The rain in Jiangcheng didn't just fall—it bit.

​At twenty-one years old, Li Zitan was intimately familiar with the cold. He stood on the edge of the pedestrian crossing in the commercial district, his thin, water-logged hoodie doing little to block the piercing autumn wind. Around him, a sea of commuters marched forward under black umbrellas, their faces buried in sleek smartphones, completely oblivious to his presence.

​They moved with purpose. He stood like a ghost caught in the current.

​In his pocket, Zitan’s hand tightened around a crumpled eviction notice and a banking receipt that read: Remaining Balance: ¥6.50.

​‘Is this where it ends?’ he thought, staring at the wet pavement reflecting the neon glare of luxury brand stores along the avenue. ‘No matter how hard I work, no matter how many double shifts I pull at the restaurant… the interest from those young master loans just keeps growing.’

​A sleek, midnight-black Maybach pulled up to the curb beside him. The rear window rolled down just an inch, exposing the crisp scent of leather perfume and warm air. Inside sat a young man roughly Zitan’s age—a golden child of a local conglomerate—wearing a tailored suit and casually adjusting a watch worth more than Zitan’s entire lineage would earn in a lifetime.

​The young master didn't even glance at Zitan. He simply rolled the window back up, shutting out the dreary world outside.

​Zitan closed his eyes, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. I want power. I want the kind of wealth that makes these arrogant bullies bow their heads.

​【SYSTEM INITIALIZATION: 100%】

​A sharp ding echoed directly inside his head, soundless yet deafeningly clear.

​Zitan snapped his eyes open. Floating right in front of his face—invisible to the bustling crowd pushing past him—was a translucent, glowing golden interface.

​[FINANCIAL REBIRTH SYSTEM ACTIVATED]

​User: Li Zitan (Age: 21)

Net Worth: ¥6.50 RMB

Status: Absolute Bottom

​[First Time User Starter Pack Acquired!]

​Passive Skill: Market Eye (LV. 1) — View real-time valuation, hidden profit margins, and trajectory charts of any physical or financial asset.

​Starting Capital: ¥50,000 RMB deposited into primary account.

​Bzzt.

​His phone vibrated in his pocket. With trembling, rain-slicked fingers, Li Zitan pulled out his cracked screen.

​[Industrial and Commercial Bank of China]

Notification: Your account ending in 4091 has received a transfer of +¥50,000.00 RMB. Current Balance: ¥50,006.50 RMB.

​Zitan’s heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. He stared from the glowing text message to the golden status window hovering in mid-air.

​[Main Quest 1: The First Step]

​Objective: Turn your ¥50,000 RMB starting capital into ¥500,000 RMB within 48 hours using [Market Eye].

​Time Remaining: 47:59:59

​Failure Penalty: Permanent System Erasure.

​The crowd continued to surge forward around him, oblivious to the shift in the universe. But Zitan didn't move. He stood straight, turning his back on the bustling street of ordinary lives, his eyes glowing with an unmistakable, sharp flame.

​The penniless boy was dead.

​"Forty-eight hours," Li Zitan whispered into the cold rain, a confident smirk breaking through the chill. "Let's see how much this city costs."

​The rain hadn't stopped, but Li Zitan no longer felt the cold.

​With fifty thousand RMB resting in his bank account and a glowing golden system interface hovering in his line of sight, every breath felt different. The crushing weight that had pressed down on his chest for years was gone, replaced by a razor-sharp focus.

​‘Fifty thousand into five hundred thousand in forty-eight hours,’ Zitan thought, stepping off the curb. ‘Stock markets take days to clear trades, and crypto leverage is a gamble even with a system. I need an asset with immediate, massive mispricing.’

​As if answering his thoughts, his vision flickered.

​Activated by his intent, [Market Eye (LV. 1)] engaged. The world transformed into faint monochrome shades, while glowing lines of text and numerical values began floating above objects and people around him.

​[Commuter’s Leather Bag] — Market Value: ¥350 RMB | Resale Potential: ¥80 RMB

[Used Smartphone] — Market Value: ¥1,200 RMB | Resale Potential: ¥600 RMB

[Street Vendor’s Cart] — Daily Profit Margin: 12%

​‘Fascinating,’ Zitan smirked. ‘It evaluates everything automatically.’

​He walked briskly away from the glittering high-rises of the financial district, heading down into the narrow, winding alleyways of Old Jiangcheng—the antique district. This was a place infamous for cheap counterfeits, desperate sellers, and greedy shopkeepers who preyed on the ignorant.

​If there was anywhere a fortune could be found hidden in plain sight, it was here.

