Jason Reed sat in his cramped dorm room, staring at the blinking cursor on his laptop screen. His economics assignment was due in the morning, but he couldn't focus. His mind kept drifting back to one thing—his bank account balance.
He grabbed his phone and opened his banking app.
Balance: $27.45
His jaw tightened. Rent was due in three days. He needed $600, and that didn't include groceries, utilities, or the student loan interest piling up like a slow-moving avalanche.
Jason exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his dark, messy hair.
For months, he had been barely scraping by. His part-time job at the campus bookstore paid $9 an hour, barely enough to survive. He lived off instant noodles, skipped meals when he had to, and ignored social events because he couldn't afford to go out.
His fingers moved to the side tab on his browser: "10 Ways to Make Money Fast in College."
It was useless. Every site suggested the same tired ideas—survey apps that paid pennies, flipping used clothes on eBay, tutoring for $10 an hour.
Jason had tried all of it. None of it worked.
A sharp growl erupted from his stomach, and he instinctively reached for his mini-fridge. He already knew what was inside—two eggs, half a bottle of water, and nothing else.
"Damn it…" he muttered.
His gaze drifted toward the calendar pinned to his wall. Three days left until his landlord would come knocking.
And this time, there were no excuses left.
The Message That Pushed Him Over the Edge
His phone buzzed. A text from his ex-girlfriend, Rachel.
Rachel: "Jason, I saw your IG story. You still eating instant noodles every night? LMAO. Should've stuck with me, but nah, you wanted to 'figure things out on your own.' Hope that's going well."
Jason's grip on his phone tightened.
Rachel had dumped him six months ago for a guy named Trevor—an arrogant trust fund kid who drove a Tesla Model X and bragged about his hedge fund internship.
Back when they were dating, she'd mock him for being broke.
"Why don't you just invest in crypto or something?"
"If you can't even afford dinner, what's the point of dating?"
"Ugh, Jason, you're embarrassing yourself."
She lived in a different world—one where money wasn't a problem. She never had to check her bank balance before ordering food.
Jason clenched his jaw, his body tensing with frustration.
The worst part? She wasn't wrong.
He was struggling. He was broke. And no matter how hard he worked, it never seemed to be enough.
Ding!
A loud chime echoed in his ears, and suddenly—a floating blue screen popped up in front of his eyes.
Jason froze.
Congratulations! You have activated the Dog-Licking Gold System!
Every dollar you spend on women will be multiplied and returned as wealth, influence, and power!
His pulse spiked.
His first instinct was to rub his eyes. He blinked hard. The screen was still there.
"What… the hell?" he muttered.
His heart pounded in his chest. Was he hallucinating? Had the stress finally broken him?
Before he could react, another notification appeared.
Starting Bonus: $10,000 deposited to your account.
Jason's phone vibrated.
His hands trembled as he opened his banking app again.
His breath caught in his throat.
Balance: $10,027.45
Jason's eyes widened.
He staggered back from his desk, almost knocking over his chair. His fingers trembled as he scrolled through his transaction history.
No deposits. No transfers.
The money had just appeared.
"This can't be real," he whispered.
His breathing grew unsteady. His mind raced through possibilities—a glitch? A hack? A scam?
But $10,000 was sitting in his account. Real money.
Another notification popped up.
Mission: Take a woman on a date and spend at least $100.
Reward: 10x return.
Jason swallowed hard.
This was crazy.
No, beyond crazy—impossible.
But… the money in his account was real.
He opened his Cash App and tried sending $5 to his friend, Lucas. The transfer went through instantly.
Jason's heart pounded. The money was real.
He had to test it.
The First Move
Jason scrolled through his contacts.
Who could he take out on a date fast?
His eyes landed on Sophia Carter.
Sophia was a girl from his business class—tall, blonde, and effortlessly confident. She wasn't in his league, but they'd had a few friendly conversations before.
Jason took a deep breath and tapped on her name.
Jason: "Hey, Sophia. Crazy question, but are you free for dinner tonight? My treat."
He hit send.
Thirty seconds later, the typing bubbles appeared.
Sophia: "Dinner? Like a date?"
Jason's heart pounded.
Jason: "Yeah, figured I should stop living off instant noodles for once."
A pause.
Then, she replied.
Sophia: "LOL, sure. Where?"
Jason's breath hitched. He wasn't expecting her to say yes.
He quickly searched for high-end restaurants near campus. His usual budget didn't allow him to even look at these places, but now…
Jason: "Ever been to Luciano's? Let's meet there at 7."
Sophia: "Fancy. See you then. :)"
Jason exhaled, staring at his phone.
His first mission was about to begin.
7:00 PM – Luciano's Steakhouse
Jason walked into Luciano's, one of the most expensive restaurants in the city.
The host glanced at him skeptically—his clothes were clearly from Walmart—but when Jason confidently said, "Reservation for Reed," he was led to a private booth.
Minutes later, Sophia walked in.
She wore a sleek black dress, her golden hair falling in waves over her shoulders. Heads turned as she walked past.
Jason felt out of place.
"You actually picked a nice place," she said, smirking as she sat down.
Jason chuckled, hiding his nervousness. "Only the best."
The waiter arrived.
Sophia ordered a $90 filet mignon and a $30 glass of wine. Jason got a simple steak and water.
Total bill? $170.
He handed the waiter his card, bracing himself.
The payment went through.
Jason's phone buzzed.
Mission Complete! $1,700 has been deposited to your account!
Jason's blood ran cold.
He opened his banking app.
New balance: $11,627.45
The system worked.
Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay?"
Jason looked up, suppressing a grin.
"Yeah," he said smoothly. "Everything's just getting started."