Xu Jin stepped out of the apartment building with purpose.
Today, he had a mission.
Find a part-time job.
He patted his empty pockets and nodded to himself.
"Yes. I, Xu Jin, top graduate, gaming champion, master of survival… will earn money with my own hands."
He said it confidently.
The universe did not seem convinced.
The first place he walked into was a small clothing store.
A sharp-eyed auntie behind the counter looked him up and down.
"You want to work?"
Xu Jin straightened his posture. "Yes. I learn fast."
She handed him a pile of shirts.
"Fold these neatly and stack them."
Xu Jin accepted the challenge.
He folded.
And folded.
And folded.
Five minutes later, the pile looked like it had been attacked by a confused octopus.
Sleeves twisted.
Corners uneven.
One shirt somehow became a long rope-like shape.
The auntie stared silently.
Xu Jin stared back, equally silent.
"…Young man," she said gently, "our store sells clothes, not abstract art."
Xu Jin was politely escorted out.
He did not look back.
A warrior never looks back.
The second shop was a small convenience store.
The owner gave him a basket of goods.
"Stock the shelves according to labels."
Xu Jin nodded seriously.
He placed chips with toothpaste.
Soap beside instant noodles.
Energy drinks next to baby formula.
He stepped back, admiring his work.
"Balanced."
The owner blinked twice.
"…Do you perhaps have difficulty reading?"
Xu Jin left before the question could finish.
Third place: a printing shop.
The boss asked, "Can you use a copier?"
Xu Jin nodded confidently.
Two minutes later, the copier produced forty copies of Xu Jin's own face — because he had accidentally scanned himself while checking how it worked.
The boss slowly removed the paper stack.
"…Young man. Please go home."
Xu Jin bowed politely and left with dignity.
An hour later, Xu Jin sat on a bench outside, staring at the street.Cars passed. People walked. Normal adults working normal jobs.
Xu Jin rested his chin on his hand.
"…This world is harder than online games."
In games, you fail a mission, you restart.
In real life, you fail a mission, and shop owners remember your face forever.He sighed.Then stood again.Because Xu Jin did not give up.Not yet.He adjusted his jacket and marched forward once more.
Somewhere in this city, there had to be a job that did not require folding, organizing, reading labels, or operating machines.
A job suited for a former young master who had never worked a day in his life.The world better prepare itself.Xu Jin was coming.And he was absolutely, spectacularly unqualified.
Xu Jin refused to surrender.
If small shops could not recognize his talent, then fine. He would seek a real job. A serious job. A job worthy of his intellect.
He walked into a tall glass building downtown, the kind with shiny floors and people who walked fast while holding coffee like it was sacred.
At the reception desk, a polite woman smiled.
"May I help you?"
Xu Jin brushed imaginary dust off his jacket. "I want to apply for a position."
She handed him a form. "Please list your qualifications and attach copies of your degrees."
Xu Jin froze.
Degrees.
Right.
He had them. Of course he had them. A top graduate. Honors. Certificates. Awards.
But they were all under Xu Group's name.
If he submitted them…
They would call his father.
His father would arrive.
His father would drag him home.
His freedom would die a tragic death.
Xu Jin silently slid the form back across the desk.
"I… forgot my documents."
The receptionist smiled politely. "You may return when you have them."
Xu Jin bowed with grace and left.
Outside the building, he placed his hands on his hips and stared up at the sky.
"So this is the problem," he muttered. "If I show my identity, they'll worship me like a prince and call my father. If I don't, they think I'm an unqualified civilian."
He clicked his tongue.
"Being too excellent is truly a burden."
A passing office worker overheard him and quickened their pace.
Xu Jin did not notice.
He marched onward.
He would find a solution.
Somehow.
Because Xu Jin had not run away from home just to be defeated by paperwork.
The city had better prepare itself.
The young master was still on the battlefield.
Xu Jin walked.
And walked.
And walked.
At first, he was confident. Streets were streets. Signs were signs. A city boy like him could never get lost.
But thirty minutes later…
He stood at a quiet intersection he did not recognize.
No tall buildings.
No shiny offices.
Just narrow roads, small shops, and a sleepy cat sitting on a mailbox.
Xu Jin turned left.
Walked five minutes.
Turned right.
Walked ten more.
The same bakery passed him again.
He stopped.
"…Did that bread shop just teleport?"
The baker waved cheerfully at him like they were old friends.
Xu Jin gave an awkward nod back.
He pulled out his phone.
No signal.
He lifted it higher. Nothing.
He turned in a circle like a confused pigeon.
"This city," he muttered, "is clearly conspiring against me."
He sighed and sat on the curb, elbows on knees.
Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. A bicycle bell rang. A child laughed.
And Xu Jin, runaway young master, conqueror of online battlefields, undefeated champion of chaos…
Was officially lost.
Xu Jin sat on the curb for exactly three minutes before pride dragged him back to his feet.
"I didn't run away from home to be defeated by a bakery loop," he announced to the air.
He marched forward again, choosing a random direction with the confidence of a man who absolutely did not know where he was going.
A few streets later, he spotted a wall covered in posters.
Lost cats. Dance lessons. Room rentals.
Then—
A bright, shameless flyer caught his eye.
PART-TIME STAFF NEEDED
ONLY REQUIREMENT: HANDSOME
NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY
Apply inside — Moonleaf Café
Xu Jin blinked.
He leaned closer.
Then nodded firmly.
"At last. A company that recognizes true value."
He followed the arrow.
Moonleaf Café stood at the corner — warm lights, plants hanging by the windows, soft music drifting out. The kind of café people came to heal their souls… or take aesthetic photos.
Xu Jin pushed the door open.
Ding.
Behind the counter stood a woman in her early thirties, apron tied neatly, eyes sharp like she had seen every type of customer imaginable. She looked a cheerful person who has never harm a fly.
She looked up.
"Welcome."
Xu Jin stepped forward like a prince entering court.
"I'm here for the job."
The woman looked at him.
Paused.
Looked again.
Then nodded once, decisively.
"You're hired."
Xu Jin froze.
"…Excuse me?"
She crossed her arms. "Full-time.Mornimg shifts. Starting tomorrow."
Xu Jin leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"Miss… be honest with me."
"…Is this café a scam?"
A customer nearby snorted into their latte.
The woman laughed. "No scam. Just business. Customers like pretty faces. Pretty faces bring sales."
Xu Jin touched his chest dramatically.
"So I'm a marketing strategy."
"Exactly," she said, unfazed. "Your job is to smile, serve coffee, and not break anything."
Xu Jin opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
He had never served anything except insults and online victories.
But he smiled brightly anyway.
"Of course."
Manager Lin raised an eyebrow.
"…Have you worked before?"
Xu Jin coughed lightly.
"I have led teams in high-pressure environments, managed strategic operations, and handled critical real-time decision making."
She blinked.
"…That sounds intense. What job was that?"
Xu Jin answered honestly.
"Online gaming."
Silence.
Then Manager Lin burst into laughter.
Customers turned to look.
Xu Jin sat calmly, pretending this was part of his charm.
When she finally stopped laughing, she wiped her eyes.
"You're funny. I'll give you that." She tapped the counter. "Alright, Mr. Gamer Strategist. Let's see if your looks and confidence can save you.
Then he grinned.
"I was born for this role."
She handed him a small card.
"Manager Lin. Come tomorrow at eight."
Xu Jin took the card like it was a royal decree.
"Yes, Boss."
He walked out of Moonleaf Café, sunlight catching in his hair, confidence fully restored.