The fortune's deadline

chapter 3: first wealth surge

The morning sun crept through the cracked window, painting Jason’s small room in weak light.

He hadn’t slept. His eyes were red, his thoughts heavy.

Stephanie’s message still sat open on his phone.

Victor’s threat below it.

And the system’s warning glowed faintly — Choice impacts fate.

Jason took a deep breath.

The air felt thin, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

He looked at the silver cross hanging on his chest. “If hope fuels growth,” he whispered, “then I can’t choose hate.”

He deleted Victor’s message.

Then he typed back to Stephanie.

> Jason: I don’t hate you. But I can’t trust you yet. Not anymore.

He hit send, placed the phone face down, and stared at the wall.

For a moment, silence filled the room — the heavy kind that carries pain.

Then the screen on the wall blinked alive again.

> System Notice: Decision logged. Integrity confirmed. +2 lifespan days. Total: 67 days.

Jason smiled faintly. “So honesty really matters…”

---

He got up, dressed in his worn grey hoodie, and walked out.

The city was awake now — buses honking, sellers shouting, the air smelling of fried food and dust.

He rode his old bicycle to the small repair shop where he used to work part-time before Mark fired him.

Inside, the smell of oil hit him.

The other workers looked up in surprise.

“Jason? You got guts showing your face here,” one of them muttered.

Jason didn’t answer. He just picked up a broken fan from the floor and started fixing it. His hands were steady, his mind focused.

Minutes passed.

Then hours.

Finally, Mark’s angry voice came from behind.

“I thought I fired you!”

Jason didn’t stop working.

“I’m not here for you. I’m here to finish what I started.”

Mark sneered. “You think fixing one fan will make me forgive you?”

Jason looked up, calm. “I don’t need forgiveness from someone who doesn’t respect people.”

The whole shop went quiet.

Mark’s face twisted with anger.

“Get out!” he yelled. “Before I—”

A loud spark burst from the fan Jason was working on — and suddenly the fan started spinning perfectly. Smooth, silent, cold air blowing.

The workers gasped.

One of them whispered, “That fan’s been dead for weeks…”

Jason stepped back, surprised too.

Then the system screen blinked quietly inside his vision.

> System Task Complete: ‘Fix what was broken.’

Reward: $3,500 +5 lifespan days. Total: 72 days.

Jason’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t smile. He just wiped his hands, left the fan running, and walked away.

Outside, the cold wind brushed his face.

He felt alive again — a strange mix of pain and power.

---

At a small food stand, he ordered bread and tea.

The seller, an old woman with kind eyes, looked worried. “Young man, you look tired. You okay?”

Jason nodded. “I’m just… starting over.”

She smiled softly. “Starting over is hard, but sometimes God gives you one more chance just when you least expect it.”

Jason’s chest tightened. Those words hit deep.

He smiled back faintly and handed her a few bills.

The system blinked again.

> Mini Task Complete: ‘Show gratitude in hardship.’

Reward: $1,000 +1 lifespan day.

Jason chuckled quietly to himself. “So kindness really pays too.”

But then he noticed something strange — people were staring.

At him.

Or rather, at his phone, which had just vibrated with a bank alert: $4,500 deposited.

“Did that just…?” he whispered.

He quickly walked away, tucking the phone in his pocket.

---

Later that day, Jason returned home and sat at his desk. He opened the system panel again.

> Available Features:

1. Task Board

2. Health Status

3. Emotional Growth Log

4. Investment Option (LOCKED)

5. Communication Mode (LOCKED)

Jason frowned. “Investment? Communication?”

The system’s voice echoed faintly in his mind — soft but cold.

> “Your actions determine what paths unlock. Money is only a tool. Use it with purpose.”

Jason exhaled slowly. “Then let’s find a purpose.”

He thought about the orphanage — the broken roof, the hungry kids.

He thought about Caleb, the boy who used to dream of owning a bookstore.

He thought about himself — dying with nothing but regret.

He stood up suddenly and packed a bag.

He had a plan.

---

The road to the orphanage was long, dusty, and filled with memories.

Every corner held ghosts of the past — the nights he cried, the mornings he woke up to cold rain dripping through the roof.

When he arrived, Sister Ruth was sweeping the front steps.

She froze when she saw him. “Jason? My God, look at you! You disappeared for years!”

Jason smiled weakly. “I know. I’ve… been trying to survive.”

She looked at him closely. “You look sick, child.”

Jason forced a smile. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

He handed her an envelope full of cash. “Please fix the roof. And buy food for the kids.”

Her eyes widened. “Jason, where did you—?”

He shook his head. “Don’t ask. Just promise you’ll use it well.”

Tears filled her eyes. “You always had a good heart.”

The system flickered again.

> Major Task Complete: ‘Return kindness where you came from.’

Reward: $10,000 +10 lifespan days. Total: 82 days.

Jason stared at the glowing number.

From 60 days to 82.

He was buying more time — but more than that, he was feeling alive again.

---

That night, as he walked home through the quiet streets, he heard footsteps behind him.

He turned.

Victor stood there, leaning against a black car, smirking.

“Impressive, Jason. Money out of thin air. You’ve got something I want.”

Jason’s heart raced. “How did you find me?”

Victor shrugged. “You’re not that hard to track. I see you’ve been giving away money instead of keeping it. What a waste.”

Jason’s fists tightened. “At least I’m not destroying people for it.”

Victor laughed coldly. “You think you’re better than me? You think that ‘good heart’ of yours will save you? Let’s see how far it gets you when I’m done.”

He stepped closer. “Whatever secret you have, I’ll find it. And I’ll use it better than you ever could.”

Jason’s jaw clenched. “Try me.”

Victor smirked, his eyes cold. “Oh, I will. You’ve just made your first real enemy.”

He got in the car and drove off, leaving Jason standing in the rain.

The system flickered again.

> Warning: Rival detected. Monitoring initiated.

Hidden Path: ‘Shadow Network’ unlocked.

Note: Rivals can now access fragments of your power. Protect your purpose.

Jason closed his eyes, breathing heavily.

So the fight had just begun.

He looked up at the sky. Clouds were gathering again — dark and heavy.

But instead of fear, he felt something new rising inside him.

Hope.

> “If I’m dying anyway,” he whispered, “then I’ll spend every day living like I still matter.”

The cross on his chest glowed softly — a quiet promise that his story wasn’t over yet.