Instant Millionaire(Insta Millionaire) Chapter 1 to 10

Chapter 1: Good and Bad Surprises

“Hello. Heavenly Lion Convenience,” Alex Ambrose answered the store phone.

“I need a box of condoms and two packs of tissues delivered to room 1302 of the Sheraton South River Hotel. Hurry!” The caller hung up.

Alex shook his head. People never seemed to be prepared.

He packed the required items, put on a raincoat, and rode his electric bike toward the Sheraton Hotel on the southern side of the river.

It was nine o’clock in the evening and raining heavily, and his pants and shoes were soon wet and filthy. Luckily, the merchandise was still dry, but he didn’t dare delay any longer, so he hurried toward the hotel.

When he arrived at room 1302, he knocked on the door, and it was opened quickly.

“Hello, here’s your—” Alex was stunned into silence.

The woman in front of him was none other than his girlfriend, Cathy!

She was dressed in a white robe, with her long, dark, wet hair draped over her shoulders. The scents of shower gel and shampoo assaulted his nose.

“Cathy? What are you doing here?” He stared at her in disbelief, still feeling dazed.

“What are you doing here?” Cathy asked. Her heart skipped a beat, and she took a small step back into the room. Her mind went blank and then started to spin.

“What’s wrong?” Another guy walked up to the door, wearing a robe and slippers, and Alex immediately recognized him.

“You! You dare to touch my girl?” Alex couldn’t suppress the anger welling up inside him, and he started moving toward Billy, determined to teach him a lesson.

“Stop!” Cathy stepped in front of Alex. After a brief burst of panic, she had managed to get back a bit of control. Since her boyfriend had already discovered her betrayal, there was no point in trying to hide it now.

She looked directly at him. “Alex, we need to break up.”

“Break up?” Alex was stunned. He stared at Cathy with wide eyes. “Cathy, we’ve been together for more than a year. Are you going to break up with me now?”

“Yes. We need to go our separate ways.” She kept steady eye contact with him and spoke with a strong sense of resentment. “Are you surprised? You have no money, Alex. You can only barely afford the cheapest essentials. We never have anything nice. As long as I’m with you, people will always be laughing at me, and that just isn’t the life I want. I’m too good to be living in poverty like this. I was too naive when I was in my freshman year, and I let myself get tricked into being with a loser like you!”

She hugged Billy’s arm and said to Alex, “Billy is my boyfriend now. From now on, I want nothing to do with you. Don’t bother me again!”

“Well, seems like you’re just her good-for-nothing ex now!” Billy looked at Alex with a provocative smirk.

Alex, standing there in a raincoat and with mud stains on his pants and shoes, felt like Cathy was right. He was a complete loser. Billy took the plastic bag from his hand and took out the box of condoms. He waved it at Alex and laughed as he said, “I’m staying in a nice hotel, having my girlfriend’s ex bring me condoms. And you’re single. Sure was good of you to help me out.”

“Why are you still here?” Cathy scolded Alex.

“Nah, it’s good that he didn’t piss off. Maybe you want to see me beat him down, huh, Cathy? Gotta give a lady what she wants,” Billy sneered.

Alex felt utterly defeated. He slowly turned around and walked out of the room.

“Bro, you’re not even taking the money? Heh, nice. I get a girlfriend and a gift.” Billy felt great watching Alex’s slumped, dejected posture as he closed the door behind him.

When Alex left the hotel, it was raining even harder than before. He took off his raincoat, allowing the cold rain to drench his entire body and help clear his head.

Cathy had discarded him because she believed he had no money. Losing such a materialistic woman should be something to rejoice over, so why should he be sad?

[Buzz buzz!]

His phone vibrated in his pocket. Alex took it out and glanced at it, but when he saw the number, he stopped walking. His entire body was shaking as he read the text.

[After a review, the Ambrose family has decided that their son, Alexander, has met the conditions required for entitlement to his inheritance. From today onward, control of his property will be returned to him.]

The bean-sized raindrops plopped onto the screen, causing the text message to gradually become blurry.

Alex’s mind began to spin. If not for this message, Alex would have almost forgotten his identity as a super-rich kid. Over the last seven years, his family had been assessing him, withholding his fortune until they were satisfied he met their draconian conditions. And now, finally, it was over.

Everything that rightfully belonged to him was finally his to claim.

**

Alex woke up early the next morning and drove to the city. In a great mood, he got out of his car and went straight to Metro Sky Bank, right in the heart of the wealthiest part of the central business district of New York.

Various luxury cars were parked around the bank. The people walking in and out of the surrounding plaza were all rich; it was obvious from their clothing and demeanour.

Alex strode to the door of the bank and pushed it open.

“Ouch!”

The main door could be opened both inward and outward, and Alex had been a bit careless when he pushed it open from outside. As a result, the door had bumped into a long-haired young woman who had been heading out of the building.

He quickly apologized, “Sorry. I didn’t see you.”

“What do you mean, you didn’t see me? What am I, invisible?” She held a hand to her forehead and glared at him.

The bank’s assistant manager, Karen Young, had noticed the incident and hurried over. She checked on the woman first, and then looked at Alex in disapproval. When her gaze swept over him, a trace of suspicion appeared on her face.

Metro Sky Bank was different from most banks, as the clientele were almost exclusively high-end businesspeople. Karen knew the young woman was there with her father, but she didn’t know why Alex was there. Judging from his appearance and age, he wasn’t their usual type of customer.

“Sir, can I be of assistance?” she asked with a polite but forced smile.

Alex simply said, “I’m here to withdraw money.”

“Withdraw money?” the sullen woman asked, sneering at him.

“Do you have a card?” Karen asked, continuing to smile politely.

Getting a Metro Sky Bankcard was not easy. A million dollars of savings was the minimum requirement to qualify. Karen felt certain that the man in front of her couldn’t have much experience with the bank and wouldn’t know their rules. Perhaps he had thought that other banks’ cards could also be used here.

“No,” Alex replied, shaking his head.

The woman he had accidentally hit with the door couldn’t help but giggle when she heard his honest reply. He wasn’t worth any more of her attention.

“Let’s go.” Her father had walked up, still arranging the documents he was carrying.

“My dad and I are leaving.” The woman shook Karen’s hand, and then looked over at Alex. “Ms Young, having someone like this around could damage your bank’s image and upset your customers. I hope this will not happen again.”

With that, she took her father’s arm and opened the door.

“Take care, Mr Scott.” Karen followed them out a few steps, watching as they got into a car and left. Turning around, she headed back inside, having made up her mind to encourage Alex to leave as soon as possible.

There was no one standing where Alex had been. Oh! Where’s he gone? she wondered.

Was it possible that the kid had been embarrassed and had quietly slipped away?

She felt relieved at the thought. Then, just as she was about to go back to work, she caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of her eye.

There’s the brat! No wonder I didn’t see him at first, she thought. He had already reached the entrance to the VIP lounge, and a pillar had blocked her view of him.

The VIP room was only for high-status customers who were worth at least thirty million dollars, and this young man had admitted that he didn’t even have a card. If she let him get through, she would be in trouble with her boss.

“Stop! Don’t move!” Karen yelled, feeling desperate. The other customers all looked around at her, obviously annoyed by her shouting. She could only smile apologetically as she walked quickly toward Alex.

But he had already walked through the lounge, opened the door to the VIP room, and stepped inside.

Chapter 2: Surprising the Bank Manager

Does he have no shame? Karen hurried after Alex with a look of chagrin on her face. She tried to open the door to the VIP room, but it had been locked from the inside.

**

“Hello?” Inside the VIP room, Robert Miller, the bank manager, was leaning against the sofa, looking at his phone. When the door suddenly opened, he quickly sat down and hid his phone away. Normally, when a VIP was coming in, Karen would notify him in advance.

As the customer manager, he was responsible for thirty-one VIPs, and he knew them like the back of his hand. He immediately began to launch into his normal professional greeting, hoping to undo the poor impression he’d made by slouching against the sofa, but when he saw Alex, his expression froze.

He was certain that Alex was not one of his VIPs, nor was he a relative of one.

“May I ask who you are?” Robert asked, looking at the young man, who appeared to be around twenty years old. Robert had no idea who he was.

Alex got straight to the point. “I’m here to get my money.”

“You have one of our cards?” Robert asked, suspicious of Alex’s calm expression.

“No,” Alex admitted frankly.

Robert was relieved to seemingly be proven right, but even more confused. Access to the VIP room required a minimum worth of three million dollars, but this man didn’t have any money. Why was he so composed?

“I’m sorry, sir. We can’t give out money without a card. Do you require anything else?”

He’s crazy, Robert thought. Why on earth did Karen let him in? I’ll have to speak to her about this at Monday’s meeting.

“You have fingerprint recognition here, right?” Alex suddenly asked.

The fingerprint ID system at the bank was for the wealthiest families and businesses to use. Only a few people had their fingerprints recorded in the system, at least in the New York branch, and no one had used it to access their holdings yet.

“You want to use it?” Robert could no longer bring himself to call Alex “sir.”

“Yes.” Alex nodded.

Robert was feeling more confused by the second. Why would someone who wasn’t even a customer request to use a fingerprint ID?

To be honest, even though he was curious, Robert felt that it was barely worth humouring the request. But after considering for a few seconds, he finally decided to let Alex make the attempt rather than risk making him angry.

