Luo Tian woke to the soft hum of traffic outside and the familiar ding in his head.
> [Good morning, Host. New daily tasks are ready.]
He rubbed his eyes, mumbling, "Morning to you too, walking scam machine. What are we doing today? Complimenting strangers again? Dancing on the street?"
> [Task 1: Pickpocket the wallet of the man in the blue suit outside your apartment.]
[Reward: $500]
That jolted him awake faster than any cup of coffee could.
"Hold up—pickpocket?!" He sat up straight. "System, that's not flirting-with-danger… that's illegal."
> [Host may return the wallet after completion. No harm done.]
"Oh sure, no harm done, except for the part where I get arrested and share a cell with a guy named 'Toothbreaker'."
> [More challenging tasks mean higher rewards. Host is advised to adapt.]
Luo Tian stared at the invisible air above his bed like he could glare the system into being reasonable. "Adapt? This is criminal activity! My face isn't even thick enough for this yet."
Still… he glanced at his cracked phone screen, remembering the $350 sitting in his account from yesterday. Five hundred dollars was more than half his rent. That was one less month of his landlord breathing down his neck.
---
After a solid ten minutes of pacing and muttering about morals, Luo Tian slipped on a hoodie and baseball cap, pulling the brim low.
Outside the apartment building, the man in the blue suit was exactly where the system promised—lean, mid-30s, stylish sunglasses, a briefcase in one hand, phone in the other. And there it was: a fat wallet peeking out from his back pocket like it was begging to be stolen.
"This feels like a trap," Luo Tian whispered.
He crouched near the curb, pretending to tie his shoe, waiting for the man to be distracted by his call.
Now.
With one swift motion, Luo Tian's fingers closed over the wallet and slid it free.
> [Task complete. +$500 credited.]
His heart pounded. Holy crap, I actually did it.
But before he could slip it back, the man turned sharply.
"Hey! What the hell—?!"
Panic hit Luo Tian like a truck. In the most awkward move of his life, he thrust the wallet back into the guy's pocket and blurted, "You dropped this!" before speed-walking away.
Behind him, the man's confused voice floated through the air. "Uh… thanks?"
---
Back inside his apartment, Luo Tian collapsed onto his couch, breathing like he'd just outrun a pack of wolves.
"That's it. I'm going to die of a heart attack before this system kills me legally."
> [Task 2: Enter the jewelry store two blocks away. Convince the clerk to give you a 10% discount without buying anything.]
[Reward: $700]
Luo Tian blinked. "…That's… oddly specific."
> [Creativity will be rewarded.]
---
Two blocks later, Luo Tian stood outside "Golden Glow Jewelers," staring at his reflection in the glass. "Okay, think. This isn't stealing. It's just… annoying someone for money."
The bell above the door jingled as he stepped inside. A middle-aged clerk with neat hair looked up. "Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?"
Luo Tian smiled charmingly. "I was wondering if you offered… loyalty discounts? Y'know, for handsome first-time customers like me?"
The clerk chuckled politely. "I'm afraid not."
"Not even if I buy something really expensive?" Luo Tian leaned on the counter, lowering his voice like they were co-conspirators. "Come on, between you and me… just 10% off. You'd make my day."
The clerk adjusted his glasses. "Sir, we don't give discounts without a purchase."
"Oh, I'm not buying anything today. I just wanted to know if you would give me one."
The clerk's polite smile faltered. "…Sir, that's not how this works."
Luo Tian sighed dramatically. "So you're telling me… if I wanted to buy that diamond necklace for my sick grandmother, you'd refuse to give me a discount… and she'd probably die sad?"
The clerk stared at him. Then, surprisingly, he laughed. "Fine, if you ever buy something here, I'll give you 10% off. Now please, sir, leave before I call security."
> [Task complete. +$700 credited.]
Luo Tian gave a satisfied smirk and sauntered out. "System, I am a genius."
---
By the time he reached home, he barely had time to flop on his bed before the third notification hit.
> [Task 3: Deliver a sealed envelope to the alley behind Red Lantern Bar at 9 p.m. Do not open it.]
[Reward: $1,000]
Luo Tian sat up slowly. "That… sounds sketchy as hell."
> [Host may refuse. But task streak bonuses will reset.]
He chewed his lip. Streak bonuses? The system was dangling more carrots in front of him, and he hated how much it was working.
By 8:45, Luo Tian was standing outside the Red Lantern Bar, clutching a plain white envelope. The alley was dim, the smell of cigarette smoke drifting from the shadows.
A man in a leather jacket emerged. "You got it?"
Luo Tian handed him the envelope, resisting the urge to ask what was inside. The guy gave him a nod and walked away without another word.
> [Task complete. +$1,000 credited.]
The rush of adrenaline left him shaky.
"System," he muttered, heading home, "if tomorrow's tasks involve guns, I'm uninstalling you."
The system's cheerful chime was almost mocking.
> [Tomorrow's challenges will push Host's adaptability even further.]
Luo Tian had no idea if he should be excited… or terrified.