Chapter 1

"Man can't be too stingy, you know? Life is so short. Close your eyes, open them, and a day has passed; close your eyes, don't open them, and a lifetime has passed..."

On the computer, a sketch featuring Xiao Shenyang, Zhao Benshan, and others—No Money—was playing.

"Burp."

Zhou Xing burped, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, it was still today, still this time.

Zhou Xing closed his eyes again, didn't open them, and fell asleep.

...

In the dimly lit old neighborhood, every household had turned off the lights and gone to bed, except for the Zhou family, whose light was still on.

"Clack, clack, clack..."

The eldest son, Zhou Yang, was typing furiously at the computer, the keyboard clacking. Despite the bloodshot eyes, he persisted, not just for himself but also for his parents and his troublemaking younger brother. He had uploaded several novels to the Yuan Dian Chinese Network, but only this one had barely managed to get a contract. The subscriptions were terrible, so he had to rely on the word count and updates, often working until two or three in the morning.

Zhou's father had just returned from the hospital. Although his wife's condition had stabilized, he was still filled with worry.

"What did I do in my past life to deserve this!"

He looked outside the door, still not seeing his younger son, and sighed deeply, his face full of disappointment and self-mockery.

Thinking about his younger son, Zhou Hong felt a surge of anger. His wife had been hospitalized because of the younger son, and he had lost his job due to the younger son's antics with a wealthy family's daughter, even being blacklisted in the entertainment industry. As a small director, without the entertainment industry, what could he do? Now, the economic burden of the family fell entirely on the eldest son, Zhou Yang. The heavy pressure made it hard for the whole family to breathe, and every time he saw his eldest son working late into the night with dark circles under his eyes, his heart ached.

If the situation didn't improve, Zhou Hong had only one last option.

"Even if I'm called a coward, I can't let my children suffer, I can't let Yue Ru suffer!" Zhou Hong's gaze turned towards the capital, a place few knew about. His wife, Qin Yue Ru, was the sister of the head of one of the four major families in the capital. In other words, the previous head of the family was Qin Yue Ru's father, and Qin Yue Ru had almost broken ties with the family because they thought Zhou Hong was not worthy of their daughter.

Back then, he had said confidently, "I may not be able to give Yue Ru a life of luxury, but I can ensure she has no worries about food and clothing!" and confidently took Qin Yue Ru away.

That was twenty-three years ago.

The past was too painful to recall, and Zhou Hong's mood grew even heavier. After much hesitation, he made a decision, looking twenty years older in an instant. "Tomorrow, I'll buy a plane ticket. This old face is worthless, but for my children and wife, a few white eyes and ridicule are nothing."

...

"Loading the Rich System, please wait. Download progress 1%... 5%... 10%... 20%..."

"ZZZ..."

"Rich System download complete, running automatically..."

"ZZZ..."

In the dead of night, with a full moon in the sky, a teenager was lying in a V-shape in a pile of weeds outside the gate of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School in Jiangzhou Province, snoring loudly and sleeping soundly. Besides him, two empty beer bottles lay in the weeds, completely drained.

Even in his sleep, he was restless.

"Bang!"

His foot kicked a granite stone, and the pain woke him up with a "Ouch!" He opened his eyes and was startled. Where was this? Looking at himself, he saw thin arms and legs, smooth skin, and no more beer belly. His vision was incredibly sharp, and he could see clearly in the dark, which was very strange.

His mind was a mess, filled with unfamiliar memories.

After a while, the teenager sorted out his memories.

"This is another parallel space on Earth, and this body is also called Zhou Xing. I have an older brother named Zhou Yang? This can be good!" Zhou Xing nodded, a hint of joy on his face, but soon his frown deepened. "This kid is too much of a troublemaker! At seventeen, he's already causing so much trouble. Do his parents know? And he's so heartless, not only hospitalizing his mother but also getting his father fired!" If his son were to be like this, he would rather strangle him at birth.

An unexpected voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Respected host, the Rich System 001 is here to serve you..."

What is the Rich System?

"The Rich System is not an object but a super intelligent system. As the name suggests, the Rich System is designed to cultivate the host into the ultimate tycoon. Since this is the first successfully developed Rich System, it has the most comprehensive functions and the highest monthly spending limit of 100 million RMB. Reminder: Your monthly spending limit is 100 million RMB."

Zhou Xing was stunned. "Not only did I reincarnate, but I also got a system?"

In short, he had hit the jackpot.

After being a nobody for thirty years, suddenly having a chance to turn things around, anyone would be excited.

100 million RMB a month!

Is this the path to instant success?

Zhou Xing licked his dry lips and said in a trembling voice, "Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west bank, it's finally my turn to shine! System, quickly give me 10 million to use." His voice was filled with excitement and anticipation.

"Sorry, system funds are prohibited from personal use and can only be spent on completing system tasks."

Zhou Xing: "..." No cars, no houses, no girls.

"However, if you complete the tasks issued by the system and receive an A or S rating, you will receive a 1 million RMB reward and a chance to spin the wheel for prizes, including abilities, cultivation methods, weapons, pills, technology, and money. The more you work, the more you get, and there are no penalties for failing tasks."

The system's voice was full of temptation.

Zhou Xing's eyes lit up, and he gritted his teeth. "Let's do it!" Something is better than nothing.

"The first task: Help your brother become a god. Task requirements: Within thirty days, use the Rich System to help your brother become a god on the Yuan Dian Chinese Network, with a real collection count of 50,000. Task reward: Godly Tycoon Aura. Additional rewards will depend on the task completion rating."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xing almost fell on his butt. His mind was filled with one thought: "It's over."

He had read Zhou Yang's novels before, and they were terrible!

Not because Zhou Yang was a bad writer, quite the opposite. Zhou Yang's writing was excellent, comparable to many famous authors. However, his storytelling skills were lacking, and his novels were full of clichés and predictable plots, making them hard to read. Zhou Xing couldn't help but criticize them every time he read them.

This wasn't mental nourishment; it was mental poison!

"If I had such writing skills in my past life, with my wild imagination, wouldn't I have been a huge success?" Zhou Xing felt a mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment. "Such good writing skills wasted on such a lousy plot, it's unforgivable!"

At this point, his eyes suddenly lit up.

His brother lacked imagination, but he didn't. With all the novels he had read in his past life, even a random one would be better than his brother's plots. These popular books had been tested by the market, with excellent themes and plots. If combined with his brother's writing skills, wouldn't it be perfect?

This way, the book couldn't fail to be a hit!

Cultivating his brother into a god, this was a good idea!

"Let's do it!"

Zhou Xing made up his mind.

He got up, looked at the two beer bottles on the ground, and felt a bit dizzy. "I should drink less in the future. I'm still growing, and it's best to avoid smoking and drinking." He muttered to himself and headed home. Although it was very late, and he might get a beating from his father, it was better than wandering outside.

A moment later.

"Dad, I'm back." Zhou Xing, afraid of revealing any inconsistencies, called out as usual before walking into the house.

Zhou Hong glanced at him calmly and nodded lightly. "It's late, go to bed."

Recently, every time he came home, he would be scolded by his father. Now, seeing his father looking much older and lacking his usual vigor, and being unusually calm, Zhou Xing felt very uncomfortable, a sense of unease that made him uneasy and at a loss.

What he most wanted to ask was, "What happened today!?"

"Still not going to bed?"

Zhou Hong, seeing his younger son standing still, urged, "Are you planning to stay up with your brother?"

PS: This book is full of imagination, logic fans beware. If you're willing to share the joy, please add this book to your bookshelf. Thank you!

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