Amelia Grace Hart was exhausted. It had been a long day at work, and all she wanted was to get home, take a shower, eat something, and sleep. She had barely stepped through the front door when her phone rang. It was her mother. Amelia frowned slightly and answered. "Mum?" Her mother's voice came through the phone, trembling. "Amelia..." Something about her voice immediately made Amelia sit up. "What happened?" "It's your father." Amelia's heart dropped. "What happened to Dad?" "He collapsed." For a second, Amelia couldn't breathe. "What?" "He was taken to the hospital." Her bag slipped from her shoulder. "Is he okay?" "He's awake." Her mother quickly added the words, as though she knew exactly what Amelia was thinking. "They gave him emergency treatment. He's awake and talking." Amelia released the breath she'd been holding. "Then why are you crying?" Her mother's eyes filled with tears. "The doctor said he needs surgery." Amelia swallowed. "How much?" Her mother hesitated. "100,000 dollars." Amelia stared ahead. "$100,000?" Her mother nodded. "The surgery needs to be done as soon as possible." Amelia immediately reached for her phone. "I'll see what I have." She opened her banking application. Her savings stared back at her. $52,347. That was everything. Every dollar she had managed to put aside. She knew it wasn't enough. But she couldn't simply sit there. She started calling people she knew. Nobody had enough. She tried another person. Still nothing. Eventually, desperation pushed her toward something she had always tried to avoid. Loan apps. She borrowed from one. Then another. Then another. Then another. By the time she was done, she had managed to borrow $60,000 from 5 different loan apps. Her hands shook as she looked at the amount. $52,347 of her own money. $60,000 borrowed. $112,347. She transferred $112,000 to her mother's account. Her remaining balance was only $347. She stared at it for several seconds. Then she closed the application. She didn't tell her mother about the loans. She couldn't. If her mother knew, she would never agree to accept the money. At the hospital, her father was awake when Amelia arrived. He looked weak. But he smiled when he saw her. "You're here." Amelia sat beside him. "Of course." His eyes moved toward her mother. "Did you get the money?" Her mother nodded. "Yes." He looked confused. "How?" Before her mother could answer, Amelia spoke. "I handled it." Her father's eyes widened. "You?" Amelia smiled. "Don't worry about it." He stared at his daughter. He knew Amelia wasn't earning a huge salary. He knew she had always been careful with money. Yet somehow, she had found $112,000. "Amelia..." "It's fine, Dad." He reached for her hand. "Thank you." His voice cracked. "I don't know what I would have done." Amelia squeezed his hand. "Just get better." Her father nodded. "I will." The surgery was scheduled. The family waited. Amelia sat quietly beside her father while her mother stayed nearby. Her mother kept looking at her. Not accusingly. Just suspiciously. Finally, she asked, "Amelia?" "Yes?" "Where did you get that money?" Amelia looked at her. "I told you. I had it." Her mother didn't completely believe her. She knew her daughter didn't have much. But she also knew Amelia wasn't going to explain herself. So she didn't ask again. Amelia looked down at her phone. She was exhausted. Her father's surgery hadn't even started yet. Then suddenly- Ding. She froze. A notification had appeared on her screen. [Family Cashback System activated.] Amelia stared. Another notification appeared. [Host detected.] Her eyebrows knitted together. "What?" The screen changed. [Congratulations, Amelia Grace Hart.] [You have been selected as the Host of the Family Cashback System.] She stared at the words. "Is this some kind of joke?" No response. Then another message appeared. [Initial qualifying expenditure detected.] [Recipient: Father.] [Amount spent: $112,000.] Amelia's eyes widened. She immediately looked around. Nobody else seemed to notice anything. Then the next notification appeared. [Initial Cashback Multiplier: 2×] Amelia's breathing stopped for a moment. [Cashback Reward: $224,000.] She stared at the number. 224,000 dollars. Another notification appeared. [$224,000 has been credited to your account.] Amelia immediately opened her banking application. Her balance had changed. $224,347. She blinked. She refreshed the screen. The number remained. She had spent $112,000. And somehow, the system had returned twice what she had spent. Amelia stared at her phone in disbelief. Then another notification appeared. [Beginner Family Mission unlocked.] Her eyes narrowed. [Mission: Family Care.] [Objective: Do something meaningful for an eligible family member.] Amelia stared at the screen. "What exactly am I supposed to do?" The system gave no answer. For several seconds, she simply sat there. Then she looked toward her family. Her mother was sitting beside her father. Her father was still recovering from surgery. And somehow, Amelia had just received $224,000. She slowly smiled. Whatever this system was... She had a feeling her life had just changed.

