Chapter 1: Broke, Bullied... and Then the Screen Appeared
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The Bottom of the School Food Chain
Ren Kaito stared at his tattered black school shoes, one sole nearly flapping off as he trudged down the corridor of Class 3-A. The hallway buzzed with students in clean blazers and expensive leather shoes. He moved like a ghost among the elite. No one looked. No one cared.
Until someone did.
"Yo, Trash Kaito!" It was Sora Minami, the heir to Minami Finance Group and the school's golden boy of economics. He stood with a smirk and a phone raised. "Still dreaming about being rich someday? Here, take this—"
Splat.
A cup of expired convenience store milk exploded against Ren's blazer, soaking him in sour white sludge. Laughter erupted around the hallway.
Ren clenched his fists. But he didn't speak. What could he say? He was a scholarship student from the slums. His parents were buried in debt. And the school only kept him here to meet their charity quota.
He walked away, teeth clenched, heart silent. Until the pain turned into something else.
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The Glitched Notification
[System Initializing…]
[Error: Host Does Not Meet Wealth Parameters.]
[Override: Exceptional Circumstances Detected.]
[Activating Prototype Tycoon System v0.7…]
BEEP.
A glowing, translucent screen materialized in front of Ren's vision. Like a sci-fi HUD from a video game.
> [Tycoon System Online]
Welcome, Ren Kaito.
Objective: Become a Billionaire.
He blinked. Hallucination?
> Startup Funds: ¥0
Assets: None
Debt: ¥1,280,000 (Family)
Mental Resilience: High
Initial Skill Unlocked: Profit Instinct (Lv.1)
Ren nearly stumbled.
"What... the hell is this?"
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Startup in the Boy's Bathroom
He locked himself in the school bathroom, shaking. The screen hovered in front of him no matter where he moved.
> [Would you like to launch your first startup idea?]
[Choose: Product-Based | App-Based | Service-Based]
Ren gulped. App-Based.
He wasn't a coder, but he was clever.
> [Analyzing environment… analyzing school market… analyzing personal interests…]
> Suggested Idea: "NoteNinja" — Anonymous student note-sharing & study guide platform.
> Estimated Monetization Potential: HIGH (Ad Revenue, Premium Tiers)
> Required: Basic app UI, hosting server, launch model.
Ren chose it. And suddenly, the screen burst with activity:
> [Auto-generating MVP (Minimum Viable Product)…]
[Profit Boost Active: +10% Success Rate]
[Your first startup is live! Share your link.]
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The Deal With the Devil (AKA the IT Club)
He snuck into the IT Club room during lunch, where a shy sophomore named Takuya handled server rentals for nerds.
"I'll give you free lunch for a month if you help me host this," Ren said.
Takuya frowned. "It costs ¥2,000 per month."
Ren sighed—and offered his old cracked smartphone in trade.
"Deal," Takuya whispered, eyes gleaming.
The app went live that evening.
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Overnight Chaos
Students anonymously submitted class notes, cheat sheets, and exam tips. Within six hours, the platform hit 400 users. Ren barely slept, eyes locked on the analytics.
> [User Growth: +290%]
[Ad Integration Unlocked: Projected Daily Earnings: ¥1,100]
[Level Up: Tycoon Rank E > D]
He had made ¥1,100 in his sleep.
He had… power.
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Sora's Smirk Fades
The next morning, Sora Minami strutted through the halls as usual. But whispers followed him. Students were buzzing—not about him—but about NoteNinja.
Ren passed by silently. His clothes were still poor. His face still unremarkable. But in his eyes burned a light.
Sora sneered, "Still here, Trash?"
Ren didn't even turn.
> [Mission Unlocked: Humiliate Your First Rival — Reward: Skill Upgrade Slot +1]
He smiled for the first time in years.
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To Be Continued in Chapter 2: The First Profit War Begins