Marcus woke up at 6:47 AM – that was an insurmountable thirteen minutes before his alarm could scream him to consciousness.
He'd barely slept.
Every time he managed to let his eyelids shut, he would see the translucent notifications hovering in his vision, with all their promises of impossible things. Around 3 AM, he had convinced himself it was all some stress-induced hallucination. By 5 AM, the decision was made, he didn't care if it was real or not – at least the delusion had gotten him Sophie's number.
Now, as he lay in bed with the early morning light creeping through his blinds, Marcus reached for his phone with hands that shook with both anticipation and fear.
He opened his banking app.
Current Balance: $358.57
Marcus body shot upright so fast he almost dropped the phone.
Yesterday: $247.32
Today: $358.57
The difference: $111
Exactly what the system had promised.
"Holy shit," he whispered to the empty room. "Holy fucking shit."
[FIRST RETURN PROCESSED SUCCESSFULLY]
The notification appeared as if it had been waiting for him to check.
[Current Balance: $358.57]
[Available for Investment: $358.57]
[New Mission Available: Would you like to view?]
Marcus's hands were trembling now. This was real. Somehow, impossibly, this was real. He'd spent $44 on coffee and a croissant for a stranger, and he'd woken up with $111 more than he'd started with.
"Yes," he said aloud, feeling ridiculous. "Show me the mission."
[MISSION: ESCALATION]
[Investment Range: $200-$350]
[Objective: Secure evening encounter with TARGET: SOPHIE]
[Suggested Action: Dinner at mid-tier restaurant]
[Projected Return: 2-3x multiplier based on outcome]
[Time Limit: 72 hours]
Marcus stood up quick, and he wasn't sure when he began pacing his small bedroom.
The system was asking him to go on a date and spend $200-$350, which was more than half his current balance, money he couldn't afford to spend on dates.
If this failed – if there was some kind of glitch in the system or whatever the hell it was, if the whole thing stopped working, or turned out to be some elaborate banking error that would get reversed – he'd be worse off than yesterday.
But if it worked...
Holy shit if it worked....
He hated how his mind went back to Emma, how he could so easily remember the way she'd looked through him at that gala like he was nothing, and even James smug smile. His mind flooded with memories of three years of his life wasted on people who'd never seen his worth.
His mind was made, what was life without risks?
Marcus opened his messages and pulled up Sophie's number. It was barely seven in the morning – too early to text someone he'd just met. But the mission had a 72-hour timer, and something told him momentum mattered.
He typed: Hey, it's Marcus from yesterday. I know this is forward, but are you free for dinner tomorrow night? I promise I'll let you actually eat this time.
He hit send before he could second-guess himself.
The response came faster than expected – she must have been awake already.
Sophie: Wow, you don't waste time. I like it. Tomorrow works. Where?
[TARGET INTEREST CONFIRMED]
[MISSION PROGRESS: 15%]
Marcus was on google barely two seconds after he got the message, searching restaurants that fell in his price range. Obviously he couldn't go for anything too fancy – looking desperate or showing off with money he'd only just gotten was stupid. But not too cheap aswell. The system had said mid-tier.
After minutes of research, he found it: Osteria Luna, an Italian place in the West Village. Good reviews, romantic lighting in the photos, entrees around $30-40. With wine and appetizers, he could hit $250-300 easily.
He clicked the messages app quick.
Marcus: Osteria Luna in the West Village? 7:30?
Sophie: Perfect. It's a date.
Sophie: Also – are you okay? Yesterday you had it rough.
Marcus stared at that last message. That was a good question, was he okay?
Twenty-four hours ago, he had been broke, jobless, and not to mention publicly humiliated – practically as worse off as he could get.
But now he had a system that doubled money and a date with a woman who actually seemed to give a damn about him.
Marcus: Getting better, yesterday was rock bottom. Today feels different.
Sophie: Good. See you tomorrow, Marcus.
[MISSION ACCEPTED]
Marcus called Osteria Luna and booked a table for two. The host sounded bored but confirmed: tomorrow, 7:30 PM, table for Chen.
[MISSION PROGRESS: 40%]
[WARNING: Current funds insufficient for optimal outcome]
[Recommendation: Generate additional capital before dinner]
[Micro-Investment opportunity available - View?]
"Yes," Marcus said, pulling on yesterday's jeans. "Show me."
[MICRO-INVESTMENT: THE COFFEE SHOP PLAY]
[Investment: $20-50]
[Objective: Purchase coffee/breakfast for 3-5 individuals in public setting]
[Projected Return: 2x multiplier]
[Best Location: High-traffic café during morning rush]
[Time Limit: Next 2 hours]
Marcus checked his watch: 7:15 AM. He could hit the Starbucks on 5th Avenue during the morning rush – the place would be packed with professionals grabbing coffee before work.
He threw on a clean shirt and his only decent jacket, the one he'd worn to interviews back when he thought hard work mattered. Twenty minutes later, he was standing in line at the Starbucks, surrounded by the caffeinated chaos of New York's morning routine.
[TARGETS IDENTIFIED: 4 suitable candidates in vicinity]
Marcus scanned the crowd. A tired-looking woman in scrubs, probably ending a night shift. A young guy in a suit, nervously reviewing notes – interview, maybe. Two women in yoga clothes, chatting about some class.
He waited until he was at the register, then made his move.
"Hey," he said to the barista, loud enough that nearby people could hear. "I want to buy coffee for the next five people in line. Whatever they want."
The barista blinked. "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
A murmur went through the line behind him. The woman in scrubs actually gasped.
"Oh my god, really?" she said. "That's so sweet!"
The guy in the suit looked stunned. "Man, thank you. I'm interviewing for my dream job today and I couldn't get the large."
It seemed not everyone had it all together.
"Get the large," Marcus said, grinning. "Get whatever you want."
It became a moment. The yoga women thanked him three times. Even the barista smiled – actually smiled – as she rang up six drinks and various pastries.
[MICRO-INVESTMENT COMPLETE]
[Multiplier increased: 2.5x]
[Projected Return: $119.50 in 24 hours]
[Bonus: Social proof generated - Reputation building initiated]
Marcus left the Starbucks feeling electric. The woman in scrubs had hugged him. The interview guy had shaken his hand and promised to "pay it forward." One of the yoga women had slipped him her Instagram handle with a wink.
He walked through morning Manhattan with a stupid grin on his face, watching people rush past with their coffee and their problems, none of them knowing that he'd just cracked the code to everything.
His phone buzzed.
Emma: I heard you quit. Very mature, Marcus. Good luck finding another job with that attitude.
Marcus stopped walking. Stared at the message. Six months ago, this would have ruined his day. Hell, yesterday it would have.
Today?
He typed back: Thanks for the concern. I'm doing great actually. Hope you and James are happy.
He deleted it. Typed again: New phone who dis
Deleted that too.
Finally: 👍
He sent it and immediately blocked her number.
[EMOTIONAL LIBERATION DETECTED]
[Minor multiplier bonus awarded: Next investment +0.1x]
[Current Balance: $310.77]
[Tomorrow's projected balance after returns: $430.27]
[Status: Ready for MISSION: ESCALATION]
Marcus pocketed his phone and kept walking. He had a date tomorrow night. He had money multiplying in his account. And he had a system that rewarded him for doing exactly what he wanted to do anyway.
For the first time in three years, Marcus Chen felt dangerous.
Alive.