The first time I saw the message, I thought it was a scam.
[System Activated]
[Daily Cashback: Spend $1 → Get $10]
[Limit: Unlimited]
I stared at my cracked phone screen like it was playing games with me.
"Yeah… right."
I was broke. Not "I can't afford luxury" broke — I mean checking my account before buying a $2 drink broke.
So whatever this was, it wasn't for me.
I locked my phone and stepped into the corner store.
"$1 water," I said, dropping the last dollar I had on the counter.
The cashier didn't even look at me. Just scanned it, bagged it, and turned away.
Normal.
Nothing special.
Until my phone buzzed.
[Transaction Detected]
[+$10 Credited]
I froze.
Slowly… I pulled the phone back out.
My bank app was open.
Balance: $10.23
"…nah."
I refreshed it.
Still there.
My chest tightened a little.
I walked right back to the counter.
"Another one."
The cashier raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
Another dollar.
Another buzz.
[+$10 Credited]
Balance: $19.23
This time… I smiled.
Not a normal smile.
That quiet one. The kind that doesn't ask questions anymore.
Ten minutes later, I was outside.
Same street.
Same broke city.
But everything looked different.
Because now I knew something nobody else did.
Money… wasn't a problem anymore.
"Let's test something," I muttered.
I walked into a clothing store across the street.
Not even my level before today.
I picked up a jacket. $120.
Walked straight to the register.
"Card."
Declined.
Of course.
I only had like $19.
The cashier looked at me funny.
Embarrassing.
Old me would've walked out.
But I wasn't that guy anymore.
I stepped aside, pulled out my phone, and spent the last $19 in small purchases.
Snacks. Drinks. Random stuff.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Buzz.
[+$190 Credited]
I walked back to the counter.
Same jacket.
Same cashier.
"Try again."
Approved.
As I walked out with the bag, I finally understood.
This wasn't luck.
This wasn't chance.
This was power.
And I had just become the most dangerous type of man in the city…
A broke man who figured out how to print money.
Across the street, a black car slowed down.
Tinted windows.
Watching.
I didn't notice.
Not yet.
But they noticed me.