Kevin sat in the fast-food restaurant for what felt like an eternity, staring at the screen of his phone in disbelief. The number $1,000 shone brightly, almost mocking the reality he had known for so long. A week ago, he'd have considered himself lucky to have fifty bucks to his name, and now he had a thousand dollars from simply buying a meal.
He glanced around the restaurant, half-expecting someone to leap out and tell him this was all a prank. But the other patrons continued to eat their meals, unaware of the strange and life-altering event that had just occurred for Kevin. He felt a giddy thrill race through him. The system was real. The power it promised, the tasks, the money—it was all real. And he was the one it had chosen.
"Okay, okay, Kevin. Get it together," he muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. His heart was still pounding as his mind raced. What did this all mean for him? How far could this system take him?
He quickly finished his meal, stuffing the remaining fries into his mouth absentmindedly, and decided to test the system further. If the cashback feature was also real, then spending any amount of money should earn him a return of a hundred times that amount.
He stood up, tossing his tray into the trash, and rushed outside. The city lights flickered around him, casting long shadows on the streets as he made his way to a nearby convenience store. His thoughts churned as he tried to make sense of it all. If the system could multiply his money so effortlessly, what was the limit?
Kevin stopped in front of the convenience store and took a deep breath before stepping inside. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, and the familiar smell of instant noodles and stale coffee greeted him. He grabbed a few random items off the shelves—chips, a bottle of water, and a candy bar—and headed to the register.
The cashier, a bored-looking teenager with earbuds in, barely glanced at Kevin as he scanned the items. The total came to $8.75, and Kevin handed over a crumpled $10 bill. His heart raced as he walked out of the store, his eyes scanning for the system screen that would confirm what he was waiting for.
Sure enough, just as he stepped outside, the screen appeared.
[Transaction complete. Cashback: $875 has been deposited into your account.]
Kevin's breath caught in his throat. He immediately checked his bank account again, and there it was—another deposit, this time for $875. His account balance now read $1,875. He stared at the screen, barely able to process what was happening.
This wasn't just a fluke. The system worked. He could make money simply by spending it. Kevin's mind raced with possibilities. Could he spend larger amounts of money and get even bigger returns? What if he bought something expensive, like a laptop or even a car? Would the cashback scale up accordingly?
The weight of his new reality hit him like a wave. For the first time in his life, Kevin didn't have to worry about money. The constant pressure of scraping by, of making sure there was enough for bills, food, and his family's needs—it was gone. And in its place was something even more intoxicating: power. Real, tangible power.
He leaned against a lamppost, trying to steady his thoughts. His family. They had always come first for him. His parents were struggling, his father still out of work, and his younger sister, Emma, was trying her best to excel in school despite their financial situation. Kevin had always promised himself that one day he would find a way to make things better for them, to lift them out of the endless cycle of debt and worry.
Now, it seemed that day had finally come.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him from his thoughts. It was a text from his mother, asking if he could pick up some groceries on his way home. He hesitated, looking at the screen. With the system, he could now afford to buy more than just groceries. He could buy anything they needed. He could change their lives.
But as the excitement of his newfound power surged within him, another thought crept in—the memory of Jenny. Of Steve. The people who had looked down on him, who had treated him like he wasn't enough because he didn't have money, because he wasn't born into wealth. His hands clenched into fists.
He hadn't just been abandoned by Jenny; he had been humiliated. Steve had stolen her, flaunting his money and privilege in Kevin's face like it was a game. Kevin had never felt so powerless in his life. But now… now things were different. Now he had power, too. And it was time to show them—both of them—that Kevin Anderson was not someone to be pitied.
A determination settled over him. The system had given him the tools to change his life, and he wasn't going to waste this opportunity. No more struggling, no more being looked down upon. From this moment on, Kevin's life would be different. He was going to rise, higher than anyone could have ever imagined.
He looked at the notification from the system again, his mind now clear and focused.
[Next Task: Invest in a promising opportunity.]
Kevin's lips curved into a slow smile. It was time to make his first real move.