Chapter One: No One in the World Could Pay—Except Me

At the alley noodle shop, Old Qin was lowering the shutter over half a pot of noodles while customers shouted promises at him. “I’ll transfer it when the banks recover!” “My watch is worth thirty thousand. Give me ten bowls!” Old Qin guarded his register. “How can I trust any of you?” Lin Mo placed the old phone before the faded QR code. “One beef noodle soup. Nineteen yuan. Let me try.” The crowd laughed, but the Origin icon lit by itself. GENUINE PRODUCT DETECTED: BEEF NOODLE SOUP. VOLUNTARY TRANSACTION CONFIRMED. PRICE DEVIATION FROM HISTORICAL MEDIAN: 0.8%. PAY ¥19.00? Lin Mo pressed Confirm. “Payment received: nineteen yuan,” announced the speaker that should have been offline.