Even though Zach had mentally prepared himself in advance, his heartbeat still sped up the moment he saw the bank notification confirming the deposit had arrived.
Tens of thousands of dollars might not mean much to some people—but for him, this was just the beginning.
He recalled something his public economics professor once said during a lecture:
"Most people only get a handful of chances in their lifetime to break out of their social class—and the majority never seize them. As the economy develops, the gap between the rich and poor only grows wider, and class mobility becomes increasingly difficult…"
In today's world, it was already hard enough just to survive, let alone rise above.
For many families, the burden of car payments, mortgage loans, and day-to-day expenses was enough to crush them.
Just a few days ago, after landing a job, Zach's dream had been to work hard, aim for promotions and raises, and one day earn a permanent place in this bustling, competitive city through grit and persistence.
And yet, he hadn't even managed to hold onto that job…
Now, with the arrival of this mysterious system, his future felt like it had been rewritten in an instant.
You could say he'd just been handed a first-class ticket straight to Rome—an effortless leap across the barriers of class.
No—more than that.
Wherever he went, he would bring Rome with him.
…
"Grrggh…"
The loud growl of his stomach jolted Zach back to reality. Suddenly, he was very aware of how hungry he was.
He remembered that he hadn't eaten dinner yet.
There were dozens of restaurants lining the edge of Michigan Avenue, with elaborate storefronts and high-end interiors. He had no idea how the food actually tasted, but they sure looked luxurious.
In the past, Zach would've kept walking until he found something affordable—maybe a no-frills diner, a cheap takeout spot, something like pork rice bowls or basic sandwiches. Just enough to fill his stomach without draining his wallet.
After all, eating at one of those upscale places could easily cost a few hundred bucks—or even more. Way beyond what he could afford.
But now?
Now, he could earn tens of thousands of dollars just by sending out a few digital red envelopes. Why stress over meal prices?
With the system on his side, money would never be an issue again. He could finally enjoy life, the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
Glancing around, Zach noticed most of the nearby places were Western-style restaurants. He hadn't had steak in a while, so he picked one at random and stepped inside.
A well-dressed host greeted him and guided him to a seat. Zach sat down, picked up the menu, and gave it a look.
As expected from a spot in the heart of downtown, the prices were steep. A simple fruit and vegetable salad ran for $11. He couldn't have afforded this before without seriously budgeting.
He ended up ordering a full steak dinner with some sides and appetizers to go with it.
While waiting for the food, Zach pulled out his phone, thinking about how he might want to spend next.
Because of that $150 red envelope he'd sent earlier, his college group chat had exploded—two or three hundred new messages had piled up. A bunch of people had tagged him directly, asking if he'd officially landed a full-time job.
They'd all been classmates for four years. People knew Zach came from a modest background, and this kind of generosity had caught their attention.
After sending one big red envelope, it didn't feel appropriate to send another so soon.
He scrolled for a while, reading the replies and reactions, until something caught his eye—a notification from the pinned group at the top of his chats:
[Metro Capital Fund Team 3 Chat].
This was the department's internal work group chat. Including Zach, there were a total of 47 members.
Aside from regular work notifications, it was also the place where team members would share updates and celebrations. Whenever someone closed a deal, they'd often send a red envelope—usually somewhere around $20 to $30—as both a way to celebrate and motivate others.
The period right after New Year's was typically the busiest time for securing deals. Even though Zach had only been with the company for about a week, he'd already received a couple hundred dollars in red envelopes.
As a newcomer, Zach didn't have any conflicting interests with the rest of the team yet. He was modest by nature, and lately, when he sought guidance from more experienced colleagues, most were more than willing to help him out.
In particular, several of the younger women on the team often brought him an extra coffee or milk tea when placing their afternoon orders.
If it hadn't been for the events at that client dinner, Zach might've genuinely enjoyed the company culture.
Thinking it over, Zach decided to send a parting red envelope to the group—45 in total, each one for $28.88.
Everyone except himself and department manager Lewis Crane received one.
He also left a short message in the chat: "The road ahead is long. If fate allows, we'll meet again someday."
The moment the red envelopes were sent out, several coworkers jumped to grab them.
At first, everyone assumed Zach had closed a deal. Some even dropped celebratory GIFs and messages like, "Congrats on the sale!"—but when they looked at the name attached to the envelope, the tone in the group shifted.
"What's going on, Zach?"
"The road ahead is long… we'll meet again? Wait, did you quit?"
"No way, he just started! He was asking me about client accounts this afternoon. Why would he resign all of a sudden?"
"Didn't Lewis take him out to that dinner meeting? Don't tell me…"
Just then, the waiter arrived with Zach's steak. He put down his phone, offered a quick response in the group, and got back to his meal.
"Yeah, I've resigned. Thanks for everything over the past few days. Wishing you all the best—we'll cross paths again someday."
Then, tagging Lewis directly, he added:
"@LewisCrane I came here to gain experience, not to sell myself. No red envelope for you—try to have some self-awareness."
Immediately after hitting send, Zach left the group chat before Lewis had the chance to remove him first.
Not only did that move earn him a huge payout, but it also let him throw a parting jab at Lewis. The sense of satisfaction hit instantly.
There were about twenty women in the group, including administrative assistants and customer service reps. At $28 per person, that totaled just over $500—meaning Zach had just made over $50,000 from that single gesture.
Setting his phone aside, Zach picked up his fork and knife and dug into his steak with a grin.
He had to admit, while the place was pricey, the food was absolutely worth it. The meat quality blew away anything he'd had from the usual steakhouse chains.
The bill came to nearly $300—what used to be almost an entire month's worth of living expenses for him. But now? It didn't even register as a dent in his balance.
After finishing the meal, he stepped out of the restaurant and checked the time. It was already 9:30 p.m.
Originally, Zach had planned to book a cheap motel for the night after his dinner with the client—just to avoid the hassle of commuting back and forth so late.
Even though he'd resigned, he still had no intention of returning to campus tonight.