Wei Chen woke to the sound of others' failures.
Three rooms down, someone was crying. Quiet, muffled sobs that carried through thin walls. Yesterday's beast elimination had produced casualties beyond Han Tao. Two students had triggered emergency extraction. One was still in medical with severe mana depletion that wouldn't fully heal for months.
Wei Chen dressed in the pre-dawn darkness, his body moving automatically through the routine. Secure the knife. Check contribution tokens. Thirty-six point five total now. Comfortable buffer.
Except.
He pulled out his ledger, reviewing numbers by candlelight:
Current Balance: 36.5 points
Lin Sha Payment (due in 10 days): 12 points
Projected Balance After: 24.5 points
Monthly Income Target: 12 points minimum
Actual Earning Rate Last Month: 19 points total (but 10 from special diplomatic missions that won't repeat)
Wei Chen stared at the numbers. The diplomatic mission boom had inflated his earnings. Normal monthly income from standard Grade E missions was closer to twelve points. Which meant he was breaking even with Lin Sha's payments, not building capital.
Breaking even meant no equipment purchases. No emergency reserves. No margin for failure.
The math was clear: he needed to increase income without increasing time investment. He was already maximizing mission completion. Physical hours had limits.
He needed efficiency gains. Or new income streams entirely.
Wei Chen closed the ledger and headed to breakfast, mind already working.
The common hall was subdued. The competition's end had left everyone processing what they'd seen. Advanced techniques. Master-level demonstrations. The gap between ranks wasn't just skill — it was fundamental capability difference.
Wei Chen grabbed rice and vegetables, sat at his usual spot. Chen Ling and Xu Lan joined him. Han Tao's absence felt heavy.
"Medical says three months minimum before Han Tao can return to training," Chen Ling said quietly. "They're recommending he withdraw from Sanctuary, recover at home."
"Withdraw?" Xu Lan's voice was tight.
"Not expulsion. Medical leave. But..." Chen Ling shrugged. "Three months is long time. He'd fall too far behind. Might be better to restart next year's intake, come in fresh."
Wei Chen ate mechanically, thinking. Han Tao would lose rank, momentum, team positioning. The injury's economic cost extended far beyond medical bills.
"The mission scoring was posted," Xu Lan said, changing subject. "Sector 7 team: 17.5 points each for Advanced alpha elimination. Highest earning of any team."
"Paid for it though," Chen Ling muttered.
Wei Chen's attention sharpened. "What were other teams' earnings?"
"Sector 1: 8 points each. Sector 3: 12 points. Sector 5: 9 points." Xu Lan recited from memory. "Average across all teams was about 10 points per person."
"Brother Kai's match against Northern District rank 2," Chen Ling added. "People are still analyzing how she beat him."
Wei Chen nodded, remembering. He'd watched that match. Kai's overwhelming power versus her perfect positioning. She'd won through efficiency — used maybe thirty percent of his mana expenditure but won every critical exchange.
Efficiency beats raw power when properly applied.
Wei Chen filed that thought away. Relevant.
After breakfast, Wei Chen pulled out his competition notes. Fifty pages of observations. Fighter techniques, movement patterns, decision-making under pressure.
He'd watched those matches to learn techniques. But now, looking at his financial situation, he saw something else.
Information. Valuable information.
Most students had watched casually. Impressed by flashy techniques. Intimidated by the skill gaps. But how many had actually analyzed what they'd seen? How many could explain why Northern District rank 2 had beaten Kai?
Wei Chen could. He had detailed notes on thirty different fighters across all three competition days. Patterns, weaknesses, effective counters.
That was worth something.
He found Chen Ling in the training yard that afternoon.
"I need your opinion on something."
They found a quiet corner. Wei Chen opened his notebook to a random page — detailed analysis of an Eastern Port fighter's Shadow Step patterns.
"I have fifty pages of this. Competition observations. Fighter techniques, tactical patterns, what worked and why." Wei Chen kept his voice low. "Question: would anyone pay for access?"
Chen Ling scanned the notes, eyebrows rising. "This is... comprehensive. You documented shadow construct formation timing down to half-seconds?"
"Seemed relevant at the time." Wei Chen flipped pages. "I was studying for learning. But these notes could help someone prepare for future competitions. Or understand their own weaknesses by comparison."
"How much would you charge?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Wei Chen thought. "The information is time-sensitive. Competition happened three days ago. In a week, people will forget details. In a month, next batch of new disciples arrives and nobody cares about last month's matches."
"So you need to sell quickly or the value decays."
"Exactly. But what's it worth?" Wei Chen tapped his notes. "To someone preparing for next year's competition? To someone trying to understand why they lost their matches? To instructors analyzing regional trends?"
Chen Ling considered. "Depends on buyer. But... three points for comprehensive access seems fair? That's one Grade E mission worth. Anyone seriously interested could afford it."
