C1 Super Ultimate Tycoon System

"Ouch... that hurts... ease up, Fatty."

The speaker was a young man of average build named Quinlan, who was quite handsome, though his face was contorted in pain.

Across from him was a young man with a stocky build, who had an honest look about him. However, after Quinlan pleaded for gentleness, the stocky man's hand, holding a cotton swab, pressed down hard on Quinlan's wound.

"Ah... Fatty, what the heck are you doing?"

Another agonized scream escaped from Quinlan.

"Huh..." Fatty chuckled good-naturedly, "Just applying the medicine normally. Guess I got a bit heavy-handed there."

With that, Fatty kept on treating Quinlan's wound.

"Hmph... Fatty, just wait until you're the one hurt next time—I won't go easy on you!" Quinlan threatened him half-jokingly.

"Travis, these days, true love is hard to find. To some women, money's all that matters. I didn't want to bring it up, but seeing you like this every day, it's hard not to say something. Yesterday, I saw Everleigh stepping out of a Mercedes-Benz G500 with a twenty-something guy. They were all over each other, and it's the third time I've seen her like this since your breakup half a month ago," Fatty said with a sigh. "Anger's one thing, but you've got to tone it down. Look at you, getting hurt for the umpteenth time over a woman like that—it's just not worth it."

"What?" Quinlan's brow furrowed deeply. "What did you just say? Everleigh's with some rich guy now?"

Fatty nodded slightly, confirming, "Yes."

"I don't believe it... how could she..." Quinlan shook his head in denial.

"Hey..." Fatty gave Quinlan a look of resignation and shook his head.

"Nowadays, you're either moping around, drowning your sorrows in booze—which has landed you in the hospital more than once—or blowing off steam on the basketball court or sports field, getting injured over and over. Look at you, hurt again today, and here I am, having to patch you up. What if one day you're not so lucky? She hasn't given you the time of day in ages, which means she's moved on. It's time for you to let go and take my advice," Fatty advised as he continued to apply the medicine.

Just then, a wave of cheers erupted from outside the window.

Fatty had just finished applying medicine to Quinlan and, being a lover of excitement, he sprang to his feet and hurried toward the balcony.

"Quinlan, Quinlan... hurry over here!" Fatty called out urgently upon glimpsing the scene below.

Their dorm was on the third floor, overlooking an open space that was clearly visible from their vantage point.

"What's going on? I'm injured, remember? I shouldn't be moving around," Quinlan quipped with feigned fussiness.

Fatty turned back, grabbed Quinlan, and urged, "Just come and see!"

"Hey... Hey... Take it easy, will you?"

Reluctantly, Quinlan allowed himself to be pulled onto the balcony by Fatty.

The sight that met his eyes sent a jolt through his heart.

The open space below was strewn with rose petals, and a red Mercedes-Benz G500 parked to the side. Next to the car, a couple was locked in an intense kiss, drawing an audience of onlookers. The woman was none other than Quinlan's ex-girlfriend, Everleigh.

Quinlan was dumbfounded by the spectacle. He wanted to dash out and down the stairs to get some answers.

By chance, there was a stool by the door to the dorm. In his fury, he stepped on it without thinking to duck, and his head collided with the doorframe.

With a resounding "thud," Quinlan was flung backward.

Hearing the commotion, Fatty spun around just in time to catch Quinlan as he fell back into his arms.

In that moment, Quinlan's head spun, his vision filled with flashing lights, and he felt as if he might pass out at any second.

"Damn..." Fatty shook Quinlan vigorously. "Quinlan, Quinlan, are you okay?"

"Congratulations, you've acquired the Super Ultimate Tycoon System!"

The announcement boomed inside Quinlan's head.

"The Super Ultimate Tycoon System? What's that?" Quinlan wondered.

"You can earn a substantial amount of virtual system currency."

"Virtual currency? Like online coins?"

"That's correct, host!"

"So, how many virtual coins do I have now?"

"The system indicates that you have 500,000 dollars' worth of virtual coins."

Half a million? If only he could cash out these virtual coins.

"Host, don't even think about it. Virtual coins can't be cashed out."

No cash-out? Damn it! So, despite my virtual wealth, I'm still broke! Oh, the irony...

"Host, you're required to complete a daily mission, which is to spend all the virtual coins in your account."

Upon hearing this, Quinlan's spirits lifted. This little mission was seriously empowering. Spending money was now a mission? What was he, a mysterious big shot?

"If you fail to complete the mission for the day, the system will seek a new host!"

Wait, what? No way. I can't pass up such a fantastic chance to strut my stuff.

"Host, if you complete the missions for a week straight, the system will offer a lottery reward."

"Lottery reward? What kind of reward? Spill it!"

"Heh... My lips are sealed..."

"Damn... You're keeping secrets from me now?"

...

"Quinlan, Quinlan, what's wrong? You better not scare me!"

Fatty vigorously shook Quinlan, who was wearing an unusual grin. It wasn't a lewd smile, but rather one of pure bliss, as if he were in the midst of a wonderful dream.

Had Quinlan lost his marbles? Why was he looking like this? As Quinlan continued to smile foolishly without waking, his friend reached for his phone, contemplating a call to emergency services.

Just then, Quinlan's eyes fluttered open. He wasn't in any discomfort from the bump; his thoughts were crystal clear.

He had the sense that he'd just experienced a dream, one where the Super Ultimate Tycoon System had melded with his mind, claiming his account contained virtual coins worth 50,000 dollars. Whether it was fact or fantasy, he couldn't tell.

Seeing Quinlan stir awake, Fatty hastily set aside his phone and asked with concern, "Travis, you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Where's my phone?" Quinlan inquired, his gaze catching the sight of his phone on the desk. He swiftly rose to his feet and made his way toward it.

Upon reaching his phone, he fired up his favorite app, TikTok, to check his account balance.

A zero, another zero, and yet another...

A five followed by five zeros – that was a solid five hundred thousand TikTok coins, which amounted to fifty thousand dollars. Quinlan's eyes bulged at the sight of the digits. He inhaled deeply and swallowed hard, his mind reeling from the shock.