Chapter 2

Time waits for no one.
Su Han sprang into action, determined to find the nearest supermarket and blow all her cash before prices shot up at 9 o’clock, by then, her money wouldn’t be worth even half as much!
Maybe it was some kind of system design, but she hadn’t walked two minutes before a 24-hour department store came into view.
Su Han rushed inside, hoping to stretch her 1,000 Bei as far as possible.
At the shelves, she was relieved to find her cash still packed a punch: bottled water, 2 Bei each; bar soap, 5 Bei. With 1,000 Bei, she could buy a mountain.
Regret prickled at her, if only she’d exchanged more currency! But she quickly calmed herself. Come on, what is she, clairvoyant? No one gets everything perfect.
As she wandered, Su Han was surprised to realize that not just soap, but towels, toothpaste, cleansers, body wash, even air freshener, perfume, toothbrushes, they all boosted cleanliness. Only catch: they were all consumables, single-use and gone for good.
When it came to food, chocolate, candy, cookies, cakes, instant noodles, all of them upped her Satiety.
Since her portable storage limited her to 100 units per item, Su Han didn’t hesitate: she grabbed 90 bars of soap and 90 bottles of water, then marched to the register.
The line was short. In no time, it was her turn.
Soap, 450 Bei; water, 180 Bei; grand total, 630 Bei. The cashier couldn’t help giving her a weird look, who in their right mind hoards that much soap and water? Was this girl nuts?
Su Han didn’t bother explaining. She paid and strode out.
But just as she hit the exit, nearly thirty people charged into the store all at once, faces grim, feet hurrying.
In her mind flashed a familiar warning: “A wave of players is converging on the supermarket.”
She slipped out of the way, and once the rush passed, ducked into a quiet corner to stash her haul in her personal inventory.
“One step slow, every step behind,” Su Han muttered. “If you hesitate at the start, the shelves are half-empty by the time you make it in. Spend too long browsing, and you’re fighting everyone for whatever’s left, maybe even stuck in a checkout line for ages.”
Worse, some players might leave empty-handed. Su Han recalled plainly: she’d just bought 90 bars of soap, clearing almost the whole shelf. Who knew if there was even any stock left to replenish?
Nearby, a girl with glasses grabbed 100 packs of instant noodles without batting an eye.
Shaking her head, Su Han hurried off to her next stop, the pharmacy.
At the entrance, she was greeted by the sight of the staff gaping as a swarm of ten-plus shoppers tore through the aisles. Su Han tensed, immediately joining the supply raid.
Her haul: Five rolls of medical bandages, five boxes of antibiotics, total, 170 Bei.
Antibiotics: Restores +20 stamina. Removes “Infected” status.
It wasn’t that she was late and everything was gone, she was just too broke to buy more. Plus, she still needed cash for other essentials, so she couldn’t splurge.
Casting a regretful glance at the shelves, Su Han forced herself to leave. On her way out, she could still hear the NPC pharmacist grumbling, “If they weren’t paying, I’d swear this was a robbery…”
A quick check told Su Han it was already 8:38, and the shop she wanted next was nowhere to be found. Out of options, she could only fall back on the dumb approach: checking every storefront, one by one.
8:57. After twenty minutes of searching, she finally found it, a general store!
Slingshot: 30 Bei each. Steel pellets: 2 Bei a bag, 100 pellets per bag.
She grabbed two slingshots and spent every last coin on pellets. In an instant, the final 200 Bei vanished from her wallet.
“What do you need so many pellets for?” The store owner looked utterly bewildered.
Su Han just smiled and tossed off, “Hunting.”
That shut him right up. He knew some customers used slingshots for birds, but he didn’t expect this skinny young woman to be into that kind of thing.
“I’m out,” Su Han said breezily, knowing full-dive VR game NPCs were frighteningly sharp, no different from the real thing, so best to treat them like people.
She’d barely stepped outside when the system’s robotic voice declared, “Nine o’clock. The game has officially begun. Day One: Prices rise 50%.”
At that moment, Su Han noticed something new in her portable storage. A closer look: one bottle of milk, and a slab of dark bread.
Milk: 250ml, restores +15 satiety.
Dark bread: restores +15 satiety.
A glance at her stat panel showed her satiety bar still a deep green, nothing urgent. She let the milk and bread sit where they were, untouched.
Slowly, she made her way across to the park opposite the megastore, sinking onto a bench. Only then did Su Han have a moment to gather her thoughts.
So-called “hyperinflation” just meant her money would hemorrhage value. The cash that once bought a whole pig would barely afford half, then a chicken, then a mere drumstick, until eventually it was nothing but worthless paper.
Which meant: the sooner she spent it, the more she could get.