He opened the safe and brought out the fingerprint identification device, which he had never used before.

“Place your thumb here.” Robert indicated the verification area to Alex, who placed his thumb on the sensor.

[Beep!]

The device lit up with a glaring red light, and the LCD screen displayed the words [Fingerprint not recorded].

Immediately, Robert’s expression turned hostile, and he glared at Alex. He picked up his phone, ready to call the police.

“Wait, wait!” Alex said quickly. “Maybe that was the wrong print. I’ll try using my index finger this time.”

Robert smiled coldly. “What’s your plan here? Your thumb doesn’t work, so you’ll try your index finger. Then, if your index finger doesn’t work, you’ll try your middle finger. When you run out of fingers, will you try using your toes?”

But Alex had already pressed his index finger on the verification area.

Robert resolved that if the man’s fingerprints weren’t accepted this time, he would immediately call the police and have him arrested.

[Beep!] A green light appeared on the device and new details flashed up on the LCD screen: [Verification successful. Family account: 01. Verifier: Alexander Ambrose. Account: 01104.]

Robert gaped at Alex in disbelief for a moment, and then hurriedly squeezed out a smile. “Mr Ambrose, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. I’m Robert Miller, the customer manager for the New York branch. Please allow me to assist you.”

“It’s fine,” Alex said lightly and stood up. “Can I see how much money I have left in my account?”

“Please wait a moment.” Robert sat in front of the computer and typed away for a while. On his instructions, Alex provided a few more fingerprint scans as authorization.

“It’s done, Mr Ambrose.” Robert clicked the “OK” button on the screen, and Alex’s account appeared.

Robert pointed to the computer screen and said, “Mr Ambrose, the balance of your account is currently eighty-sixed million dollars.”

Robert couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air.

This young man had an enormous fortune. It placed him in the topflight of the one per cent. Most people would never be able to even dream of that much money.

Alex felt strange as he stared at the numbers on the screen. He reminded himself that he needed to get used to his status as a rich kid as soon as possible.

“Oh, and you have other assets as well. Let me show you now.” Robert clicked through to check several pages in a row. Finally, he clicked the “OK” button again.

The computer brought up a 4 x 4 grid of display screens.

“This surveillance screen displays all the physical assets that you hold elsewhere,” Robert explained. He clicked on the upper left corner of the screen and brought up the feed from the bank’s branch at The Hague, which revealed a sports car. In the lower right corner, it said, [Ferrari Pagani Huayra].

Robert opened up other screens for Alex, one after another.

The Hawaii branch displayed a Dominica blue pearl bracelet and four stacks of gold bars.

The feed from the French branch in Nice revealed three original Picasso paintings and two Rodin statues.

And the Cape Town branch had fifteen 10-carat diamonds, ten pieces of ivory, and another couple of stacks of gold bars. Robert’s eyes almost popped out as he looked at Alex’s assets. He had never seen anyone so rich. Maybe not even one-tenth as rich.

“All right, I’d like a card,” Alex said before Robert could collect his thoughts.

“Yes, I will see to it right away. Please wait a moment.” Robert immediately started to make the necessary arrangements. Within ten minutes, a Supreme Card was produced.

Robert looked at the Supreme Card and thought about Alex’s assets. This card wasn’t good enough for Alex’s status, but it was the highest grade of card they were authorized to issue at the New York branch.

Robert presented handed the card over. “Mr Ambrose, your card.”

“Thank you.” Alex took the card, stood up, and went to walk out of the room.

“Mr Ambrose, please wait.” Robert didn’t dare to appear to be neglecting such an important customer. He should see him out personally, but the asset checking system on his computer had not been turned off yet, and the fingerprint verification machine, iris recognition apparatus, and other sensitive equipment had not been returned to the safe. The monitoring system in the VIP room was connected to the district manager’s office.

Karen was anxiously waiting in the hall. What’s been going on in there for so long? she wondered. Could that brat have murdered Mr Miller in the VIP room?

The more she considered it, the more scared she became. She was on the verge of banging on the door and demanding a response when Alex walked confidently out of the room.

“Stop!” Karen shouted. She walked quickly over toward him and grabbed at his coat. “You can’t leave. You broke into the VIP room. Once we confirm that nothing is missing, I will call the police and have them hold you for questioning.”

“What are you talking about?” Alex asked. “Let go!”

Karen grappled with him for a while, but she couldn’t manage to search his pockets.

What’s wrong with this woman? Alex thought. He wasn’t even arguing with her, but she was manhandling him.

“What is this?” Karen spotted the Supreme Card that was peeking out of Alex’s pocket. She quickly pulled it out and looked at him triumphantly, as if she had found evidence of his guilt. “Oh, you stole a card. This is a crime, and I have to call the police.”

It didn’t even cross her mind that the card could belong to Alex. She imagined he had entered the VIP room, pretending to be there by mistake, and had then distracted Mr Miller with questions and stolen the card when the manager wasn’t paying attention.

“Let go!” Alex was sick of this woman.

“Don’t you feel guilty about being a thief?” She was even more determined.

With the two of them creating such a scene, other customers started to walk over toward them, intending to help Karen keep Alex from getting away.

Just then, Robert, who had finished tidying up, strode out of the VIP room.

Having seen Alex’s assets, Robert now knew he was the most important customer the New York branch of the bank had ever had. He had also noticed that the system listed Alex’s was listed as just one of multiple accounts attached to a family group, labelled 01. If that single account was so lucrative, then what about the rest of the family?

It was rare to meet such important people, so Robert knew he had to be careful to curry favour with Alex. If they got along well, it would be a tremendous success for Robert, and the potential benefits were huge.

So, when saw Karen struggling with Alex, he was enraged. Karen’s expression was hostile, and Alex was becoming very angry. Karen was an idiot who was playing with fire, and she might drag Robert himself down with her.

Of all the bank’s many, many customers, why did she need to pick this one to try and remove? A simple flick of Alex’s finger could be enough to end both their careers.

Chapter 3: The Mean Ex-girlfriend

“Stop!” Robert dashed between Alex and Karen.

Before Alex could speak, Karen waved the Supreme Card in the air. Her eyes flashed with triumph as she said to Robert, “Mr Miller, look! He stole a card from the VIP room!” She smiled at him, her expression a little smug.

Surely, Mr Miller would be happy with her for preventing theft. He had a lot of authority in the eastern district of Metro Sky Bank, and when he had arrived at headquarters, he had seemed impressed with her, so she was hoping for a promotion. Her imagination began to run away with her as she dreamed about her possible future.

Mr Miller’s face had always been a little glum, but as she watched, his expression grew darker and darker. Before she could figure out why, she was startled by his explosive roar, leaving her entire body trembling.

“Let go of Mr Ambrose!” As he yelled, Mr Miller knocked the Supreme Card out of her hand, and she was so scared that she let go of Alex. Mr Miller pushed her aside and bent down to pick up the card. “Mr Ambrose, your card. I’m very sorry. I haven’t trained Ms Young properly. I do apologize.”

Mr Miller’s expression showed a mixture of respect, embarrassment, and unease, as the bank’s customers looked on in amazement. Karen was stunned.

Could the Supreme Card be his? she wondered.

Her eyes widened. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make sense of it.

If this man had a Supreme Card, then he had at least three million dollars, yet he appeared to only be around twenty years old. A poor, lower-class loser with that much money? No, it was just too unlikely.

“It’s not your fault, Mr Miller,” Alex assured him, slipping the card back into his pocket.

“Thank you, Mr Ambrose.” Robert dipped his head and paused briefly before straightening up and shouting at Karen, “Why are you just standing there? Apologize to Mr Ambrose immediately!”

How could Karen still not understand? Robert thought. The young man standing in front of them was seriously rich and needed to be treated with respect.

Karen immediately bowed her head at Alex. “Mr Ambrose, I’m very sorry for my rude behaviour. I made a mistake, created a fuss over nothing, and put my hands on you. It was my fault, and I will reflect on my behaviour—”

Alex ignored her and walked away.

“Mr Ambrose,” Robert called after him. “If you ever need anything, just give me a call, and I’ll do my best to help.”

Robert was excited by this opportunity. It was rare to meet someone as important as Alex, so he shamelessly tried to charm him.

“Okay, Robert.” Alex smiled faintly. Robert had come to his defence, after all.

The use of his first name made Robert feel quite emotional. The wealthiest customers called him by his first name, and now so did this poorly dressed young man, who displayed not even a hint of arrogance.

Alex strode out of the bank and hailed a taxi to take him back to Preston University.

 

**

As Alex entered the university building, he accidentally stepped into a puddle, splashing a lot of mud on his legs.

He checked his watch then rushed toward the classroom, where Mr Morgan was already standing at the podium, lecturing. He spotted Alex out of the corner of his eye and a hint of disappointment flashed across his face.

Feeling guilty, Alex lowered his head.

Of all his teachers, Mr Morgan was his favourite. The other teachers tended to ignore Alex because he had no money, and some even openly mocked him. Only Mr Morgan treated him like any other student.

Alex slipped quietly into the classroom, aware that all the students were staring at him, and he could hear them whispering.

“He isn’t usually late. Hell must have frozen over.”

“Look at his pants! They’re filthy. Doesn’t he have any clean clothes?”

“Are you joking? It’s not like he’d have the money for new ones. It looks like he’s just thrown on whatever he could find.”

