"From Broke to Baller: Thanks, System?"

Sunday morning.

The house was quiet, except for the low hum of the fan and the soft rustle of Jin's younger siblings playing with their toys in the living room.

He sat at the dining table, his father already gone for an early welding job. His mother poured him coffee.

"Anak, you've been waking up so early lately. Are you studying already?"

Jin smiled a little. "Trying to build good habits."

She nodded proudly. "Keep it up. Maybe one day… you'll be the first to buy us a car."

He didn't reply — just sipped his coffee, letting the dream hang in the air for a second.

---

Later that day, as he reviewed his Beginner Trading module, the system suddenly pinged:

> "Side Opportunity Detected: Local Barangay Hall – Free Seminar: 'Basics of Financial Literacy'"

Time: Today, 2:00 PM

Bonus Objective: Ask a question during Q&A

Reward: Unlock 'Investing 101' Module + 250 XP

Jin looked at the time — 1:17 PM.

He stood up fast, brushed his hair, changed shirts, and grabbed a pen and notebook.

"No expectations," he muttered. "Just learning."

---

The hall was barely half full when he arrived. Mostly middle-aged adults, a few young parents, and only one or two students.

The speaker was a calm-looking man in a polo shirt — probably in his 30s.

He began with the basics: budgeting, debt, emergency funds. Jin scribbled notes fast.

> "It's not about how much you earn," the speaker said. "It's about how much you keep, and how well you grow it."

Jin's eyes narrowed. He understood.

During the Q&A, he stood up slowly.

"Sir… if someone earns small but saves consistently, where should they start investing?"

The speaker smiled. "Great question. Start with what you know. But also… start small. Time is your strongest asset."

---

After the seminar, Jin approached him.

"Thank you po. I learned a lot."

The speaker handed him a small pamphlet.

"Here. It's old-school, but the basics are here. You remind me of me when I started."

> "Reward Claimed: 'Investing 101' Module Unlocked"

+250 XP, +1 Wisdom, +1 Connection (Speaker: 'Nico P.')"

As Jin walked home, a quiet excitement built in his chest. He wasn't just imagining a better life now. He was building it — brick by brick.

---

Back in his room, he opened the new module.

Simple terms, easy lessons — tailored for real beginners. Not YouTube hype, not unrealistic.

He pulled out his planner and added a goal:

> "Goal: Study one financial topic per week."

Underneath it, he added:

> "Long-term Goal: Buy 2nd property before 1st year of college ends."

The system chimed softly:

> "Ambitious. Approved."

End of Chapter 17