Arthur sat on a weathered stone bench outside the library, staring at the number ¥24,000,000,000 on his screen. It looked less like a fortune and more like a high-score in a game he was desperately trying to lose.
[The Providence Mandate: Level 7]
Current Investment Capital: ¥24,000,000,000
Personal Salary: ¥5,000 (He had recently started "upcycling" his old tea leaves to save money).
The Goal: If he loses this, the rebate will be ¥48,000,000,000.
"Profit comes from productivity," Arthur whispered, his eyes bloodshot. "Therefore, to lose everything, I must create a place of absolute, total unproductivity. I will build a city where work is not just discouraged—it is forbidden."
The Plan: "The Sanctuary of Stillness"
Arthur summoned Captain Li to a remote coastal region in Fujian, a place of stunning cliffs and misty mornings.
"Captain," Arthur said, his voice trembling with a mix of exhaustion and hope. "We are building The Sanctuary of Stillness. It will be a city of 50,000 people. We will provide luxury housing, gourmet food, and top-tier entertainment. But there is one rule: No one is allowed to produce anything. No businesses, no shops, no 'side hustles.' If someone so much as sells a handmade bracelet, they are evicted."
Captain Li looked confused. "So... a massive retirement home, Young Master?"
"No! For everyone! Students, artists, engineers—I want them all to just... sit. We will pay for everything. Maintenance, imported delicacies, 24/7 medical care, and a 'Stipend for Leisure' of ¥5,000 a month for every resident. We will be burning through billions every year just to keep the lights on and the wine flowing. There is no product. There is no export. It is a financial black hole."
Arthur felt a surge of triumph. Maintaining 50,000 people at a luxury level for free? It's impossible to sustain! The system will have to admit defeat!
Point of View: Captain Li (The Guardian of Peace)
Captain Li walked through the marble plazas of the rising city. He saw people who had spent their lives in high-stress factories finally closing their eyes and listening to the ocean.
The Young Master is a prophet, Li thought, his heart full of a quiet joy. He sees that the world has become a machine that grinds humans into dust. He is spending twenty-four billion yuan to create the 'Sabbath of the Soul.' He told me to ban work because he wants to see what humans become when they aren't 'tools' for someone else's profit. He is giving us back our humanity.
"Ensure the silk hammocks are the highest quality!" Li ordered. "The Young Master wants the people to know the weight of their own worth, not the weight of a burden!"
Point of View: Lin Xia (The Cultural Alchemist)
Lin Xia stood on a balcony overlooking the city. It was a masterpiece of leisure. But she noticed something Arthur hadn't. When people are given everything and forbidden from "working" for money, they don't just sleep. They play. They think. They create for the sake of beauty.
Arthur, you've created a 'Think Tank' of 50,000 relaxed geniuses, she thought, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
She didn't call the corporations. She called the world's leading "Lifestyle" and "Well-being" brands, and the most prestigious art galleries in Paris and New York.
"Hello? This is Lin Xia. We have a city where 50,000 of the world's most relaxed people are 'accidentally' producing the most profound philosophy, art, and music of the century because they have nothing else to do. If you want to license the 'Stillness Aesthetic' or exhibit the works created here, the 'Licensing Fee' will be a permanent endowment to the city's trust fund."
The Result: The Profit of Peace
One year later, Arthur was sitting in a free community dining hall, eating a bowl of rice and vegetables. He opened the system, ready for the sweet release of a zero balance.
[Ding!]
[Project: The Sanctuary of Stillness]
Status: GLOBAL CULTURAL CAPITAL.
The "Flaw": The "No Work" rule created a psychological phenomenon where residents began innovating in their hobbies. A resident (a former plumber) "accidentally" invented a frictionless water filtration system just because he was bored.
The "Accident": The city became the world's #1 tourist destination for "Extreme Relaxation." People paid ¥50,000 a night just to stay in a hotel outside the city walls to breathe the same air.
Outcome: ¥35,000,000,000 profit donated to "Global Poverty Relief & Universal Basic Income Research."
Penalty: Next Project Capital: ¥48,000,000,000. Arthur's Salary: ¥5,000.
Arthur dropped his wooden spoon. Forty-eight billion. He had accidentally solved the labor crisis and created a new Renaissance.
He looked at his bank account. Because he had spent ¥20 on a bus to visit the city, he had ¥4,980 left for the month.
Lin Xia sat down beside him, looking radiant in a simple linen dress. "Arthur, the world's leaders are calling this 'The New Way.' They say you've proven that humans are more than just workers."
Arthur leaned his head on the table. "Xia... I just wanted to be a normal guy. I just wanted to take you on a vacation where I didn't end up accidentally saving the world."
She ran her fingers through his hair. "But Arthur, you are the only man who could save the world while trying to lose it. What's next? Fifty billion to build a bridge to the moon?"
Arthur bolted upright. "A bridge to the moon... no, that's too far. But a Sub-Oceanic Tunnel to an island that doesn't exist? That might just work."