Some of the boys continued to talk, and the girls in the front row covered their mouths with their hands as they joined in. Their eyes flashed with contempt when they looked at Alex.

“Stop talking!” Mr Morgan said loudly. “And pay attention.”

Throughout the lecture, Alex noticed that Mr Morgan kept glancing at him, his eyes full of disapproval, as if Alex had failed to live up to his expectations.

Eventually, the lecture was over.

“Class dismissed.”

Mr Morgan packed up his textbooks and left.

“Cathy.” The voice came from the doorway.

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and saw Billy walking through the door and going straight to Cathy, who was sitting by the window. She stood and hugged him, pulling him in close to her body. Billy lowered his head and the two of them began to kiss.

Many of the students turned to stare at Alex. Everyone thought that he was Cathy’s boyfriend, and they weren’t aware that she had broken up with him.

Alex watched in disgust. He’d heard that Billy had taken at least five different girls to stay at that hotel. Cathy was just the latest in a long line, and Alex had no intention of fighting for her.

Billy strutted past Alex with his arm around Cathy’s waist.

“Darling, wait a minute,” Cathy said to Billy as she stopped in front of Alex and held out her phone. “Since we’ve broken up, I don’t want to owe you anything. Here’s the phone you bought for me a few weeks ago. You can have it back.”

Alex glanced at the Samsung Galaxy phone and then took it.

“Hah, you would have to work part-time for six months to afford one of these!” Cathy took a brand-new phone out of her pocket and showed it to Alex. “This is the latest iPhone, and it’s much better than your phone.”

“Of course, it’s far too expensive for a loser like him.” Billy raised his chin and looked at Alex. “Cathy told me that she kept asking for that phone for six months before you finally bought it for her. Do you think you can pick up a girl so far out of your league? You’re just embarrassing yourself, so give up. And I’m warning you now: don’t even think about her. If I find out you’ve gone anywhere near her, you’ll regret it!”

“Don’t waste your breath talking to a loser like him. Can we go to De Luca’s for lunch?” Cathy had already dismissed Alex.

“Call me baby,” Billy said, smiling at her.

“Baby, let’s go.” She flirted with him right in front of Alex.

“Cathy!” A petite girl stood up, glaring at her. “You’re taking it all too far. I never thought you’d break up with Alex, and I’m ashamed of you.”

“Emma, why do you care?” She scowled. When things had been going well with Alex, she’d been on good terms with Emma, who was a decent person. Sometimes, when Cathy had been fighting with Alex, she had asked Emma’s opinion about who was in the right.

“You gave up Alex for someone like Billy?” Emma asked. “How could you treat Alex like this? When you were sick and couldn’t even get out of bed, Alex sent you lunch and dinner every day for a month. And when you were walking in the mountains and twisted your ankle, he carried you on his back for miles down the mountain. Don’t you remember that? You know he doesn’t make much money from his part-time jobs, but when you wanted a phone, he worked hard for months to save enough money to buy it for you. And this is how you repay him? By breaking up with him and ridiculing him?”

Cathy scowled. “I never forced him to do anything. If he was stupid enough to go along with it, that’s his problem! And so what if he bought me a cell phone? It was only a Samsung. And why would I want a Samsung when I can have an iPhone?”

Emma shook her head. “Cathy, I don’t understand you. Do you only care about money? Will money get you everything you want?”

“Yes!” Cathy barked out a laugh. She stared at Emma and said, “I admit that I like money. Is that so wrong?” She took Billy’s arm and said, “Come on, baby, let’s go. These two poor people disgust me.”

She glared at Alex and Emma and then swept out of the classroom with her head held high.

Chapter 4: Expectations and Disappointments

“Are you all right?” Emma walked over to Alex, looking worried. “You are better off without her. You’ve seen her true nature, and she’s not worth being sad over.”

“Don’t worry; I’m fine,” he said, smiling. After seeing Cathy’s behaviour, he felt much better about the breakup.

“Good.” Emma’s expression brightened. “Come on. To celebrate getting away from that bitch, I’ll treat you to a meal. Don’t argue. How about a nice place somewhere off-campus? De Luca’s?”

De Luca’s was a rather upscale restaurant, and only the richest students at Preston University could afford to eat there.

“No, not this time. I don’t want to bump into Cathy,” Alex said, knowing that was the same restaurant she was going to with Billy. “But one day, I’ll treat you to a meal at Chez Laurent!”

Chez Laurent was one of the most luxurious restaurants in New York. It was the kind of place that all students had heard of, but no one could afford to eat there.

Emma was surprised. Alex didn’t usually boast, so why was he doing so now? And this particular claim was really over the top. Is this simply a reaction to his heartbreak? she wondered. If so, it will pass, right?

She felt a little embarrassed, but she simply smiled and followed Alex’s lead. “All right, I’m looking forward to it. To be honest, I’ve never been there!”

She didn’t know that Alex could eat three meals a day at the most expensive restaurant in the world and not even spend one-hundredth of his wealth.

Emma was called away by two of her friends, leaving Alex standing alone.

Two of his roommates, Ben and Carl, walked over and dragged him to the cafeteria for a meal.

Just as they reached the entrance of the cafeteria, Ben stopped walking. He stared at his phone and loudly announced, “Shit. Joe is making a fool of himself online. Check out our dorm group chat room.”

“Really?” Alex and Carl quickly took out their cellphones and checked the dormitory group chat.

Joe had just sent a message: [Guys, it’s official. I’m no longer single! Hurry back to the dorm, and I’ll treat you to lunch to celebrate!]

“He’s finally found a girlfriend. I guess he got tired of being alone,” Alex said.

Carl grinned. “Let’s go back to our dorm and give him hell about it.”

With that, the three of them turned around and walked toward the dormitory. As soon as they entered, they saw Joe sitting on the bed with a girl, holding hands.

“You’re back.” Joe let go of the girl’s hand and stood up, smiling at the guys.

Joe was a sports major, and he was tall and slender, with well-developed arm muscles.

“Hey, guys. This is my girlfriend, Suzan. She studies music.” Then he gestured to Alex and the others. “These are my roommates, Alex, Ben, and Carl.”

Suzan stood up and nodded with a smile.

Ben looked at her, and his heart started beating faster. She had pale skin, delicately shaped eyebrows, and a great body. She’s perfect, he thought.

“Let’s eat at La Belle Vie. Suzan’s roommates are coming too, so why don’t you guys go and get ready?” Joe then turned to Alex and said, “Why don’t you bring Cathy along?”

Everyone knew about Alex’s lack of money and that he couldn’t afford to take his girlfriend to upmarket restaurants, so Joe decided to take this opportunity to help his friend.

“We’ve split up,” Alex said bluntly.

“Split up? Really?” Joe was shocked.

Ben glanced at Joe, and he understood the silent message. The reason for the split was obvious: Alex’s poverty.

“Hurry up!” Suzan looked at her phone and then raised her head. “My roommates have already left for the restaurant, and they’re all quite impatient, so don’t make them wait too long.”

“Okay, then you guys get cleaned up and changed, and then we can get going,” Joe urged them, tugging at Suzan’s hand. “Come on, let’s wait for them outside.”

Joe stepped outside the dormitory with Suzan and turned to see her standing with her arms crossed. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

She frowned. “Aren’t your roommates a little too ordinary looking? I mean, Ben is not very handsome, and Carl is somewhat average, too. Alex isn’t bad, but judging from his clothes, he doesn’t have much money. How can I introduce them to my roommates?”

Joe felt a little uncomfortable, but he forced a smile and said, “It’s just a meal. It’s not like it’s a blind date or anything, so why do you care so much about their looks?”

“Do you think my friends are just coming for the food?” she asked. “I know them. Although they didn’t come right out and say it, they’re hoping your roommates are good boyfriend material. I’ve shown them your picture, and they must think that your friends are like you!” She frowned.

“Then blame me, because I didn’t tell you they’re all biology students.” His smile was a little bitter. He’d been assigned to Alex’s dorm because the sports department dorms hadn’t had room for him.

“Why don’t you tell your roommates that the meal is cancelled?” She suggested. “They’d probably just end up embarrassed if they went.”

“Cancel it? No.” If he cancelled now, it would be awkward. Wouldn’t that just make things worse?

“Fine then, but I’m not responsible for whatever happens!” She pouted.

Just then, she received a call from one of her roommates. Suzan held her cell phone to her ear. “Rose. You’re all there? How is it? Eh… When we get there, you’ll see for yourselves. All right, I’ll hurry them up. Just wait!”

As she was talking, Alex, Ben, and Carl came out of the dormitory.

“Joe, see how good I look?” Ben gestured to his half-sleeve shirt as he looked at Joe expectantly.

“Cool.” Joe smiled and patted his shoulder. Thankfully, Ben hadn’t heard Suzan try to cancel the lunch. If he had, it would have been a blow to his confidence.

Joe looked at Alex, who had followed Ben out. He frowned. “Alex, why haven’t you changed?”

“What about my friends?” Suzan asked. “Can’t you get dressed up for them?”

“Alex looks fine. What do you expect him to wear?” Carl asked. “He’s not Joe, and he’s never going to look like him.”

Suzan shook her head. Her roommates were going to be very disappointed. This was going to be a disaster.

“Stop wasting time, and let’s go,” she urged them, and they all followed her out of the dormitory.

**

Rose, Stacy, and Betty sat at a table in La Belle Vie. All of them were pretty, and it was clear they came from good families.