​Ten minutes later, Zitan pulled open the creaking wooden door of Treasure Pavilion Antiquities. The shop smelled of aged mahogany, stale tea, and dust.

​Behind a heavy glass counter sat an elderly man with thin spectacles, lazily fanning himself despite the chilly rain outside. Manager Zhou was well-known in the district—a cunning fox who bought low from desperate people and sold absurdly high to gullible tourists.

​"We're closing soon, kid," Zhou muttered without bothering to look up. "If you're looking to buy souvenir trinkets, the night market is down the street."

​Zitan ignored the dismissive tone and swept his eyes across the shop.

​Dozens of glowing data tags flooded his field of view:

​[Replication Qing Dynasty Vase] — True Value: ¥150 RMB (Fake)

[Modern Jade Pendant] — True Value: ¥400 RMB (Chemical Treatment)

[Bronze Incense Burner] — True Value: ¥800 RMB (Overpriced at ¥12,000)

Nearly everything in the shop was junk or overpriced tourist traps. Zitan kept walking toward the back corner, where a pile of unsorted, dusty artifacts sat under a dim yellow lamp.

​Then, his eyes locked onto a small, tarnished bronze mirror tucked beneath a stack of broken porcelain plates.

​Unlike the dull white and blue tags hovering over the rest of the shop, this object emitted a soft, pulsing violet radiance.

​[Item: Bronze Ritual Hand Mirror (Tang Dynasty)] -Surface Condition: Poor (Covered in heavy oxidation and artificial grime)

​True Value: ¥680,000 RMB

-​Current Shop Price: ¥12,000 RMB (Misidentified as a 1980s theatrical prop)

- Resale Trajectory: Rapid liquidity if sold at the Jiangcheng Royal Auction House.

​Zitan’s breath hitched slightly, but his expression remained cold and indifferent. A genuine Tang Dynasty ritual mirror mistrusted as cheap brass...

​He casually walked over, picked up a worthless wooden carving first, and then picked up the bronze mirror with his other hand, examining both like an amateur collector.

​"How much for these two?" Zitan asked casually, strolling back to the counter.

​Manager Zhou raised an eyebrow, finally looking up. He glanced at Zitan’s worn hoodie and wet sneakers, a flicker of disdain crossing his eyes.

​"The wooden carving is eight hundred. The bronze mirror... well, it’s a vintage theatrical prop from the late twentieth century," Zhou lied smoothly, puffing up its importance. "I can let it go for fifteen thousand RMB."

​"Fifteen thousand for a rusty piece of metal?" Zitan chuckled dryly, setting both items back down on the counter. "I only have ten thousand RMB on me for a birthday gift for my grandfather. If you don't want to sell, I'll go check the shop across the street."

​He made a sharp turn and took two steps toward the door.

​"Wait, wait!" Manager Zhou called out, his eyes glinting with greed.

​To Zhou, that rusty mirror had been sitting in the bargain pile for three years, bought from a bankrupt peasant for fifty RMB. Getting ten thousand RMB out of a clueless kid was an absolute steal.

​"Since you're shopping for your elder, I'll show some goodwill," Zhou said, feigning reluctance. "Ten thousand RMB. Take the mirror and the carving."

​Zitan turned around, pulling out his phone. "Deal. QR code?"

​Ding.

​[Transaction Complete]

Spent: ¥10,000 RMB

​Remaining Bank Balance: ¥40,006.50 RMB

​Acquired Asset: Tang Dynasty Bronze Ritual Mirror (Valuation: ¥680,000 RMB)

​As Zitan wrapped the heavy bronze mirror in a cloth and walked out into the rain, a light chiming sound rang in his mind.

​[Main Quest 1 Progress]

Target: ¥500,000 RMB

​Current Portfolio Value: ¥720,006.50 RMB

​Quest Objective Met! Please liquidate the asset to officially complete the quest and unlock [Market Eye (LV. 2)].

​Zitan stood under the awning of the shop, looking down at the ancient artifact in his hands. A sharp, confident smile crossed his face.

​"Step one complete," he murmured. "Now, let's find someone rich enough to buy it."

​The grand entrance of the Jiangcheng Royal Auction House was lined with marble, polished to a mirror shine, reflecting the warm glow of crystal chandeliers.

​As Li Zitan approached the glass doors, the two security guards immediately stepped into his path, their eyes sweeping over his rain-drenched hoodie and worn sneakers with blatant skepticism.

​"Hold on, kid," the head guard said, raising a gloved hand. "Private event tonight. VIP cardholders or invited guests only."

​Zitan stopped, his expression unbothered.