Amelia was sitting beside her father's hospital bed when her phone suddenly vibrated. She looked down. [Beginner Family Mission unlocked.] Her eyes widened. She opened the notification. [Mission: Family Care] [Objective: Do something meaningful for an eligible family member.] Amelia waited for more instructions. Nothing appeared. "That's it?" The screen remained unchanged. She frowned. "Who am I supposed to help?" No answer. "What am I supposed to buy?" Nothing. "How much am I supposed to spend?" Silence. Amelia stared at the phone. "So you give me a mission and don't tell me what to do?" [The Host is expected to make her own decision.] She blinked. Then she smiled faintly. "Fine." She slipped the phone into her pocket. If the system wanted her to decide for herself, she would. Amelia looked around the hospital room. Her father was asleep. Her mother sat beside him, quietly scrolling through her old phone. Amelia watched her for a moment. The phone was old. Very old. The edges were worn, the screen had a thin crack running across one corner, and the battery percentage seemed to drop every few minutes. Her mother had been using it for years. Amelia remembered how many times she'd heard her complain about it. "One day this thing will just stop working." And every time, her mother had laughed and said the same thing. "It's still working. There's no need to waste money on another one." Amelia looked at the balance in her bank account. $224,347. She thought about the mission. Do something meaningful for an eligible family member. She looked at her mother again. "Mum." Her mother looked up. "Yes?" "How long have you had that phone?" Her mother glanced at it. "This?" She laughed. "I don't even remember." "That's not an answer." "Maybe 4 years." "4 years?" "Perhaps more." Amelia shook her head. "Why haven't you replaced it?" Her mother shrugged. "It works." "It barely works." "It still calls people." "Mum." Her mother smiled. "You should worry about yourself." Amelia looked at her father sleeping peacefully. Then back at her mother. "Let me worry about you too." Her mother didn't understand what she meant. Amelia stood. "I'll be back." "Where are you going?" "Nowhere far." An hour later, Amelia returned to the hospital carrying a small shopping bag. Her mother looked at it suspiciously. "What did you buy?" Amelia smiled. "Something for you." "For me?" Her mother looked confused. Amelia pulled out the box. Her mother's eyes widened. "Amelia." "It's just a phone." "You bought me a phone?" "Yes." Her mother immediately shook her head. "No." Amelia laughed. "Mum." "No, Amelia. Take it back." "Why?" "Because you don't need to be spending money on me." "I wanted to." "You have your father's hospital bills." "Those are already paid." Her mother went quiet. Amelia placed the box in her hands. "It only cost $25,000." Her mother's eyes widened. "Twenty-five thousand?" "It's a good phone." "You shouldn't have spent that much." Amelia smiled. "Your phone has served this family long enough." Her mother laughed despite herself. Amelia opened the box and handed the phone to her. "Besides, it's not like I bought you a car." Her mother shook her head, smiling. "You're unbelievable." "Open it." Her mother slowly removed the phone from its packaging. For several seconds, she simply stared at it. Then her eyes became glossy. "You really bought this for me?" "Yes." "You didn't have to." "I know." "Then why?" Amelia shrugged. "Because I wanted to." Her mother looked at her daughter. There was something different in her expression now. Not suspicion. Not worry. Just warmth. She pulled Amelia into a hug. "Thank you." Amelia smiled against her shoulder. Then- Ding. Amelia froze. She slowly pulled away and looked at her phone. [Family Cashback Evaluation in progress.] Her heart began beating faster. Another notification appeared. [Eligible family expenditure detected.] [Recipient: Mother.] [Eligible expenditure: $25,000.] Amelia swallowed. Then: [Genuine emotional response confirmed.] [Family trust has increased.] [Current Cashback Multiplier: 3×.] Amelia's eyes widened. 