Wei Chen did the math. If ten people bought access at three points each, that was thirty points. More than two months of mission income. For information he'd already collected.
But would ten people actually pay?
"Try it," Chen Ling said. "Worst case, nobody buys and you're out nothing except time posting a notice."
That evening, Wei Chen drafted a simple announcement:
INTER-SANCTUARY COMPETITION ANALYSIS AVAILABLE
Detailed technical notes from all three competition days:
30+ fighter analyses (Outer, Inner, and Core levels)
Technique patterns, tactical decisions, effectiveness ratings
What worked, what failed, and why
Useful for: competition preparation, technique study, tactical analysis
Access: 3 contribution points (full notebook copy)
Contact: Wei Chen, Room 23, North Dormitory
He posted it on the Outer Disciple message board near the common hall. Then waited.
Nothing happened for two days.
Wei Chen was starting to think he'd miscalculated when someone knocked on his door after dinner on the third day.
He opened it. Ren Huang — the Outer Disciple who'd been on his beast elimination team, rank 23.
"You're selling competition notes?"
"Yes. Three points for full access."
Ren Huang stepped inside, looking uncertain. "Can I see a sample?"
Wei Chen showed him three pages. Analysis of a Northern District fighter's defensive patterns.
Ren Huang read carefully. "This is... actually detailed. You tracked his barrier formation sequence?"
"Six times across two matches. Pattern was consistent." Wei Chen pointed. "Three-layer formation, always starts with peripheral shields then reinforces center. Vulnerable to rapid repositioning attacks during the half-second formation window."
"I fought someone with similar style last month. Lost." Ren Huang's jaw tightened. "This would've helped."
"It'll help for next time."
Ren Huang pulled out three contribution tokens. "Deal."
Wei Chen spent the next hour copying his notes. His handwriting was terrible but legible. Ren Huang left with fifty pages of analysis, looking satisfied.
The next day, two more students approached. Then three the day after.
By week's end, Wei Chen had sold access to eight different students. Twenty-four contribution points earned for information he'd already collected.
But something else happened.
One buyer — a rank 31 Outer Disciple named Zhang Wei — came back with questions.
"Your notes on the Core Disciple demonstrations," Zhang Wei said. "You wrote that the Master-level Shadow Blade 'compressed shadows beyond physical possibility.' What does that mean practically?"
Wei Chen explained his understanding — that the technique wasn't about coating thickness but about shadow density. Expressing the concept of separation rather than physically cutting through material.
Zhang Wei listened intently. Then: "Could you explain the Inner Disciple finals? The defensive specialist who beat Kai? Your notes say 'efficiency through positioning' but I don't understand the mechanics."
Wei Chen walked him through it. How she'd used terrain to force Kai into predictable attack angles. How she'd minimized her own mana expenditure by defending only when absolutely necessary. How efficiency compounded over the six-minute match until Kai's overwhelming power couldn't overcome his own energy depletion.
"That's..." Zhang Wei looked thoughtful. "That's actually useful for my own training. I've been focusing on power but ignoring efficiency."
"Most people do." Wei Chen shrugged. "Power is obvious. Efficiency is subtle."
Zhang Wei left. But he returned two days later with a friend.
"This is Liu Feng, rank 28. He wants to understand the Mountain Gate fighting style." Zhang Wei looked at Wei Chen. "Could you do a consultation? Not just notes, but personalized analysis of how their techniques apply to his skillset?"
Wei Chen considered. This wasn't just selling existing information. This was interpretation. Application. Actual work.
"Five points," he said. "One hour consultation."
Liu Feng agreed.
The consultation was interesting. Wei Chen reviewed his Mountain Gate notes — heavy emphasis on physical conditioning, weighted equipment training, endurance-based technique applications. Then he assessed Liu Feng's actual capabilities and found the gaps.
"You're trying to copy their power without their foundation," Wei Chen said. "They build physical strength first, then layer magic on top. You're doing it backwards — forcing magic to compensate for physical weakness. It's inefficient."
He pulled out calculations. "Your Shadow Blade costs twice the mana it should because your arm strength is too low. The blade wavers when you strike because you can't maintain stable form through impact."
Liu Feng looked uncomfortable. "So what do I do?"
"Physical conditioning. Not magical training." Wei Chen wrote out a simple program. "Three months of strength work. Your Shadow Blade efficiency will improve thirty percent without any magical advancement. Just biomechanics."
Liu Feng stared at the program. "This is... not what I expected."
"You paid for useful analysis, not comfortable lies."
"No, I mean..." Liu Feng smiled slightly. "This actually makes sense. Everyone focuses on magic. Nobody talks about the physical foundation."
He paid his five points. Left looking thoughtful.
Word spread differently this time. Not about notes — about consultations.
Wei Chen got three more consultation requests over the next week. Each different: someone wanting to understand their competition performance, someone preparing for next year, someone just trying to fix specific technique problems.
