Morning came with a gray, overcast sky hanging over the city like a warning.
Shen Fu sat on the edge of a public fountain, shivering slightly as a breeze cut through his damp clothes. His back ached, his eyes were burning from lack of sleep, and his shoes were barely holding together.
But none of that mattered now.
He had done the impossible—earned over ¥1,000 in two days.
And the system had just dropped a new mission on him.
New Mission: Register a Legitimate Business Within 72 Hours
Reward: Business Starter Pack + Passive Income Module
Time Remaining: 71:42:31
Shen Fu stared at the screen with mixed emotions. Business registration?
He barely had money to eat, and now he was supposed to go legal?
Still, the reward was tempting. Passive income meant money without hustle. And if the system said it could help, maybe it was time to move beyond the street corner.
He opened his system dashboard again.
¥1,002 earned
¥500 system credit available
Skills:
• Appraisal (Lv. 2)
• Negotiator (Lv. 1)
Titles: Urban Hustler
New Feature: Skill Tree Unlocked
Shen tapped on the Skill Tree icon.
A glowing blueprint unfolded in his vision like a digital scroll. Multiple branches appeared—Street Skills, Business, Finance, Networking, Investments…
Most of them were greyed out.
But two under "Business" were blinking.
• Street Vendor's License Guide (Free)
• Business Registration Walkthrough (Unlock: ¥200 SC)
He didn't hesitate. He tapped both.
The first one gave him a simple, city-specific PDF file on getting a vendor permit.
The second uploaded a full walkthrough of the business registration process in Shanghai, including fees, office locations, forms to download, and crucially—which ones to fake until you can afford the real thing.
He grinned. This system didn't play fair.
At 10:23 a.m., Shen Fu walked into the District Market Administration Office with a borrowed shirt, freshly combed hair, and the confidence of a man being carried by an invisible cheat code.
The office was plain: beige walls, flickering lights, a bored-looking officer behind the front desk.
Shen approached her with a polite nod.
"I'd like to register a small-scale business," he said.
She barely looked up. "Business name?
He paused. Then smirked.
"Fu Empire Services."
Her fingers clicked across the keyboard. "Nature of business?"
Shen Fu thought quickly. He wanted something flexible. Something that wouldn't limit him later.
"General trade. Electronics, food, and street retail. Mostly online and mobile sales."
She raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "You'll need a name certificate, personal ID, address confirmation, and business activity statement. The fee is ¥280." Shen handed her the money from his pocket—leaving him with just ¥222 left.
The system buzzed quietly:
[Mission Progress: 40%]
Task: Name Reserved – Completed
Task: Application Submission – In Progress
Time Remaining: 66:02:04
The woman printed out some forms. "We'll contact you in 48 hours. If there are no issues, you'll be issued a temporary operating certificate."
He left the building with light feet and a pounding heart.
It wasn't done yet. But he'd started it.
Legally. And that scared him more than the system ever did.
That night, Shen found a dingy hostel that charged ¥20 a night for a bed. No pillow. Shared room. But at least it had a roof.
He sat on the mattress with his phone in hand, browsing local groups on WeChat and Xianyu. The system kept highlighting profitable keywords: Liquidation Sales. Clearance. A lot of Used Electronics. Old Stock. Giveaway.
At 11 p.m., a notification pinged.
A man was giving away "broken" Bluetooth earbuds in bulk—around 200 pieces. No price listed. Shen messaged instantly.
The guy replied in two minutes:
Liu Jie: Just come and take it. The warehouse is being cleared out. I'm done selling junk.
Location: Baoshan District.
Shen grabbed his jacket.
By 1 a.m., he was standing in front of a crumbling warehouse, barely lit by a streetlamp.
A heavyset man in slippers waved him in. "You Shen?"
"Yeah."
"No returns, no complaints. Take the whole box."
Shen opened the dusty carton. Inside were tangled wires, crushed packaging, but a real product.
The system activated.
Appraisal Activated
Item: 3rd Gen Bluetooth Earbuds (Refurbishable)
Condition: Mixed
Resale Potential (after fix): ¥20–50 per pair
Units in box: 187
Hidden Value: High
Suggested Action: Repair & Bundle with Cheap Charger for Bonus Sales
Shen Fu bowed. "Thank you, sir."
"Eh, take it and go."
He carried the box like it held gold.
Because it did.
[Optional Bonus Triggered: Hustle Bonus Chain]
Task: Earn ¥2,000 before business approval
Reward: Unlock "Fixer" Passive Skill + 1 Inventory Slot
Shen Fu grinned.
This wasn't just a hustle anymore. This was war.
And he was done losing.