What could he test the rebate on? Something immaterial, something that couldn't be quantified through physical means.
He glanced down at his phone. His fingers instinctively swiped across the screen, navigating to the app store.
That's when the idea struck him—what about purchasing something intangible? The app store had plenty of items that fell into that category: digital goods, premium subscriptions, or even in-app services. Things that weren't physically measurable, but carried value in their own way.
Martin mulled it over as he neared his destination. He had a little time left to decide. The clock ticked closer to noon, and with each step, the possibilities grew more tempting.
Martin strolled through the open campus of Sarah's law school, his presence drawing more attention than he expected. It wasn't hard to see why—at 23, he had the look of a young, confident man. Five years had passed since his high school graduation, and in those five years, while some of his friends had graduated and others were nearing their final semesters, Martin felt like time had slipped by in the blink of an eye. Sometimes, he wondered if he had wasted those years, but now, with the system backing him, he no longer questioned his direction.
A sunny smile crossed his face as he found a decent tea shop nestled between academic buildings. He noticed the speculative glances from some of the young women nearby but paid them little mind. Walking inside, he found a table by the window and sat down on the comfortable leather seat.
As his body settled into the chair, the clock hit **midday sharp**, and the familiar sensation washed over him. The chime echoed in his mind, followed by the golden lines weaving into the countdown, marking the system's midday activation. By now, Martin had grown accustomed to the phenomenon. The initial surprise and apprehension had faded, replaced with a calm acceptance.
He pulled out his phone, navigating the app store for something intangible to spend his money on. Time ticked away as the seconds dwindled. He didn't have the luxury of exploring every app, so he narrowed his options to popular lifestyle purchases—health apps, workout plans, diet trackers, and language tools. With seconds left, he settled on a rather expensive language learning app, purchasing the annual premium plan with a few taps.
As the transaction completed, the system's notification filled his mind.
[You spent $83 and triggered a 480x rebate!]
[Reward 1: $39,840!]
[Reward 2: Learn the top 83 languages!]
Martin didn't hesitate. His private international bank account wasn't active yet, and the second reward offered an opportunity he couldn't pass up. He chose the second reward without a second thought.
But instead of the usual rush of excitement, a splitting headache seized him.
Pain shot through his skull, forcing his hands to grip the sides of his head as he slouched over the table. His body shook, and his teeth creaked from the force of his clenched jaw. The migraine dragged on for what felt like an eternity—fifteen minutes of excruciating agony, though it felt like years.
By the end of it, Martin lay sprawled over the table, gasping for air, nauseous and mentally drained.
Weakly pushing himself into a sitting position, Martin waved over a nearby waitress, trying to order something to calm his nerves.
"Green tea, please," he muttered.
The waitress looked at him in confusion. "Excuse me, Sir… what did you just say?"
Martin blinked, realizing the words coming out of his mouth weren't in English. Instead, they were a jumbled mix of over a dozen different languages, all competing for dominance.
Embarrassed, he quickly grabbed the menu and pointed to the herbal green tea option. The waitress shot him a funny look before heading off to place the order.
For the next two hours, Martin stayed silent, sipping his tea and ordering refills with nothing more than a gesture. He remained in the tea shop, slowly sorting through the flood of linguistic knowledge in his mind.
Occasionally, he watched videos on his phone to recondition his speech patterns and train his brain to respond properly to the chosen language.
After what felt like an eternity, Martin finally felt like himself again. His thoughts were organized, and his speech was no longer a chaotic mess of foreign words. As if on cue, his phone buzzed with a text message from Sarah.
She was done with her classes for the day and waiting for him by the front gate of the law school.
Martin approached the front gate of the law school, his eyes immediately landing on Sarah, who was waiting patiently. But to his surprise, she wasn't alone. Beside her stood Emily Rivera, the lively and bubbly brunette who had always been the energetic heart of their high school group.
Emily's face lit up the moment she spotted Martin, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She looked as if she had just uncovered a juicy secret. As Martin drew closer, she crossed her arms, grinning widely.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Emily teased, her voice full of playful accusation. "I was going to surprise Sarah with a random visit, but it looks like I'm the one who's surprised. A secret date, huh?"
Sarah's face immediately flushed, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance flashing across her features. Before she could even retort, she reached out and pinched Emily's cheek, eliciting a playful yelp from her friend.
"Don't talk nonsense," Sarah scolded, though the affection in her tone was undeniable.
"This isn't some secret date. Remember the Lakeside Grill dinner? Martin has a business opportunity, and he's just consulting me on some legal matters."
Martin, still amused by the dynamic between the two women, chimed in, eager to clear up the misunderstanding. "Yeah, Emily. I'm not much of a law buff, but I didn't want to take any chances with legal loopholes when establishing my company. I thought Sarah could help me get things straightened out."
Emily's grin softened into a knowing smile. Although she was always full of energy and loved to mess around, she wasn't silly. Her eyes sparkled with interest as she processed their explanation. "Ah, I see. So this is all business, huh? Well, in that case, count me in! You know, sometimes someone with floating thoughts like mine can help too."
Sarah raised an eyebrow at that, half-amused, half-wary. "Emily, you know we're talking about business regulations and company formation, right?"
But Emily was undeterred, leaning in as her excitement grew. "Of course! I'm not completely clueless, you know. Actually, I was thinking—Martin, have you talked to Nathan? He's doing really well in finance. He might be able to help you find a solid CFO once you've got the groundwork set for your company."
Martin paused, considering her suggestion. Nathan was one of their high school friends and had a good head for numbers. It made sense, but Martin knew he had already decided on some things for his future company.
He wasn't going to budge on taking the Chairman position, but he also wanted to leave key decisions like the CEO and CFO roles to Lucia when they were ready to move forward.
"Thanks for the suggestion," Martin said thoughtfully. "I'll keep that in mind, but I've still got a lot to figure out."
Satisfied that Emily understood the situation, the trio exchanged some light banter before Sarah gestured for them to follow her toward the nearby bus station.
"Come on, we'll head to my apartment and get started," Sarah said, taking the lead as they walked.
Martin fell into step with Emily and Sarah, feeling a sense of ease. Despite the teasing and jokes, the comfort of old friendships resurfaced, and he realized how much he had missed these moments.
As the three of them made their way toward the bus stop, Martin's mind drifted back to the complex web of decisions he had yet to make—but for now, he was glad to have the company.
Martin, too, leaned forward, eager to hear more. He had a general idea of what the day would entail, but Sarah was the expert in this situation, and her guidance was invaluable.
As the bus rumbled through the city, the three friends found themselves seated in the last row, with Emily nestled between Martin and Sarah. True to her lively nature, Emily leaned back, throwing an arm over the back of the seat as she shot them a curious look.
"So, what's the plan for today?" she asked, her tone playful. "You're not going to tell me we'll be stuck in Sarah's apartment the whole time, right?"
Sarah smirked, shaking her head. "Of course not," she responded. "We've got a busy day ahead."
Emily perked up, her curiosity piqued. "Busy day? Do tell!"
"Well," Sarah began, "first, we need to visit the city district committee for trade and commerce. Martin's going to apply for a business permit and license. Without those, he can't even open the company, and especially not without an official legal seal."
Emily raised an eyebrow. "A seal? What's so important about that?"
Sarah nodded seriously. "The seal is crucial. It's a legal signature for all of the company's future operations. Any document signed or stamped with that seal is legally binding, and it adds credibility to Martin's business dealings. Without it, nothing is official…"