All Chapters of The Return of the Campus Trillionaire: Chapter 171
- Chapter 180
226 chapters
CHAPTER 171
The glass doors of the office lobby gleamed under the early morning sunlight. Jared Diamond paused just inside, taking a measured breath, as if preparing to enter a world that had been waiting for him to claim it. The lobby was quiet, polished, and faintly sterile. A few employees wandered through, coffee cups in hand, exchanging polite nods and murmured greetings. None of them knew who he really was yet. None of them could anticipate what would come.He adjusted the cuff of his jacket, smooth and dark, and stepped forward, each movement precise, deliberate. A receptionist glanced up, smiled politely, and offered a tentative, “Good morning. Can I help you?”“Jared Diamond,” he said evenly, his voice calm but carrying an unspoken weight. “I’m here to see the management team.”Her eyes flickered briefly, betraying the same hesitation that ran through several faces in the room. She recovered quickly. “Of course, Mr. Diamond. They’re expecting you. Please follow me.”As he followed her t
CHAPTER 172
The office felt alive with tension before anyone even spoke. Jared leaned back in his chair, observing the hum of activity around him: assistants rushing with folders, a few executives clustering near a glass wall, discussing numbers he didn’t yet care to know. He was here for a different purpose—to understand the people who ran his companies and the friction points they’d learned to protect like shields.He tapped his phone once, sending a brief text to Shelly: “Family gathering starting tonight. Work’s insane. Wish you were here to keep me sane.”The reply came almost instantly: “Save some sanity for me, Jared . Don’t overwork.” He smiled faintly. It was easier this way, keeping the secret close, sharing just enough to maintain connection.Jared had barely settled when Marissa Blake stormed into the conference room. Her posture was sharp, her temper barely contained. “We need to discuss these proposed workflow changes now,” she snapped, dropping a stack of papers onto the table. “I’
CHAPTER 173
The conference room smelled faintly of strong coffee and disinfectant, a faint reminder of the late hours some of the team had logged. Jared leaned against the edge of the long table, arms crossed, eyes scanning the gathered faces. Around him, his senior managers shifted uneasily, whispering to one another under the hum of the overhead lights. The rebellion had been subtle but unmistakable. One team member had tried to steer a major project without consulting him, another had questioned the direction he’d outlined for the quarter. The ripple of dissent had reached him, and now, Jared intended to extinguish it.He let the silence stretch just long enough for attention to settle fully on him. “I’ve noticed some of you have been… interpreting my absence from direct oversight as permission to act independently,” he began, voice calm but sharp. “That assumption is dangerous. Very dangerous.”A few eyes flickered to the manager sitting closest to the door—Lucas Mercer. He’d been the one pus
CHAPTER 174
By the time Jared stepped out of the black sedan in front of Los Angeles University, the air felt different.Or maybe it was him.The office had settled into order over the past week. Deadlines were being met without reminders. Reports arrived on time. The murmurs of dissent had faded into cautious efficiency. Managers now asked before acting. Proposals were structured, data-backed, disciplined. The rebellion had burned out quickly, leaving behind a sharper chain of command.Control restored.For the first time since stepping into that building as Jared Diamond, he felt something close to equilibrium. The company no longer felt like a battlefield. It felt like an instrument—tuned, responsive, waiting.Campus, however, was another story.As he walked past the main gates, conversations dipped and rose in subtle waves. Some students glanced at him openly; others pretended not to. Jonah’s recent elevation still lingered in the air like perfume—noticeable, artificial, persistent.Jared did
CHAPTER 175
Exams were dangerously close.The word had started appearing everywhere—on notice boards, in group chats, in hushed conversations outside lecture halls. Final assessment schedules had been posted. Study rooms were booked days in advance. The library, once merely busy, had transformed into a quiet war zone of caffeine and desperation.Jared sat at a long wooden table near the center aisle, textbooks spread neatly in front of him, laptop open, notes organized with mechanical precision.And yet, he wasn’t reading.His eyes hovered over a page of economic models without absorbing a single formula. The words blurred into meaningless shapes as his mind drifted somewhere far less academic.There had been a time—not even that long ago—when this exact table had felt different.Back when Becky would sit to his left, highlighter in hand, chewing absentmindedly on the cap as she argued over definitions. Brad would sprawl opposite them, pretending not to care while secretly memorizing everything f
