The neon sign of Tranquil Hands Massage flickered as Hez pushed open the door, the scent of vender oil and disinfectant washing over him. He hadn’t been here in years—back when he could afford little luxuries. Now, with the system’s promise of doubling his money, this wasn’t just indulgence.
It was an experiment.
The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with tired eyes, gnced up.
Receptionist: “Welcome. What service?”
Hez focused, and her biodata appeared:
[Name: ????]
[Familiarity: 0]
No luck there.
Hez: “One-hour body massage. Full rexation.”
He handed over his card—60. The moment the payment processed, the system pinged:
[Payment to third-party vendor: Tranquil Hands Massage. Receipt logged.]
[Refund condition pending: Service must be tied to a woman with Familiarity >0.]
His pulse quickened.
The massage room was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of eucalyptus oil. Hez y face-down on the table, his muscles tense with anticipation rather than stress. The door creaked open.
Masseuse: "Good evening, sir. I'm Mei. Ready to begin?"
The system fshed instantly:
Masseuse: “Hello, sir. I’m Mei. Ready to begin?”
A young woman in her mid-20s stood there—slim, professional, her hands already warmed with oil. The system reacted instantly:
"Name: ???
Age: 26
Height: 156cm
Weight: 57kg
Strength: 32
Stamina: 36
Familiarity: 0"
Hez's eyes narrowed behind the face cradle. Not her real name. Interesting.
As warm hands pressed into his shoulders, he decided to test his theory.
Hez: (casually) "Mei... that's a beautiful name. Is it short for anything?"
Her fingers hesitated for half a second before continuing their work.
Masseuse: "Just Mei, sir."
The system didn't update. Familiarity remained at 0.
He tried a different approach as she worked on his back.
Hez: "My name is Hezri, by the way. You're really good at this. How long have you been working here?"
Another pause. Then, cautiously:
Masseuse: "About... two years."
[Familiarity: +1]
Progress. He hid a smile in the face cradle.
Hez: "I am Hezri. You can call me Hez. I work in this city. Office work. I just turn 40 yesterday, hahahaha."
[Familiarity: +2 (Total: 3)]
As the massage continued, Hez kept the conversation light but persistent. He complimented her technique, asked about the different oils she used, even joked about his own tension.
With each exchange, the number ticked upward.
When she moved to his arms, he noticed something curious - a small tattoo on her wrist peeking out from under her sleeve.
Hez: "That's an interesting design. Does it mean something?"
For the first time, she actually stopped working for a full second.
Masseuse: (quietly) "It's... my real name. Lin Yue."
Then, unexpectedly:
[Name: Lin Yue]
[Familiarity: +5 (Total: 8)]
The fake name had been repced. Hez felt a thrill of victory. The system was learning her true identity as their connection deepened.
By the end of the session, as she wiped excess oil from his back, the dispy showed:
[Name: Lin Yue]
[Familiarity: 8]
And most importantly:
The moment her real name appeared in his vision - [Lin Yue] - Hez's mind raced with possibilities. She stood before him, unaware of the digital interface hovering between them, her brow slightly furrowed at his strange behavior.
Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't press further. Hez saw his chance.
Hez: "Actually... I wanted to thank you properly. Let me buy you something from that new bubble tea pce down the street. They deliver here, right?"
Lin Yue crossed her arms. "You want to... order me bubble tea? Now?"
Hez: "Call it professional appreciation." He already had his phone out. "What's your order?"
The system pinged:
[Potential Transaction Detected]
[Third-party vendor: Happy Tea House]
[Recipient: Lin Yue (Familiarity 17)]
Lin Yue hesitated, then rattled off an order with practiced ease. "Brown sugar boba, 30% sugar, extra pearls."
Hez pced the order through the delivery app, watching the receipt appear on his screen. The moment he hit 'pay' (6.50), the system reacted:
6.50 spent for Lin Yue via Happy Tea House]
[Refund processing...]
Three seconds ter:
[+13.00]
At the top left.
[Money: 446.50]
A bitter ugh escaped him. He'd spent 66.50 total,but only 6.50 was qualified for the refund. The system wasn't just powerful - it was picky.
Back at the massage parlor, Lin Yue stared at the half-finished bubble tea. Something didn't add up. Why would a client...
Hez pulled up a flower delivery app, selecting a 20 bouquet to Lin Yue's workpce. Before confirming, he hesitated.
Is this really worth it?
Then the system surprised him:
[Lin Yue - Familiarity: 10 → 8]
[Reason: Recipient suspicion triggered]
[WARNING: System exposure risk detected]
Hez stared at the message, then at his dwindling bance. The game had just gotten dangerous.
The system didn't care if she distrusted him, only that she accepted the gift.
A dangerous idea took root.
Hez: If suspicion doesn't block refunds... how far can I push this?
His fingers flew across his phone:
His fingers flew across his phone:
120 luxury skincare set delivered to the massage parlor.
85 dinner voucher to the same address.
250 designer handbag from an online boutique.
With each purchase, the same pattern:
Payment processed
Instant 200% refund
Lin Yue's familiarity dropping another point each time.
[WARNING: Recipient hostility detected]
His bank bance read 960.00.
The angry woman asks the shop to chase him away.
[Familiarity Decreased 5 Times - Refund Function BLOCKED]
[Unless +1 Familiarity Restored, All Transactions Permanently Locked]
He looks at the dashboard before him while being pulled away from the room.
[Lin Yue - Status: INVALID]
Think of Familiarity as trust capital. Spend it recklessly, and the account closes. The refunds you already received? Those were the system's obligation. But the well has run dry.
His stomach twisted as he realized - he'd burned through Lin Yue's usefulness in a single afternoon of reckless spending. The 960 in his account felt suddenly tainted.
A cold realization settled over Hez. The system wasn't just tracking money - it was keeping score. And the numbers suggested something terrifying:
There would always be a cost.
The interface faded, leaving Hez alone with his thoughts and the ghost of Lin Yue's final text:
"I'm changing my number. Never contact me again."
