I Sell Scallion Pancakes in Shanghai and Make a Billion a Year

In front of the most expensive office tower in Lujiazui, Shanghai, twenty-something Su Xiaoman crouched by a jianbing cart, scrolling on his phone. A notification suddenly popped up: Your account ending in 9527 has received 1,000,000,000 yuan. The investment bankers lining up behind him to buy jianbing went wild. Could this penniless student, chased three blocks by city inspectors every day, really be the jianbing world’s secret tycoon who had just bought Starbucks?

“Congratulations, Host, on completing the ‘Ten Million a Month from a Street Stall’ challenge. You’ve unlocked a high-tech sauce recipe.” The Street-Stall Fortune System in Su Xiaoman’s mind sent another notification. As he watched a three-Michelin-star chef across the street beg to collaborate, he silently sprinkled scallions into the shape of a QR code. A popular livestreamer rushed into the line, selfie stick in hand. “Everyone, look! This is the internet’s most mysterious jianbing beauty!”

Three months ago, he was a corporate drone who couldn’t afford rent. Now he was sending the stock prices of multinational restaurant chains into a tailspin. As he packed up for the night, the System suddenly issued a new mission: Buy the revolving restaurant at the top of the Oriental Pearl Tower within 48 hours. In the shadows around the corner, a balding man wearing a Rolex gritted his teeth and made a call. “Find out what the hell kind of chili sauce that kid is using!”