David didn't waste a second. With $240 million sitting in his bank account, his priorities were clear: Acquisition and Revenge.
He didn't need to shop around. He pulled out his new phone—which he'd bought instantly at the mall using a simple 50x cashback multiplier—and called the city's most exclusive luxury car dealership.
"I want the fastest car you have, on the floor, ready to drive now. Something that makes a statement." David's voice was calm, the voice of a predator who had just spotted its prey.
"Sir, we have a limited edition Lamborghini Sian in the showroom. Price tag is $3.6 million, wire transfer only. We need forty-eight hours to prep—" the salesman stammered.
"I'll give you $5 million if it's outside the shopping center in twenty minutes. Keep the change. Don't make me wait." David hung up.
Exactly seventeen minutes later, the dealer, sweat dripping from his face, was standing next to a monstrous, matte black Sian that looked like a stealth fighter jet on wheels. The $5 million wire transfer had already cleared. David didn't even check the cashback on the purchase; it was irrelevant.
The power of the engine roared to life, a physical manifestation of his newfound status. David merged onto the freeway, heading back toward the golden lights of the Ritz-Carlton, where his past was enjoying its final moments of arrogance.
Party Crash
Jason Locke's penthouse party was in full swing. Loud EDM music throbbed, illuminating the dozens of glamorous guests clustered around the panoramic windows. Lily, clinging to Jason's arm, was basking in the attention. She felt like she had finally reached the peak of the world.
"Jason, your friends are so influential! Look at that view!" Lily whispered, sipping champagne, strategically ignoring the lingering thought of David.
Suddenly, the music volume dropped, and a palpable shift in the atmosphere occurred near the elevator.
David stepped out. He was still wearing the same cheap, faded suit, but something fundamental had changed. His eyes, devoid of the earlier despair, now held the cold, calculating confidence of someone who owned the room.
He walked straight through the crowd, who instinctively parted before him.
Jason, startled, approached him first. "What the hell is this? How did you get up here, David? Did you sneak past security? Get lost before I call the cops!"
Lily saw David and her eyes widened in shock, then instantly narrowed in pity. "David, look at you. Still wearing that tacky suit. You need to leave."
David didn't even glance at Lily. He focused entirely on Jason.
"I came here to collect a debt, Jason." David spoke slowly, his voice cutting through the noise. "You made me lose a $\$2,000$ ring. And you humiliated me publicly."
"And what are you going to do, poor boy? Are you going to throw your twenty dollars at me?" Jason laughed, and his guests joined in the ridicule.
David stopped right in front of Jason. He pulled out his phone, opened the bank app, and turned the screen toward Jason and Lily.
The balance, bold and unforgiving, glowed: $240,000,023.90
The laughter died instantly. Silence deafened the penthouse.
Jason's jaw dropped. Lily stumbled backward, her hand flying to her mouth.
"That's… that's impossible. It's fake! A prank!" Jason stammered, his face turning pale.
"I just bought a Lamborghini Sian for five million dollars and had it delivered downstairs. Does that look like a prank, Jason?" David leaned in, his voice a dangerous whisper. "Now, I'm buying this entire floor, and every bottle of your cheap champagne, just to donate them all to the city sanitation department."
Lily rushed forward, tears welling up in her eyes. "David! I made a mistake! I was just stressed! Please, I love you! Look, I told Jason I needed to leave him—"
David finally looked at her. His gaze was total, absolute disdain.
"You chose poverty over me. I chose billions over you. We are not on the same road anymore, Lily. Enjoy your champagne, but you are still just an ornament, and Jason is about to be a former tech scion."
David turned away, leaving Lily sobbing and Jason staring dumbfounded at the phone screen.
The System's First Gift
As David walked back toward the elevator, the noise of the party slowly resuming—now a confused, frantic buzz—the cold, digital voice of the system returned.
[DING! Spending Milestone Reached! You have accumulated total spending of over $1,000,000!]
[Level Up! Host is now a Level 2 Tycoon.]
[Milestone Reward Unlocked: [Perfect Recall Serum]]
David smiled, a genuine, chilling smile this time. This was more important than the money, more powerful than the car.
The serum that grants photographic memory.
The cash had won the battle, but the technology would win the war.
He had a company to start, and now, he had the perfect brain to run it.