The Debtor System: Starting with a debt of 1 billion

Chapter 1 The Collapse of Lin Yu

"Lin Yu, sign it."

The speaker was a man in a black suit named Zhao Kun. He had his legs crossed, twirling a Parker pen in his hand, and a smug, self-assured smile on his face. Behind him stood four burly men in raincoats; although they tried to conceal it, their gangster aura still seeped through the damp air.

"Zhao Kun, this isn't right." Lin Yu raised his head, his eyes showing no panic, only a composure beyond his years.

"Although my dad's company went bankrupt, after the assets were liquidated and insurance was added, it's not like he owes you 1 billion yuan."

"That's just 'paperwork'." Zhao Kun clicked his tongue, slamming a new contract on the table. The paper scraped against the surface with a screeching sound. "This is a 'bridging loan' agreement your dad signed privately with our boss to tide him over. Penalties, late fees, interest accruing... Lin Yu, you're a college student, your math shouldn't be bad, you can figure it out, right?"

Lin Yu's pupils suddenly contracted.

Of course he could calculate it. One billion was an astronomical figure for a bankrupt family, a hopeless situation that was impossible to pay off.

"I won't sign," Lin Yu said coldly. "According to the law, such a high interest rate is not protected; this is usury."

"The law?" Zhao Kun clapped his hands as if he'd heard a joke. "Of course we understand the law. So this contract was drafted with the guidance of an 'expert,' it's legal and compliant. Besides, Lin Yu, you need to consider your dad. He's in the ICU. If he knew that because you didn't sign, the creditors were harassing your mom, do you think he'd be so angry he'd die again if he woke up?"

"You dare!" Lin Yu stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.

"What wouldn't I dare?" Zhao Kun's smile vanished. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Lin Yu, don't be stubborn. You have to sign this today, whether you like it or not. If you sign, we'll temporarily cover your father's medical expenses, giving you a chance to catch your breath. If you don't sign... this house will be auctioned off tomorrow, and your mother... I heard she's still working as a cleaner? Our company happens to be short of a 'brand ambassador' right now..."

Lin Yu stared intently at Zhao Kun, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He wanted to rush up and punch this bastard, but he couldn't. If he did, the other party would have a reason to arrest him, and then there would be no one in charge of the family.

This is a dead end. An unsolvable dead end.

After a long silence, Lin Yu loosened his fist and sat back down in his chair. He picked up a pen and signed his name on the "Joint and Several Guarantee Agreement".

"Very good." Zhao Kun took the contract, blew on the ink, and smiled with satisfaction. "It seems that Young Master Lin is still sensible. Remember, within a month, repay 100 million as a 'deposit of good faith,' otherwise, we will have to charge interest on this 1 billion debt every day."

After saying that, Zhao Kun led his men away, leaving behind only the smell of tobacco and despair filling the room.

Lin Yu slumped into the chair, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from his body. One hundred million a month? This wasn't just about money, it was about life.

He pulled out his phone, wanting to call someone for help. He scrolled through his contacts, but those friends who used to call him brothers had all blocked him like the plague. Finally, his finger landed on a group—[Childhood Sweethearts].

Those were ten names. Ten girls who grew up together, practically naked, since they were little.

Lin Yu gave a bitter smile and placed his phone face down on the table. They were all from good families; some were well-off, some were still studying, and some had just started working. How could he possibly lower himself to borrow money from them? Especially a hundred million.

The moment the phone screen went dark, a strange blue light suddenly shone through.

Lin Yu thought the screen was broken, so he picked it up and shook it. He then discovered that a new, black, unmarked app icon had appeared on the screen, which usually only displayed WeChat and QQ icons. It was a swirling pattern resembling a black hole, making him dizzy just looking at it.

"I haven't downloaded this." Lin Yu frowned and clicked it subconsciously.

"Sizzle—"

The phone emitted a low, static-like beep. Immediately afterward, a full-screen black dialog box popped up on the screen, with cold, white text appearing:

[Host detected to have massive debt; credit rating: bankrupt.]

[Meets the activation requirements for the "Debtor Evolution System".]

[Binding... Binding successful.]

"What the hell?" Lin Yu rubbed his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating from too much stress.

[New player task has been released: Please transfer a small goal (100,000,000 yuan) to the system first.]

[Task time limit: 24 hours.]

[Task Reward: Beginner "Eye of Treasure Appraisal" (can see through the internal structure of raw jade stones, valid for 24 hours).]

[Mission failure penalty: Host's debt increases by 1 million.]

Lin Yu was stunned.

He looked at the screen, a smile that looked more like a grimace appearing on his lips.

"Transfer 100 million to the system? Where am I supposed to get 100 million to transfer to you? I don't even have 100 yuan!"

He shouted into his phone, as if that would summon that damned system.

However, the phone screen flickered, the dialog box disappeared, and in its place appeared a countdown: 23:59:58.

"You're crazy..." Lin Yu threw his phone on the bed and scratched his hair.

However, when he saw the penalty of "debt increased by 100 million," he felt a chill run down his spine. It was already 1 billion; adding another 100 million would make it 1.1 billion. This system was even more ruthless than Zhao Kun!

"bite."

Another message.

[Insufficient balance detected in the host account. The system provides 'Leverage Mode': The task amount can be completed in installments. For every 1 million yuan transferred, the corresponding ability usage right will be unlocked for 100 hour.]

Lin Yu narrowed his eyes.

Installment payments? 1 million for 100 hour?

Although it's still outrageous, it at least gives him a chance to catch his breath. But where is he going to get that first million?

He picked up his phone again and carefully studied the description of "Beginner's Eye for Treasures".

"It allows you to see through the internal structure of raw jade..."

Lin Yu's eyes suddenly lit up.

He was from Yunnan. Although Kunming doesn't produce jade, it's close to border jade trading markets like Ruili and Tengchong. Jade gambling is a long-standing legend in Yunnan: one cut can make you poor, another can make you rich.

If this ability is real, and it can see through stones to see if there's jade inside... wouldn't that be...?

Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat. He glanced out the window; the rain seemed to have lessened a bit.

"Gambling on jade requires capital, and I'm penniless right now," Lin Yu muttered to himself. "Unless..."

He thought of someone.