Shanghai!
The old Nanshi district!
Even at 11 pm, the shantytown was still bustling with various sounds. Many men who had just finished work sat at late-night food stalls, drinking, chatting, and pouring out their frustrations.
Su Chen dragged his tired body back to his rented room of less than ten square meters.
As soon as he entered, Su Chen lay down on the bed, not even taking off his yellow battle suit.
His eyes stared blankly at the dilapidated ceiling.
Su Chen was a seasoned Shanghai drifter. After graduating from high school, he believed the "experts" online who preached the uselessness of education, thinking that with his intelligence, he could definitely make a bright future.
Despite his parents' strong persuasion, Su Chen resolutely embarked on his journey as a Shanghai drifter.
When he first arrived in Shanghai, Su Chen still fantasized about entering a big company, working hard to get promoted and receive a raise, becoming a general manager, becoming a CEO, and marrying a rich and beautiful woman!
Unfortunately, reality always delivers a harsh blow to these greenhorns just entering society.
Forget getting into a big company, with only a high school diploma, Su Chen didn't even qualify for an interview.
Ultimately, his indomitable spirit allowed him to settle down in Shanghai!
Four years passed in the blink of an eye!
He worked as a security guard, washed cars, tightened screws, and worked in a factory! Finally, he became an expert in solving hunger pangs!
He gradually transformed from a hopeful, dream-chasing youth into a workhorse, toiling from dawn till dusk!
"In this fast-paced city, I still live alone. I once had dreams, but they came to nothing. I can only rely on a song."
Hearing his phone ringing in his pocket, Su Chen, his eyes vacant, slowly came back to his senses.
Looking at the caller ID, Su Chen hesitated for a moment before gently swiping the screen.
"Hello, Mom, it's so late, why aren't you resting yet?"
As he spoke, Su Chen glanced at the time on his phone; it was exactly midnight.
"Xiao Chen... Mom~ I hope I didn't disturb you!" Su's mother's voice came through the phone, tinged with anxiety.
Su Chen's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.
Had something happened at home? Otherwise, his mother wouldn't be calling at this hour.
"No, I just got home from work! Is something wrong at home?" Su Chen sat up in bed, his heart pounding.
He was afraid of hearing something bad on the phone.
"Something wrong? Nothing's wrong at home! It's just that your grandma is turning seventy next month, and your dad was thinking of throwing her a 70th birthday celebration. I thought I'd call to ask if you had time to come back?" Su's mother's slightly trembling voice held a hint of expectation.
Su Chen fell silent.
He had been working in Shanghai for over four years, and in those four years, he hadn't been home once. Every year during the Spring Festival, he made excuses about being too busy with work!
But what was the truth?
These were all just excuses from Su Chen. He simply felt that after several years in Shanghai, he hadn't made any money, and his job wasn't very respectable.
If he went back to his hometown for the New Year, he would inevitably be bombarded with questions from his relatives. If they knew his current situation, they would gossip behind his back.
Comparing children's jobs and incomes is common everywhere, even among relatives.
He worried that his relatives would say, "Su Chen has been working in Shanghai for years, and he only earns a few thousand yuan a month. He's doing this in a big city like Shanghai, and he doesn't even earn as much as my son!"
Not only would Su Chen feel embarrassed, but his parents would also lose face.
After all, who wouldn't want their son to have a good job?
Su Chen had also fantasized about becoming the "other people's child" that his relatives talked about!
"Hey, Xiao Chen, are you listening?" Seeing that Su Chen hadn't answered, his mother couldn't help but ask again.
"Mom, I...maybe..."
Before Su Chen could say anything, a strong and angry voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Chen Shufen, why are you calling that brat? Didn't I tell you not to call him? That brat thinks he's all grown up now, he's been gone for years and hasn't come home. What's the point of talking to him! You're such a clueless woman! Hang up now!"
"I know, it's just that my son hasn't come home for four years, I miss him! I wonder how he's doing out there!" Su's mother retorted irritably.
"If he's doing well, why isn't that brat coming home for the New Year? If he'd really made money, he would have come back to show off by now. Okay, I'm not saying anything more, I have to go to work tomorrow, don't say too much, that little brat isn't having an easy time out there!"
"Alright, alright, you talk too much, go to sleep!"
Hearing the faint conversation coming from the phone, Su Chen knew that Su's mother was covering the phone with her hand, as if afraid he would hear.
"Hey Xiao Chen, Mom knows you're usually busy with work and don't have much time, you need to take care of yourself. It's getting late, I'll hang up now!" Before Su Chen could react, Su's mother hung up the phone.
Looking at the phone that had already been hung up, Su Chen's eyes were already brimming with tears.