3 times. The system had increased her multiplier. Another notification appeared. [Cashback Reward: $75,000.] [$75,000 has been credited to your account.] Amelia stared at the screen. She immediately opened her banking application. Her balance had changed. $299,347. Her breath caught. She had spent $25,000. And received $75,000. She quickly locked her phone. Her mother was still looking at the new phone. Amelia couldn't help smiling. Maybe the system really was real. Then the hospital-room door opened. Arya stepped inside. She was still wearing her school uniform. Her hair was slightly messy, as though she'd hurried all the way there. Her eyes immediately searched the room. "Where's Dad?" Their mother turned. "Sweetheart." Arya rushed over. "Is he okay?" "He's sleeping." Arya exhaled in relief. She had clearly been frightened. Then she noticed something in her mother's hands. Her eyes narrowed. "Is that a new phone?" Their mother smiled. "Your sister bought it for me." Arya's eyes moved toward Amelia. "You bought that?" Amelia nodded. "Yeah." Arya's expression changed. "Now?" Amelia frowned. "What do you mean?" She looked from Amelia to their mother. "Dad is in the hospital." "I know." "We're still trying to figure everything out, and you're buying Mum a new phone?" Amelia stared at her. Arya continued, frustration creeping into her voice. "Seriously, Amelia? Was that really necessary?" The words stung. Amelia opened her mouth. But their mother spoke first. "Enough." Arya looked at her. "Mum, I'm just saying-" "You don't know what you're talking about." Arya frowned. "What?" Her mother placed the phone down. "Your sister already paid for your father's surgery." Silence. Arya's face went blank. "What?" "She paid the entire amount." Arya slowly turned toward Amelia. "How much?" Her mother looked at her. "$112,000." Arya's eyes widened. "$112,000?" Amelia looked away. "It's done." Arya stared at her. "But..." Her voice became quieter. "You paid for it?" Amelia nodded. She suddenly felt uncomfortable. "It wasn't a big deal." Arya's expression changed. Shock. Then disbelief. Then guilt. She remembered what she had just said. Was that really necessary? Her eyes lowered. "I thought..." She stopped. Amelia looked at her. "You didn't know." Arya's eyes became wet. "I thought you were wasting money." Amelia shook her head gently. "It's okay." "No." She wiped her eyes. "It's not." She looked at Amelia again. "You paid for Dad's surgery and I still thought you were-" Her voice broke. Amelia walked over and hugged her. "It's okay." Arya hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry." "You don't have to apologize." "I do." Their mother watched them quietly. For a moment, the three of them simply stood there. Then a knock came from the hospital-room door. Everyone turned. A doctor stepped inside. He smiled. "I have some good news." Amelia immediately stood. Her mother rushed toward him. "Doctor?" The doctor glanced at her father's sleeping figure. "The surgery was successful." For a moment, nobody moved. Then Amelia's mother covered her mouth. "Really?" "Yes. He's stable. The procedure went well." Her shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank God." "He'll need plenty of rest," the doctor continued. "We'll keep monitoring him, but everything looks good so far." Her mother nodded repeatedly. "Thank you, Doctor." The doctor smiled. "Let him sleep for now. He needs it." After he left, the room became quiet again. Arya wiped her tears. "Can I see Dad?" "Of course," Mum said softly. She moved toward the bed. Their father was still asleep. But his breathing was steady. Arya smiled. "He's really okay." "Yes," Amelia said. Arya nodded. Then suddenly her expression changed. "Wait." She looked around. "Where's Ace?" Amelia frowned. Their youngest brother. She had completely forgotten. He was still at kindergarten. "I'll go get him," Arya said. Their mother looked at her. "Are you sure?" "Yes." She grabbed her bag. "He'll be wondering why nobody came." Amelia nodded. "Call me when you get there." "I will." Arya pulled out her phone. "I'll also call Adrian." Meanwhile, at the university, Adrian was barely keeping himself together. The moment he heard that their father had been hospitalized, he had started calling everyone he could think of. His closest friend. A course mate. An older student he knew. Even a relative he hadn't spoken to in months. "Please, I just need to borrow some money. I'll pay you back." But nobody could give him enough. He sat with his phone in his hand, staring at the contact list. He was already thinking about who else he could call when Arya's call came through. He answered immediately. "Hello?" "How's Dad?" His voice was tense. Arya hesitated. "The surgery..." "What about it?" He sat up straighter. "Did they do it?" "The surgery was successful." Silence. He frowned. "What?" "The doctor said Dad is stable. The surgery went well." His expression changed from panic to confusion. "But how?" "What