Infinite Returns: Investment Rebate System

Chapter 2

“Wh-what? How is that possible…?”

His eyes widened as he watched $20 appear in his bank account.

Leonard had no idea how this happened. Before he could think any further, another screen popped up in front of him.

[Welcome to the Investment Rebate System!]

[By spending money on women, you’ll receive 10 times the amount you spend in cash.]

[Attraction Level]

Stranger: up to $100

Familiar: up to $500

Appreciation: up to $2,000

Liking: up to $10,000

Admiration: up to $20,000

Devotion: up to $50,000

That information made Leo’s pupils dilate. He covered his mouth. Now he knew where the 20 dollars came from. It was a rebate from the soda he’d given to Gisele.

‘What…? So that’s because I gave my soda to this woman?’

The soda Leo gave away cost 2 dollars. Now it all made sense. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

“This woman, I could make 100 dollars off her in a single day.”

Gisele, who had been watching Leo from beside him, swallowed hard. She took another sip of the soda in her hand.

Right now, having no money was truly terrible. She had already run out of it, and the man beside her—who seemed kind and caring, had just helped her.

The glimmer in her eyes showed that she had decided Leo might be someone willing to help her.

“Sir… um, thank you for helping me,” Gisele said hesitantly.

Seeing the woman beside him thanking him, Leo smiled.

“It’s no problem, Miss.”

Even so, Gisele still felt that the man beside her was different from the men she had known before. She observed him, feeling far more at ease than she had earlier.

Meanwhile, Leo’s expression had turned serious because he realized he could earn $3,000 a month from the woman beside him without even needing to work. It sounded absurd, but it was truly very profitable for him.

Because of that, he unconsciously smiled.

‘That’s pretty good…’ Leo thought to himself.

Gisele fixed her hair and wiped her lips. The closer she was to this man, the more she could smell the incredibly tempting scent of the burger lingering around him.

‘It smells so good…’ the woman spoke very softly.

The delicious aroma made it impossible for her to take her eyes off the burger.

The more she stared at the burger in the hands of the man sitting beside her, the hungrier her stomach felt. If that burger entered her mouth, maybe it would taste just as good as the smell she was breathing in.

Without realizing it, Gisele slowly swallowed her saliva and gently licked her lips. Then she let out a long breath, trying to stop herself from acting that way. But a moment later, a loud growl came from her stomach, making her quickly hold it.

“Damn… why did it have to be that loud…?” Gisele cursed inwardly, her face now turning red.

“Miss, haven’t you eaten anything yet?”

The voice of the man beside her startled Gisele. She hadn’t expected him to speak to her right now.

“You can have this burger.” Leo held out the burger in his hand toward her.

Since earlier, he had actually noticed that the woman beside him kept staring at his burger. He stayed silent and observed her, and after hearing her stomach growl, he became certain that she was starving.

Swallowing hard, Gisele felt her stomach screaming from hunger, but this was so embarrassing. It felt as though her pride had just been trampled on.

So, she slowly shook her head and gently pushed away the hamburger being offered to her.

“No, sir. I’m fine.”

Gisele turned her gaze elsewhere. Deep down, she probably regretted refusing it because, in truth, she hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday due to not having any money.

“Just take it, Miss. I already ate earlier, so it’s fine for me to give it to you.”

Leo lied because not only did the woman beside him look pitiful, but her noisy stomach had also been growling nonstop throughout the trip.

Gisele looked back at the burger in Leo’s hand. The smell truly was delicious. And when she looked at Leo, the man smiled.

“Can I really eat it?”

“Yes. I already ate earlier, and if you eat this burger, it’ll be good for you.” Leo moved his hand slightly, making the delicious smell of the burger drift even more strongly into her nose.

The man didn’t stop there. He even unwrapped the burger and smiled at her, slowly lowering the guard she had around herself.

In the end, she accepted the burger and began eating it. While occasionally nodding in satisfaction, she looked at Leo, who was still watching her with a smile.

‘This man… he’s different from other people,’ Gisele thought to herself.

With her appearance like this, other people usually didn’t want to approach her, care about her, or they would even look down on her. But this man was different. He treated her kindly.

