Chapter 2 – The First Step to Failure
The sound of metal shutters clanking open echoed across the alley as the other stores in the district slowly came to life.
Chen Rui sat on the stool behind the counter, arms crossed, eyes scanning the small store filled with unsold radios, outdated cassette decks, and a dusty row of black-and-white TVs. He could still hear his father in the backroom, coughing occasionally while doing the morning bookkeeping.
It was a familiar scene.
One he had lived through before.
This time, he wasn't going to wait around for the collapse.
[System Notification]
Mission Unlocked – "Retail Chain Disaster Plan: Phase 1"
Objective: Expand your store chain to 3 locations within 3 months.
Requirement: Overspend on rent, staff, inventory, and marketing.
Reward: +100 Destiny Points and unlock "Business Expansion Module."
Note: The more irrational the spending, the better.
Chen Rui chuckled.
In his last life, his father had saved every penny. When cheaper alternatives existed, they chose them. When rent increased, they downsized. When big retailers offered discounts, they gave up.
But what if someone had burned money instead?
Someone who wanted to lose?
He stood up and walked into the backroom. His father, Chen Jianhua, sat behind the old ledger, thick glasses on, counting a few crumpled receipts.
"Dad," Chen Rui said casually, "Let me handle the store's direction starting today."
His father raised an eyebrow. "You? Don't you have exams in a few months?"
Chen Rui smiled. "Don't worry. I've thought it through. We've been doing the same thing for years. Playing it safe. What if we tried something bold?"
Chen Jianhua blinked. "Like what?"
Chen Rui replied smoothly, "Like opening a second store in West District."
The old man stared at him like he had gone crazy. "What are you talking about? We're barely breaking even here!"
Exactly, barely breaking even. That wouldn't do.
Chen Rui didn't argue further. He simply placed a folder on the table—inside were blueprints for a modern, glass-front store design, a projected budget that showed massive losses in the first three months, and a list of overpriced electronics sourced from second-tier suppliers.
His father flipped through it slowly, confused.
Chen Rui grinned inwardly.
Plan: Overspend on inventory? Check.
Plan: Use flashy but inefficient store design? Check.
Plan: Buy high and sell low? Double check.
"Let me invest the rest of our savings," Chen Rui added. "And I'll bring in someone to help manage it too."
"Who?"
A voice came from the door. "Me."
It was Li Wei, his childhood friend. Quiet, calm, always good with tools and repairs. In his last life, they had drifted apart—but not this time.
"I want to learn how to run a store," Li Wei said simply. "Maybe open one of my own someday."
Chen Rui smiled. Good. He needed people who were loyal, sharp, but didn't question him too much.
Later That Day
Chen Rui walked through West District, found a high-rent location with zero foot traffic, and signed a lease on the spot.
"You're seriously paying this much for a storefront here?" the landlord asked in disbelief.
"Yes. I like the color of the walls."
He paid six months in advance.
System Notification: +10 Destiny Points
Flashback: Last Life
Chen Rui sat alone in a repair stall, greasy hands and empty wallet. News came in over the radio.
"Chen Jianhua's electronics store declares bankruptcy. Property seized by debtors. Owner hospitalized…"
No one helped.
Relatives vanished.
Friends laughed behind their backs.
Only Li Wei had come by quietly with a hot meal.
Back then, he had nothing to offer.
This time, he would burn everything—money, time, and reputation.
All for the chance to do it again, but his way.