Through [Market Eye (LV. 1)], faint data tags hovered over both men:

​[Security Personnel] — Monthly Salary: ¥8,000 | Status: Strict, currently looking for an excuse to kick out a 'trespasser.'

​"I'm not here for the main auction," Zitan replied, his voice calm and steady. "I'm here for the appraisal desk. I have a piece for tonight's private appraisal session."

​The guard chuckled dryly. "Kid, the appraisal desk handles items worth hundreds of thousands. You look like you got lost on your way to the food court."

​Before the guard could usher him away, a sharp, clear voice echoed from behind them.

​"Is there a problem here?"

​A young woman in a tailored dark blue suit walked down the marble steps. Her hair was pulled back into a slick ponytail, and her sharp eyes swept over the scene.

A golden badge on her lapel read: Senior Appraiser & VIP Relations — Su Chen.

​[Su Chen] — Status: Highly Skilled Appraiser | Current Goal: Seeking high-value artifacts to boost tonight's catalog quota | Personality: Pragmatic, values talent and profit over appearances.

​"Miss Su," the guard straightened up instantly. "This young man claims he has an artifact for appraisal, but he doesn't have an appointment."

​Su Chen looked at Zitan. She didn't miss his cheap clothes, but she also didn't miss the complete lack of nervousness in his eyes. Most people his age in a place like this would be shifting their weight or looking down. Zitan stood perfectly straight, clutching a cloth-wrapped package against his side.

​"What do you have?" Su Chen asked, her tone professional and direct.

​"A Tang Dynasty bronze ritual mirror," Zitan stated without missing a beat. "Heavy oxidation, unpolished, but the relief patterns on the reverse are intact."

​Su Chen’s eyes flickered with a hint of surprise. "A Tang mirror? That's a specific claim. Step inside. If it's fake, you pay the express appraisal fee of five hundred RMB. If it's real, we talk business."

​"Fair," Zitan said, stepping past the security guards without giving them a second glance.

​The VIP Appraisal Room

​Minutes later, Zitan sat in a private, leather-lined room on the third floor. Across the glass table sat Su Chen, alongside an older master appraiser wearing white cotton gloves, holding a magnifying glass over the dark bronze mirror.

​The room was silent except for the tick of a clock and the old man's soft, rhythmic breaths.

​"Fascinating..." the old master murmured after five tense minutes. He used a soft brush to clear away a tiny patch of artificial grime near the edge, revealing intricate, leaf-like relief engravings beneath. "The weight, the bronze alloy ratio, the oxidation pattern... this isn't a modern casting at all. It's an authentic Tang Dynasty ritual hand mirror!"

​Su Chen turned to Zitan, her polite demeanor instantly shifting to genuine respect. "My apologies for the security outside, Mr. Li. You have quite an eye. Most collectors would have dismissed this as scrap metal under that artificial grime."

​"I know what I have," Zitan said simply, leaning back in his chair. "How fast can you liquidate it?"

​Su Chen pulled up a tablet. "Tonight's private auction starts in an hour. We have a prominent collector of Tang artifacts attending—Mr. Zhao of the Zhao Financial Group. He’s been searching for a piece like this for six months. If we add it as an emergency lot, I estimate it will fetch at least ¥650,000 to ¥700,000."

​"Put it up," Zitan said. "On one condition."

​"Name it," Su Chen replied.

​"An immediate cash advance on 50% of the minimum valuation right now, with the rest settled after the gavel falls. My time is tight."

​Su Chen hesitated for a second, then smiled, extending her hand. "Deal, Mr. Li. Welcome to the Royal Auction House."

​Quest Cleared

​As Zitan signed the consignment contract, his phone vibrated sharply in his pocket.

​[Industrial and Commercial Bank of China] > Notification: Your account ending in 4091 has received an advance transfer of +¥340,000.00 RMB.

Current Balance: ¥380,006.50 RMB.

​At the same instant, the golden system interface flared brightly before his eyes.

​[MAIN QUEST 1 COMPLETE!] > Target: Turn starting capital into ¥500,000 RMB

Total Current Net Worth: ¥720,006.50 RMB (Includes pending auction payout)

​[Rewards Unlocked]

Skill Upgrade: [Market Eye (LV. 2)] — Unlocked ability to analyze financial stocks, corporate equity, and real-time short-term price fluctuations.

New System Function: [Risk Radar] — Detects high-risk financial traps, loan shark threats, and hostile corporate maneuvers in real-time.

Zitan looked out the floor-to-ceiling glass window of the private lounge, looking down at the glittering skyline of Jiangcheng.

​The first step was done. He had his seed capital. Now, it was time to move out of the alleyways and dive headfirst into the high-stakes financial arena.