‘Why is this man being so kind to me?’

Something felt different in Gisele’s heart. The man’s sincerity made her begin to admire him.

Shyly, she smiled.

“Thank you for giving me your burger, Sir.”

Leo truly felt relieved that he had given away the burger in his hand. It seemed that it had genuinely helped the starving woman. He had once been in the same situation himself, so hungry that it became difficult for him to even move.

He smiled, not only because of the sense of relief he felt, but also because he had just received a notification.

[You got $50!]

Leo’s phone also vibrated, and he immediately saw the notification that money had been deposited into his account. It was exactly as the system screen in front of him had said.

“Thank you, sir… you’re very kind… I’ll pay you back once I have money.”

Leo’s brows furrowed slightly, realizing that this woman must be going through something difficult.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Gisele, sir. What’s your name?”

For a moment, Leo didn’t answer immediately. His gaze shifted to another notification screen that had just appeared before him.

[Gisele Invarse]

[Affection Level: Stranger]

Leo was genuinely shocked by the notification in front of him.

“Sir?” Gisele called out to him again.

Leo quickly looked at her.

“Ah, my name is… Leo.”

[Daily rebate stranger up to $100]

Another notification appeared before Leo, nearly making him react out loud, but he managed to hold himself back.

At that moment, he stared at Gisele more intently. The woman smiling sweetly beside him now made it impossible for him to look away. This time, he realized that the woman he had just met could continue bringing him money.

Leo calmed his racing heartbeat from the excitement he felt. After that, he let out a breath.

“You’re going to Hivebee City too?” he asked gently.

“Yes. I have some business there…” As Gisele answered, her expression darkened slightly.

Perhaps the woman beside him was also going through something difficult, just like he was. But Leo didn’t ask too many questions about it. Throughout the journey, even though they didn’t talk much, their relationship became much closer than before.

Then, three hours later, the conductor’s voice was heard.

“Passengers heading to Hivebee City, please get off.”

Leo looked at the woman in front of him. She was also preparing to leave, clutching her small bag tightly in her hands.

Leo had been observing her for a while now. The woman looked deeply concerning, considering that she even seemed to struggle just to eat properly. He wasn’t acting this way only because she could bring him money—he was genuinely worried about her.

As they stepped off the bus, Leo looked at Gisele and immediately spoke.

“Do you have a place to stay tonight?” Leo asked.

It was truly a surprising question. For a moment, Gisele couldn’t say anything.

“It’ll be night soon. It’s obviously dangerous outside,” Leo spoke again.

Leo noticed that the woman tightened her grip on her bag strap before she answered.

“Mm, I have a place to stay tonight.”

‘Liar.’

Leo instantly realized that the woman was clearly lying. She couldn’t even afford to eat properly, and it seemed impossible that she actually had a place to sleep.

His concern for this woman wasn’t only because he pitied her, but also because of the benefits tied to her. And now that he understood her situation, Leo couldn’t simply leave her alone. As someone who had no family himself, he understood how difficult life could be.

“Gisele, you don’t need to lie.”

Gisele’s eyes widened as she looked at him. When she spoke, her voice sounded awkward.

“No, no, I’m not lying.”

She raised both of her hands and began stepping backward, her face turning red.

To her, they had only just met. She knew this man was kind, but she couldn’t keep burdening him like this.

“I’m going to book you a place to stay so you can rest there.” Leo’s firm words stunned Gisele.

In her surprise, Gisele quickly stepped closer and grabbed Leo’s hand, stopping him from walking away.

“Leo, there’s no need. You really don’t have to do that. I can stay at—”

“You don’t have a place to stay, do you?” Leo cut her off.

Now Gisele found it difficult to speak after hearing his words. It was true—she had come here without anywhere to stay. She had even run out of money. She was in a terrible situation, and it made her chest feel tight.

“It’s very dangerous outside for a woman.”

This time, Leo was the one holding her hand, and they walked together toward an inn while Gisele’s heartbeat repeatedly raced.

She had never been in a situation like this before—being cared for by someone she had only just met, to the point that it made her heart feel warm.