Arthur Chen sat in the back of a rusted taxi, staring at the barren, salt-cracked plains of Ningxia. The wind howled through the gaps in the window, smelling of dry dust and ancient failure. To any sane investor, this land was a graveyard for capital. To Arthur, it was the most beautiful sight in the world.
[The Providence Mandate]
Current Investment Capital: ¥20,000,000
Personal Salary: ¥5,000 (Still eating instant noodles).
Objective: Total loss. If he loses this, the system will trigger a 400% Rebate (¥80,000,000).
"This is it," Arthur muttered, a manic glint in his eye. "I will build a 'High-Tech Vertical Farm' here. But instead of growing rice or corn, we will grow... Rare Antarctic Moss."
The Strategy of Doom: Captain Li
Arthur summoned his new Project Manager, Captain Li, a retired logistics officer known for his rigid, stubborn adherence to "the old ways" and a complete lack of understanding of modern botany.
"Captain Li," Arthur said, pointing at the salt-flats. "I want you to build glass towers. Use industrial-grade cooling systems. We need to keep this desert at a constant -5°C to grow this moss. If a single blade of edible grass grows, you've failed me."
"But Young Master," Li grunted, scratching his head. "The electricity costs alone will be three million yuan a month. And there are no power lines out here."
"Perfect!" Arthur nearly shouted. "Build a private power plant. Use the most expensive, least efficient solar filters. And I want you to hire every single villager in this district. Give them a base salary of ¥10,000 a month, full health insurance, and build a school for their children. Even the ones who just sweep the dust off the panels."
Point of View: Captain Li (The Loyal Soldier)
Li watched Arthur drive away in his modest, dented sedan. He looked at the blueprint for the "Ice Palace in the Desert."
Young Master Chen is a genius of the highest order, Li thought, his chest swelling with pride. He knows that the local villagers are suffering from poverty. By 'growing moss,' he is actually creating a massive infrastructure project. The cooling systems? That's just a cover to bring a power grid to the region!
Li tightened his belt. He expects me to be 'inefficient' because he wants to see if I have the heart to prioritize people over profit. I will not fail him. I will make this facility so technologically advanced that the government will have no choice but to designate this a 'Special Innovation Zone.'
Point of View: Lin Xia (The Supportive Muse)
Lin Xia had followed Arthur secretly. She stood on a distant ridge, watching the construction begin. She saw the villagers weeping with joy as they signed contracts that guaranteed their children's education.
He's trying to bankrupt himself for them, she whispered, her heart aching with love. He thinks I don't see his struggle. He wants to lose his fortune so these families can have a future. He is the 'Gilded Phoenix'—burning himself to bring warmth to the cold world.
She pulled out her phone and called her father's old connections in the Ministry of Science. "Uncle Zhao? There is a visionary project in Ningxia. It's an 'Extreme Climate Research Center' disguised as a farm. It's the breakthrough China needs for Mars colonization simulation. You must send a research team immediately."
The Result: The Disaster of Success
Six months later, Arthur sat in his office, happily calculating his impending bankruptcy. The electricity bills had been astronomical. The moss was, predictably, dying.
[Ding!]
[Project: The Emerald Mirage]
Status: GLOBAL BREAKTHROUGH.
The "Flaw": The massive cooling units caused a unique condensation effect in the desert air, inadvertently creating a "Micro-Climate Oasis" that allowed rare, medicinal desert truffles to sprout in the surrounding sand.
The "Accident": The Ministry of Science declared the site the world's premier "Mars Habitat Simulation." They bought the patent for the cooling system for ¥150,000,000.
Outcome: ¥150M donated to the "Global Desert Greenery Fund."
Penalty: Next Project Capital: ¥40,000,000. Arthur's Salary: ¥5,000.
Arthur stared at the screen. He had tried to grow frozen moss in a desert and somehow accidentally invented a way to terraform the wasteland.
"I just wanted a rebate," Arthur sobbed quietly.
Suddenly, Lin Xia walked in, looking more beautiful than ever. She hugged him from behind. "Arthur, the government gave you the 'Medal of National Progress.' I'm so proud to be yours."
Arthur looked at the medal. It was solid gold. He couldn't sell it. He couldn't eat it. He was a hero, and he was still broke.