Henry was working in the same fast-food restaurant he had worked at for the last two years, watching the clock tick by slowly. His hands moved on autopilot, flipping burgers, serving fries, and wrapping orders, all while hoping time to moves quicker. The clock is ticking, and eventually, the shift ended.
One thing about working in a very monotonous job is that you'll start to feel bored. The thought of being stuck doing it forever can make you feel suffocated, especially in today's world where everyone else seems to be constantly moving. They look they always had somewhere new to go, all seems to be grand destination or dream.
Henry sighed as he threw the trash bag into the green bin. Today's job is over, and he can go back to his apartment room like always. However, before he could walk away, a hologram-like panel suddenly appeared out of thin air.
[System Activation in Progress….]
"Huh?"
[System Activation Complete]
[Welcome, Henry Park.]
[You have been selected as a User of the Universal Wealth Accumulation System (UWAS).]
[Initializing default configuration…]
[Scanning financial aptitude… low. Motivation… moderate. Potential… high.]
"Is this some kind of prank?" Henry muttered, glancing around. There's no one beside him there, and it made his heart beat faster.
The panel shifted.
[System Summary:]
[UWAS is designed to elevate Users to extreme wealth via personalized missions, opportunities, and skill acquisition].
[Would you like to begin your first Wealth Opportunity Mission?]
[YES] / [NO]
Henry hesitated. He'd seen way too many weird videos online, AI scams, deepfakes—but nothing like this in real life.
Still, what did he have to lose?
"…Alright. Yes," he said.
The panel shimmered and expanded, becoming a sort of floating dashboard.
[Mission: The $10 Flip]
Objective: Turn $10 into $100 within a week using any legal means.
Reward: Beginner Wealth Pack + System Upgrade.
"$10 into $100? In a week?" Henry scoffed, but curiosity lit a spark in his tired eyes. He checked his wallet—exactly $11.32 left after paying rent.
A new icon blinked on the screen: [Resource Suggestions]. When Henry tapped it, a stream of options appeared.
— Buy underpriced vintage items from local thrift stores and sell online
— Purchase ingredients to make gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and sell near the college dorms
— Flip digital game items with high market turnover
— Offer express delivery service in the neighborhood via bike
Henry's brain, dulled by routine, suddenly snapped into gear. He tapped on the grilled cheese idea. A map opened, showing him the highest foot-traffic locations near the university. Ingredients list. Estimated profit margins. Even a script to talk to people.
The panel shimmered with a final message:
[Good luck, Henry. Every fortune starts with a small hustle.]
He stared at it for a second, then tucked his phone into his apron pocket and jogged toward the nearby supermarket.
He didn't know how or why this was happening.
But for the first time in years, Henry didn't dread tomorrow.
He was chasing something—finally, and maybe this time, the clock was on his side