Inside the glorious country of Dajin was a magnificent place called Jiuhua.
Jiuhua was a city, a metropolis that not only incorporated all of the military, cultural, and commercial aspects of the country but was also known as the core of the southern region of Dajin.
As the sun hung high up in the sky, rows and rows of horses could be seen pulling heavy carts, each containing countless goods from all over the country.
On the other side of the thick city walls were innumerable shops and storefronts and a multitude of pedestrians who were clustered on the city's tightly-knit streets.
Off to the side, a few warriors rested under the shade of green willow trees while successful cultivators rode their carriages on the wide, four-lane roads.
At times, the curtains of their carriages would be lifted by the wind, exposing their sage-like appearances.
There were more warriors and cultivators in the city than one could count, and the people were packed like sardines everywhere. This was a rare sight to see, even in a country like Dajin.
However, there was a special occasion; a new term was about to begin at Lingyun Academy. Therefore, the warriors, who were attracted by the sheer fame of the academy, made the city even more bustling than usual!
In the eastern corner of the city stood a small shop. While everything was happening in the city center, the owner dragged out a bench and sat down in front of his shop, cooling himself off with a fan. He poked his head out in anticipation…
Sure, this place was a metropolis, but the shops by the edge of the city barely had any customers. On top of that, this specific location was even worse than the others. However, this was the only inheritance that Fang Qi's deceased father left him after he somehow arrived in this world.
This used to be a shop that sold random things, like healing ointments and ordinary weapons. Aside from the things that no one wanted, Fang Qi had sold everything that used to be in stock.
Originally, Fang Qi wanted to sell this store, but he later changed his mind.
Because…
At this thought, he looked up at the sign above him – Origins Internet Club!
The name was really cool, but... it was an internet café!
An internet café in this new world?
For this to make sense, we will have to start from the day before yesterday.
…
- The day before yesterday's morning -
"Another day of boredom…" Fang Qi yawned as he climbed out from his bed and scratched his bed-head that was shaped like a bird's nest.
Suddenly, he thought he heard a weird sound coming from nowhere. Wait, were they coming from his head?
Surprised, he exclaimed, "Am I hallucinating?"
He quickly became alert and listened intently, "The system has been successfully activated, would you like to run it?"
"System?" It was as if the sky had rained delicious meatballs on him while he was sleeping! Completely disregarding what system it was, Fang Qi decided to activate it first and find out later.
"Beep! The system has been successfully activated!"
"Yes!" Exhilarated, Fang Qi waved his fists in the air. With his new system, he will finally be capable of cheating in life!
However, he didn't know what his new system was for.
"A system that will let me be pretentious and face-slap others?"
"A system that will help me make amazing elixirs?"
"Or, could it be a super-warrior system…?
He was instantly excited by the possibility of being able to beat up everybody that he didn't like. If so, men with exceptional abilities would bow down before him, and all women would fawn over him. What a life!
At that moment, another voice sounded in his head again, "The Super Internet Café System has been successfully activated!"
"What in the world?"
Fang Qi felt the air around him freeze as he stood there for 30 seconds in complete shock.
Then, he asked in complete confusion, "What system did you say you were?"
"The Super Internet Café System," the electronically-synthesized voice in his head answered.
"What? What did you say?" Fang Qi asked, not sure if he heard right.
"The Super Internet Café System," the voice answered again in a mild tone.
"…" Fang Qi was flabbergasted. Why didn't he get a weapon or elixir system? Why would he need an internet café system?
Was he really going to open up an internet café in this world? Did this place even have internet?
Perhaps… if local area networks counted…
"Stupid f*cking system!" Fang Qi couldn't help but curse in his head.
"Please do not curse at the system," once again, the electronically-synthesized voice rang in his head. "Since this is the host's first-time offense, you will only be issued a warning this time around. If you curse at the system again, you will be punished."
"…" Fang Qi was at a loss for words, but he was a little worried about the system's punishment. Therefore, he had no choice but to ask, "Tell me what you can do first."
"The system has just issued you your first task. Host, you may check your task interface."
"Task interface?" At this though, Fang Qi's mind turned to the task interface, and as expected, saw his first task in the taskbar.
[New player task: open an internet café.
Task reward: four sets of computers and various equipment, one PC game - Resident Evil One: Virtual Reality Remake.
If the task is left incomplete: the system will look for another host.]
…
That was the gist of it. Fang Qi finally got a system and was determined not to let it go to waste. Therefore, he was now the owner of an internet café located in this new world. Moreover, he opened his internet café with his Super Internet Café System!
He spent the day before yesterday cleaning up and arranging the internet café, and he used the entire day yesterday playing games. In a nutshell, today was the official opening of his internet café.
Inside the glass doors was a well-arranged internet café. The floors were hardwood, the walls were painted white, and there were four sets of luxury computer desks and chairs in the middle of the room, each with their own shiny new PC and gaming devices. He even saw devices that looked like the super-advanced VR headsets in the world he used to live in before he somehow came to this world.
The system explained to Fang Qi that those devices were called Virtual Reality Machines, the key for playing any VR games.
Although there were only four sets of computers, each was top-of-the-line, and the overall ambiance of the internet café was pretty good.
It was apparent that no electricity existed in this world, but the computers screens were on; no outlets or power cords were even needed.
There weren't a lot of icons on the computer desktop, only an icon of a white-faced zombie for Resident Evil One.
Beside the door, a blackboard about a meter high hung on the wall, not only listing the prices of the internet café but also the rules and regulations.
Opening up an internet café in this world wasn't a big deal. It was something new, so people were bound to come and try it out.
However, the rules and regulations written on the blackboard caused the current scene; no one was there except for Fang Qi!
Here were the rules:
1. Business hours: 8 AM to Midnight.
2. One hour costs two crystals. Activating Resident Evil One costs five crystals. Each person can only play for six hours per day.
3. If you want to play, play. If you don't, leave. No causing trouble and no cursing at the owner. Those who do not abide by these rules will be asked to never return.
4. Play in a reckless and immoral manner at your own risk.
Fang Qi knew if playing here only cost a couple of bronze or even silver coins an hour, people would still come in and try. However, one hour at his internet café costs two crystals!
Setting that aside, activating Resident Evil One costed five crystals?
Five crystals were equivalent to 5,000 gold coins!
Why would anyone ever want to play?
No one would ever pay 2,000 gold coins for an hour of gaming and 5,000 gold coins to activate a game.
What was worse, the system gave him another task: his internet café had to be filled up in three days.
Fang Qi was speechless with the system's next-to-impossible task. Although the system only provided the best of the best, the problem right now was that no one even wanted to give his internet café a try!
Fang Qi opened the thick glass doors of his shop and walked in. He sat down in front of a computer and muttered to himself, "What if… I play a round myself?"
As Fang Qi was hesitating, a young man wearing a bright blue robe, who looked about 15 or 16-years-old, suddenly pushed open the door and barged into the internet café, as if he was in a hurry to do something.
His clothes were custom-made, but they were still as tight as they could be. The button in front of his belly looked like it was about to burst open from all his fat.
However, this fatty's steps were lighter than feathers, unlike those who lacked exercise.
After walking in, the fatty's eyes immediately landed on Fang Qi. "Qi, why are you still guarding this shop of yours? Oh, and why didn't you tell me that you're in a new business now? If you told me, I could've helped advertise for you."
Fang Qi knew this fatty; he was Wang Tai, the son of the owner of Huaxian Pavilion, a restaurant on the neighboring street. The original owner of Fang Qi's body didn't have many friends, but this fatty was one of them.