The neon glow of the Platinum Boulevard commercial district felt like a different planet. Lin Feng stood under the awning of a flagship boutique, its windows displaying handbags that cost more than his hometown's annual average income. The chill night air did nothing to cool the feverish heat in his veins.
Current System Capital: 5,205.40 RMB.
It was a laughable sum here. A single button on a jacket inside could cost that much. But it wasn't about buying for here. It was about buying from here, for her.
"System," he thought, testing the internal communication. "Clarify Rule 2. How is the multiplier determined?"
[Favorability is a measure of genuine emotional connection. It is measured from the target's subconscious. Base multiplier is 10x for Favorability 60-69. 20x for 70-79. 50x for 80-89. 100x for 90-100. Fluctuations occur in real-time based on target's emotional state.]
So, Su Xiaoyu's 68 gave him a steady 10x. Good. Stable. But to grow faster, he needed higher multipliers. He needed deeper connections. Or… more targets.
A new, terrifying thought emerged. What if he spent on a woman with zero favorability? The rule said 'above 60'. Below that… would it just be a 1x return? A test. He needed a controlled test.
He saw her through the glass. A sales associate. Mid-twenties, severe bun, impeccable makeup that looked more like armor than enhancement. She was rearranging a scarf display with robotic precision. Her name tag read: Zhao Yiwen. Her expression was a masterpiece of polished indifference. Perfect.
Taking a breath that felt like stepping off a cliff, Lin Feng pushed the heavy glass door open. A chime echoed in the hushed, perfumed air.
Every other associate glanced at him—at his faded jeans, his off-brand sneakers, his jacket from two seasons ago—and immediately looked away, dismissing him. All except Zhao Yiwen. Her eyes tracked him with the cold focus of a security camera. She didn't smile. She just waited.
"Can I help you?" Her voice was as warm as a marble countertop.
"I'm looking for a gift," Lin Feng said, forcing his voice to stay level. "A scarf. Something… high quality."
"This section." She gestured with a manicured hand. "Price range from 2,800 to 8,000 RMB."
He could feel her judgment. You cannot afford this. You are wasting my time. A notification glowed in his vision.
New Target Identified: Zhao Yiwen.
Favorability Rating: 15/100 ('Professional Contempt').
Fifteen. Ouch. But it was data. He pointed to a scarf, a soft thing of ivory cashmere. "That one. The price?"
"Four thousand two hundred RMB."
"I'll take it."
For the first time, a crack appeared in her armor. A slight blink. "This one?"
"Yes. Gift-wrapped, please." He pulled out his phone, ready to pay.
The transaction was swift. He watched her face as she processed the payment. The contempt didn't vanish, but it was joined by a sliver of confused curiosity. Who is this kid?
Transaction Logged.
Target: Zhao Yiwen (Favorability Rating: 18/100).
Expenditure: 4,200.00 RMB.
Cashback Multiplier: x1 (Favorability below 60).
Cashback Generated: 4,200.00 RMB.
Funds Transferring… Complete.
Account Balance: 5,205.40 RMB.
He broke even. He spent 4,200 and got 4,200 back. No profit. No loss. But he had a scarf worth 4,200 RMB. And a crucial piece of knowledge: the system prevented loss on non-qualifying targets, but it didn't grant profit. He needed favorability.
Zhao Yiwen handed him the elegantly wrapped box. Her favorability had ticked up to 18. Not from the purchase itself, he realized, but from the slight disruption he caused to her worldview. It wasn't enough.
"Thank you," he said, then added on a wild impulse. "You have excellent taste. It's for my… friend. She has a difficult week. I hope this makes her smile like you just did."
It was a clumsy line. But he wasn't trying to flirt. He was trying to inject humanity into a transactional moment.
Zhao Yiwen stared at him. The polished mask slipped another millimeter. A faint, almost imperceptible softening around the eyes. Surprise. Pity, perhaps. Favorability: 22/100.
Still far from 60. But it moved. Emotional connection. It wasn't about money. It was about the moment around the money.
He left the store, the scarf box in hand. He now had a luxury item and his capital intact. But time was money. Literally. He needed to deploy his capital profitably, immediately.
He walked to a nearby park, found a quiet bench, and opened his phone. Su Xiaoyu's social media was careful, but he knew she was part of the university's volunteer society. They were fundraising for a rural library project. Her latest post was a gentle plea for donations.
Donation Goal: 20,000 RMB. Current: 3,540 RMB.
Perfect. A public donation, for a cause she cared about. It was a gift to the project, but an investment in her goodwill. He navigated to the donation page, linked to her name. He entered the amount.
16,460 RMB.
It was the exact amount needed to hit the goal. He took a sharp breath. This was it. The big leap. He clicked 'Donate'.
The payment processed. For a second, nothing happened. Then, two notifications hit at once.
On his phone: Payment to "Green Seed Volunteer Society – Library Project" confirmed. 16,460.00 RMB.
In his vision, glowing with triumphant blue light:
Transaction Logged.