do you mean?" "How did they pay for it?" He looked down at the messages from people who had refused his requests for money. "Mum didn't have that much. Dad didn't either." Arya was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "Amelia paid for it." He froze. "Amelia?" "Yes." "How much?" "$112,000." He stared blankly at the wall. "$112,000?" "Yes." He slowly leaned back. Relief washed over him. His father was okay. The surgery had been paid for. For the first time in hours, he could breathe. "Thank God." He closed his eyes. Then another thought entered his mind. Where did Amelia get $112,000? He knew roughly how much she earned. He knew she wasn't exactly swimming in money. Arya continued. "She even bought Mum a new phone." His eyes opened. "She what?" "A new phone." He rubbed his forehead. None of it made sense. But he wasn't going to start interrogating Arya over the phone. "Okay." "What?" "I'll ask Amelia myself." "When?" "Tomorrow." He looked at the unfinished work on his desk. "I have something important to finish tonight. Since Dad is stable now, I'll come first thing tomorrow morning." "Okay." "And take care of Mum and Dad until I get there." "We will." The call ended. He stared at his phone for a moment. His father was safe. That was what mattered. But there was one question he couldn't shake. Where had Amelia gotten that money? He would ask her himself tomorrow. Back at the hospital, Arya slipped her phone into her bag. "I'll go get him." Amelia nodded. "Be careful." "I will." She walked toward the door, then turned. "Amelia?" "Yeah?" Arya smiled weakly. "Thank you." Amelia smiled back. "Go get Ace." Arya nodded and left. Amelia watched the door close behind her. Her mother returned to her husband's bedside. The hospital room became quiet again. Amelia looked down at her phone. $299,347. She stared at the number. Yesterday, she had barely been able to imagine having this much money. Now she had more than she'd ever had in her account before. And the system had only just begun. Amelia looked at her sleeping father. Then at her mother, who was carefully examining her new phone. Then toward the door Arya had just walked through. For the first time, Amelia understood something. The system wasn't asking her to become rich. It was giving her the ability to take care of the people she loved. And Amelia had no intention of wasting that opportunity.

The next morning, Amelia was sitting beside her father's bed when the door opened. She looked up. Adrian stepped inside. He looked exhausted. His shirt was slightly wrinkled, his hair was a mess, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes. Amelia immediately stood. "You actually came early." Adrian gave her a tired smile. "I said I would." He walked straight toward their father. "How is he?" "Better." Their mother smiled. "He's awake." Adrian's shoulders relaxed. He moved closer to the bed. "Dad?" Their father slowly opened his eyes. For a moment, he simply stared at his son. Then he smiled. "You're here." Adrian let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Of course I'm here." He carefully took his father's hand. "How are you feeling?" "Like I've been hit by a truck." Adrian laughed. "At least you're still making jokes." Their father smiled. "Who told you your mother raised a serious son?" Their mother rolled her eyes. "He wasn't serious when he was younger." Adrian looked offended. "Mum." Amelia laughed. For the first time since the previous day, the room felt normal. Almost. Adrian stayed beside his father for several minutes before eventually looking toward Amelia. "Can we talk?" Amelia noticed the seriousness in his expression. "Sure." They stepped outside the room. Adrian crossed his arms. "Where did you get the money?" Amelia knew immediately what he meant. "The surgery money?" "Yes." She looked away. "I told you. I had money." "Amelia." "What?" "I spent half the night trying to borrow money." His voice wasn't angry. It was tired. "I called almost everyone I knew." Amelia remained quiet. "I couldn't even raise half of what we needed." He looked directly at her. "Then I wake up this morning and find out you somehow came up with $112,000." Amelia swallowed. "I managed." "With what?" She hesitated. "I've been saving." Adrian gave her a look. "Since when?" "A while." He didn't look convinced. But he didn't push. Instead, he sighed. "Okay." Amelia looked at him. "Okay?" "I don't understand it." