Chapter 14
[Ding!]
[Six hours remaining to fulfill the mission requirements.]
[The Host is strongly advised to begin the mission now.]
Solomon sighed, tossing his notebook aside in frustration. "It's never easy having a system," he muttered to himself.
He had successfully escaped the Red Panda Casino with Yuvia, and for the moment, they were safe. But peace was a luxury he couldn't afford. Lying on his bed with his notebook and pen, he ran through the mission details. The deadline was looming. Grumbling, he rolled out of bed and retrieved the notebook from the floor, flipping to a specific page.
He had carefully recorded the system's functions as he understood them:
Spending money triggers cashback. High cashback, he noted.
Spending on good deeds yields even higher cashback rates.
Completing system missions yields direct soul coin rewards.
Failing a mission results in severe punishment. No cashback, and a permanent physical loss.
Spending money was the primary task imposed by the system, but the current mission was far more aggressive. It demanded he establish a business capable of generating a billion dollars in profit in a single day.
"That's totally ridiculous," he scoffed, his jaw clenching. How could a D-Class citizen be expected to operate at such a god-like level?
He snapped the notebook shut and sat silently on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall. For a moment, his mind went blank, weighed down by the sheer impossibility of the number. One billion in a single day? It was staggering. But then, he remembered the mechanics of the rebates. If the cashback rate held and he found the right target to spend on, the math shifted.
If he spent money, he got money back. The system hadn't placed any limits on the frequency of his spending or the resulting rebates.
An idea clicked into place. A slow, calculating smile stretched across Solomon's face.
With the right cycle of spending and earning cashback, he could generate the kind of volume the system demanded—all in a single day. It was a side hustle he had just invented on the spot: spend, earn, repeat. It was the only way to escape the punishment.
Solomon paced the room, thinking it through. Thankfully, the system seemed to have its limits; it couldn't read his internal thoughts or intentions. It was a ring on his finger, not a parasite in his brain.
[System Clarification: The System monitors wallet activity, transaction patterns, and physical actions only. It does not access the Host's unspoken thoughts. Plan freely.]
Solomon twisted the ring once. It pulsed back with a steady, waiting vibration. He jumped to his feet, energy surging through him. A small, confident smirk formed on his face for the first time.
"Damn system..." he said, his voice laced with a touch of arrogance. "I've found your loophole."
Now he just needed a reason to spend. He needed a target that would trigger the highest possible cashback. He had an eight-figure balance in his system wallet, but he needed to move it instantly.
Spend. Get rebate. Spend. Get rebate.
He stood motionless for a beat, then reached for the book again. His finger landed on the line he'd written earlier: "Spend money on good deeds and get higher rebate."
His face lit up. He finally had his target.
Solomon dressed in haste, preparing to head to the largest orphanage in the district.
He had heard that over a million children resided there—orphans left behind in the wake of the countless deaths that plagued the D-Class citizens.
The thought weighed on him as he walked: so many lives snuffed out, so many kids left to rot in the system. Donating to them would undoubtedly count as a "good deed." It was a gesture that, hopefully, would trigger the maximum cashback rate. He tried not to overthink it—too much hesitation would only breed doubt.
He caught the nearest subway. Inside the station, the atmosphere was surprisingly light; the people here were his peers, fellow citizens of the lower class just trying to get by. A schoolgirl with white hair and twin ponytails offered him a small smile as he passed, but Solomon ignored her. He couldn't afford distractions. His focus was singular: reach the orphanage immediately.
He sat on the train for hours, staring out the window and wishing the engine would move faster. Finally, a chime echoed through the speakers, announcing his stop. He stood, adjusted his coat, and stepped onto the platform.
As he approached the orphanage, he began to fidget with his fingers. From a distance, he could see armed security guards stationed at the main gate. The surrounding environment felt like a third-rate wasteland—a deserted, forgotten patch of land. He kept his expression blank and continued his steady march toward the entrance.
As he drew closer, the guards' expressions hardened. Without a word of warning, they reached for their holstered weapons and leveled them at his chest. Solomon's gaze shifted slowly toward the barrels of the guns.
"Who are you?" one of the guards barked.
Solomon stared back, his voice steady. "I'm here on business. Where is the owner of this orphanage? I have an appointment with him."
It was a blatant lie, total nonsense delivered with such a sincere, stone-cold expression that he hoped it would pass. The guards exchanged skeptical glances, weighing his confidence against his D-Class appearance.
"We'll need to confirm if the Chief actually has a meeting with you," one replied.
Alarm bells rang in Solomon's heart. If they went inside and found no record of him, he'd be tossed out—or worse. He needed a new tactic, and he needed it now. He slipped a hand into his pocket, a casual gesture meant to make him look composed rather than desperate.
"When you go in there," Solomon said firmly, "tell the Chief that an investor has arrived.
Someone interested in the future of this orphanage."
The guards whispered among themselves for a moment. Eventually, two stayed at the gate while the others retreated inside to report to their boss.
Solomon waited. Minutes felt like hours under the piercing, suspicious stares of the remaining guards. Finally, the two men returned from the interior of the building.
"The Chief says you can come in," one said, stepping back to clear the path.
Solomon gave a curt nod and stepped through the gates. At the main entrance of the building, an assistant was already waiting to lead him to the Chief's office.