*Kreeeeaak*
The old wooden door screamed in agony when Jason pushed open the door and stepped inside his old small apartment. He shrugged off his cheap old ragged satchel bag from his shoulder and tossed it on the bed and went to the bathroom.
He pulled a packet of cigarettes from his pants pocket and pulled out one, lit it, and took a big drag. After that, he pulled down his pants and sat on the commode.
"What is the point of giving an interview? All they say is we will let you know, but they don't. Assholes!" Jason said half to himself and half to the cracked tiles in front of him, with a frustrated tone.
"All I am doing is going here and there, dropping resumes and giving interviews, but not a single company hired me. They want experience for the job. How the fuck will I gain experience if you don't give me a job? Fuck the system. All they hire are people with high references and referrals." He was pissed and babbling to himself whatever came to his mind, and seeing the tap beside him, he let his intrusive thoughts win and punched the steel tap
Arrrgghhh!!
He screamed and shook his hand in pain.
After finishing both cigarette and shit, he took a bath, as he was exhausted with today's crowded metro journey.
After bathing, he put on a white t-shirt and black shorts and collapsed on the bed.
*Growl*
His stomach growled, the kind of loud rumble that could easily be mistaken for a fart.
When was the last time I ate a proper meal? Sigh!
He sighed, sitting up, and dragged his satchel closer. He unzipped the bag and looked inside. There was a file of resumes, certificates, and other essential documents. He looked at the file and shook his head in disappointment.
My grades… They are not good enough to get me a good job. I can't change my grades as I already graduated recently and I did my best at studying… But it was not good enough for this competitive world.
Jason thought and pushed that file aside and pulled out a packet of instant noodles he bought earlier today.
As he was about to stand up and make himself the same old instant noodles he had relied on for his whole university life.
Den Den Mushi Ringtone ♫
His phone rang. He looked at the cracked screen of the cheap android phone. It was a video call from his mom.
He took a deep breath and forced a fake happy face and answered the call.
"Hello, Jason. How are you doing?" A beautiful-looking woman in her middle 40s asked curiously. Beside her, Jason could see a handsome-looking man in his late 40s sitting beside her.
Jason's face leaned more toward his father's side than his mother's. Both father and sons had blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Hello, Mom and Dad. I am fine. How are things back home?"
"We are good. How was your interview?"
"As usual. They said they will let me know if I'm selected."
"Don't worry. You will get a good job one day. Did you eat something?" his mother said soothingly.
"No. I will…"
They talked for a few minutes before hanging up. Jason was lying in bed, disappointed in his life.
*Ding!*
A notification popped up on his phone. Jason checked out and found his dad had just transferred $1000 into his e-wallet.
His parents sent him money every month to help him survive. But that was not enough, as this old cramped rental apartment was $800 a month.
Jason shook his head with embarrassment. The shame was overwhelming. He was a grown man, still relying on his parents. His eyes became moist, and with a blink, it fell and ran through his cheeks.
[Ding!!!]
[The System has detected a match.]
[Hosting Initiating…]
"Si… System?"
Jason was shocked and confused by the voice in his head and seeing a strange semi-transparent panel, which was floating in the air like a hologram made of light and glass, appear in front of Jason.
He has read a lot of novels, and the protagonists of many novels have a system. He never thought that such unbelievable things would happen to him.
[Hosting Initiated!]
[Congratulations, Host. The Heartbeat System has been activated.]
[Conversion Rate: 1 Heartbeat = $0.01]
[Level up the system for greater rewards.]
His shock and confusion became curiosity. Maybe even hope.
Heartbeat system? Does that mean… simply being alive generates money? That's a game changer.
[You have received the Starter Pack.]
[Item Obtained: Pulse Card]
[Credit Obtained: $100 (Into Pulse Card)]
A matte-black credit card appeared in his hand out of nowhere. His name was engraved in gold on it and also written as Heart Financial Bank, making it look like legit bank branding. In the corner, an infinity symbol ∞ shimmered in gold. The most unique was its details. Card Number: 8888 8888 8888 8888 CVV: 888 Expiry: 88/88
[Complete Main Quest to level up the system.]
[Quest Log:]
[Pushups (100/0)]
[Sit-ups (100/0)]
[Squats (100/0)]
[Running (10/0 km)]
[Spends ($1000/0)]
"What!? You gotta be kidding me! Why do I have to use exercise to level up the money-based system?" Jason asked the system and waited for a few seconds. As no reply came from the system, he understood that this system cannot reply to the host.
He noticed that there was a small QR logo on the top right side of the semi-transparent screen. He thought about opening it; it opened and showed a QR code. Jason scanned that QR code with his phone. It led him to automatically install a mysterious app on his phone.
The app had a heart logo. He opened it, and it was the Heart Financial Bank App with his card info already added. The balance was $100.
Well, that's unfair. The system gives me $100 and wants me to spend $1000. Will my e-wallet balance count?
He opened his e-wallet app and transferred $800 to his landlord, as the rent was already due.
[Complete Main Quest to level up the system.]
[Quest Log:]
[Pushups (100/0)]
[Sit-ups (100/0)]
[Squats (100/0)]
[Running (10/0 km)]
[Spends ($1000/0)]
Fuck!! It didn't count. Anyway, spending money is easy. The hard part is exercise, especially a 10km run. As it has no time limit, I will do it later. But first I have to eat something.
Close
Jason thought, and the system disappeared. "Well, that worked just fine."
He checked the time on his phone. It was 8:15 P.M. Jason grabbed his phone, card, and keys, and then headed for the door.
He stepped out into the hallway, locked the door behind him, and headed out of the building.
What should I eat? Should I go for fast food? Or Chinese food? Maybe Thai food?
Jason was thinking to himself, as he never had the freedom to choose the food he always wanted.
A few moments later he found himself on the street. The street was bustling and alive. Cars were pressed bumper to bumper. Passersby were in a hurry, like they were competing in a race.
On the other hand, Jason wasn't bothered by them and felt relaxed and free for the first time in a long time.
As he walked, he did the mental math in his head.
If my heartbeat is an average of 70… That's over 40 an hour… And over 1000 a day. Just by doing nothing.
He stopped walking. He needed to celebrate. He needed something heavy, real, and expensive. So he thought a restaurant would be a better option. So he headed for The Midnight Sear Restaurant.
Soon he arrived at the front of the restaurant. It was in the corner of the street. It has a black exterior, and dark window glasses make it difficult to see through.
Jason had walked past more than a hundred times, always ignoring it for its luxury vibe, but not anymore. As Jason was about to push the black steel door open, a hand raised from the side in front of his chest, blocking his path.
"Hold it."