Ryan stood in the middle of the convenience store aisle, frozen in place.
Buy noodles → get noodles + free money.It sounded like the dumbest life hack ever, but his bank balance didn't lie.
He glanced at the shelves. Chips. Soda. Candy bars. Toothpaste. A lighter. A frying pan?
His lips twitched. No way… right?
Grabbing a random chocolate bar, he marched back to the cashier.
"Uh… just this."
Beep.
$1.25 charged.
[Cashback received: $2.50]
Balance: $6.37.
Ryan bit his lip to stop himself from grinning like a lunatic.
"Everything okay, sir?" the cashier asked flatly, clearly unnerved by his twitching face.
"Yeah, totally normal day, thanks!" Ryan said a little too loudly before darting back into the aisles.
The next ten minutes turned into a bizarre shopping spree.
A bag of chips? +$3.00.
A toothbrush? +$4.00.
A cheap umbrella? +$6.00.
Each beep of the scanner was music to his ears. By the time he was done, Ryan had turned his last $0.12 into nearly $40… and half a bag of useless junk.
He dumped the umbrella and frying pan on the counter, ignoring the cashier's judgmental stare.
"Rainy day preparations," Ryan explained, stuffing snacks into his bag.
But as he left the store, a thought hit him.
If it works here… then what about online purchases?
Back in his cramped apartment, Ryan sat at his desk, heart hammering. He opened his laptop, logged into an e-commerce site, and clicked the cheapest thing he could find: a $1 phone case.
[Purchase Complete.]
[Cashback received: $2.00]
Ryan's hands shook. His bank balance pinged instantly.
"It works… it actually works everywhere."
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the glowing screen hovering in the air. For the first time in months, his chest felt lighter.
He wasn't just surviving anymore. He had a weapon. A tool. A cheat code.
But then another thought crept in.
What if I buy something expensive?
His eyes flicked toward the ad on the website. A shiny new gaming laptop. $1,499.99.
Ryan licked his lips. His entire body buzzed with temptation.
Of course, there was a tiny problem. He didn't have anywhere near that kind of money.
Yet.
Ryan's grin slowly returned.
"Alright, System," he whispered, leaning forward like a gambler about to go all in. "Let's see just how broken you really are."