Chapter 1: Zero to Twenty Trillion

The winter wind cut through the city like a knife, carrying the smell of exhaust fumes and cheap fried noodles. On the edge of Lin City’s busiest street, a dim alley stretched into darkness, where the broken neon sign of Hong’s Pawnshop flickered.

Beneath the rusty staircase of the abandoned bookstore across the alley, an eighteen-year-old boy sat with his knees drawn to his chest. His school uniform was faded, the sleeves frayed from years of wear. In his hands, he counted coins—three one-yuan pieces and a single ten-yuan note. Not enough for rent. Not enough for tomorrow’s meal.

His name was Li Tianyu. Orphan. Dropout. Street rat.

Life had been cruel to him. His parents had died in a fire when he was six—or so the orphanage claimed. At fourteen, he left the home, unable to bear the bullying and exploitation. Since then, he’d survived on part-time jobs no one else wanted: carrying crates at the docks, washing dishes until midnight, running deliveries in the pouring rain.

And yet, here he was—still broke.

Tianyu stared at the coins in his palm and laughed bitterly. “I guess today’s dinner will be instant noodles again.”

His phone—a battered secondhand model with a cracked screen—buzzed in his pocket. He frowned. He didn’t have any friends, and no one called him unless it was work.

When he pulled it out, the screen wasn’t showing the usual lock screen. Instead, it was pitch black, with golden characters scrolling across

Initializing…]

[Verifying host identity…]

[Bloodline confirmed.]

[Welcome, Li Tianyu. Binding Trillionaire Fortune System…]

He froze. “What the hell… is this?”

The golden text vanished, replaced by a clean, elegant interface showing a single number. A number so large, Tianyu thought he was hallucinating.

¥ 20,000,000,000,000.00

Twenty. Trillion.

“…” He blinked. Then blinked again. “Is this… fake? Some scam app?”

Before he could close it, a calm, mechanical voice spoke from the phone.

[Congratulations, Host. You are now the sole heir to the Lost Celestial Bank, founded by the Shadow Emperor himself. All assets and holdings—now yours.]

Tianyu’s heart thudded in his chest. “Heir? What heir? I’m just an orphan!”

[Your bloodline matches 100% with the Li Clan’s direct line. All funds, properties, companies, and confidential resources are under your control.]

“...Are you telling me… I’m rich?”

[Correction. You are the richest man on Earth.]

The system interface shifted, showing more details—shares in multinational corporations, gold reserves in underground vaults, a fleet of private jets and yachts, real estate in every major city in the world.

It felt like a dream. Yesterday, he’d been debating whether to buy bread or instant noodles. Today… he could buy the entire street.

Tianyu’s breath trembled. “Why me?”

Your parents were eliminated by the Four Great Families. Their empire stolen. The Shadow Emperor foresaw this and sealed the inheritance until you reached adulthood.]

The words sank like stones into his mind. “...Eliminated?”

He didn’t have time to process it further before the voice spoke again:

[First task generated: Claim your primary residence. A vehicle will arrive in five minutes.]

“What vehicle—”

The screech of tires echoed in the alley. A sleek, black Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped in front of him, its glossy surface reflecting the neon glow. The back door opened, revealing a tall, stunning woman in a tailored black suit. Her eyes were cold, professional.

“Mr. Li Tianyu?” she asked.

“Uh… yeah?”

She gave a slight bow. “I’m Secretary Lan. I will be assisting you from today onwards. Please, come with me. Your penthouse awaits.”

Tianyu stared at her, then at the luxurious car, then back at his torn shoes. His life had just changed. Drastically.

He took one slow breath, shoved the coins back into his pocket, and stepped forward.

The Rolls-Royce door closed behind him, and the alley that had been his home for years faded into the distance.

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