*Chapter 6:Sign-in reward One Billion.
6:00 AM. March 16, 2002. Mill Street Compound, Room 3-2.
The compound bell rang. He was awake.
Four dots in the Sense were bright. No fever. Poultice worked. Good. He wasn't getting sued by Second uncle's wife.
*[Ding.]*
*[Daily Sign-in Day 2: Available.]*
*[Sign in?] [Yes/No]*
_Yes._
The blue text detonated like someone set off fireworks in his skull.
*[Daily Sign-in Day 2: Critical Reward Triggered!]*
*[Reward: 1,000,000,000 Chinese Yuan - One Billion Yuan Cash]*
*[Storage: System Inventory. Withdraw anytime. No trace. No taxes. No explanation needed.]*
*[Note: System Inventory is separate from System Shop. Chinese Yuan cannot be used in the System Shop. Family Points cannot be converted from Chinese Yuan.]*
*[Note: Extreme wealth events are rare. Use wisely. Or not. We're not your mother.]*
One billion. Nine zeros.
Last life, he calculated interest on a 412,000 yuan mortgage for fun. This life, he had 2,427 times that before 6:02 AM.
*[System Shop Balance: 102 Family Points]*
*[System Inventory Balance: 1,000,000,000 Chinese Yuan]*
Two wallets. One for superpowers. One for buying the entire town. They do not talk to each other. Ever. The System was very clear on that. Rude, but clear.
He opened the Compound Map.
*[Compound Map Level 1: Expanded]*
*[Now Includes: 43 Buildings + 12 Family Farms + 3 Fish Ponds + Canal Irrigation Network]*
The farms lit up. 12 plots. 8 planted. 4 fallow.
Farm 3. Vegetable. 2 mu. Cash output last month: 420 yuan. _Managed by: Ninth uncle. Mood: Worried. Loyalty: 68/100._
Farm 7. Pig. 3 sows, 18 piglets. Est. value: 14,000 yuan. _Managed by: Twenty-second uncle. Mood: Tired. Loyalty: 72/100._
Farm 11. Fallow. _Reason: No seed money. Last crop failed 2001. Fourteenth uncle currently staring at dirt and questioning life choices._
He could see them. Could not airdrop cash into their pockets. System said no. Apparently billionaires still have to use doors like peasants.
Downstairs, Lin Yu knocked. "Breakfast." Then: "You look like you robbed a bank and the bank said thank you."
_Accurate._
Main hall. Twenty people. Great-grandfather. Grandfather: _Approved._ Father ladled broth.
Mother came in. "Your great-grandmother's birthday is Sunday. Ninety-five."
The hall went quiet.
"Everyone's coming," she said. "All branches. 692 people."
Last life, he missed it. Sent 500 Chinese Yuan. She died 2004.
This time, he had one billion Chinese Yuan. That was… 2,000,000 times more. Math was easy when one number was 500.
Grandfather: "Noodle Shop 1 will close Saturday. We prepare."
Fifth uncle: _Stressed. Loyalty: 59/100._ "Hardware Store 7 can't close. Month-end orders."
"You'll close," Grandfather said.
Fifth uncle nodded.
*[Family Ledger Update: Fifth uncle. Mood: Resigned. Loyalty: 59/100 → 60/100. +1 Family Point earned. Balance: 103 Family Points.]*
He opened the Map. Hardware Store 7. Cash box: 842 yuan. Inventory: Low. Rebar: 0.3 tons. Fifth uncle's blood pressure: Probably high.
He couldn't wire money. But he could walk.
He stood up. "Going to Hardware Store 7."
Father: "You're not late for school?"
"It's Saturday."
Father checked the calendar. It was Wednesday.
Father: "...Fine."
*[Family Ledger Update: Father. Mood: Confused. Loyalty: 95/100 → 95/100. +0 Family Points. He's immune to your nonsense.]*
He walked out. Lin Yu followed. "Where are you really going?"
"To give Fifth uncle a heart attack."
"Why?"
"Character building."
She narrowed her eyes. _Loyalty: 92/100 → 93/100. +1 Family Point. Balance: 104 Family Points._ Apparently she liked cryptic nonsense.
Hardware Store 7. Fifth uncle was staring at his account book like it owed him money. Which it did. 842 yuan.
He pulled a wad from his pocket. System Inventory withdrawal was instant. No explanation. Just… poof. Cash.
He dropped 200,000 Chinese Yuan on the counter. In hundreds. A literal brick of money.