Each consultation took an hour. Each paid five points. Fifteen points earned in three hours — five times better than mission efficiency.
But Wei Chen capped it at three per week. Too many consultations would burn time he needed for actual training. This was supplementary income, not primary operation.
After the third week of selling notes and consultations, Wei Chen tallied earnings:
Competition Information Sales: 30 points (10 buyers × 3 points)
Personalized Consultations: 25 points (5 buyers × 5 points)
Total Extra Income: 55 points
Fifty-five points from information he'd collected anyway. From analytical skills he'd developed naturally.
Not building an empire. Just seeing value where others didn't.
Chen Ling found him in the courtyard one evening.
"People are talking about you. In a good way, for once." Chen Ling sat down. "They're saying you actually know what you're talking about. That your consultations are useful."
"They are useful. I'm not selling bullshit."
"I know. That's why it's working." Chen Ling pulled out his own notebook. "I've been thinking about something. Alchemical healing salves."
Wei Chen raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"
"They cost 5 points each at the supply shop. But I was there yesterday, overheard the shopkeeper talking to a bulk buyer — some Inner Disciple stocking up for a mission. Ten salves for 40 points. Twenty percent discount."
"Bulk pricing. Standard." Wei Chen saw where this was going.
"Right. But individual students can't afford bulk purchase. Five salves is 25 points upfront — that's two months of mission income for most Outer Disciples." Chen Ling leaned forward. "What if we organized group buys? Find five students who each need one salve, pool money, split the bulk purchase."
Wei Chen thought about it. "Everyone saves 1 point. 5 points becomes 4 points per person."
"Exactly. And if we organize it..." Chen Ling's voice held calculation. "We take small organizing fee. Half a point per person. Five people × 0.5 points = 2.5 points profit for maybe thirty minutes of work."
Wei Chen saw the problems immediately. "Capital risk. What if someone backs out after we've already bought? We're stuck with extra inventory."
"So we collect payment upfront. No payment, no participation."
"Trust issue. Why would people give us their points before seeing product?"
Chen Ling smiled. "Because first group buy, we DON'T charge organizing fee. We prove the model works. Show we're trustworthy. Build reputation."
Wei Chen nodded slowly. "Test run. Five people, 4 points each, 20 points total. We add our own 20 points, buy ten salves for 40 points. Everyone gets one salve, we keep five for ourselves. Zero profit but we get five salves at discount price."
"Then second group buy, we charge the organizing fee." Chen Ling's eyes gleamed. "Once people see it works, they'll pay half a point to save a full point."
"What else has bulk pricing?" Wei Chen asked.
"Practice weapon maintenance oil. Shadow quartz fragments. Barrier talismans. Technique scroll copies." Chen Ling listed rapidly. "Anything the supply shops sell in volume. They all have bulk discounts — but only accessible to people who can afford the upfront capital."
"This works," Wei Chen said. "But we need to be careful. Can't look like we're profiting off people's poverty."
"So we frame it right. We're not charging for the discount — shops give that. We're charging for the organization. Finding buyers, coordinating timing, handling the transaction, managing distribution." Chen Ling's voice was firm. "Legitimate service fee for legitimate work."
"And first group buy is free to prove we're not scamming."
"Exactly."
Wei Chen thought about risks. "What if people complain about the organizing fee?"
"Then they can organize their own group buys. Find five people themselves, coordinate schedules, handle money collection, negotiate with shopkeeper." Chen Ling shrugged. "Most people won't bother. Half a point is nothing compared to the effort."
"What if someone demands refund because product wasn't what they expected?"
"We inspect everything before distribution. Any defects, we handle with shopkeeper directly." Chen Ling's tone was pragmatic. "We're taking on the merchant risk — quality assurance, transaction handling, dispute resolution. That's worth the fee."
Wei Chen nodded. "Okay. Test run first. Healing salves. We need four other buyers. Who do we approach?"
"Xu Lan definitely needs healing supplies after missions. Ren Huang mentioned running low last week. And there are three new Outer Disciples who just started taking missions — they'll need basic supplies but can't afford individual prices yet."
GROUP PURCHASE: HEALING SALVES
Individual price: 5 points each
Group price: 4 points each (20% bulk discount)
First group purchase: NO organizing fee (proof of concept)
Minimum 5 participants required
Payment upfront, distribution upon delivery
Quality guaranteed or full refund
Contact: Wei Chen or Chen Ling
"We post this, see if anyone bites," Chen Ling said. "If we can fill five spots, we do the purchase. If not, we return everyone's money and try different product."
"And if it works?"
"Then we scale. One group buy weekly. Different products. Build steady income stream while actually helping people save money."
Wei Chen smiled. This was merchant thinking. Not dramatic arbitrage or complex schemes. Just seeing inefficiency — individuals can't access bulk pricing — and creating simple solution.
"I'm in," Wei Chen said. "Four points investment for test run. If it works, we expand operation."
They shook on it.