Nicholas stood perfectly still, his eyes locked onto the arrogant man blocking his way. The head host puffed out his chest, adjusting his pristine silk bowtie with a smug grin.He sneered because he loved making ordinary people feel small to validate his own fake status.To him, Nicholas looked like just another broke student trying to sneak a peek at high society. Nicholas didn't blink, his cold expression making the elitist host suddenly flinch.A strange, freezing pressure seemed to fill the lavish, gold-trimmed lobby.Nicholas mentally tapped his interface, activating the System's Wealth Insight ability.A transparent screen flashed into his vision, revealing the host's dirtiest secrets."Your name tag says Marcus," Nicholas said, his voice terrifyingly calm."Yes, and it means you need to leave," Marcus snapped, eager to chase him out."It also means you owe three hundred thousand dollars to local loan sharks," Nicholas countered smoothly.Marcus froze, his snobbish smile instant

Nicholas walked down the leafy campus pathway, his eyes fixed on the bright golden interface floating on his smartphone screen.[Emergency Tier 3 Requirement: Invest the full $500,000 into a failing local technology firm before midnight.]The countdown timer was ticking backward relentlessly. Nicholas knew he had to find a target fast. A failing local tech firm could be anywhere in the city, but trying to acquire a corporate business from scratch in just a few hours would take too much paperwork. He needed a place where raw technology was being built right now, but failing purely due to a lack of money.Suddenly, a memory flashed in his mind. Just last week, he had overheard some engineering majors in the cafeteria talking about the university's advanced engineering laboratory. They were complaining that the lab was on the verge of bankruptcy and facing a complete shutdown because their funding had been pulled.A campus lab working on cutting-edge tech with zero cash, Nicholas thoug

Dean Henderson stood frozen, his eyes darting toward the door as if looking for a way to escape."You are no longer in charge of this project, Henderson," Nicholas said, his voice flat and dangerous."Mr. Peterson... please," the dean pleaded, his voice cracking as he tried to find his footing."I was only trying to protect the university's interests. I didn't know—""I don't care what you knew," Nicholas interrupted, his words cutting through the dean's excuses.He needed to teach this corrupt man that power could be stripped away just as easily as it was abused.Nicholas pointed a single, commanding finger toward the heavy wooden exit doors."As the majority owner of this facility, I am barring you from ever entering this laboratory building again," Nicholas said, his hands steady in his pockets.Before Henderson could say another word, Nicholas shifted his gaze to Vivian and her crew. They still had a grateful look on their faces.“No one will cause trouble for you anymore. Enjoy,”

The grand hotel ballroom was a sea of crystal chandeliers and polished marble floors.Nicholas walked through the heavy glass doors, his hands resting casually inside his suit pockets.He looked around the room, taking in the crowd of wealthy heirs, top student influencers, and corrupt university trustees.They were all sipping expensive champagne, laughing loudly as they showed off their luxury watches and designer dresses."Look who decided to show up," a sharp, high-pitched voice mocked from the right.Nicholas turned his head slightly.

"Key word is were," Kyle sneered, turning his back completely on him."Stay away from us. You're ruining our networking chances with your pathetic begging."The other fraternity members quickly stepped away, treating Chad like an infected animal.Chad staggered backward, wallowing in the bitter, icy reality of his sudden social downfall. He had spent years treating ordinary students like trash, and now he was lower than all of them.As Chad slunk into the shadows of the crowd, Miranda emerged from the opposite side of the courtyard.