Arthur stood in the center of a massive, empty warehouse on the outskirts of Xi'an. The air was cool and smelled of damp concrete. Twelve billion yuan. The number was so large it had become abstract, a weightless ghost haunting his every thought.
[The Providence Mandate: Level 6]
Current Investment Capital: ¥12,000,000,000
Personal Salary: ¥5,000 (He was currently wearing a pair of shoes he had patched with industrial tape).
The Goal: If he loses this twelve billion, the rebate will be ¥24,000,000,000.
"The world is obsessed with speed, video, and mindless consumption," Arthur said, his voice echoing in the vast space. "Therefore, I will invest in the slowest, most 'unproductive' activity known to modern man: deep, academic reading."
The Plan: "The Eternal Archive"
Arthur gathered his team, who were now world-renowned for their "accidental" successes.
"We are building the Eternal Archive," Arthur announced. "I want a library that contains every physical book ever printed. We will buy original manuscripts. We will hire thousands of scribes to hand-copy fading texts onto vellum. But here is the catch: we will not charge for entry."
Captain Li nodded, expecting a catch. "A free library, sir? Very noble."
"No, Captain. It's better than free. We will pay the readers." Arthur's eyes lit up with a desperate brilliance. "I want a system where every person who enters must lock their phone in a lead box. For every hour they spend reading a physical book, we will pay them ¥100. If they write a handwritten summary, we pay them ¥500. We will provide free organic meals, on-site nap pods, and full medical checkups for anyone who stays for more than six hours."
Arthur smirked. Paying people to sit still? Providing free food and healthcare to thousands of 'professional readers'? The overhead will be a monster. I'll be rid of this twelve billion in six months!
Point of View: Captain Li (The Sage's General)
Captain Li stood before a mountain of crates containing rare scrolls from across Europe and Asia. He looked at the recruitment flyers: WANTED: READERS. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. GET PAID TO LEARN.
The Young Master is a physician of the mind, Li thought, his heart swelling. He sees that our youth are losing their ability to think deeply. He isn't just spending money; he is buying back the human attention span. He knows that by paying them, he removes the 'stress of survival,' allowing the next generation of philosophers to be born. He is a king who wants a kingdom of wise men, not workers.
"Handle those scrolls with silk gloves!" Li shouted. "We are building the brain of the world! The Young Master wants every citizen to be a scholar!"
Point of View: Lin Xia (The Intellectual Architect)
Lin Xia walked through the quiet halls of the Archive. She saw a former delivery driver sitting in a plush armchair, reading a book on ancient irrigation, his face calm and focused.
Arthur, you are trying to bankrupt yourself by giving away knowledge, she thought, a soft smile on her lips. But you've forgotten one thing: data is the new oil.
She didn't call the tech giants. She called the global university systems and the world's leading AI research firms.
"Hello? This is Lin Xia. We have the world's only source of 'Pure Human Cognitive Data.' We have thousands of people producing handwritten, original thoughts and summaries, untainted by internet algorithms or AI influence. If you want access to this 'Gold Standard' of human intelligence for your research, you will need to fund our 'Endowment for Universal Literacy' with a 10% annual royalty on all your future patents."
The Result: The Wisdom Windfall
Eight months later, Arthur sat in his small wooden cubicle in the library, eating a bowl of plain white rice. He opened the system interface, praying for a zero balance.
[Ding!]
[Project: The Eternal Archive]
Status: GLOBAL INTELLECTUAL RENAISSANCE.
The "Flaw": The "Pay-to-Read" model created a massive surge in local education levels. The city's crime rate dropped to zero, and the local economy boomed because the "readers" became the most overqualified workforce in history.
The "Accident": A group of readers, while studying ancient alchemical texts and modern chemistry books side-by-side, discovered a forgotten formula for a biodegradable plastic alternative. The patent was registered to the Archive.
Outcome: ¥18,000,000,000 profit donated to "UNESCO & Global Teacher Funds."
Penalty: Next Project Capital: ¥24,000,000,000. Arthur's Salary: ¥5,000.
Arthur stared at the wall. Twenty-four billion. He was now the "Father of Modern Wisdom," yet he was currently using a library book as a pillow because he couldn't afford a new mattress.
Lin Xia walked in, carrying a small, hand-wrapped gift. "Arthur, the readers wanted you to have this. It's a pen carved from a fallen tree in the valley. They say your name will be written in history books for a thousand years."
Arthur took the pen. It was beautiful. It was priceless. And he still couldn't use it to pay his electricity bill.
"Xia," he whispered. "What if I just... bought a mountain and tried to move it to the other side of the country? By hand?"
She laughed, kissing his cheek. "Then I suppose you'd discover a mountain of diamonds underneath it. Give up, Arthur. You're far too good at being bad."