[POV: Alex]
Rain lashed against the floor-to-ceiling windows of Chronos, Fifth Avenue's most exclusive luxury watch boutique. Inside, the air was climate-controlled to perfection, scented with Italian leather and arrogance.
I didn't belong here. My worn-out hoodie was damp, and my sneakers, patched with duct tape, left faint mud tracks on the polished marble floor. I was a delivery boy, a university student drowning in debt, whose entire net worth wouldn't cover the cost of a single watch strap in this place.
But Sarah had text me. "Meet me at Chronos. 8 PM. It's important."
She was standing near the back, looking radiant in a silk dress that cost more than my annual tuition. She wasn't alone.
A man stood next to her, his hand resting possessively on her waist. He was short, balding, and obese, his bloated face twisted in a smug grin. But on his wrist was a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime. That watch alone cost $3 million.
"Alex. You came." Sarah's voice was cold, stripped of the warmth it once held for me.
"Sarah, what's going on? Who is this?" I managed to croak, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"This is Mr. Zhang," she said, leaning into him. "He's my fiancé."
Fiancé. The word felt like a physical blow, leaving me breathless. "But... we were together just last week. You said you loved me."
"Love doesn't pay the rent, Alex," she snapped, her eyes narrowing. "I'm tired of being poor. Tired of sharing a $5 pizza as a 'luxury meal'. Mr. Zhang can give me the life I deserve. A life you can't even dream of."
Mr. Zhang chuckled, a sound like wet gravel rubbing together. "Don't be too hard on the boy, Sarah. He's just a delivery boy. He doesn't understand how the world works."
He walked over to a crystal decanter, pouring himself a glass of vintage red wine. Then, he turned to face me, his expression darkening.
"You know, boy, this floor cost $50,000 to install," Mr. Zhang said, his gaze dropping to my muddy sneakers. "You're tracking filth all over it. The manager will have to hire a professional cleaner."
He stepped forward, tilting his glass.
Splat.
The rich, red liquid splashed over my head, soaking my face, my hoodie, dripping onto the marble. The scent of expensive wine was overwhelming.
"Oops," Mr. Zhang smirked. "My hand slipped. But look at you. You're soaked. How about this..." He pulled out a crumpled $100 bill from his pocket and tossed it onto the floor, right at my wet feet. "Get on your knees and擦 my shoes. I'll let you keep the hundred. It's more money than you've ever held, isn't it?"
Laughter erupted around us. The sales staff, the manager Thomas, the other wealthy customers—they all watched, smirking, enjoying my humiliation.
I clenched my fists. A fiery rage, born of years of poverty and a lifetime of being pushed around, erupted within me. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to tear this whole store down with my bare hands.
[Ding!]
A cold, mechanical, genderless voice echoed in my skull, drowning out the mocking laughter.
[Detection complete. User: Alex. Condition: Extreme Emotional Stress and Humiliation.] [Criteria met. Activating... The World's Bank Account System.]
What... what is this? I thought, stunned.
[System successfully bound!] [Initial Perk Active: Global Wealth Extraction.] [Description: You will now gain $100,000,000 USD every single second. The funds are legitimate, instantly usable, and fully taxable. The System will handle all legal complexities. Have fun.]
[Account Balance: $0.00]
Buzz.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. With trembling hands, I pulled it out. It was a notification from the Bank of America app.
[Bank of America: Your account ending in 8808 has received a deposit of $100,000,000.00. Current Balance: $100,000,000.00.]
My heart stopped. This was impossible. It had to be a hallucination. A cruel joke.
Buzz. (1 second later)
[Bank of America: Your account ending in 8808 has received a deposit of $100,000,000.00. Current Balance: $200,000,000.00.]
Buzz. (Another second)
[Current Balance: $300,000,000.00.]
I looked up. The smirks were still there. Mr. Zhang was still waiting for me to kneel. But the world had changed. In just three seconds, I had become richer than everyone in this room combined.
I wiped the wine from my eyes, my gaze settling on Mr. Zhang. He didn't look intimidating anymore. He looked like an ant.
"Well?" Mr. Zhang barked. "What are you waiting for? Get down!"
I didn't kneel. Instead, I slowly reached into my back pocket and pulled out a plain black debit card. It was a card the system had instantly generated and placed there.
I ignored Mr. Zhang and walked straight past him, my muddy sneakers slapping against the marble, towards the store manager, Thomas.
"Manager Thomas," I said, my voice eerily calm.
Thomas sneered, recoiling from me. "Get out of here, you filthy—"
"I'd like to purchase this entire store," I interrupted him.
The store went dead silent. Mr. Zhang froze. Sarah's jaw dropped.
"Haha! What?" Thomas laughed hysterically, tears gathering in his eyes. "You? This entire store? The inventory alone in this central display case is worth $20 million! This prime real estate on Fifth Avenue is worth hundreds of millions! You're insane!"
"I'm not talking about the brand," I said, my voice rising, commanding the room. "I'm talking about this building. The land. This physical property. And the entire inventory inside it. Name your price."
Thomas stopped laughing. He saw the cold, absolute confidence in my eyes. It wasn't the look of a delusional boy. It was the look of a god.
He gulped. "This... this is prime real estate. To buy the building and the stock... it would be at least $500 million."
"Swipe the card," I said, tossing the black card onto his desk.
Thomas looked at the card, then back at me, terror beginning to replace his smirk. He slowly took the card, his hands shaking, and inserted it into the terminal. He punched in the amount: $500,000,000.00.
BEEP!
A green light flashed on the screen.
[TRANSACTION APPROVED. $500,000,000.00.]
[Bank of America: Your account ending in 8808 has been charged $500,000,000.00.]
Buzz. (1 second later)
[Current Balance: $50,000,000.00. Current Balance: $150,000,000.00...]
The mechanical voice in my head chimed again.
[Ding! $500 Million spent. System Level 1 unlocked!] [Perk Upgrade: Your extraction rate has increased. You will now gain $200 Million USD every second.]
Thomas stared at the approved screen, his face draining of all color. He fell to his knees, his forehead hitting the desk.
"Mr. Alex! My apologies! I was a fool! A blind, ignorant fool!"
I didn't even look at him. I turned to Mr. Zhang and Sarah. Their faces were a mask of terror. Sarah looked at me, her eyes filling with a complex emotion I couldn't decipher. Was it regret? Fear? A sudden, twisted sense of opportunity?
"Mr. Zhang," I said, walking towards him. I took the crumpled $100 bill he had tossed onto the floor and slapped it against his cheek. "Here. For your watch. It's $150,000, right? Keep the change. Clean your shoes. Oh, and you're banned. For life. From this store. And every other property I'll ever own."
I looked at Sarah.
"As for you, Sarah," I said, a cruel smile finally breaking through. "You wanted a life of luxury. Congratulations. You get to keep this job. But you're demoted. Your new role is Janitor of the Restroom. Your salary is $100,000 a year, but if you ever try to quit, you'll owe me the $500 million I just spent on this building. So... you'd better start scrubbing."
I walked out of Chronos, leaving them in the ruins of their own arrogance, as my phone continued to vibrate.
Buzz.
[Current Balance: $1,150,000,000.00.]
The world was mine. And I was just getting started.