Rose had long hair that draped over her shoulders. Her skin was fair, and she had a small face with large, sparkling eyes, a straight nose, and pretty pink lips. She looked like a beautiful princess straight out of a fairy tale.

She was the prettiest of the three girls, and also the centre of attention.

“Rose, there’s a lump on your forehead. What happened?” Betty gestured to the small bulge on her forehead.

“Oh.” Rose touched the little mark, her sweet face looking a little angry. “Don’t remind me, Betty. Remember how I said I went to Metro Sky Bank with my father to do some business? Well, I met a clumsy person who smacked a door off my head!”

“Ouch! Did he at least apologize? Metro Sky Bank’s customers are quite high quality, aren’t they?”

Rose used her phone to take a picture of her head and then checked it. Thankfully, the lump was not too obvious. She put her phone down and smiled at her friend. “He did apologize. I was a bit stunned when I saw him there. You guys know what kind of people Metro Sky Bank caters to, right?”

“You mean the upper class?” Stacy asked. “So, this guy didn’t belong?”

“Exactly. The Metro Sky Bank only gives cards to people who have at least one million dollars,” Rose confirmed. “So, he didn’t belong there.”

“Some people think that the poorer a person looks, the richer they are,” Betty suggested. “Which means he might be a rich person keeping a low profile. Rose, tell us all about him!”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Why? Later on, when the manager came over, he found out that the guy didn’t even have a card. I think he was just an idiot who stumbled into the Metro Sky Bank. Maybe he thought that the cards of the other banks can also be used there.”

“If I’d done that, I would have died from embarrassment!” Stacy exclaimed.

“After all that, I didn’t even look at him and just left with my dad.” Rose tossed her hair over her shoulder. “We’ll see if he dares to try it again in the future. Or if he dares to show his face anywhere.”

“The guy’s not a child,” Betty pointed out. “Doesn’t he have any common sense? I guess he’s destined to be single for his entire life. Who would want a guy like that?”

“Let’s stop talking about him. I never saw him again anyway.” Rose sighed. “Why isn’t Suzan here with the others yet? Seriously…” Rose picked up her phone and frowned slightly as she looked at the screen displaying her chat with Suzan. “Her boyfriend is rather handsome and quite muscly. Just my type. If one of his roommates looks like that, don’t fight me for him!” Rose winked.

“Cheeky!” Stacy chuckled. “Suzan said her boyfriend is a sports major, so he should be pretty fit. We’ll see about the others when they get here.”

The three girls chatted and laughed, checking each other’s appearance, and making a few adjustments as they waited for the guys to arrive.

Finally, Suzan, Alex, and the others arrived at La Belle Vie.

Chapter 5: Oh! He’s That Loser!

“You guys go on ahead. I’m going to the bathroom.” Alex had noticed some white marks on his clothes, so he went to clean himself up.

Ben and Carl had already spotted Rose and the other two girls and had been struck by how beautiful they all were. Ben turned shy, and he began to walk slower, while Carl nervously pushed his glasses higher up his nose.

“Hi, girls. What are you all talking about? And what’s so funny?” Suzan asked, smiling as she walked toward her friends.

Rose and the other girls looked over, and when they saw Ben and Carl, their smiles froze, and they felt like a bucket of cold water had been tossed over them.

Ben’s appearance was unremarkable, and Carl seemed just as ordinary. This wasn’t what they’d expected. After just a single glance, the girls looked away, seemingly disappointed.

Seeing her friends’ reactions, Suzan flushed with embarrassment. She’d known this would happen. She turned her head and glared at Joe, who could only shrug and smile.

“Let’s sit,” Joe said. “Carl, why don’t you sit next to Stacy? And Ben can sit next to Betty.”

He had just finished making the suggestion when Stacy got up and moved to sit beside Betty, making it clear she didn’t want to sit with Carl or Ben.

Joe felt bad for his friends. Stacy and Betty chatted on their cell phones, ignoring them, and that just wasn’t right. It was downright rude.

The table had a total of four wooden stools that could each seat two people. Stacy and Betty sat together, as did Carl and Ben. Joe sat with Suzan, and Rose was alone.

Suzan and Joe were both concerned. Rose was the prettiest of Suzan’s roommates, but she was also the pickiest. When Alex came over, how would she react?

Alex wasn’t bad looking, but he was dressed poorly and wouldn’t make a good impression.

Joe asked everyone what they wanted to order, and Stacy and Betty focused their attention on the menu, completely ignoring their friends.

“Why are there only two guys here? Are there only three people in your dorm?” Rose asked Joe as she played with her hair.

“Oh, one guy went to the bathroom and should be back soon,” he replied. Right on cue, he spotted Alex walking toward them, so he stood up and waved him over. “Alex, over here. Come and join us.”

When the girls heard him, they all looked in Alex’s direction. Stacy and Betty only took a glance before losing interest, and they went back to studying the menu.

Rose’s eyes grew wide. A twitch developed at the corner of one eye and dissatisfaction flashed across her face.

Alex also recognized Rose. Keeping eye contact, he walked over to her, confused about why she seemed to hate him so much.

When he sat beside her, she stared at him and then snorted softly, giving him a mocking smile.

“Rose, what’s wrong?” Suzan asked, wondering how Rose seemed to know Alex.

“Nothing.” Rose’s smile was cold. She glanced at Alex, then looked at Stacy and Betty. “As unlikely as it seems, this is the person who bumped into me at Metro Sky Bank.”

“This is the guy?” Stacy asked, her mouth hanging open.

“Well,” Betty said, “It seems like he’s still wearing similar clothes.”

Both girls looked Alex up and down, their expressions disapproving.

“What are you guys talking about?” Suzan was still confused.

Since Rose didn’t seem interested in explaining, Stacy stepped in. “Rose went to take care of some business with her father at Metro Sky Bank earlier, and this guy hit her head with a door. See? Rose has a small bump on her forehead.”

Betty took over the conversation, glancing at Alex. “You can see how he’s dressed, and he walked right into the Metro Sky Bank. You need one million dollars to get a card, and yet he went in anyway, and the manager had to challenge him. No doubt, he ran out of there with a red face, right?”

Suzan and the others all stared at Alex, imagining how embarrassed he must have been at the Metro Sky Bank.

Suzan was quite worried. Rose already seemed to have a poor impression of Alex, so would she want to stay now? She was very direct and wouldn’t stay just to be polite.

Rose’s smile was cold as she looked at Joe and Suzan. “Suzan, I’m glad you found a handsome boyfriend like Joe. But I have something I have to do, so I won’t stay. Bye.”

With that, Rose stood up, turned around, and walked out, even though she’d been the one to suggest this lunch. Joe was really good-looking, and since he was a sports major, she’d assumed that his roommates would be attractive as well.

She’d thought that if one of Joe’s roommates had been suitable, then it would save her the trouble of having to find a boyfriend her father would approve of. And even if none of them was suitable, she’d still get to meet two handsome men.

She’d been surprised when Joe’s roommate, Ben, had looked a bit anxious, and Carl was completely ordinary. Still, she could tolerate the two of them.

But when she’d seen Alex, Rose couldn’t hold back any longer. He was just a poor loser with no place in the world.

The heavens were toying with her. She’d been looking for someone rich and handsome, and the universe gave her someone like Alex, who disgusted her.

Anger rose quickly. She was so furious that she stormed outside, not paying attention, and bumped into a man’s shoulder.

He was dressed all in black and looked very professional. His hair was fashionable but neat, and his skin was pale. He held an iPhone in his hand and wore an expensive watch on his wrist.

The man’s expression turned dark. But then he took a closer look at Rose and noticed how beautiful she was, and his manner changed drastically.

“Hey, gorgeous, I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked. “Would you like me to massage it better?” With a wicked grin, the man extended his hand toward her shoulder.

Rose was so angry that she lashed out before the man’s hand even made contact. She slapped the man’s face, and with a frosty expression, she glared at him and snapped, “Watch where you’re going.”

Before he could react, she had already marched out of the restaurant.

Joe and the others had been ready to go over to help and were shocked when they saw Rose slap the man.

When Rose left, Stacy and Betty decided to leave too, but Suzan eventually persuaded them to stay.

After lunch, Suzan accompanied Joe to pay the bill, and then they left the restaurant. Stacy spoke to Joe and didn’t even glance at Alex and the others.

Suzan was also quite disappointed with Joe’s roommates. She was Joe’s girlfriend, and she didn’t want their relationship to get complicated because of his friends. She was careful to say goodbye to each of them, and then she walked toward the dorm with her best friends.

After returning to the dormitory, Joe changed into a new set of sports clothes and dashed to the sports field to participate in training.

Ben was lying on his bed, bare-chested, playing with his cell phone, while Carl started up a video game and started playing it.

Alex put a card into the Samsung Galaxy phone. If Cathy didn’t want it anymore, he may as well use it. He turned it on, and it worked quite smoothly.

At that moment, Ben shouted excitedly, “Alex! Carl! Minnie’s live streaming channel is on. Quick! You need to watch it!”

Ben had a huge crush on Minnie. She had started a live streaming blog two days ago and had even posted about it in the class chat. Almost everyone in the class knew about this blog.

Since Alex had nothing better to do, he registered an account and went to Minnie’s live streaming channel.

She had been streaming live for twenty minutes, and over thirty people were watching it, all classmates. There were no classes in the afternoon, so most people were free to watch it.

