The sun blazed over Nexington in July, almost melting the asphalt on the roads.
Michael Anderson stood in the shade of the eaves at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, anxiously craning his neck to peer at the passing vehicles. As sweet couples strolled into the bureau hand in hand, Michael's heart raced even faster.
"I'm here~"
Soon, a taxi pulled up at the bureau's entrance, and a lively girl in a skirt hopped out, running towards Michael.
The girl's skin was fair and radiant, tiny wisps of hair visible in the sunlight.
Glistening beads of sweat rolled down her smooth forehead, turning into vapor upon hitting the ground.
Despite the heat, the girl paid no mind and proudly waved her identity card at Michael, pouting her cherry-like lips, "I got it!"
Michael looked at the ID card, torn between joy and heartache. Unable to resist, he grabbed Olivia Thompson's tiny hand, sweeping her scattered hair behind her ear. "Well, I knew you'd get it."
"Why wait? Let's go get our marriage certificate now!"
Olivia cheerfully headed into the Civil Affairs Bureau.
However, Michael held her hand back. "Not so fast. It's crowded inside. Let's grab a water bottle from the next-door convenience store first."
"Huh?"
Following Michael to the convenience store next door, Olivia watched with some confusion as Michael took a five-dollar bottle of mineral water from the freezer and placed it on the counter.
Paying for it neatly, he handed Olivia the water.
"Honey, why did you buy such expensive water? It's all mineral water. Let's drink the two-dollar one. ..."
Coming out of the convenience store, Olivia held the five-dollar bottle of mineral water. She was a little reluctant to drink it.
The two of them were in a free love relationship from the university because their family conditions were average, so after graduation, there was no better choice, so they stayed in the city of Nexington to work.
But nowadays, in this era, fresh graduates are not worth much at all. After working for a year, they didn't save much money, even if they were frugal.
Initially, Olivia wanted to talk to her family about her and Michael getting married first.
However, her parents felt Michael's condition was too poor and refused to allow them to be together. Olivia didn't dare to mention Michael in front of her parents again.
So she did what she had to do and stole her ID card directly from her home.
Anyway, married at first, as long as she and Michael were together, bitter and a little tired is nothing, as for what her parents said about the car and house ... she believed that by then she would have!
This side of Olivia is still thinking about future work and saving money. This side of Michael is in a bit of a trance!
Because after he bought a bottle of water just now, the system's beep sounded in his ears!
[Ding! Congratulations, you have spent five dollars for your wife Olivia and received a tenfold rebate of fifty dollars, which has been deposited into your account balance. Please check!]
When he heard this sound, he shook and screamed madly in his heart, which turned out to be true!
Today was supposed to be the day he and Olivia got their license. Still, because Olivia's family wasn't satisfied with their marriage and disliked him for being too poor, Olivia went home to steal her ID card.
He, on the other hand, came early to wait in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau, but just a few minutes before he waited for Olivia to come, just like tinnitus, a mechanical voice appeared, prompting him to bind the [10X Rebate for Spending Money on Your Wife]!
Michael would read some web novels and stuff when he was bored, and how could he didn't know about the system? But he knew that this thing would appear in the novels. How could there be reality?
But who knows, really have!
At first, when he heard this system, Michael thought it was a prank, but he didn't expect it to be true!
It was a tenfold rebate!
While the system's voice was ringing in his ears, his cell phone vibrated, and he received a prompt that fifty dollars had been transferred to his bank card!
Spend five dollars rebate fifty, spend fifty rebate five hundred, spend five hundred rebate five thousand ... Then spend fifty thousand? What about five hundred thousand?
Or ... what about spending five million?
With the thought of unlimited stacking down, the money inside the account will become more and more like a snowball. Michael is excited. Every cell of his body is screaming!
Still holding her hand, Michael said, "It's our special day today, so buying slightly more expensive water is normal."
He looked lovingly at the delicate figure beside him. Olivia was looking at him with big, fawn-like, watery eyes.
Michael's heart softened into a puddle at the sight of these beautiful and tender eyes.
He gripped Olivia's small hand tighter and firmly and gently led her toward the Civil Affairs Bureau.
When they came out from the Civil Affairs Bureau, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon.
"Oh, today is our wedding day! How about we celebrate with a nice meal? What do you want to eat, Honey?"
Michael smiled without answering, guiding her toward Nexington's most prominent pedestrian street.
"Oh, things are so expensive here…"
After getting out of the car, Olivia, watching the bustling crowd on the pedestrian street, wrinkled her cute nose in dissatisfaction.
This pedestrian street was one of Nexington's famous ones, boasting a pleasant environment and prime location, with a one-stop experience for dining, entertainment, and shopping. However, the prices were high!
Restaurants here had a starting price of at least $100 per person.
Now, they were saving money to buy a house and a car. Olivia felt that having a meal that cost a few hundred dollars, be it French or Japanese cuisine, was already a luxurious choice. Why would she want to come to such an expensive place?
"Take my wife to eat, it won't be expensive anywhere!"
Michael, holding Olivia, walked straight into Nexington's most famous lakeside restaurant. The beautiful lakeside view was the restaurant's most significant selling point.
If it were before, Michael would never have thought of stepping inside such a restaurant based on its decor alone. But now, with the system, everything is different!
Consumption with a tenfold rebate... the more you spent, the more you got back?
If they consumed at cheaper places, the rebates wouldn't be worth much.
But at a high-end restaurant like this one...
If they spent $1,000 on a meal, the rebate would be up to $10,000!
"Then let's have this meal!"
Seeing Michael's excited expression, Olivia didn't want to dampen the mood. She sweetly clung to his arm, and they entered the restaurant together.