Becoming a Money God with My Kickback System

Chapter 6

Chase didn't answer the call the previous night. Instead, he went back to his apartment to rest. 

The apartment had been put back in order. The floorboard was fixed, the broken furniture was replaced, and a note lay on the table with a receipt showing that his rent arrears had been cleared, down to the last penny. There wasn't a single speck of dust.

The next morning came quickly, and Chase was thinking about going to see Lily when the roar of an engine outside pulled him to the window.

A Rolls-Royce had stopped in front of his building.

Chase was surprised. His neighborhood was run-down, not a place where anyone with money ever came. The sleek black car looked completely out of place, and it immediately sparked the curiosity of the neighbors.

The driver hurried around and opened the back door. The woman who stepped out was extremely beautiful. Her hair was combed to the side and held in place with a headband. Her eyes were big and blue, her nose was pointed, and her lips were full. She wore a body-fitting gown that made every head turn.

Chase was surprised when he saw her walking towards his building.

It definitely can't be me, Chase thought. The system might have been spectacular, but this was going to be pure fantasy.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A set of resounding knocks landed on his door, and he froze.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"My name is Vanessa, and I'm here to see Mr. Chase Locke," she said. Her voice was so polite that Chase didn't overthink it before opening the door.

She entered and looked around the room before her eyes landed on him.

"Mr. Chase, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said, extending her hand.

"Same here," Chase said, accepting the handshake. "You can sit."

Vanessa sat and crossed her legs gracefully.

"I tried calling you last night, but you didn't pick up," she said.

"Oh, that was you? Sorry, it was an unknown number, and I didn't want any unnecessary drama," Chase said, scratching his head.

Vanessa chuckled. "That is fair enough. Mr. Chase, you have done a very great deal for my family in the past few days."

"I have?" Chase asked, not sure which direction his thoughts should go. A lot had happened in the last few days.

"Yes. Yesterday, at the hospital, the one who received your transfer for Patient 002 was my younger brother, Victor. He was dealing with a serious illness, and his treatment couldn't be delayed. When we found out that somebody had made the payment, I asked the doctor for the records, and that is how I found you. I did not expect it."

Chase remembered the strange mission, and suddenly it all made sense.

"You're welcome," he said. Then, out of curiosity, he asked, "Your name is Vanessa, right?"

"Yes, but I held back my other name so that we can be comfortable," Vanessa said with a small smile. "My full name is Vanessa Aldridge."

"Aldridge?" Chase asked, almost in disbelief.

He couldn't imagine that the woman sitting in front of him was the daughter of the Aldridge family, whose group was one of the top three industries in the entire city.

"Yes," Vanessa said. "That is why I came here in person to thank you. And I'm also here to reward you."

Chase raised an eyebrow. "Reward? What do you mean?"

"For that, I will need you to come with me," she said with a small mysterious smile.

"Why? Can't you just tell me now?"

"You don't like surprises?" Vanessa asked.

Chase considered it and didn't want to disappoint the lady. "Fine."

They went downstairs. The neighbors were already whispering from their windows. How did a man who couldn't even pay his rent become close to the daughter of one of the richest families in the city?

The driver opened the door for them, and both slipped into the vehicle.

It was like sitting inside a private cloud. The roof of the car glittered with tiny lights like a night sky, the plush seats hugged his body, and the drive was almost indistinguishable from teleportation. The tinted windows shut out the noise, and Chase didn't even realize when they had arrived. The experience was so smooth that he didn't care about the journey.

The car stopped in front of a tall glass building. After they got out, Vanessa said, "This way."

Chase followed closely behind her as they entered.

"Good morning, Miss Vanessa!" everyone said, pausing their work as she walked through the lobby. With a small hand gesture, she released them, and they continued working. Chase was impressed, though not surprised. That much respect wasn't something you got without earning it.

Vanessa led him to her office. At the door, a woman in a neat suit was waiting.

"Welcome, Miss Vanessa," she said.

"Thank you, Anna," Vanessa answered, and they all went inside.

"Mr. Chase, what you did was very good," Vanessa said, sitting behind her desk. "My brother's illness could have taken his life. If you had not acted, I don't know what would have happened. So I want to reward you by giving you a company of your own."

"A company?" Chase asked, surprised.

"Yes, one of our subsidiaries. My assistant will give you a list of all the companies under the Aldridge Group, and you are free to choose any one of them."

Anna walked over and dropped the list in front of Chase. "Please pick your desired company, sir, so we can start the paperwork and transfer ownership."

Chase looked at the list. It was quite long, but his eyes swept over it from top to bottom without blinking. The problem wasn't reading the list. It was deciding which one to pick. Each company had its own description, and he was thinking about it when a sound rang in his head.

Ding!

[New Mission: Choose Northline Logistics, the last company on the list.]

"Okay," Chase said, more to himself than to the others.

"Have you decided?" Vanessa asked.

"Yes, I have. I pick this one," Chase said, tapping the last name on the list.

When he looked back at them, their expressions were of shock. Vanessa's eyes opened wider, and Anna's mouth dropped open.

"Would you like to see the details of your choice? Or do you need more information so that you can decide?" Vanessa asked.

"No, I have already read the brief. I understand this is a struggling company, but I can take it," Chase said with a smile.

"I know you read the brief," Vanessa said, "but the company is in a dire state. I know you may be a man of noble character and you want to prove yourself, but I can suggest other companies you can use to do that instead."

"It's okay. I like the one I've selected, and I'll make do with it," Chase said.

Vanessa cleared her throat. "Alright then. Anna, help him with the finalization."

"Thank you," Chase said, and Vanessa nodded once.

They moved to the next room, and Anna walked in front of him. But for some reason, Chase noticed a change in her attitude, from the calm demeanor she had earlier.

She brought out files concerning the company from her desk. "Please put your information here, and here," she said.

"Okay, I can do that," Chase said, picking up the pen. But before the ink could touch the paper, Anna placed her palm over the page, blocking him. Her expression was fierce.

"What seems to be the problem?" Chase asked.

"The problem, sir, is that you are making a financial mistake," Anna said.

"A financial mistake?"

"Yes, sir, and a big one. This company is not just dying. It shouldn't even be on this list, because it should have been folded up already. We haven't cleared it from our books yet, and a few shares are still available, but you must know that we did everything we could to revive it, and it didn't work. That is why I strongly advise you to change your choice. It's not too late, since nothing has been finalized."

"Oh, I see," Chase said. He placed a finger on his cheek, as if he was thinking. Anna felt relieved, believing he had decided to change his mind.

"That is fine," Chase said, and Anna's mouth dropped open just before she shut it.

Slowly, she lifted her fingers from the book. Chase went through all the details, signed the documents, and stood up.

"I'll be leaving now," Chase said.

At the door, Vanessa handed him her card. "If you need anything, call me directly."

"Thank you," he said, and left.

Anna couldn't believe it. She didn't know whether to blame his lack of awareness or his lack of financial knowledge, but all she could think was, What is wrong with this man?