Minnie hugged a pink pillow and had red earphones in as she chatted in front of the camera.

“Babes, we haven’t had any presents yet. Anyone who has a present for me should let me know.” She twirled a lock of her hair around one finger and pouted at the camera, giving an air kiss. Her lips almost touched the screen.

She was extremely popular, and quite a few people were secretly in love with her. So, whenever she asked for a present, many boys wanted to give her what she asked for. Besides, the gifts weren’t too expensive, so the students were able to afford them.

The screen flashed with the notification: [A necklace from the Morning Star.]

Then: [Captain Reckless has sent the bikini.]

“Thank you, Morning Star!” Minnie said, clapping her hands. “And thank you, my handsome little captain. I love you!” Minnie tilted her head and made a heart gesture with her hands, and just as she finished speaking, a shout came from the corridor, “Minnie is so cute!”, followed by another voice yelling, “She’s adorable!”

Ben saw that Minnie was flirting with the people who gave her gifts, and he felt a little jealous, so he nervously chose a gift and pressed the send button.

A message popped up on the public screen.

[Flying Fish has sent a necklace]

Ben typed out a message under his screen name, Flying Fish: [Minnie, I’m Ben. I’m watching your live broadcast.]

Minnie smiled sweetly and spoke into the camera. “Thank you, Ben. I know.”

“Minnie spoke to me!” Ben mumbled as he floated in a daze.

At this moment, another message popped up on the live streaming channel.

Ghost Rider typed: [Ben, that stingy loser, gave a presentation to Minnie! What a laugh. Can you believe that?]

Ben’s expression changed instantly. Almost everyone from their class was in the chat room. What should I say? he thought. And how can I show my face in class after this?

Ben sent an angry message: [So what if I’m gifting a present? Have you been eating the poop emoji? Why else would you be talking shit?]

Ghost Rider responded: [Idiot. You’re a loser who has nothing. And yet you have money to give presents? Are you planning to sell your kidneys? Or have you been begging your parents for money? You have some nerve!]

Minnie scowled. People were fighting in the live streaming channel, and she didn’t like it. “Knock it off, guys. If you don’t stop fighting, I’ll block you.”

Ben quickly messaged her: [Sorry, Minnie. He started it.]

Ghost Rider sent: [Ha ha. So what if I get in trouble with you? I don’t care.]

Minnie frowned slightly and prepared to block Ghost Rider, but the system notification flashed again in the live broadcast.

[Ghost Rider has sent a Money Gun.]

Minnie stopped in her tracks. Those were worth about fifty dollars, and it was the most expensive gift she had received so far.

Chapter 6: The Competition of Gifts

Ghost Rider: [So what if I argue with you? You idiot, you think you’re awesome just because you paid 50 dollars? If you want to take me on, you better think about whether you’ve got enough money to keep up with me.]

[Ghost Rider has sent a Money Gun.]

[Ghost Rider has sent a Money Gun.]

[Ghost Rider has sent a Money Gun.]

[Ghost Rider has sent a Money Gun.]

[Ghost Rider has sent a Money Gun.]

Ghost Rider gave away five more consecutive swipes, equaling 300 dollars total!

Minnie was shocked. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing on the screen.

She held her hands in front of her chest and smiled broadly. “Ghost Rider, you’ve given me so much. I’m so happy.” Minnie blew kisses toward the camera.

“Who are you, are you one of my classmates?” Minnie asked, blinking.

Ben was angry. He cursed, “Is this guy so great just because he’s got money? I’ll show him. Minnie put me through to the manager.”

“Okay, no problem.” Minnie quickly nodded and pressed her phone a few times. The manager appeared on the screen.

“Ben, you loser,” the manager, currently Ghost Rider, said. “How dare you have a go at me. I’ll give you something to shout about.” A few seconds later, a system notification appeared on the screen: [Flying Fish has been banned by the manager for one day.]

“Damn, I’m not allowed to say anything.” Ben jabbed furiously at his phone, but he couldn’t send the message.

Ghost Rider continued on the public chat: [Ben, you loser, send another message if you can. Why don’t you post it instead, haha.]

“Thank you, Ghost Rider, for giving me so many gifts. Now, here’s a special dance just for Ghost Rider,” Minnie said then stood up and started dancing.

The message board went crazy with messages.

Silver Fox: [I was wondering whose account this was, it turned out to be Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider is awesome!]

Blue Knight: [Ghost Rider is an amazing fighter, and he’s the richest person in our class.]

Fat Cat: [Ghost Rider, where are you now?]

Ghost Rider replied: [I’m currently drinking with a few of my mates at the Splendid Tower. I plan to go to the Crystal Hotel tonight. I’m not telling you guys what I’m going to do. Haha.]

The banter continued. [Of course, Ghost Rider is awesome.] Another person came on to flatter Ghost Rider.

[That idiot, Ben.] Ghost Rider posted. [He dares to challenge me over a dollar? He looks so scruffy. He makes me want to puke.]

This guy is asking for a beating. Ben thought to himself. He was so angry that his nostrils flared. He didn’t care about embarrassing himself in front of others, but then he remembered that this was Minnie’s live streaming blog.

His friend, Carl couldn’t take the bickering any longer and sent a message.

Muddy Duck: [Ghost Rider, we are all classmates. Think about what you’re saying.]

[Hey, here’s another idiot.] Ghost Rider soon replied. [These guys definitely can’t be Carl or Alex. Only these two poor guys would be good friends with Ben.]

Ghost Rider was enjoying the banter. [You two are poor, even poorer than Ben. If you have the guts to compete with me for a present, I’ll let you three fight it out together. My backhand will feel like a hammer blow.]

[Ghost Rider has sent a Money Gun.]

[Ghost Rider has sent a Money Gun.]

[Ghost Rider has sent a Money Gun.]

[Ghost Rider has sent a Money Gun.]

[Ghost Rider has sent a Money Gun.]

Ghost Rider sent out five more gifts.

Minnie spoke, “Thank you, Ghost Rider, thank you so much. No one has ever given me so many gifts. Ghost Rider, you’re awesome. When you go back to school, I’ll treat you to some ice cream.” She held her hands in front of her chest and thanked everyone with a sweet smile.

Little Tim: [Awesome, Ghost Rider.]

Whirlwind: [Wow, I’ve never seen anyone as generous as Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider, when are you coming back? I’ll take you out.]

Fearsome Tiger: [Has anyone noticed that Ghost Rider’s profile picture is so handsome? Who can compete with him?]

The other students began flattering him and sucking up to him.

Ghost Rider posted again: [Did you see how poor Alex and Carl are? That’s not what people want. Even you two are fighting with me. Ha ha, you overestimate yourselves.]

After the last post was sent out, Carl’s account was also banned.

“Damn!” Carl slammed his palm on the computer table angrily.

“Carl, it’s okay, right? Don’t take that idiot’s words seriously.” Ben comforted Carl. After all, Carl had stuck up for him.

[Minnie, I have so many rich relatives. I’ll watch your live streaming blog in the future and get them all to buy your presents.] Ghost Rider had become active again: [I’ll help you keep an eye on Ben and the others. When you’ve got lots of fans online, we can blacklist their accounts. You don’t want those poor guys on your live broadcast. They’re embarrassing.]

At that moment, there was a system prompt from the live stream channel:

[Esteemed Admirer has sent a Superclass Warship.]

Minnie was still absorbed in the joy of receiving another gift. Other people who were watching the live stream noticed it first.

Little Tim: [Blimey, someone is sending a warship.]

Innocent Amy: [An invisible millionaire. Are they in our class? Who can it be?]

Not Handsome and Not Rich: [There’s a gift— a space-time warship. Is it so easy to get gifts through a live stream? I want to start a live stream too.]

The Dancer: [Minnie, this is your boyfriend, right? You found a rich guy?]

Minnie suddenly noticed it. She was shocked at first and covered her mouth with her hands, unable to believe that someone was giving her a warship. She leaned close to the screen to check and was so excited that she didn’t know what to say.

“Damn, who the hell is this? A warship is worth a hundred dollars. Is it someone from our class?” asked Ben staring at the screen with a confused expression.

“Not from our class. Apart from Ghost Rider, everyone in our class is from a normal family. Who would have enough money to give so much away?” Carl stared at his phone. He was puzzled.

**

[Heh, gifting a warship is awesome, right? Who wouldn’t want to give you that? Wait, I’ll send you one too! In terms of money, I have never been inferior to anyone.] Ghost Rider’s message board was full of praise for him, but now it suddenly changed. It was a little hard to accept.

Just as the message from Ghost Rider appeared on the public screen, a system notification popped up.

[Esteemed Admirer has sent a Superclass Warship.]

[Esteemed Admirer has sent a Superclass Warship.]

[Esteemed Admirer has sent a Superclass Warship.]

[Esteemed Admirer has sent a Superclass Warship.]

[Esteemed Admirer has sent a Superclass Warship.]

[Esteemed Admirer has sent a Superclass Warship.]

“Damn it.” When the fifth warship was announced, Ben’s mouth hung open.

The messages on the message board were appearing at three times the normal speed. The hero worship and flattery had increased several times over.

Minnie was so shocked that she couldn’t believe it. She held up her hands, unable to understand why her supporters would give her so many gifts. 11 space warships—that was equivalent to one-thousand one-hundred dollars!

