. The humid summer night clung to his skin, and his cheap T-shirt was soaked with sweat. At 22, he was just another faceless delivery driver in a city of millions, chasing meager tips to afford his tiny shared apartment. His phone buzzed relentlessly with new orders, each ping a reminder of his endless grind.
"Lu Kai, move faster! Table 7 at Golden Lotus is complaining!" barked the voice of his supervisor through his earpiece.
"I'm five minutes away!" Lu Kai shouted back, swerving past a Bentley that gleamed under the streetlights. He muttered under his breath, "Rich bastards probably tipped two yuan again."
As he pulled up to the upscale restaurant, a sleek black Rolls-Royce idled at the curb. A man in a tailored suit stepped out, his polished shoes clicking on the pavement. Lu Kai froze. That smug grin, that perfectly styled hair—it was Zhang Wei, his high school classmate who'd always flaunted his family's wealth. The guy who'd once "accidentally" spilled milk tea on Lu Kai's textbooks and laughed it off.
"Well, well, if it isn't the class loser," Zhang Wei sneered, adjusting his Rolex. A stunning woman in a red dress clung to his arm, her eyes barely glancing at Lu Kai. "Still hauling noodles for pocket change? Some things never change."
Lu Kai clenched his fists, his face burning. "Just doing my job, Zhang Wei. Not everyone's born with a silver spoon."
Zhang Wei chuckled, tossing a crumpled five-yuan note at Lu Kai's feet. "Keep the change, delivery boy. Maybe one day you'll afford a real life." The woman giggled, and they sauntered into the restaurant, leaving Lu Kai staring at the crumpled bill in the gutter.
Rage boiled in his chest, but he swallowed it. He had orders to deliver, rent to pay. He picked up the bill, dusted it off, and stuffed it into his pocket. As he turned to grab the takeout bags, a strange sensation washed over him—like a ripple in the air, warm and electric. His vision blurred, and a voice, deep and resonant, echoed in his mind.
"Lu Kai, you have been chosen. The Karma Vault System has awakened."
He stumbled, nearly dropping the bags. "What the—?" He looked around, but the street was empty except for a stray cat eyeing him from an alley. The voice continued, calm and commanding.
"The Karma Vault grants you the power to shape fate through acts of karma. Perform deeds of kindness, and earn Karma Points. Spend them to alter destinies—yours or others'. But beware: every action has a price."
Lu Kai blinked, his heart racing. Was he hallucinating from exhaustion? He shook his head and muttered, "Great, now I'm hearing voices. Maybe I need a hospital."
"This is no illusion,
" the voice said.
"Check your phone."
Hesitantly, he pulled out his cracked Xiaomi phone. The screen flickered, and a sleek, golden interface appeared, like something out of a sci-fi game. At the top, in bold characters, it read:
Karma Vault System
User: Lu Kai
Karma Points: 0
Balance: 0 yuan
Available Tasks: [Initiate First Deed]
Below was a button labeled ""Accept".
Lu Kai's thumb hovered over it. This had to be a prank, right? But something about the interface felt real—too real. Against his better judgment, he tapped Accept.
A new notification popped up:
Task: Perform a small act of kindness within the next hour. Reward: 10 Karma Points, 100 yuan. Penalty for failure: None.
Lu Kai snorted. "Kindness? In this city? People like Zhang Wei don't deserve it." But 100 yuan was half a day's wages. He glanced at the restaurant, where Zhang Wei's laughter echoed through the open door. Maybe this was a chance to prove something—not to Zhang Wei, but to himself.
He delivered the takeout orders, his mind racing. Kindness. What counted as kindness? Giving away his tips? Helping a stranger? As he rode back toward the city center, he spotted an old woman struggling with a heavy bag of groceries near a bus stop. Her back was hunched, and her plastic bag was tearing, oranges rolling onto the pavement.
Lu Kai slowed his bike. He could keep going—ignore her, finish his shift. But the system's words echoed in his head. He sighed, parked his bike, and jogged over. "Auntie, let me help you."
The woman looked up, startled, her wrinkled face softening. "Oh, young man, you don't have to—"
"It's no trouble." Lu Kai gathered the scattered oranges and carried her bag to the bus stop, setting it gently beside her. She smiled, patting his hand.
"You're a good boy. Not many like you these days."
As he walked back to his bike, his phone vibrated. The golden interface reappeared:
Task Completed: Small Act of Kindness
Reward: 10 Karma Points, 100 yuan
New Balance: 10 Karma Points, 100 yuan (transferred to your WeChat Pay)
Lu Kai's jaw dropped. He opened his WeChat Pay app, and sure enough, 100 yuan had appeared in his account, timestamped seconds ago. No sender, no explanation—just cold, hard cash. He stared at the screen, then at the old woman boarding her bus. This was real.
The interface updated again:
Karma Vault Options Unlocked
**Spend 10 Karma Points to:
1. Boost Luck (Minor): Increase your chance of a fortunate event today.
2. Curse of Misfortune (Minor): Cause a small inconvenience to a target of your choice.
3. Skill Unlock: Gain a temporary boost in a specific skill (e.g., charm, strength).**
Lu Kai's eyes narrowed at the second option. Zhang Wei's smug face flashed in his mind. A small inconvenience, huh? Tempting. But he hesitated. The system's warning about a "price" lingered. What did that mean? A backlash? A debt? He wasn't sure he wanted to find out just yet.
As he climbed back onto his bike, his phone buzzed with a new order. The address was a high-end KTV lounge in Nanshan District—another haunt for rich kids like Zhang Wei. Lu Kai grinned. Maybe this system was his ticket out of this dead-end life. But he'd play it smart. No reckless curses, no blind kindness. He'd use this Karma Vault to climb to the top, one deed at a time.
The neon lights of Shenzhen stretched before him, a city of dreams and debts. Lu Kai revved his bike and sped into the night, ready to test the limits of his new power.