Ryan had exactly $12.37 left in his bank account.Enough for maybe two packs of instant noodles, a cheap drink, and the crushing reminder that adulthood was nothing like the motivational posters had promised.
He stood at the convenience store counter, clutching a pack of noodles and a canned coffee like they were treasures. His stomach growled so loudly that the cashier gave him a side glance.
"Card declined," the scanner beeped.
Ryan froze. No… no, no, no. He hurriedly pulled out his phone, transferring the last pathetic $12 from his savings into his main account. His fingers trembled as he tried again.
Approved. Balance: $0.12 remaining.
He forced a grin, grabbed the bag, and turned to leave when—
[Ding!]
A blue window blinked into existence in front of his eyes.It floated there, glowing faintly, as if projected straight into his brain.
[System Initialization Complete]Welcome, Host.Double Cashback System Activated.Every purchase you make will return 200% cashback instantly.
Ryan blinked. "…What?"
He rubbed his eyes. The screen didn't disappear. It hung there like a notification that refused to close.
"Okay, I'm officially going crazy," he muttered. "Too much stress. Not enough sleep. Clearly hallucinating."
Still, curiosity gnawed at him. He pulled out the receipt.$2.50 for noodles and coffee.
His phone buzzed. He opened his banking app.
Balance: $5.12
Ryan nearly dropped the bag. "The hell? I just had twelve cents—"
Another notification popped up.
[Cashback received: $5.00]
His jaw went slack. "…I just got paid… for being broke."
For a moment, Ryan stood there in stunned silence, replaying what just happened.
Then a slow grin spread across his face.
"Oh. Ohhh no. This is dangerous."
He turned back toward the shelves, eyes glittering with the hunger of a man who had just discovered the ultimate cheat code for life.
"Alright," Ryan whispered to himself. "Let's see how far this goes."