Arthur sat in his cramped apartment, staring at a flickering lightbulb he couldn't afford to replace. On the screen of his phone, the number was so large it looked like a glitch in the universe: ¥48,000,000,000.
[The Providence Mandate: Level 8]
Current Investment Capital: ¥48,000,000,000
Personal Salary: ¥5,000 (He had started walking to meetings to save the ¥2 bus fare).
The Goal: If he loses this, the rebate will be ¥96,000,000,000.
"Infrastructure is the traditional trap," Arthur whispered, his eyes bloodshot with a mix of madness and hope. "But even a bridge to nowhere eventually connects to somewhere. To lose forty-eight billion, I must build something that nature itself rejects. I will build the Sub-Oceanic Glass Cathedral."
The Plan: "The Crystal Trench"
Arthur summoned his elite team—Captain Li, now looking more like a decorated statesman than a logistics officer, and a group of the world's most "unsuccessful" marine engineers.
"We are going to the bottom of the Philippine Trench," Arthur announced, slamming a map onto the table. "I want to build a cathedral made of ultra-thick, reinforced glass. It will be five miles underwater. There is no oxygen, the pressure is enough to crush a tank, and there are no fish people to attend the services."
Captain Li frowned. "Young Master, the cost of transporting materials to that depth... the specialized pressure-suits... the maintenance of life support..."
"Exactly!" Arthur interrupted, his voice reaching a fever pitch. "It's a literal sinkhole. We will charge nothing. There is no way to get tourists down there safely without spending millions per trip. We will pay for 'Deep-Sea Monks' to live there in rotating shifts, giving them ¥500,000 a month for the 'spiritual hazard.' It is a monument to nothing, built for no one, at a cost that would bankrupt a small nation."
Arthur leaned back, a triumphant grin on his face. Forty-eight billion? Between the crushing pressure and the corrosive saltwater, I'll be out of money by the time the first window is installed.
Point of View: Captain Li (The Ocean's Architect)
Captain Li stood on the deck of a massive specialized ship, watching a robotic arm descend into the dark, churning water.
The Young Master is exploring the final frontier of the human spirit, Li thought, his heart swelling with awe. He knows that our planet's oceans are dying and unexplored. He's building this 'cathedral' as a silent witness to the beauty of the abyss. He told me to 'waste' money on the thickest glass because he wants us to see the world from the perspective of the deep. He is a man who wants to ground our souls in the mystery of the Earth.
"Double the safety checks!" Li roared at the crew. "The Young Master wants this to be a sanctuary for eternity! We are not building a building; we are building a legacy for the planet!"
Point of View: Lin Xia (The Deep-Sea Visionary)
Lin Xia watched the live feed from the ocean floor. The glass cathedral was glowing like a sapphire in the eternal darkness. It was terrifyingly beautiful.
Arthur, you've outdone yourself, she thought, her eyes shining. You think the pressure of the ocean will crush your fortune. But you've forgotten that the world is starving for new frontiers.
She didn't call the museums. She called the global telecommunications giants and the International Seabed Authority.
"Hello? You've seen the 'Crystal Trench' project? My partner has built a permanent, manned station at the deepest point of the ocean. He calls it a 'cathedral,' but the sensors he's installed to 'protect the glass' are actually the world's most advanced tectonic monitoring system. If you want real-time data to predict tsunamis or route your trans-continental fiber-optic cables safely, you'll need to pay a 'Guardian Fee' into the Ocean Preservation Fund."
The Result: The Pressure of Success
Six months later, Arthur was sitting in his kitchen, waiting for his instant noodles to soften. He opened the system, bracing for the "Zero Balance" alert.
[Ding!]
[Project: The Crystal Trench]
Status: SCIENTIFIC AND DIPLOMATIC MIRACLE.
The "Flaw": The "Cathedral" became the only place on Earth where nations could meet in "neutral territory" for high-level climate summits. The "Deep-Sea Monks" were actually world-class scientists who flocked to the project.
The "Accident": While digging the foundations for the glass pillars, the team discovered a "Super-Vent"—a geothermal source so powerful it could provide clean energy for the entire continent. The patents for the "Abyssal Energy Extraction" were worth trillions.
Outcome: ¥60,000,000,000 profit donated to "Global Clean Energy & Ocean Restoration."
Penalty: Next Project Capital: ¥96,000,000,000. Arthur's Salary: ¥5,000.
Arthur's noodle cup slipped from his fingers, spilling lukewarm broth onto his patched-up shoes. Ninety-six billion. He was now the "King of the Deep," and he couldn't even afford a new pair of socks.
Lin Xia walked in, wearing a dress that looked like it was woven from sea-foam. "Arthur, the UN has declared the Crystal Trench a 'World Heritage Site.' You've saved the oceans and solved the energy crisis in one move."
Arthur put his head in his hands. "Xia... I just wanted to lose the money. I just wanted to buy a car with a heater that works."
She sat on his lap and kissed his nose. "The world won't let you be poor, Arthur. You're cursed with the heart of a saint."
Arthur looked at the system. ¥96,000,000,000.
"Okay," Arthur whispered, a dark light in his eyes. "If the Earth and the Sea won't take my money... then I'm going to spend the ninety-six billion on The Infinite Loop—a project to build a literal 'Time Capsule' for a billion years, where we bury the money in a vault that can't be opened."