Arthur stood before a massive, topographical map of a desolate valley in the mountains of Yunnan. One billion yuan. The number felt like a mountain of lead pressing down on his chest.
[The Providence Mandate: Level 4]
Current Investment Capital: ¥1,000,000,000
Personal Salary: ¥5,000 (The system had just rejected his request for a ¥200 "inflation adjustment").
The Goal: If he loses this billion, the rebate will be ¥2,000,000,000.
"Technology is the driver of modern profit," Arthur whispered to the empty room. "Therefore, to ensure total financial annihilation, I must build a place where the last two hundred years of progress simply... do not exist."
The Plan: "The Echo Valley"
Arthur summoned Captain Li and his now-massive administrative team.
"We are building a city," Arthur announced. "But not a smart city. A 'Dumb City.' I want a sprawling urban center built entirely using Han-dynasty techniques. No electricity. No plumbing. No internet. No paved roads. Every brick must be handmade. Every nail must be forged by hand."
Captain Li squinted. "A tourist attraction, Young Master? Like a movie set?"
"No!" Arthur slammed his hand on the table. "A permanent residence. We will pay people to live there—exorbitant salaries—on the condition that they never use a smartphone within the valley walls. We will provide them with handmade silk clothes, wooden tools, and organic seeds. We will spend hundreds of millions on 'Artisanal Education' for the staff's children."
Arthur's heart soared. Maintenance costs for a city with no machines? It will be a black hole for cash! Hiring thousands of people to do things the 'slow way' while paying them triple? I'll be broke by Christmas!
Point of View: Captain Li (The Cultural Guardian)
Captain Li stood at the entrance of the valley, watching a master carpenter teach a group of former factory workers how to join wood without a single screw.
The Young Master's wisdom is unfathomable, Li thought, his eyes shimmering with reverence. He sees how the 'Screen Age' has rotted our souls. He is spending a billion yuan to create a 'Digital Detox Sanctuary.' He isn't just building houses; he's saving the very essence of Chinese craftsmanship from extinction. He told me to 'waste' money on handmade bricks because he knows that a soul cannot be mass-produced.
"Listen up!" Li roared at the foremen. "We are not 'building'—we are 'weaving' history! If I see a single power tool on this site, I will personally throw it into the river! The Young Master wants purity!"
Point of View: Lin Xia (The Visionary Muse)
Lin Xia walked through the half-finished stone streets of Echo Valley. She saw the peace on the faces of the workers. No pings, no notifications, just the rhythmic sound of hammers on stone.
Arthur... you are a genius of the spirit, she thought. The world is suffering from a mental health crisis. Burnout is everywhere. You are building the world's most exclusive 'High-Status Hermit' destination.
She didn't call the media this time. She called the CEOs of the world's most stressed-out tech giants.
"Hello, Mr. Cook? Mr. Zuckerberg? My partner is finishing a project called Echo Valley. It is a place where your top executives can go to regain their humanity. No phones, just silence and ancient craftsmanship. The 'Admission Fee' will be a mandatory 5% equity donation to the Global Mental Health Fund. No, there are no exceptions."
The Result: The Luxury of Silence
One year later, Arthur sat in his office, which he had moved to a small wooden hut in the valley (to save on his own rent). He was wearing a simple cotton robe. He opened the system interface.
[Ding!]
[Project: Echo Valley]
Status: THE ULTIMATE STATUS SYMBOL.
The "Flaw": "Silence" became the rarest commodity in the 21st century. The world's elite began bidding millions for "Residency Permits" just to escape their emails for a month.
The "Accident": The handmade organic farming techniques used in the valley inadvertently created a "Super-Strain" of ancient tea that cured chronic insomnia. A single tin now sells for ¥100,000 at auction.
Outcome: ¥3,000,000,000 profit donated to "Global Stress & Mental Health Research."
Penalty: Next Project Capital: ¥6,000,000,000. Arthur's Salary: ¥5,000.
Arthur collapsed onto his straw mat. Six billion. He was responsible for the budget of a small country, but he was currently wondering if he could borrow a pair of sandals from Captain Li because his own had a hole in the sole.
Lin Xia entered the hut, carrying a bowl of hand-ground porridge. "Arthur, the world is calling this 'The Great Reset.' You've saved a generation from the digital void. Are you happy?"
Arthur looked at his ¥5,000 in the bank and the 6 billion in the system. "Xia... I just want to buy you a car. A real car. Not a wooden cart."
She kissed his forehead. "I prefer the cart, Arthur. It shows your heart is pure."