She’d managed to blow through her cash before inflation hit, but she hadn’t figured out her next steps yet.
Suddenly, Su Han paused, a thought snapping into place. “Back at the supermarket, I ran into other players. But just now, the crowd hurrying in must have been NPCs, so why did my status panel show the same info for both?”
For example, at this moment, a man in his thirties wearing a suit was hurrying to the supermarket. When Su Han sized him up, what she saw was: “Satiety: 85%, Cleanliness: 70%, Stamina: 90%. Status: Healthy.”
Next to him was a little girl, five or six years old, being cradled in her parent’s arms. Her stats read: “Satiety: 80%, Cleanliness: 85%, Stamina: 70%. Status: Normal. Currently running a fever.”
Su Han’s mind started turning. “Wait, does this game not distinguish players from NPCs?”
After a moment’s thought, she had an idea.
In a noodle shop with a “Help Wanted” sign taped out front, the proprietress was grumbling under her breath, “Why are prices skyrocketing all of a sudden? How is anyone supposed to keep living like this?”
“Hi, I’m here to apply for the server job.” As she spoke, Su Han walked in, flashing a dimpled smile.
The boss’s wife hesitated. This girl had a neat bob and delicate features, she looked sharp and capable. Still…
“The pay’s 3,000 Bei, and I can’t promise any raises for now.” The owner laid it out.
With prices soaring, not offering a raise did seem a bit heartless. But business wasn’t great, and she honestly couldn’t afford to pay more.
“Room and board included. Three grand isn’t the end of the world, I guess.” After some thought, Su Han asked, “Could I get paid daily?”
“Deal!” The boss lady was just as straightforward, agreeing on the spot, “That’s 100 Bei per day, and I’ll pay you each night when the shop closes.”
“Perfect! What do you need me to do?” Su Han rolled up her sleeves, ready to get to work.
“We have a chef in the kitchen. All you need to do is greet customers when they arrive. If no one’s here, just take a break.”
“Got it.” Su Han nodded.
It was just past 10 a.m. and the noodle shop was almost empty, so Su Han hung out by the side. But when lunchtime hit, customers started flooding in.
She barely had the chance to greet anyone before the outcries began: “Fifteen Bei for a bowl of noodles?? It was ten just yesterday!”
“Highway robbery!”
“How did it get so expensive?”
The boss lady heaved a long sigh and complained right back, “With prices shooting up everywhere, what can I do? I have to raise prices here, too.”
“Whatever! I’m not eating here!” someone shouted, storming out in rage.
The others all hesitated, looking like they might leave as well.
The owner kept lamenting, “Everything outside is going up, too, no matter where you go. We’re all stuck in the same boat.”
Her words hit like a bucket of cold water. The customers all gave up on protesting, and ended up ordering the cheapest noodles for lunch. Most of them were probably already planning to bring lunch from home tomorrow.
Su Han quickly moved in to take orders.
A little while later, the guy who’d sworn he’d never eat here quietly slipped back in.
Su Han pretended not to notice and kept taking and delivering orders.
By 1 p.m., the customers had all left and the noodle shop quieted down. The chef took the time to prepare a bowl of beef ramen just for her.
“Thanks.” Su Han accepted it, then started eating.
Beef ramen: restores +25 satiety. Finishing it bumped Su Han’s Satiety straight up to 100.
“You’re still young, what made you want to be a server?” the boss lady asked, clearly curious.
Su Han answered with complete sincerity, “It’s great! I get food, a place to stay, and spending money. Being a server is perfect for me.”
The owner honestly thought: talk about low expectations. But it was tough enough finding an employee who’d work for such a low wage; no way she was sending the girl away. So she encouraged her earnestly, “Keep saving up, you’ll see, things are bound to get better.”
“Mhm.” Su Han smiled her thanks, but thought to herself, There’s no way I’m saving a penny. As soon as I get paid, I’ll spend every last cent.
Soon dinnertime hit and things got busy again, she didn’t get a break until almost 7 p.m.
The boss lady was getting ready to lock up and go home. She pointed at a small bedroom, barely five square meters, and gave some instructions: “You’ll sleep here.”
Su Han looked it over carefully and figured it was fine. At least there was a bed and a blanket.
Maybe embarrassed by how barebones it was, the boss lady offered a sheepish smile, handed her 100 Bei, and said, “Here’s today’s pay. And if you get hungry tonight, help yourself to the kitchen, no charge.”
Su Han wasn’t bothered in the slightest. In fact, she was thrilled. “This is great!”
The boss lady went silent for a moment, thinking to herself, This girl… is really something.
Little did she know, her new employee was living the dream: free rent, free food, and a daily paycheck on top. Su Han considered it an absolute win.