“Thank you, I’m so excited. I can’t believe it. Esteemed Admirer, whatever you want to say, I’ll listen.” Minnie’s eyes were wide open as she looked at the camera.

[Let me be the only manager,] Esteemed Admirer typed.

“All right, I’ll set it up for you right now,” Minnie agreed straight away. He had given her gifts worth over a thousand dollars. Such a rich person’s request must be fulfilled.

” Esteemed Admirer, I have set it up now. You’re the only manager.” Minnie smiled sweetly at the camera.

System Tip:

[Every day, the host gets to choose the manager.]

[Esteemed Admirer has been set up as a manager by the host.]

After half a minute, two system notifications appeared on the screen:

[Flying Fish has been allowed by the manager.]

[Ghost Rider has been banned by the manager for one day.]

“I can speak again! Haha, this manager is loyal, I like it! ” Ben laughed out joyfully.

Ben made a statement on the live streaming channel: [Ghost Rider, come out and face me.]

Carl was still angry and said: [A thousand dollars is still a small amount to you right? Come out and let everyone see.]

“Esteemed Admirer, thank you so much. I want to invite you to Preston University. I’ll take you on a tour of the campus, then we’ll get something to eat.” Minnie blinked her large eyes. Her beauty was captivating.

[No need, it’s just a small amount of money,] the  Esteemed Admirer typed. Then, after a moment’s thought, he continued to share from the heart: [I just want to tell people that if you are rich, you shouldn’t look down on others. We are all born people, so we should respect each other and not bully the poor.]

Chapter 7: Rose’s Predicament

Ben and Carl were impressed. “Well said,” they cheered simultaneously.

On the live channel, there was also a wave of admiration.

Little Tim: [This is what a rich person should be like.]

Harry’s Cat: [That’s great. One look and you can tell he has something to say.]

Silver Moon: [I like it. You’re much stronger than those rich arrogant guys. What’s happening now?]

Ghost Rider had become silent by this point.

The system message popped up in the message bar:

[Ghost Rider has left.]

The Ghost Rider had slipped away, and the audience was laughing.

On the live stream, another girl could be seen walking over to Minnie and placing her hands on her shoulders. Someone asked: [Minnie, who else is with you in your studio?] The girl had long hair, a pointed chin, and very light makeup. She was very pretty. She looked very relaxed on the live stream. As she looked at the camera, the audience watching the live streaming blog felt their hearts tremble.

Minnie introduced her. “Guys, this is my roommate, Cathy. She’s so beautiful. If you keep watching my show, I’ll give you her social media handle.” Minnie held Cathy’s hand and spoke sweetly to the screen.

Cathy had just been watching Minnie’s live streaming blog. When she’d seen that her friend had been given 11 warships in just a few seconds, she became excited. Eleven warships were worth one-thousand dollars. Of course, she also wanted to find a rich man. If this admirer was a friend of Minnie, Cathy wanted to get to know him.

“Minnie, you haven’t answered me yet. Who is this man?” Cathy asked her friend as she pulled over a chair and sat in front of the camera, openly looking at the screen, wanting the rich man who was watching the live streaming blog to have a good look at her.

“I don’t know. I think it’s Brad Sommers who came to watch my live streaming blog today.” Minnie shook her head and looked at the camera. “Brad, are you still there?”

[Yes, I’m here,] came the reply.

Cathy was overjoyed. She was extremely excited and did everything she could to attract him. “Brad, you were so cool just now. You gave Minnie 11 warships without a second thought,” she said. “You’re so cool. I’m preparing to do my live stream. Will you watch it?”

**

When Ben saw Alex lying on the bed holding his phone, he was sure that he was also watching Minnie’s live streaming blog. He tried to help him, “Alex, stop watching that. You know Cathy always gets excited when she sees a rich man. She’s so shameless.”

Alex ignored him and continued to look at his phone.

**

“Cathy,” Minnie called out to Cathy grumpily. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re preparing to start a live stream? Even if you do, do you think you’ll be able to steal Brad away from me?”

Cathy ignored Minnie’s words and said shamelessly to the camera, “Brad, I’m still single and I haven’t been able to find a suitable boyfriend. For some reason, I feel like you, and I feel a connection. I’d like us to get to know each other.”

Cathy’s coy expression as she spoke was touching.

Brad asked, [Are you still single?]

Cathy was slightly taken aback. She was so beautiful that she could understand that it was hard to believe that she was single. However, she had to give the right impression to help secure a rich husband, so she insisted that she was.

She also knew that men were particularly attracted to women who had not yet had a partner.

“Yeah, and I haven’t even had a boyfriend yet,” Cathy said coyly.

“Cathy, didn’t you just break up with Alex? Aren’t you dating Billy now?” Minnie asked Cathy, live on the show.

Minnie was used to Cathy’s manipulative character. Normally, it didn’t bother her, but this man had given her a gift worth a thousand dollars. She wasn’t about to lose him to Cathy.

“Ahh.” Cathy had not expected Minnie to expose her. She looked embarrassed and smiled apologetically. “Billy and I are just—we’re just good friends. As for Alex, I felt sorry for him because he’s poor, and I helped him study. As for me and him being in a relationship—that was all a rumour spread by our classmates.” Cathy had managed to invent an excuse to prove her innocence to the possible suitor.

“Brad, if you want to get to know Cathy, add me—” Halfway through Minnie’s words, the system prompted, [This viewer has already left the live broadcast room.]

Minnie and Cathy were disappointed.

**

Alex turned off his phone and lay on the bed. He stared at the wall but wasn’t looking at it. He was thinking about Cathy’s scene just now.

I was with Cathy for a year and yet she likened our relationship to helping a poor classmate. Her words are like a sword piercing my heart.

Alex smiled bitterly to himself. Cathy liked money. How would she feel if she knew how rich I was? 

**

The next morning, Alex and his dormmates returned to their dorm after class. They’d just finished eating their takeout and were preparing to relax for a while when Joe walked in. He looked depressed as he entered the room and said, “Something’s happened.”

“What’s happened? What’s your sports department done this time?” Ben asked as he sipped water from his glass.

“Something’s happened to Rose.” Joe sat down and looked at the other three. He was worried.

“What’s going on?” Alex knew from Joe’s face that it was something bad.

“You know Rose slapped a guy when she left yesterday? Do you know who that man was?” Joe answered his question. “It was Luciel Brennan, the deputy manager of the Heavenly Lion Group.”

“Holy shit, the Heavenly Lion Group,” Ben exclaimed. He was shocked. He stood up and said loudly, “The Heavenly Lion Group ranks in the top 10 in New York City, right? There were Heavenly Lion retail offices on the streets that belonged to them, and this was only one of the businesses that belonged to their group. Rose has done it this time. Why did she hit him? She’s definitely in trouble now.”

Alex glanced at Ben, who was still talking non-stop. Then Alex looked at Joe and asked, “Doesn’t Rose also come from a powerful family? Isn’t there anything they can do?”

Alex knew that Rose’s family were rich enough to open an account at the Metro Sky Bank, so they must be powerful.

“Rose’s family owns a company called Shen Long Cargo Company, but it doesn’t compare to the Heavenly Lion Corporation,” Joe said with a frown.

“Suzan told me that Rose’s company had bad news today. Rose’s dad is really worried about several partnerships that are threatening to cancel.” Joe crossed his arms.

“The Heavenly Lion Group must’ve done this. I’ve seen information about them on the internet. The boss of the group, Donald Brennan, is Luciel’s father and he’s bad news. He’s very ruthless in his business dealings.” Carl looked at Ben, then looked at Alex. His face was grave.

Just then, Joe’s phone rang. It was his girlfriend, Suzan. Joe answered the phone nervously.

“Okay, I’ll go right now. Okay, that’s it. Bye then.” Joe hung up the phone.

“Rose got a call from her dad. He’s told her she has to fix it. He said the only way to resolve it is for her to spend one night with Luciel. Otherwise, Donald is going to ruin their family.”

“Yesterday, I caught that lowlife, Luciel, looking weirdly at Rose. I think it will kill her to spend a night with him. Damn it, this father and son are bloody shameless.” Ben cursed angrily.

Joe and the others also understood what it would mean for Rose to have to spend a night with Luciel Brennan.

“Don’t say anymore. Let’s go to Suzan’s dorm now and help Rose come up with some ideas.” Joe stood up quickly.

All four hurried outside and locked the door behind them.

After checking with the dorm front desk worker, Joe led Alex and the others quickly to the third floor and pushed open the door of the dorm room that Rose shared with her friends.

Although Rose and the others dressed well, the dorm room was run down. The blankets covering Suzan’s bed appeared to be of good quality, but the other three beds looked very dishevelled.

Suzan, Stacy, and Betty sat beside Rose looking anxious. Rose sobbed and hugged her legs as she sat on the bed.

“How is she?” Joe asked Suzan as he entered the room.

Suzan stood up and dragged Joe and the others to the door. She turned around and looked at Rose with concern, then lowered her eyes and whispered to them, “Rose’s dad knows that she’s the one that caused this trouble and he shouted at her over the phone. She’s been crying for almost three hours now, and her dad told her that if she can’t sort things out, she’ll have to spend the night with Luciel Brennan.”

“Damn, what kind of father is he?” Ben couldn’t help but feel disgusted.