Su Chen only hated his own incompetence. If he had studied hard and gotten into a good university, perhaps his life would have been completely different.
"There's no going back in life. All you can do is keep your head down and keep moving forward!"
Wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, Su Chen opened his phone and looked at his bank account balance.
"88480.85!"
Looking at these numbers, a bitter smile appeared on Su Chen's face.
This was the money Su Chen had painstakingly saved in Shanghai for more than four years.
After a year, after deducting the expenses of food, clothing, housing, and transportation, he had only saved about 20,000 yuan.
Shanghai is big, but living there is not easy!
It is a paradise for the rich and a hell for the poor!
"Ding, detected the host's infinite desire for money. The God of Wealth System is binding."
"10%"
"50%"
"100%" "
The God of Wealth System successfully bound!"
The mechanical voice that rang in his mind made Su Chen's face light up with joy.
As a seasoned online novel enthusiast, how could he not know what was going on?!
A system?!
A surprise?
What the hell is a surprise?
This is a surprise!
Su Chen sat up in bed, trembling slightly. Just as he was about to ask about the system's functions, a message appeared in his mind—a brief introduction to the system.
The message wasn't long, only a simple overview of the system's basic functions.
But it was enough to excite Su Chen. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down.
"Open the system panel!"
A bright blue screen with a futuristic feel appeared before Su Chen's eyes.
[Host: Su Chen]
[Elementary God of Wealth: 0/1 million]
[Wealth: 0 yuan]
[Warehouse: None]
[Elementary God of Wealth: Earn one yuan per second]
One yuan per second?
That's 86,400 yuan a day!
2.6 million yuan a month!
Only 31 million yuan a year!
"That's not much at all. Compared to those who earn hundreds of thousands every minute, my system seems a bit weak!"
As soon as this thought flashed through his mind, Su Chen raised his hand and slapped himself!
"Slap!"
"Damn it! I've really gotten too cocky! The system's earnings in just one day are equivalent to four years of my hard work, what more could I ask for?"
Moreover, according to the information provided by the system in his mind, as long as his spending reaches one million, the God of Wealth system will upgrade, and his earnings will change. As for the specific amount, the system didn't mention it; he would only know after the upgrade.
"System, where's my newbie gift pack??? Hand it over quickly!!!" Su Chen finally realized that, according to the usual practice, there should be a newbie gift pack as a system reward, so why wasn't it given to him?
He waited for about ten seconds, but the system didn't respond.
"Does my system not have a newbie gift pack?"
Just as Su Chen was about to accept this cruel reality, a crisp mechanical voice rang in his mind.
[Ding~ How can a host with a God of Wealth system be subservient to others? A newbie task is hereby issued: Resign! Please submit your resignation application before 5 PM tomorrow. The reward for completing the task is a newbie gift pack!]
Hearing the system's voice, a smile appeared on Su Chen's face.
It seems that his system is a conscientious system after all! " —My
dear Su, look at the time! It's 10:30! The sun's already high in the sky! Do you even want to go to work?!"
Hearing the roar from the phone, Su Chen, still half asleep, jumped out of bed.
While rummaging for his yellow battle robe, he said, "Brother Wei, I'm getting up right away!"
"Hurry up, or I'll dock your bonus this month! And don't call me Brother Wei!!!"
"Okay, Brother Wei!"
"Damn it!"
He'd only halfway dressed when Su Chen suddenly remembered what happened last night, and his hands stopped abruptly.
"Damn it! My genes are practically ingrained in my bones!"
Su Chen quickly summoned the system panel.
[Host: Su Chen]
[Elementary God of Wealth: 0/1 million]
[Wealth: 36,052 yuan (to be withdrawn)]
Seeing the gleaming 36,000 yuan on the system panel, Su Chen's mouth practically stretched to his ears.
Excitedly rubbing his hands together, Su Chen silently chanted in his mind, "Withdraw 36,000!"
The next second, his phone received a message:
"Your China Construction Bank savings card ending in 7890 has received 36,000 yuan. Current balance: 124,480.85 yuan!"
Looking at the message, Su Chen could no longer contain his excitement and burst into laughter in his rented room, muttering to himself, "It's real! It really is real! I'm not dreaming, hahaha!"
Fortunately, his neighbors were all at work; otherwise, Su Chen's laughter would have surely drawn a barrage of insults.
Composing himself, Su Chen remembered the system's task from last night. The most important thing now was to complete the newbie tasks. He was
really looking forward to the newbie gift pack.
Su Chen picked out a tracksuit from his limited wardrobe, grabbed his yellow jersey, and headed out the door.
He hopped on his beloved electric scooter and headed towards the station.
"Still free and myself, forever singing my song, traveling thousands of miles."
Su Chen's lighthearted singing voice filled the wind.