Emir's life wasn't bad—it was just ordinary. At 24, he had a steady job as a data analyst, lived in a modest apartment, and spent his evenings binging random shows while scrolling his phone. But deep down, he longed for something... more. He didn't know if that meant adventure, riches, or just a shawarma that didn't fall apart when he ate it.
On one particular Thursday evening, Emir's craving for comfort food led him to a hole-in-the-wall Arabic restaurant, a place he always passed by but never visited. It was dimly lit, with the hum of an old fridge in the background, and a handwritten menu board that looked like it hadn't been updated since the early 2000s.
"I'll have the shawarma combo," Emir said, handing over $50 in cash.
As he sat down to eat, he marveled at the rich flavor and tender meat. "Man, this is worth every penny," he thought, unaware that his life was about to change.
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The First Cashback Notification
Midway through his meal, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen:
"Congratulations! You've received 100x cashback for your purchase: $50 x 100 = $5,000."
Emir blinked at the notification. "Ha, good one. Nice try, hackers. You're not getting me to click that." He ignored it, finished his meal, and left the restaurant, only to get another buzz:
"Balance updated: $5,000 added to your account."
"Wait...what?" He opened his banking app, and there it was—an extra $5,000 sitting in his account.
For a second, he thought he might be dreaming. "Maybe that shawarma had something weird in it." He pinched himself. Nope, very much awake.
"Okay," he muttered, staring at his phone, "either I'm hallucinating, or I've just unlocked the weirdest life cheat code ever."
The next day, Emir decided to test it again. He walked into a grocery store and picked out random items—milk, eggs, chips, a pineapple for no reason other than "it looked funny," and even a small houseplant that probably wouldn't survive a week. Total: $200.
Buzz!
"Congratulations! Cashback: $20,000 added to your account."
"Yup, this is officially insane," Emir muttered, earning a weird look from the cashier.
He spent the rest of the evening refreshing his bank account, half-expecting the money to vanish. But it didn't.
By Saturday, curiosity and greed had taken over. Emir walked into an electronics store and picked up a high-end gaming laptop he'd been eyeing for years. At $2,000, it was the priciest thing he'd ever bought. As he handed over his card, his palms were sweaty, but the cashier didn't seem to notice.
Buzz!
"Congratulations! Cashback: $200,000 added to your account."
"Sir, are you okay?" the cashier asked, noticing Emir's stunned expression.
"Y-yeah. Just, uh, allergic to spending money," Emir replied, grabbing the laptop and bolting out of the store.
That evening, Emir sat in his apartment, staring at his growing bank balance. "What's stopping me from buying something huge?" he mused aloud.
His roommate, Khalid, walked in, holding a can of soda. "Let me guess. You're thinking about buying one of those ridiculous sports cars you're always drooling over?"
Emir smirked. "Maybe. Why? You want a ride?"
Khalid laughed. "Yeah, right. You'll probably crash it in the parking lot."
"Ha. Very funny. Don't come begging for a lift when I own a fleet of supercars."
By the following weekend, Emir found himself at a luxury car dealership, feeling more confident than ever. He pointed to a sleek, black 2024 Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
"I'll take that one," he said casually, like he wasn't about to drop $300,000 on a car.
The salesperson raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Would you like to discuss financing options?"
"No need," Emir replied, handing over his card.
The cashier stared at him in shock. "Most people don't pay for these outright."
Emir shrugged. "Guess I'm not most people."
When the cashback hit his account—$30,000,000—he almost laughed out loud. He drove the Porsche out of the dealership, feeling like the king of the world.
But Emir's royal moment was short-lived. As he pulled into a gas station, a kid on a bike zoomed past, scraping the bumper of his brand-new car. Emir jumped out, ready to yell, but the kid yelled back, "Should've bought a bike instead, rich boy!"
Standing there in stunned silence, Emir muttered, "First purchase, and I already need a paint job. Fantastic."
As Emir drove home, a luxury watch ad popped up on his phone. "Limited edition, huh?" he thought. "Maybe next week." (Hinting at future extravagant purchases.)
At the dealership, a mysterious man in a suit watched Emir drive off, whispering, "Interesting. Very interesting." (Foreshadowing someone investigating Emir's sudden wealth.)
---
End of Chapter 1 Stats
Spending:
Shawarma: $50
Groceries: $200
Laptop: $2,000
Porsche: $300,000
Cashback Earned:
Shawarma: $5,000
Groceries: $20,000
Laptop: $200,000
Porsche: $30,000,000
Net Worth Update:
Starting Balance: $90,000
Total Cashback: $30,225,000
New Net Worth: $30,315,000
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As Emir's wealth grows, so does his curiosity. What happens when he makes his first truly massive purchase? And how does he handle the world's sudden attention when he starts spending like a billionaire without an explanation?