“I guess he’s in a tight spot,” Suzan responded. “After all, seven or eight of his business partners are threatening to cancel their contracts. Anyone who hasn’t threatened yet still might. Her dad called me in secret and asked me to take care of Rose. He’s looking for ways to resolve this situation.” With that, Suzan urged Joe and the others to Rose’s side.

“Rose, don’t cry. If Donald’s family goes too far, we’ll call the police to arrest them.” Joe frowned as he tried to comfort her.

Ben took out his phone and said forcefully, “Let’s call the police now. I’ll call 911.”

“Don’t!” Rose cried.

Only then did she lookup. Her face had been buried in her knees. Her watery eyes were red from crying and she’d lost all traces of the arrogance that had been so evident the previous day. After all, Ben and the others were trying to help her.

She wiped her nose with the tissue that Cindy handed to her. With tears in her eyes, she said, “It’s useless to call the police. It will only make things worse.”

Rose was, after all, the child of a rich family. She had seen and heard some of the methods her father and the other bosses used to deal with such matters.

The police might anger Donald Brennan. If he was completely enraged, with his strength and power, the situation could get a hundred times worse than it was now.

“We need to find someone else to help,” Ben said. “If we can find someone even more powerful, they might be able to sort it out. I’ll call my dad and ask him.” He stood up, took out his phone, and went to one side to make a call.

“I’ll ask too.” Suzan, Stacy, and Betty all answered.

However, they all knew in their hearts that with their family’s connections there was no way they could stop Donald, the boss of the Heavenly Lion Group.

Alex spoke for the first time. “Don’t worry, it will all be sorted out soon.”

Chapter 8: The Power of Family Connections

Hearing Alex’s voice, Rose was slightly stunned. She stopped wiping her nose and raised her head. She shot a cold gaze toward Alex. “You came too?” she said.

Alex nodded slightly but didn’t say anything. Judging by Rose’s expression, she didn’t seem to want him there.

Suzan quickly spoke up for Alex. “Rose, Alex came to help you think of a way out of this. He’s worried about you.”

“Hmph, worried,” Rose sneered. “If it wasn’t for you yesterday, we wouldn’t have bumped into Luciel. And if we hadn’t bumped into Luciel, the incident would never have happened,” she exclaimed. Then she pointed at the door and shouted, “Scram! Get out of my room right now.”

“Rose, listen to yourself,” Suzan said. She felt that Rose was being unfair. “After all, Alex came to help you, and you speak to him like that.”

Alex didn’t say anything. He slowly turned around and walked toward the door.

Joe hung up the phone and followed to comfort his friend. “Alex, are you all right?” he asked. “Rose was out of order just now. But remember how stressed she is today. Don’t lower yourself to her level. Forgive her.”

“I know, it’s fine.” Alex smiled faintly. “All right, go quickly and persuade her. Tell her not to worry. It’ll be fine.”

Alex walked out as if nothing had happened.

Joe watched Alex go and shook his head before returning quickly to the dorm.

“I don’t ever want to see that lowlife again.” Rose was still cursing Alex. When she saw Joe come in, she stopped and took out her cellphone. “I just had an idea—I’m going to call my old school friend to see if he can help.”

“Hello, Zane, it’s Rose—” Rose began to tell Zane about her situation.

The others in the dorm also contacted anyone they could think of who might be able to help them.

“Hey, Uncle Chuck, it’s me, Stacy. Can you do me a favour? My dormmate and Donald Brennan from the Heavenly Lion Group—What, you can’t afford to offend him? No, you should at least try to talk to him—Oh, okay, I’ll look for someone else. Goodbye, Uncle Chuck.”

“Hey, Aunt Ruth, can you help me with something—”

 

**

Alex walked out of the girls’ dormitory, took a breath of fresh air, and took out his phone. From memory, he pressed a number and put the phone to his ear.

He heard the phone ring three times before an elderly voice answered. “Alex, you’ve finally called. You’ve been suffering and away from home for so many years, and I’ve been feeling guilty and powerless to help.”

“Mark, you’re being too hard on yourself,” Alex replied. After seven years, Alex’s heart swelled with emotion to hear the voice of his family’s butler. “My poverty training is over. I can use the family’s influence now, right?”

“Of course, starting from the day before yesterday. The family has already lifted all restrictions on you.” Mark replied happily.

“Yes, I want to confront Donald Brennan of the Heavenly Lion Group,” Alex got straight to the point.

“Heavenly Lion Group, Heavenly Lion Group.” Mark mumbled to himself twice, “Forgive this old servant for being slow-witted, but where does this group of Heavenly Lions come from?”

“It’s one of New York’s local businesses,” Alex explained. Alex’s family influences the world. Heavenly Lion Group was one of the top ten enterprises in New York, but it wasn’t that grand from a global perspective.

“Heavenly Lion!” Mark exclaimed. “Of course, it falls under our family’s East Coast Division of management. I’ll inform Ken, manager of the East Coast Division. Sir, what are you going to confront Donald about?”

“Tell him to stop all actions against the East-West Cargo Company,” Alex said lightly.

“Ok, don’t worry, Sir. Within half an hour, no matter what dealings Donald has with the East-West Cargo Company, he’ll stop.” Mark said with a faint smile.

“Good.” Alex then hung up.

After receiving Alex’s order, Mark immediately made sure that the message got to Ken, manager of the East Coast Division.

 

**

By this time, the father of Zane, the high school classmate that Rose had called, had agreed to his son’s request and rushed over to the New York City Merchant Union.

He was a junior high school classmate of the union’s president, William Chase. If William agreed to help, he could resolve this matter.

At the time, William was in the union building, negotiating with an investment company. Both sides had ten members, and the deal involved a total amount of 125 million dollars.

The negotiation had reached its most critical moment. They all felt that they could reach an agreement within ten minutes, which would result in William’s company receiving an investment of 125 million dollars.

At this critical moment, the door of the meeting room was pushed open and William’s secretary walked in.

William frowned. The others also looked annoyed. It was considered very rude for the secretary to interrupt negotiations.

However, the secretary approached William and whispered a few words into his ear. William’s expression changed noticeably and he stood up, clearly deep in thought. He said to the others, “Everyone, I’m sorry, but I have some urgent matters to take care of right now. We will talk about this meeting later today. Please forgive me.”

Then he nodded his head, turned around, and walked toward the door.

“Mr Chase, if you leave now, I don’t think we’ll need to continue our discussion because I will lose all faith in you.” The most important representative of the investment company said to William. He was livid.

“If that’s the case, I’m sorry.” William turned around, said something to his secretary, and quickly walked out.

His secretary had just informed him that Ken Stokes was about to call him to solve the problem of the Heavenly Lion Group and the East-West Cargo Company.

To him, Ken’s words were much more important than 125 million dollars.

The business talks have collapsed, he thought, but we can discuss business another time. However, if I have upset Ken, it won’t just be a simple matter of losing some money. I could lose my position as the president of the union!

Ken Stokes was a member of the union or in its chain, but in the upper echelons of New York’s society, he was extremely prestigious.

William and his secretary rushed out of the office building at the same moment that Fin Harrison arrived.

“Mr Chase—” Fin walked toward William with a smile. He thought that having been friends since school, William Chase would help him out this time.

However, William only glanced at him then ignored him. He climbed into the car and drove away.

 

**

Meanwhile, Alex had walked to the side of the campus’ Ramsey Lake and sat down on a large rock deep in thought.

On the riverbank, he saw a couple snuggling together, and his mind was flooded with happy memories.

He thought about a time when he and Cathy had been so happy. He remembered helping her cook and riding together to take their exams. He’d used the money he had saved to buy cosmetics for Cathy.

Alex’s train of thought was broken by his phone ringing. He brought his mind back to the present as the name “Zara Fitzgerald” appeared on the screen.

Zara was the captain of the school’s cheerleading squad, and Alex was also a member of the squad. The rest of the squad were girls so they needed someone to move the props around, to lift the stereo, and to go buy the ice cream. They also needed someone to fan them when they were hot. Of course, a boy was needed. Because of this, Alex became the cheerleading team’s “service assistant.” In other words, it was free hard labour.

“Hello, Alex. You must come to the west sports field right now.”

“What is it?”

“If I tell you to do something, just do it. Cut the crap or you’re dead.” Zara hung up the phone.

Alex put his phone in his pocket, stood up, and quickly headed toward the west sports field.

Chapter 9: Who will win the girl?

Walking toward the west sports field, Alex saw five or six pretty girls heading his way.

The tallest girl addressed him, “Alex, you finally came. Why did you take so long?”

It was Zara Fitzgerald, who had just called him.

Zara took out 10 dollars and gave it to Alex. “Buy six bottles of water for the squad.”

“Captain, why didn’t you ask on the phone? I would’ve bought it on my way over.” Alex asked while holding the 10 dollars in his hand.

“Heh, why are you in such a bad mood today? It’s not fair. What’s wrong, can’t you take it anymore?” Zara’s eyes opened wide as she opened and closed her mouth. Her words shot toward Alex like a cannonball.

“No. All right, I’ll go buy it now,” Alex said, choosing to go and buy the water rather than argue with Zara Fitzgerald.

When Alex returned with the water, he gave the four dollars change to Zara. The girls from the cheerleading team each took a bottle and drank the water from it.

“Alex, fan me.” Zara Fitzgerald ordered Alex. Alex had nothing else to do, so started to fan Zara.

