Phuby woke up that morning with the same electric tingle of excitement he'd felt ever since Hana arrived in Cirebon. The air was warm, the sky painted a soft gold, and everything felt just a little brighter. After Fajr prayer with his mom and Om Luky, he sat at the dining table, sipping warm tea while mentally calculating.
It wasn't just about his life anymore. Things had changed.
Hana was in Cirebon. Toko Kue Palm Sari had reopened. And for the first time in his adult life, Phuby felt like he was actually providing something for the family—not just emotionally, but materially.
He glanced at the balance in his bank app. The system had rewarded him several times already. Every time he spent money wisely or meaningfully, it doubled it.
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The Timeline of Blessings
It all started with a gamble. With only Rp 20,000,000 in savings from his livestream efforts, Phuby took the leap:
Rp 25,000,000 for a powerful gaming PC
Rp 22,000,000 for the best gaming laptop he could find
Total Spent: Rp 47,000,000
System Bonus: +Rp 94,000,000
He was stunned when the money appeared almost immediately afterward. But it wasn't a fluke.
Later, when he and his family decided to rent a large, three-story shophouse with an open rooftop for Toko Kue Palm Sari, he spent:
Rp 72,000,000 on the rent
System Bonus: +Rp 144,000,000
With an extra Rp 22,000,000 remaining from before, Phuby's total balance climbed to Rp 166,000,000.
Now, weeks later, standing outside the house in Desa Lurah, Plumbon—the house where he had grown up—he was ready for another change.
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A Surprise for Om Luky
"Om, can you come with me? I want to show you something," Phuby said after breakfast.
Om Luky raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong with the shophouse?"
"Nope. I just need your help to check something at a used car lot near Kedawung."
"Car lot? You're thinking about buying a car?"
"Something like that," Phuby replied, smiling.
They rode together on Phuby's old motorbike—something he had been meaning to upgrade. His knees were practically pressed into the dashboard, and every bump in the road made the poor thing wheeze.
They arrived at a modest dealership not far from a busy intersection. Rows of second-hand cars stood under shade canopies. The salesman greeted them warmly.
"Pak, what kind of car are you looking for? Family car? Hatchback? SUV?"
"A reliable one," Phuby said. "Under Rp 60 million, in good condition."
Om Luky blinked. "Wait. What? Are you buying this?"
"No, Om," Phuby smiled. "You are."
Om Luky looked at him like he'd heard wrong. "What do you mean?"
"You've done so much for me and Mom. You've always been there. And now that the bakery is running again, you've been working nonstop, handling supplies, lifting gas canisters, driving back and forth in ojeks... You need a real car."
The older man fell silent, his hand on the hood of a silver 2011 Toyota Avanza.
"I don't know what to say," he said, voice low. "I never expected—"
"Say yes, and let's test drive it."
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A Ride of His Own
After finalizing the purchase of the car—which cost Rp 55,000,000—they drove it back to the shophouse, where Mrs. Wulan teared up seeing her husband behind the wheel.
That same afternoon, Phuby returned to the dealership.
It was time for his own upgrade.
After a short search, he selected a brand-new Yamaha NMAX 155 for himself, spending Rp 25,000,000.
The moment he made the payment, his phone buzzed. The system had kicked in again.
> ✅ System Reward Activated! +Rp 160,000,000
He stared at the screen, dumbfounded.
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Total System Transactions So Far
Spent:
PC + Laptop: Rp 47,000,000
Shophouse Rent: Rp 72,000,000
Car for Om Luky: Rp 55,000,000
New Motorbike: Rp 25,000,000
Total Spent: Rp 199,000,000
System Rewards:
From tech purchase: +Rp 94,000,000
From shophouse rent: +Rp 144,000,000
From car + motorbike: +Rp 160,000,000
Total Rewards: Rp 398,000,000
Final Balance:
Rp 166,000,000 (previous total)
Minus Rp 80,000,000 (car + bike)
Plus Rp 160,000,000 (latest reward)
New Total: Rp 246,000,000
And this, again, was purely from the system. No bakery sales, no livestream income, no donations factored in yet.
As he parked his new NMAX beside the bakery entrance and looked up at the warm lights coming from the second floor where Hana was video-calling her parents, Phuby let out a satisfied sigh.
He wasn't rich yet. But he wasn't the struggling, aimless young man from months ago either.
He had purpose. He had people. And he had a future that, for the first time in a long time, felt entirely his to build.
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