Ethan Cross stood in the middle of the café he now owned, staring at the dust-covered counter like it had just insulted his entire bloodline.
The place was a mess.
Cobwebs hung from the ceiling like Halloween decorations. The floor was sticky in places he didn't want to think about. The espresso machine looked like it had survived a war. And the smell? A mix of mold, burnt coffee, and something that might've once been cheese.
Ding!Mission Update: Clean and reopen the café. Deadline: 24 hours.Reward: 2,000 Wealth Points + Reputation Boost
Ethan sighed. "You couldn't have picked a cleaner dump?"
The system didn't respond. Of course it didn't. It was a glowing screen with a personality as warm as a tax audit.
Still, he had accepted the mission. And the countdown was already ticking.
23 hours, 58 minutes.
He rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
The first hour was chaos.
Ethan found a dead rat behind the fridge. He screamed. Then he found a second one. He screamed louder. By the third, he was just numb.
He scrubbed floors, wiped counters, and tossed out expired ingredients that looked like they belonged in a science museum. The trash bags piled up like mountains. His arms ached. His back hurt. But the system kept flashing reminders.
Progress: 12%Tip: Clean faster to unlock bonus rewards.
"Bonus rewards?" Ethan muttered. "You could at least give me a mop that doesn't smell like feet."
He checked the system's store. There was a "Basic Cleaning Kit" for 500 Wealth Points. He had zero.
"Figures."
While cleaning the back office, Ethan found a locked drawer. The key was taped under the desk—classic move. Inside was a folder labeled Project Ember.
He opened it.
Inside were blueprints. Not for coffee machines or café renovations—but for something else. Something digital. Something… advanced.
Encrypted System Interface – Prototype v2.3Owner: Dr. E. Cross
Ethan froze.
His last name. His dad's name was Elijah Cross. But he'd vanished years ago. No notes. No calls. Just gone.
"What is this?" Ethan whispered.
The system screen flickered.
Warning: Unauthorized file access detected.System integrity check in progress…
Then it vanished.
Ethan stared at the folder. His heart was racing. Was this café connected to his dad? Was the system… his dad's creation?
He didn't have answers. Just more questions.
But the timer kept ticking.
By hour 20, the café looked almost decent.
The floors were clean. The counters sparkled. The espresso machine worked—barely. Ethan had even found a stash of unopened coffee beans in the storage room.
He stood behind the counter, exhausted but proud.
Ding!Mission Complete: Café cleaned and reopened.Reward: 2,000 Wealth Points + Reputation BoostBonus Unlocked: Skill [Money Sense Lv.1]
A warm glow surrounded him. The system flashed again.
Skill Description: Money Sense Lv.1 – Detect profitable opportunities within a 10-meter radius.
Ethan blinked. "Wait… seriously?"
He looked around. The system highlighted a dusty tip jar on the counter.
Potential: $12.34 in coins under the counter.
He reached down. Sure enough, there was a pile of change hidden behind a loose panel.
"Okay, that's actually cool."
At 7:03 AM, the door creaked open.
A girl walked in—maybe 16 or 17, with a camera slung around her neck and a hoodie that said I shoot coffee, not people.
She looked around, surprised. "This place was dead yesterday."
Ethan smiled. "It's alive now. Want a latte?"
She hesitated. "You got oat milk?"
"Uh… I have milk. And oats. I can improvise."
She laughed. "I like you. Make it strong."
As Ethan fumbled with the espresso machine, the system flashed again.
New Mission: Serve 10 customers today.Reward: 5,000 Wealth Points + Skill Unlock: [Customer Magnet Lv.1]
Ethan grinned.
Game on.