Fifth uncle looked at the money. Looked at him. Looked at the money.
"Inventory," he said. "Buy some."
Fifth uncle touched the stack. Flinched. "Where did you—"
"Don't ask. System says no explaining. Tax-free too. System's words, not mine."
Fifth uncle sat down. Hard. "I need to sit."
"You are sitting."
"I need to sit more."
*[Family Ledger Update: Fifth uncle. Mood: Shocked. Loyalty: 60/100 → 78/100. +18 Family Points. Balance: 122 Family Points.]*
Eighteen Family Points. Bribery was effective. Who knew.
Back at the main hall, Grandfather was watching him. _Evaluating_ again.
"Grandfather," he said. "How much for three pigs? And twenty tables? And wine. For Sunday."
Father stopped ladling. Mother stopped wiping. Second uncle stopped chewing.
Grandfather set his tea down. "You paying?"
He nodded. Pulled out another brick. 300,000 Chinese Yuan. Dropped it on the table.
The table made a sound. The sound was 'oof'.
"Three pigs," Grandfather said. "From Farm 7. Twenty tables. From Hardware Store 7. Wine from Brewery Fermentation Hall 1. The whole compound eats."
*[Family Ledger Update: Grandfather. Mood: Impressed. Loyalty: 90/100 → 94/100. +4 Family Points.]*
*[Family Cohesion: 95/100 → 97/100. Status: Ascendant. +100 Family Points. Balance: 226 Family Points.]*
One hundred Family Points for making Grandfather spend someone else's money. Inflation.
He walked to Farm 7. Twenty-second uncle was mucking pig stalls. _Tired._
He dropped 50,000 Chinese Yuan on a feed sack. "Buy two boars. Expand."
Twenty-second uncle stared. "Is this real?"
"Bite it."
He did. "It's real."
*[Family Ledger Update: Twenty-second uncle. Mood: Stunned. Loyalty: 72/100 → 86/100. +14 Family Points. Balance: 240 Family Points.]*
Farm 11. Fourteenth uncle. Staring at dirt.
He dropped 20,000 Chinese Yuan on the dirt. "Stop staring. Plant something."
Fourteenth uncle looked at the money. Looked at the sky. "Is it raining money?"
"No. It's me."
*[Family Ledger Update: Fourteenth uncle. Mood: Hopeful. Loyalty: 61/100 → 80/100. +19 Family Points. Balance: 259 Family Points.]*
*[System Shop]*
*[Ledger Upgrade Level 2: 200 Family Points]* - _Adds Skill and Potential fields. Range: 5,000 meters._
He had 259.
_Purchase._
*[Purchased: Ledger Upgrade Level 2. 200 Family Points deducted. Balance: 59 Family Points.]*
*[Ledger Level 2 Online. New Fields: Primary Skill, Secondary Skill, Potential Cap. Range: 5,000 meters.]*
He opened the Ledger.
Lin Wu. Business: S. Skill: Negotiation Level 3. Potential Cap: Regional Chief Executive Officer.
Fifth uncle. Business: A. Skill: Inventory Level 5. Potential Cap: Provincial Distributor.
Twenty-second uncle. Craft: A. Skill: Animal Husbandry Level 4. Potential Cap: County Supplier.
Grandfather. Craft: S. Skill: Weaving Level 7. Potential Cap: Master Artisan.
Fourteenth uncle. Craft: B. Skill: Farming Level 2. Potential Cap: Land Reformer.
He closed it.
*[System Inventory: 999,430,000 Chinese Yuan remaining.]*
He'd spent 570,000 Chinese Yuan in twenty minutes. Had 999,430,000 left. At this rate, he'd be broke in… 35,088 minutes. Roughly 24 days.
Sunday. 692 people. Three pigs. Twenty tables. Four farms suddenly solvent.
Great-grandfather tapped his bowl once.
He sat down. Picked up his noodles.
Lin Yu kicked his shoe. "Are we rich now?"
"Yes."
"Cool. Can I have a Walkman?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Character building."
_Loyalty: 93/100 → 93/100. +0 Family Points. She's onto you._
*Word count: 798*
New rules:
- *Chinese Yuan ≠ Family Points*. Ever. The System has trust issues.
- *No teleporter banking*. You want to give money, you use your legs.
- *Farms, Fish Ponds, Canal* on the map. All broke. For now.
- *Current: 999,430,000 Chinese Yuan, 59 Family Points*