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But Dad is okay." His voice softened. "That's what matters." Amelia nodded. Adrian looked at her for another moment. "And Amelia?" "Yeah?" "Thank you." She smiled faintly. "You don't have to thank me." "I do." He squeezed her shoulder before walking back into the room. Amelia followed. A little while later, the hospital room became noisier. The door opened again. Arya walked in holding a tiny hand. Ace followed behind her. The 5-year-old was carrying a sheet of paper against his chest like it was the most important document in the world. "Daddy!" Their father smiled immediately. "There he is." Ace ran toward the bed. Arya caught him before he could climb onto it. "Careful!" "But I want to see Daddy!" "You can see him without jumping on him." Ace frowned. He looked at his father. Then at Arya. Then back at his father. "Daddy, are you broken?" Everyone went silent. Their father blinked. "Broken?" Ace nodded seriously. He pointed at the hospital bed. "They put you here because you're broken." Amelia covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Their father chuckled. "I'm not broken." Ace looked suspicious. "Are you sure?" "Very sure." Ace nodded. "Okay." He seemed satisfied. Then he suddenly remembered something. "Daddy!" "What?" "I drew something for you." He proudly held up the paper. Their father leaned forward slightly. "What did you draw?" Ace smiled. "A dinosaur." Everyone looked at the drawing. It was a collection of wildly uneven lines with something that vaguely resembled a dinosaur. Their father smiled. "It's beautiful." "I know." Arya laughed. "He's been waiting all morning to show you that." Ace nodded proudly. "Because my dinosaur is very strong." "How strong?" Adrian asked. Ace thought about it. "Very." "Can it beat me?" "No." Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" "Because you're not a bad person." The room erupted in laughter. Even their father laughed before immediately wincing. Their mother shook her head. "See what you people are doing? Let him rest." Ace looked confused. "Why is everyone laughing?" Amelia crouched beside him. "Because you're funny." He looked pleased. "I know." Amelia laughed. That was Ace. Completely innocent. Completely confident. And completely unaware that his family had spent the last twenty-four hours terrified they might lose their father. For a few minutes, nobody talked about money. Nobody talked about hospitals. Nobody talked about surgery. They simply stayed together. Their father watched his children. His eyes softened. "I missed this." The room became quiet. Amelia looked at him. "Missed what?" "All of you being together." He smiled. "Even when you're noisy." Ace immediately raised his hand. "I'm not noisy." Adrian laughed. "You're the noisiest person here." Ace shook his head. "No." Arya pointed at him. "You're literally shouting." Ace lowered his voice. "I'm not noisy." Everyone laughed again. Their father smiled. For the first time, Amelia realized something. The money wasn't the most important thing she had given them. It was this. The feeling that, even for a few minutes, everything was okay. Then- Ding. Amelia froze. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She slowly pulled it out. A system notification appeared. [Family Bond Level has increased.] Amelia's eyes narrowed. Another notification appeared. [Family Bond evaluation complete.] Then: [Cashback Multiplier has increased.] She stared at the screen. [Current Cashback Multiplier: 5×] Amelia's eyes widened. 5 times? Another line appeared beneath it. [Maximum Cashback Multiplier: 10×] She read it twice. Then came the explanation. [Cashback multiplier is determined by the recipient's genuine gratitude toward the Host.] Amelia's breathing slowed. So it wasn't simply about spending money. The system cared about how her family genuinely felt. If someone appreciated what she did deeply enough, the reward could increase. And the highest possible multiplier was 10 times. Amelia stared at the screen. 5 times. If she spent $10,000... She would receive $50,000. If she spent $20,000... $100,000. And if she somehow reached the maximum? Her eyes widened. She quickly locked her phone. She looked around the room. Her mother was helping their father adjust his pillow. Adrian was teasing Arya about something. Ace was still proudly showing everyone his dinosaur. Amelia smiled. The system had just become much more interesting. She had thought the cashback was simply a way to recover the money she spent. But now she understood. The more she cared for her family... The more powerful the system could become.