The First Taste of Wealth

Chapter Three: The First Taste of Wealth

Ali stood beneath the flickering streetlight, staring at the crisp $100 bills in his hands. The cold New York air bit at his skin, but he barely noticed. His mind was racing.

It's real. This system… it's real.

For the first time in his life, he had money that didn't come from back-breaking work. No long shifts. No rude customers. Just a simple task—and instant cash.

His phone buzzed again—another message from Natasha. He didn't even bother reading it. She wasn't worth another second of his time.

Taking a deep breath, he stuffed the money into his wallet and headed home.

Ali and his family lived in a run-down apartment building in Brooklyn. The walls in the narrow hallways were cracked, the elevator was almost always broken, and the sound of arguing neighbors or blaring TVs filled the corridors. It wasn't the worst place in the city, but it wasn't the best either.

As he stepped inside their small one-bedroom apartment, the scent of spiced rice and chicken curry filled the air. His mother, Saira, stood by the stove, her dark hair tied back, wearing the same old blue sweater she always did in winter. She was in her early forties, but the years of hard work had added lines to her face. Even so, she still managed a tired smile when she saw him.

"You're late, son. Long shift?"

Ali hesitated. Should he tell them? Would they even believe him?

Before he could answer, the front door opened, and his father, Raza, walked in. He was tall, with graying black hair and deep-set eyes that always looked exhausted. He set his taxi keys on the counter with a sigh. "Another slow night. Barely made enough to cover gas."

Ali's chest tightened. This isn't fair. They work harder than anyone, yet they always struggle.

He clenched his fists. Not anymore.

As they ate, Ali's mind raced with possibilities. What's the next task? How much more money can I make?

And as if responding to his thoughts, the golden screen appeared again.

[Ding! New Task Generated!]

[Task: Invest your first $2,000 and make a profit. Reward: $6,000.]

Ali nearly choked on his food. Invest? In what?

He barely knew anything about stocks, crypto, or business. But one thing was clear—this system wasn't here to hand him money for free. It was going to push him to be smart.

A slow grin spread across his face.

Fine. If the system wants me to play the game of the rich… I'll play to win

After dinner, Ali locked himself in the small storage area that doubled as his sleeping space. He pulled out his old laptop, cracked screen and all, and began researching.

How do rich people invest? How do you turn $2,000 into more?

The first things that popped up were stocks and cryptocurrency, but stocks were too slow. Crypto, on the other hand, moved fast.

He had heard about Bitcoin before but never paid attention. It always seemed like something for rich people. But the more he read, the more he realized: Crypto was a game of timing. If you caught the right trend, you could make massive profits in hours.

The system must have sensed his hesitation because a new screen popped up.

[Ding! Knowledge Boost Activated: Basic Cryptocurrency Trading Unlocked!]

Suddenly, Ali's mind filled with knowledge he had never learned before—trading strategies, market patterns, risk management. It was as if he had spent years studying crypto in just a few seconds.

His fingers flew across the keyboard. He checked the charts, read the news, and finally found his target: A small altcoin called SOLX.

It had been dropping in price for weeks, but analysts were predicting a massive rebound. If he bought now and the price surged, he could easily double or triple his money overnight.

Ali hesitated for a moment. This was his first real investment. What if he lost everything?

Then, he shook his head. No. If I want to escape this life, I have to take risks.

He opened a crypto exchange app, created an account, and invested the full $ 2,000 into SOLX at $0.25 per coin.

Then, he waited.

Minutes turned into hours. His eyes stayed glued to the screen, watching as the price fluctuated—down to $0.23, then back to $0.24.

And then, just before dawn, it happened.

A sudden spike.

The price shot up fast—$0.30… $0.35… $0.50!

Ali's heart pounded as he quickly sold everything at $0.50 per coin.

His balance refreshed.

$4,000.

His investment had doubled in just a few hours.

Ali exhaled, his hands still shaking. He had just made $2,000 in his sleep.

A new notification appeared.

[Ding! Task Completed! You have been rewarded with $6,000!]

Ali grinned. His total balance was now $10,000.

Just yesterday, he had been broke, struggling to afford even a meal.

Now?

He was officially in the game.