The morning sun was bright, almost too bright for someone who had just discovered the impossible.
Liang Chen sat at the small campus café, sipping a watery cup of instant coffee he'd bought with loose change. His phone rested on the table, the faint golden glow of the Business Simulation System pulsing like a heartbeat.
He still couldn't believe it. Real money. Real skills. And all from playing what was supposed to be a boring coursework app.
His bank balance—previously a pitiful double-digit figure—now displayed ¥688, courtesy of his virtual lemonade stand. His head buzzed with new knowledge about accounting and HR, skills that felt as natural as breathing.
For once, he wasn't just the broke kid with hand-me-down sneakers. He was holding something more valuable than money—an edge.
He pulled a notebook from his bag. His handwriting scratched across the page as he scribbled plans.
If the system gives money and skills…
What happens if I run bigger businesses in the game?
Can I bring assets from the simulation into reality?
His fingers itched. He wanted to experiment right now.
"Liang Chen?"
A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Liu Yuyan, president of the Student Economics Club, standing by his table. Her black hair was tied neatly into a ponytail, and she carried herself with the confidence of someone used to being in charge.
"Morning," she said, giving him a polite smile. "Professor Zhang asked me to remind the class leaders to help everyone get started with the Virtual Business Empire project. How are you finding it so far?"
Liang Chen's pulse quickened. Of course, he couldn't just blurt out I'm literally making real money from it. He forced a casual shrug.
"It's… interesting," he said.
"Good." She placed a stack of flyers on the nearby table for other students. "A lot of people are treating it like a joke. But I think there's value in it, if you take it seriously."
Her words lingered in his mind. If only she knew just how valuable it really was.
That night, Liang Chen sat cross-legged on his dorm bed, phone in hand. His roommates were out again—probably burning through their allowance at some nightclub.
The system interface shimmered before his eyes.
[Current Balance: $100][Skills: Accounting Lv.1, Human Resources Lv.1]
A new mission blinked at the top:
[Mission: Expand your operations beyond a lemonade stand.]Reward: $500 + [Marketing Lv.1]
Liang Chen's lips curved into a smile.
"Let's see what you've got for me."
He tapped through the menus. With his $100 starting funds, he bought virtual equipment for a small street food stall. Noodles, skewers, fried rice—the options scrolled endlessly. He chose skewers, recalling the smell of grilled meat wafting through the city night markets.
He set prices, adjusted ingredient costs, and launched the stall. The screen fast-forwarded. Customers appeared as little animated figures, lining up with glowing satisfaction icons over their heads.
Profits rolled in. His balance grew.
Mission Complete!Reward Granted: $500 + [Marketing Lv.1]
His phone vibrated. Another banking notification appeared. Balance: +¥3,438.00
And in his mind, new knowledge sparked to life—principles of advertising, target demographics, slogans, and visual branding. He could suddenly recall dozens of clever campaigns from memory, dissecting why they worked.
He grinned. "Unbelievable."
The next day, Liang Chen put his newfound skills to a small test. The economics department was hosting a student fair, where clubs set up booths to attract new members.
He noticed the Finance Society—dominated by rich heirs—had set up a flashy stall with a rented LED screen blaring their promotional video. Students gathered, impressed by the display.
Meanwhile, the humble Economics Club, where Liu Yuyan stood, struggled to draw attention with a few handwritten posters.
Liang Chen felt a strange tug. Maybe it was gratitude for her kind words, maybe it was instinct. He approached.
"Need help?" he asked.
Yuyan sighed. "Unless you can conjure up a miracle, probably not. Everyone's drawn to the flashier clubs."
Liang Chen's eyes flickered. He borrowed a marker and grabbed a blank sheet of poster paper. In ten minutes, he'd sketched out a bold slogan and arranged their booth into a simple but eye-catching display—clear, direct, and memorable.
Students began to drift over, curious. The slogans spoke to them more than the flashy finance jargon next door. Within an hour, their booth was buzzing.
From the Finance Society's stall, a sneering voice carried over.
"Well, well, isn't this the scholarship peasant trying to play businessman?"
Liang Chen turned. A tall figure with slicked-back hair and an expensive watch sauntered over. It was Zhao Yichen, heir to a real estate fortune and one of the loudest voices mocking him since day one.
"Didn't know cleaning dishes counted as marketing experience," Zhao smirked. His friends laughed.
Liang Chen's lips curved into a calm smile. "Funny. Because right now, this 'dishwasher' just pulled a bigger crowd than your million-yuan LED screen."
The laughter on Zhao's side faltered. Students who overheard began snickering. Zhao's face darkened.
"You—!" he sputtered.
But Liang Chen had already turned away, focusing on helping the curious freshmen at Yuyan's booth. The sting on Zhao's pride was more than enough for now.
That night, back in his dorm, Liang Chen collapsed onto his bed, exhausted but exhilarated. His phone glowed again.
[Congratulations, Pioneer.][You have successfully familiarized yourself with the core functions of the Business Simulation System.][Special Reward: $50,000 + [Entrepreneurship Lv.2]]
Liang Chen's breath caught.
His banking app pinged—Balance: +¥343,438.00
His hands trembled as he stared at the screen. That was more money than his parents had earned in years. Enough to pay off debts, cover tuition, and still have a fortune left over.
And in his mind, a tidal wave of knowledge surged forward—comprehensive strategies on identifying business opportunities, pitching to investors, scaling operations. Concepts that students studied for years crystallized instantly in his thoughts.
Liang Chen leaned back, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
Fifty thousand dollars. From a game.
He looked at his reflection in the darkened window—no longer just a broke scholarship student.
"This…" he whispered, his lips curling into a grin. "This is the beginning."