"F**k."
He sat there, staring blankly at the screen for a moment, as if he had lost everything in a casino.
"I truly fuc*ed up…" His voice echoed in the apartment.
Po looked up from the windowsill, confused by the sudden outburst.
"I could've bought more Panda King eggs," Lin Fang muttered. "I could've just focused on selling one item. But instead…" He clenched his jaw. "I chased after the second one like a gambling idiot. When will you ever learn a lesson…"
It was a familiar feeling. One that left an old, bitter taste in his mouth.
Over the years, from education to business loans, Lin Fang took loans to revive the shop, and used that money to hire high-ranking trainers for training services, healers for medical services, and various influencers to promote on social media, etc. All of his attempts to make it big in a short time instead of looking for steady growth only resulted in enormous debts, a failed marriage, and eventually death. He failed back then, and now, when he finally received an opportunity to redo his life with strong support, he messed up again.
He sank into the chair, slowly, grabbing his head with both hands in depression.
"Now, I don't even have coins left to buy Panda King eggs. Do I have to use the money in my bank account to buy the coins?"
Just then… As if the system understood his feelings, it suddenly sent him a reminder.
*Ding!
A notification sound rang in his head.
And new writings appeared on the holographic screen.
[System Notification: "Upon binding the Summoner System to a shop location, the host will also have an option of purchasing the items from the summoner's shop for free. However, the system will decide the price of the sale. For every sale, the host can earn 10% commission.]
His eyes widened. "Wait… what?"
He immediately stood up before reading the notification.
And he read it again.
A spark flickered behind his eyes.
"That means… even if I get broke, I will still have the opportunity to progress… But I can't let the system decide the price. For an Elite potential monster egg, it asked me to sell it for 1000 credits. Who knows what price it will set for a King Tier potential monster like the Panda King..."
The despair inside him began to shift into resolve a bit.
Lin Fang stood up slowly, walking toward the window where sunlight streamed in, gently lighting the panda's fur.
As he looked out across the city skyline, his reflection appeared faintly in the glass.
"No more reckless gambling from now onwards, no matter how tempting it is going to be," he whispered to himself. "We will go slow but steady this time." He clenched his fists.
As if the mark of the summoner recognized his determination to achieve something, its glyph appeared for a moment on the center of his closed palm before disappearing again.
The next morning, Lin Fang zipped up his jacket and strapped his backpack tightly.
He glanced once at Po, who was still curled up on the bed like a sleeping dumpling, and whispered, "You stay here. Don't make noise."
The little panda gave a sleepy snore in response.
Unfortunately, he couldn't place the little panda in the inventory, as only non-living things can be stored inside. And neither had the system given him any specialized pet inventory function. Hence, he had to leave the panda as he had left home.
Lin Fang locked the door, stepped outside, and swung a leg over his battered but loyal motorcycle. The engine coughed to life, and with a low rumble, he rolled off into the city streets, heading toward the suburbs.
His mission: find a place to live and a store to bind with the system.
However, the city's core was far too expensive. Even with over a million credits in the bank, real estate in central zones was brutal. Especially for someone with no steady job, no registered business anymore, and certainly no reputation.
The first place he visited was a sleek real estate office just off the highway. Glass doors, polished counters, digital listing walls, it looked promising. But the moment the prices flashed on the screen, his jaw nearly hit the floor.
"A store and a residence?" the agent asked politely. "Even in lower-tier districts, that'll run you close to 900,000 credits minimum, for a 2-year rental deposit. Do you wish to look at them?"
Most of the places in the city typically had a one-time rental system, where the person had to deposit a bulk amount, typically 40-60% of the apartment value in the market. If one intends to renovate as they wish, that deposit amount will go to 90%. The owners don't charge any rent during that contract period and refund the deposit once the term is up.
However, with only a little bit higher than a million credits, where he put at least half of it for investment purposes, he naturally couldn't afford to rent a unit that fulfills his requirements.
Lin Fang had to force a smile, rejecting the agent. "That's… out of my range. My range is around 200k-300k. And I'm looking for a short term, like one year."
"Hmm..." The agent lost interest quite a bit upon hearing that. But she still showed her professional attitude, taking time to search within Lin Fang's budget.
Over the next several hours, they showed him a few cramped back-alley rooms in half-abandoned neighborhoods. Moldy walls. Shattered tiles. One even had a broken gate swinging in the wind like a horror movie prop. Naturally, none of it impressed him.
After a full day of disappointment, Lin Fang returned to his home and repeated the process again the next day.
And the next.
Seven days passed. Seven days of riding through unfamiliar districts, arguing over prices, trying to find an affordable store with atleast another spare room for him to sleep and live. But none of it clicked.
It's either too expensive. Or too run-down. Sometimes, too much in the outskirts of the city. Some are in bad neighborhoods. Some, even worse, no pets allowed.
Eventually, something inside him cracked.
"If I keep chasing the perfect store, I'll end up homeless," he muttered.
That evening, sitting cross-legged on the floor with instant noodles in his lap, Lin Fang gave up on private living altogether and opened the classifieds tab on the city hub net instead.
Search: Shared apartment. Cheap. South or Central District.
Results flooded the screen. And the very first post caught his eye.
ROOM AVAILABLE – Shared Flat
Location: Sector 12, Evergreen Apartments
3-bedroom unit, 1 room vacant.
Rent: 400 credits/month
Deposit: 1000 credits
Separate room and private bathroom.
Meals provided.
Bills (electricity/internet/gas) are split equally among tenants.
Gender is not mandatory. Must be an adult. ID required.
Monsters are allowed in the building.
Lin Fang raised an eyebrow. "Free meals? Private bathroom? Only 400 a month? And even monsters are allowed? That's so great… I wonder how it is going to be."
Even with the bill-sharing clause, it was an insane deal. And there is no gender requirement either? And it is not even in the suburbs? Suspiciously good.
Is it a scam? He couldn't help but wonder for a second. The images looked quite decent.
He clicked the contact.
The profile was sparse, just a username, "QY-92", and a voice-only call option.
Lin Fang tapped Call.
After a few rings, a calm, slightly sleepy female voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey, uh, Hi, I saw your room listing on the classified tabs on the city hub website. Is it still available?"
There was a pause. "Um, yeah, it is available. You'll need to bring your ID, and come before 10 PM if you want to see the room today. Or you can come tomorrow, before noon."
"I can be there in an hour."
"Alright. It's Evergreen Apartments, Sector 12, Building 5C. Top floor. Apartment 17. You can just type in the maps for navigation."
"Got it. See you soon."
The call ended.
Lin Fang closed the screen, finished the noodles in three bites, then threw on his helmet and rushed out.
As the city blurred past him, he couldn't help but feel the stirrings of hope again. It wasn't what he expected. It wasn't the grand storefront or dual-shop plan he'd envisioned.
But right now, stability mattered more.
And 400 credits a month, with free meals, was practically a miracle.
He drove forward toward Evergreen Residences, hoping that it is going to be a genuine one.
In an hour, he reached the location shown on the map.
Evergreen Residences was taller than Lin Fang expected, sixteen stories, clean beige exterior, metal gates guarded by a security guard, a beast that looked like a manticore, yet without its master around.
He parked his bike in the underground lot, pocketed his keys, and made his way up the elevator of Building 5C, stopping at Floor 16. The number on the door, 1617, matched the address from the call.
He rang the bell once.
A few seconds later, the door opened.
The woman on the other side blinked in surprise, brows raising as soon as her eyes took him in. "It's you?" she said, her voice soft with disbelief.
"Sorry?" Lin Fang tilted his head, confused by her reaction. "Do we know each other?"