The countdown was ticking.
[Time Remaining: 58:21]
Alex stared at the red numbers floating in his vision. Fifty-eight minutes. If he didn't spend a million dollars by then, the System said he would be "obliterated." He didn't know if that meant he would die or just lose the money, but he wasn't going to risk it.
"I need to spend money. Fast," Alex muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
He looked around. He was near the Financial District. To his left, there was a row of high-end luxury car dealerships. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche.
"Perfect."
He remembered David's mocking laugh. David drives a Porsche. He thinks he's a god because of it.
Alex clenched his jaw and ran toward the Porsche dealership.
He pushed open the glass doors and walked into the showroom. The air conditioning hit him like a blessing. The floor was polished marble, and the cars gleamed under the spotlights.
There were three salespeople standing near the front desk, chatting and laughing. They were dressed in sharp suits that probably cost more than Alex's entire life savings.
When Alex walked in, their laughter stopped. They looked him up and down.
Alex was a mess. His cheap suit was wrinkled and stained with sweat. His hair was messy from the wind. He looked like a delivery boy who had gotten lost.
One of the salesmen, a tall man with slicked-back hair named Steven, sneered. He didn't even bother to walk over. He just waved his hand as if shooing away a fly.
"Delivery entrance is in the back. We didn't order any pizza."
The other salesmen snickered.
Alex took a deep breath. "I'm not here to deliver pizza. I'm here to buy a car."
Silence.
Then, the salespeople burst out laughing.
"You? Buy a car?" Steven walked over, crossing his arms. He looked at Alex with pure contempt. "Kid, do you know where you are? This is Porsche. The cheapest tire here costs more than your kidney."
"I want to see your most expensive model," Alex said, checking the timer. [55:40]. He didn't have time for this trash.
Steven's face darkened. "Get out. I don't have time to play games with beggars. If you dirty the floor, I'll call security."
"Are you deaf?" Alex stepped forward, his eyes cold. "I said, show me the car. Do you want the commission or not?"
Steven was stunned for a second. The beggar had an aura. It was... intimidating.
But then he remembered Alex's shoes. They were old, worn-out sneakers.
"Security!" Steven shouted. "Get this bum out of here!"
Two large security guards started walking toward them from the entrance.
Alex felt the anger rising in his chest. This was exactly how Manager Wang treated him. This was how Jessica treated him. Everyone looked down on him just because he looked poor.
"Wait!"
A soft voice called out from the corner.
A young woman, probably an intern, hurried over. She looked nervous. Her nametag read 'Sarah'.
"Steven, let me handle it," Sarah said quietly. "He... he might be a customer."
"A customer?" Steven scoffed. "Sarah, you're new, so you're stupid. Look at him. He's here to take selfies for Instagram. Don't waste your time."
Steven turned his back and walked away. "Kick him out if he doesn't leave in one minute."
Sarah looked at Alex apologetically. "I'm sorry about him, sir. Can I... can I help you with anything? Maybe a brochure?"
She didn't believe he could buy a car either, but at least she was polite.
Alex looked at her. [50:15].
"I don't need a brochure," Alex said. He pointed to the center of the showroom.
Sitting on a rotating platform was a silver beast. It looked like a spaceship.
"That one," Alex said. "How much?"
Sarah blinked. "That... that's the 918 Spyder. It's a limited edition. It's... um... strictly for display unless you are a VIP."
"Price," Alex demanded.
"It's... with all the taxes and import fees... it's about 1.8 million dollars," Sarah stammered.
1.8 million.
Alex grinned. It was perfect. It covered the mission requirement instantly.
"I'll take it," Alex said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his old, cracked debit card.
Steven, who was watching from the desk, laughed so hard he choked on his coffee. "He's going to use a debit card! Did you hear that? He thinks he has two million dollars on a student debit card!"
"Sir..." Sarah looked like she wanted to cry. She felt like Alex was pranking her. "Please don't joke. If the transaction declines, Steven will fire me."
"It won't decline," Alex said calmly. "Swipe it."
He handed the card to her.
Sarah took it with trembling hands. She walked to the card machine. Steven and the other salesmen gathered around, smirking, waiting for the loud BEEP of rejection so they could throw Alex out.
"This is going to be good," Steven grinned. "Hey security, get ready to drag him out."
Sarah inserted the card. She typed in the amount: $1,800,000.00.
She looked at Alex. "Pin?"
Alex typed it in. 1-2-3-4.
Everyone held their breath.
The machine whirred.
Processing...
Steven smirked. "Here it comes. Insufficient fun—"
[APPROVED]
The machine printed a long receipt. Chhh-chhh-chhh.
The sound was deafening in the silent showroom.
Steven's jaw dropped. His eyes bulged out of his head. He looked at the receipt, then at Alex, then back at the receipt.
"Impossible..." Steven whispered. "The machine must be broken."
[DING!]
[Mission Complete: Spend $1,000,000.] [Reward: +10 Strength. Beginner Gift Pack Sent to Inventory.] [New Balance: ∞]
Alex felt a surge of warm energy rush through his body. His muscles tightened. He felt lighter, stronger.
He snatched the receipt from the machine and slapped it onto Steven's chest.
"I'll take the keys now," Alex said, his voice dropping an octave. "And Sarah? You get the commission, right?"
Sarah was frozen, staring at the receipt. The commission on 1.8 million... that was more than her yearly salary.
"I... yes... yes sir!" Sarah practically screamed.
Steven's face turned pale. He realized what he had just done. He had just lost a commission worth tens of thousands of dollars. He fell to his knees.
"Sir! Sir, wait! There was a mistake!" Steven grabbed Alex's leg. "I was joking! I can help you! Let me handle the paperwork, I'm the senior manager!"
Alex looked down at Steven like he was a bug.
"Get your hands off my suit," Alex said coldly. "You said it yourself. You don't serve beggars."