They were sitting on a nearby basketball court, watching the school basketball team practising for a match.

After resting for half an hour, Zara clapped her hands and called the cheerleaders to continue practising.

Alex sat alone in the grandstand and watched Zara and the rest of the squad practice. The seats around him were all filled with the girls’ bags and training equipment.

Alex heard someone say, “Hello, why aren’t you playing with them?”

A girl walked over from the side, smiled at Alex, and sat down beside him.

Alex was stunned for a moment. This girl had long hair, an oval face, snow-white skin, clear black and white eyes and a friendly expression.

“Hello,” Alex replied.

Just as Alex was about to say something else, a tall boy wearing a Lakers jersey walked over and said, “Hi beautiful, why are you bothering with him? He’s just the babysitter of the cheerleading squad. He’s the one who does all the dirty work. I’ve no idea why Zara Fitzgerald let him join the squad when he’s so poor.”

“Oh—” The girl looked at Alex kindly.

“Before you came, this loser was fanning the girls in the cheering squad. That’s all he’s good for.” The male fanned himself and gave the girl a teasing smile.

Then, the tall guy reached out his hand to the girl, “Hello, my name is Dean Marshall. I’m the star player in the school basketball team. And I’ve started my own business. It’s doing pretty well—my annual income should only be around 2 million. What do you think of that?”

The more he looked at her, the more he liked her. With his good looks and other attributes, he knew that he could win any girl he wanted.

The girl glanced at Dean’s outstretched hand in hesitation but took it. She just looked at him and smiled, “Hello, I’m Rachael O’Connor, a friend of Zara.”

Dean took his hand back, a little embarrassed, and said, “Rachael O’Connor, hmm, that’s a nice name. Zara and the squad are training, and it’s difficult to talk here. Let’s go and walk around the field together, and we can have a chat.”

“Thank you, but there’s no need.” Rachael smiled faintly.

Dean was furious, but he was unwilling to give up on such a beautiful girl. He wanted to stay and fight for her, but just then, someone on the basketball court called out to him and he had to run back to the court.

“What’s your name?” Rachael turned her head and looked at Alex with a gentle smile.

“Alex,” he replied automatically. His attention was entirely focused on Rachael’s demeanour. He could detect neither contempt nor pity in her beautiful eyes as she looked at him.

Alex felt very comfortable with her. As he looked into Rachael’s eyes, he started to smile.

 

**

Zara Fitzgerald and the cheerleading team completed two more jumps, then Zara walked over to Alex and Rachael and said, “Rachael, why are you talking to him?”

Zara looked at Rachael with a little surprise. She pinched Alex’s shoulders then shoved him out of the way so she could sit beside her friend. In a serious voice, she said, “I only hired him because I wanted someone to help me carry the stereo and move the outfits. You can tell from his clothes that he’s just a poor slob.”

“I don’t care about that. I think he seems quite nice,” Rachael said with a smile.

“Quite nice!” Zara completely disagreed with her friend. She gave Alex a stern look and said, “I knew it. You only came over to talk to Rachael because you think she’s beautiful. Don’t you know your place? I’m warning you, don’t even think about Rachael.”

“I—” Alex wanted to explain, but he didn’t know what to say.

“What about me, seriously—” Alex began, but as Zara’s gaze became sharper, he stopped midsentence. Seeing that Alex had stopped talking, Rachael looked at him helplessly.

They were interrupted by Zara’s cell phone ringing. She took out a phone on a pink cover and looked at the number, frowning slightly. She stood up and walked away slightly to answer the call.

“Hey, Cindy. Don’t be too stressed. Your family is just worried because you’re not married yet. Okay, okay. If you’re free, why don’t you come to the amusement park? Come and walk around the park. Try to stop worrying. Call me if you need anything.”

Then Zara hung up the phone and sat down beside Rachael with a grim expression.

“What’s wrong?” Rachael asked as she placed her hand on her friend’s knee.

“It’s my cousin, Cindy. She’s getting older, and her family is urging her to hurry up and get married.” Zara glanced at Rachael with downcast eyes.

She said, “Your cousin is very beautiful. She doesn’t have to worry about getting married.” Rachael smiled.

Zara glared at Rachael and tutted. “Ah, Rachael, you don’t understand. Of course, my cousin is worried about getting married. The problem is who will marry her. You’ve seen her photo.”

As she spoke, Zara glanced at Alex with a look of disdain and said, “We can’t marry poor losers like him, right?”

Chapter 10: Who Helped Rose?

After the training session, Zara and the other girls from the cheerleading squad left with the basketball team. The task of cleaning up the equipment naturally fell to Alex, the service assistant. Rachael looked at Alex with pity. She wanted to stay and help him organize the equipment, but Zara pulled her away, saying, “Alex’s only value to the cheerleading squad is helping us pack up. Otherwise, we would’ve kicked him out already.”

As Alex was packing up the equipment for the cheerleading squad and putting it in the storeroom, his phone rang. It was Mark. “Sir, Ken said that the matter has been settled.”

“Okay, that’s great,” Alex said and hung up the phone.

Alex couldn’t believe how quickly his family had sorted it out. It had only been an hour since Alex called them. He guessed that Rose would soon hear the news.

Later, at around five that afternoon, Alex was jogging when he received a call from Joe. Joe seemed very happy, “Alex, where are you?”

“At the sports field. Why do you sound so happy? Is everything all right now with Rose?” Alex thought that the news must have reached her by now.

“Wow. How did you know? Her dad only called 20 minutes ago, and you already knew?” Joe asked in surprise.

“You sound so happy that I knew the problem must be sorted.” Alex smiled faintly.

“That’s true,” Joe raised his voice again and said, “Now that you’re back in her good books, Rose said she wants to treat you to dinner. We’re already on our way there. ”

“You guys go ahead. I don’t want to go.” Rose hated him so much. He knew that if he went, he’d just be miserable.

“Come on, come on, all your friends are here. Are you too scared to come?”

“I don’t want to go. You guys have fun.”

“Hey, you loser. If you don’t come, you’re not our friend anymore. You decide what you want to do.” Joe shouted and hung up.

Alex smiled wryly as he heard the call end.

He walked slowly out of the school gate and went to the restaurant. As soon as he entered, he could hear his friends, and he followed the noise to find their table.

More than ten people were sitting around a table. In addition to Rose’s dorm mates and his dorm mates, there were also a few unfamiliar faces. They must be Rose’s friends he thought.

Alex walked slowly toward the table and everyone turned and looked at him.

Rose, who was chatting with her friends, turned around and saw that Alex had arrived. A look of hatred flashed across her eyes as she said, “Did I tell you to come? Fine, I’m in a good mood, so I guess you can take advantage of that and stay.”

Then she resumed her conversation and didn’t give Alex another look.

As Alex stopped walking and looked at Rose’s back, he felt his heart flutter.

Forget it he thought. Forget that I helped her this time. I won’t have anything to do with her from now on.

Joe quickly walked over to Alex and whispered to him, “Leave her alone. Your friends are happy you came. Come and sit with me.”

As he spoke, Joe pulled Alex over and sat down beside him.

As Alex sat down, Rose glanced at him in disgust. Alex didn’t even look at her, deciding to save himself from the embarrassment.

“Rose, what happened? Why do you hate him?” An unfamiliar girl glanced at Alex and whispered to Rose.

The others, who didn’t know anything about the situation, also looked at Rose, waiting for her explanation.

Rose’s gaze swept across Alex, and then she looked at the others. She sneered arrogantly and said, “This guy is unbelievable. He went to the Metro Sky Bank to withdraw money yesterday morning, but he doesn’t even have a card for that bank.”

Those who didn’t know what had happened all covered their mouths and smiled when they heard Rose’s words. They couldn’t help but look at Alex.

Only Suzan, Joe, and the others who were familiar with the situation, looked extremely embarrassed. They were all thinking, We’re all here eating together. Even if you don’t like Alex, do you have to expose his weaknesses in front of others?

One by one, the waiter brought the plates of food to the table.

The ten of them gathered together, chatting and laughing while Alex only chatted with Joe and Ben beside him, not with Rose and the others.

Rose was saying, “Guess what? In the end, the chairman of the Heavenly Lion Group, Donald Brennan, personally came to my dad’s office to apologize to him. That’s what you call humility.” She recounted the news she had heard from her father.

Her friends replied, “Awesome, Rose. To be honest, I didn’t expect that your family could solve this problem so easily. After all, this is the Heavenly Lion Group, one of the top ten enterprises in New York City!”

“Yeah, Donald has awesome power. It’s even on the internet. He once made a company disappear, but your family problem was solved in less than a day.” Another guy said as he gave a thumbs up.

“Tell us who exactly helped your family so we can tell everyone,” another boy said to Rose as he smiled.

“Of course, I also wonder who helped my dad. Donald Brennan might be a tough nut to crack for others, but it seems that he’s no match for my dad.” Rose said. “Wait a minute, I’ll call my dad and ask him.”

She took out her cell phone, dialled her father’s number, and turned on the speaker.

“Dad, which uncle did you ask for help this time?” Rose suddenly felt that something wasn’t right. When dad called me this morning to have a go at me, he said all kinds of mean things. She thought. He said that he couldn’t do anything to make Donald give in after the disaster I’ve caused.

Could it be that later on, in a flash of inspiration, he’s remembered someone powerful that he didn’t think about before? An idea flashed through Rose’s mind.