Target: Su Xiaoyu (Favorability Rating: 73/100 – 'Deeply Moved Friend').
Expenditure: 16,460.00 RMB.
Cashback Multiplier: x20 (Favorability 70-79 Tier Unlocked!).
Cashback Generated: 329,200.00 RMB.
Funds Transferring… Complete.
Account Balance: 334,405.40 RMB.
Lin Feng's world went silent. The park sounds faded. He stared at the number. Three hundred and thirty-four thousand. Four hundred and five yuan. Forty fen.
He had just turned sixteen thousand into over three hundred thousand. In one second. His heart threatened to punch through his ribs. He slumped back on the bench, a hysterical laugh caught in his throat.
His phone buzzed violently. Not a bank alert. A call. Su Xiaoyu.
He answered, bringing the phone to his ear with a trembling hand.
"Lin Feng?" Her voice was choked, breathless. "The… the donation… the project page… it just… was that you?"
"Is the goal met?" he asked softly.
"It's… it's been met! It's been smashed! We… we can build two libraries now! How… why?" She was crying. Quiet, happy tears. "Sixteen thousand… that's… that's impossible for you. What did you do?"
"I told you," he said, the words coming out with a strange calm he didn't feel. "It was an investment. In a good future. Your future."
The line was quiet except for her soft sniffles. Favorability Rating: 76/100.
The multiplier held at 20x. Every yuan he spent on her now would yield twenty in return.
"Thank you," she whispered, the words thick with emotion. "I don't know what to say. No one has ever… thank you."
"Get some rest, Class Monitor. You earned it."
He hung up. He sat in the dark, the glow of his phone illuminating his face—a face transforming from desperate student to something else. A strategist. A hunter.
He had capital. He had a primary target with a high, stable multiplier. But Su Xiaoyu was kind. Her favorability could drop if she thought he was being reckless or foolish. He needed a foundation. A reason for the money.
An idea, audacious and perfect, crystallized. The female CEO. The system said 'spend on women'. What greater expenditure than funding a company, with a woman at the helm? He could pour millions into it. The returns would be astronomical. But he needed the right woman. Someone brilliant, ambitious, and currently… undervalued. Someone whose favorability he could cultivate.
He opened a professional networking app on his phone. Started searching. "Failed startup." "Female founder." "Seeking investment."
His fingers stopped scrolling. A profile.
Name: Jiang Li.
Age: 28.
Status: Founder/CEO of "Nexus Logistics Tech" (Inactive).
Bio: Former VP at a major logistics firm. Left to build an AI-driven supply chain platform. Ran out of seed funding after 18 months. Platform prototype complete. Seeking strategic investor or acquirer.
Photo: Sharp, intelligent eyes. A weary but defiant set to her jaw. Not traditionally glamorous, but radiating a fierce competence.
A failed CEO. A diamond covered in dust. She would be desperate. For funding. For validation. Her starting favorability would be low, but the potential… if he gave her everything she needed…
He didn't have her contact info. But he had something better. He had the address of her defunct company listed on a old press release. It was in the old tech incubator zone across the city.
Lin Feng stood up. The scarf box for Su Xiaoyu was in his hand. The first tangible proof of his new life. He would deliver it tomorrow. But tonight, he had research to do.
As he walked back toward the student district, a familiar, grating laugh echoed from a nearby upscale bar's entrance. He saw them under the flashing sign.
Zhang Wei, with his usual entourage of sycophants. And with him, a beautiful, laughing girl from the finance department. Zhang Wei was waving a bottle of imported liquor, holding court.
Their eyes met across the street. Zhang Wei's smug smile widened. He said something to his friends, who all turned to look. One of them mockingly raised a glass in Lin Feng's direction.
The old Lin Feng would have looked away, his stomach churning with impotent shame.
The new Lin Feng met Zhang Wei's gaze. He didn't smile. He didn't frown. He just looked. As if he were looking at a mildly interesting insect.
Then he glanced at the bar's name, memorized it, and walked on, pulling out his phone. He opened a food delivery app, navigated to the bar's page, and found a menu. He selected the most expensive single-malt whisky they had—12,000 RMB a bottle. He added it to cart.
Delivery address: The bar's address.
Recipient: "Zhang Wei's Table."
Note: "A drink from an old classmate. Enjoy the night. The last one might be on me."
Payment: 12,000 RMB.
He used a newly created, anonymous digital wallet linked to his system funds. He hit 'Order'.
Transaction Logged.
Target: N/A (No eligible female target).
Expenditure: 12,000.00 RMB.
Cashback Multiplier: x1.
Cashback Generated: 12,000.00 RMB.
Net Financial Change: 0.
He didn't gain a single yuan. He spent twelve thousand just to buy a moment of confusion. Just to plant a seed of doubt in Zhang Wei's entitled mind.
Watch the simp, Lin Feng thought, a cold smile finally touching his lips as he vanished into the crowd. Watch him closely. You'll be working for him one day.
He looked at his phone's map, setting a course for the old incubator zone. His next target wasn't a girl. It was a queen. And he was going to buy her a kingdom.