CHAPTER 176
The first exam began under a ceiling of silence so heavy it felt engineered.Rows of desks stretched across the grand hall of Los Angeles University, spaced with surgical precision. Bags were left at the front. Phones were surrendered. Sleeves were checked. Even water bottles were inspected.No room for error.Jared sat near the middle row this time. Calm. Focused. Prepared.When the paper was placed before him and the command to begin was given, he flipped it over without hesitation.His eyes scanned the questions.A flicker of recognition crossed his face.Not because he had seen the paper before.But because Question Three—an advanced theoretical application—was something he had revised thoroughly two nights ago while reorganizing some archived lecture materials.He lowered his pen and began writing.Across the hall, Shelly worked intensely near the front. Becky sat along the left column this time, three rows ahead of him.Forty minutes passed.Then—“Candidate 47B.”The voice was
CHAPTER 177
The Examination Committee Room was smaller than most imagined.No grand oak panels. No dramatic banners. Just a long rectangular table, beige walls, fluorescent lighting, and a ceiling fan that ticked faintly as it rotated.But power lived in that room.Jared sat at one end of the table, alone.The confiscated materials lay sealed in a transparent evidence pouch before the committee chair.Professor Dale stood near the whiteboard, arms folded.Three other professors sat around the table—Professor Lang from Economics, Professor Mireles from Applied Mathematics, and Professor Hargrove, Head of Academic Integrity.The air was tight.Professor Hargrove adjusted her glasses and began formally.“Candidate Jared… you are accused of examination malpractice under Section 4A of university code. Unauthorized materials were discovered taped beneath your assigned desk and concealed within your answer booklet. You deny ownership of these materials. Is that correct?”“Yes,” Jared replied evenly.Pro
CHAPTER 178
Professor Hargrove tapped the evidence pouch one final time. “The committee is agreed: the documentation and testimonies will be forwarded. We’ll compile a detailed report outlining the physical evidence, the procedural gaps, and the student’s statements.”Jared finally spoke, his voice calm but edged with tension. “I appreciate the committee’s diligence, but I want it clear on record—I did not cheat. The materials were not mine, and any attempt to suggest otherwise is false.”Professor Dale’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Your insistence alone does not exonerate you, Mr. Jared. The evidence remains.”“I understand,” Jared replied. “But understand this: if someone planted those materials, the real issue is not me—it’s a breach of procedure. That should be addressed just as seriously.”Professor Lang gave a brief nod, almost imperceptibly. “And that point will be included in the report.”Professor Mireles glanced between the assembled faces. “It’s rare, but not impossible, for extern
CHAPTER 179
The office of Director Hill was imposing. Dark wood panels lined the walls, and shelves of thick leather-bound tomes cast shadows under the harsh fluorescent lights. The room smelled faintly of polished furniture and stale coffee, the kind of scent that seemed to cling to authority.Jared stepped in, keeping his posture straight, his hands at his sides. He had been called here by name, the urgency of the message carrying a quiet weight. Shelly’s words echoed in his mind: “Stay grounded.” He tried to hold onto that as the heavy door clicked shut behind him.Director Hill sat behind a massive mahogany desk, her fingers interlaced. Her expression was sharp, eyes narrowed, and there was a coldness in her gaze that made Jared instinctively stiffen. She didn’t rise, didn’t offer any preamble.“Mr. Jared,” she began, her voice low, deliberate, each syllable measured. “It has come to my attention that you are at the center of an academic misconduct investigation. Evidence has been presented…
CHAPTER 180
Director Hill reclined in his high-backed leather chair, the faint hum of the air conditioning punctuating the silence of his office. Morning light slanted sharply across the polished mahogany desk, illuminating stacks of folders, official notices, and the sealed report from the Examination Committee. His fingers tapped lightly against the smooth wood, a rhythm of satisfaction. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had planned.A slow, deliberate smile curved his lips. He allowed himself a moment to lean back fully, eyes drifting to the framed degrees on the wall, reminders of the authority he wielded. They were symbols of influence, of mastery over procedure, and over students who fancied themselves untouchable. Jared—arrogant, calculating, convinced of his invulnerability—had walked straight into his design.The physical evidence had been subtle. Strategic. Carefully curated. One hand-written sheet tucked beneath the desk. A micro-strip slid delicately into the exam booklet’s bindi