Betrayed Into Wealth

Chapter 7

"Huh? You really got this much money?" Brian asked in disbelief.

His eyes, which had been heavy with sleep, immediately snapped open. His gaze was fixed on the phone screen, making sure the number displayed hadn't changed.

His account balance had truly increased to an amount he'd never even dared to imagine. In his entire life, seeing such a large amount in his account had been a mere dream. Even a million rupiah seemed rare, let alone tens of times that amount.

But now, the money was actually in his account. One hundred million rupiah.

"I'm rich!" he exclaimed spontaneously, jumping out of bed.

The statement sounded exaggerated, even to his own ears. He knew it wasn't enough to be considered rich. However, for someone who had always had to count small change for food and transportation, the figure was more than enough to make his heart race.

In fact, if he added up all his wages, it would take him who knew how many years to accumulate that much money. Now, in a single day, it had landed in his account.

Brian pinched his arm, hard enough to wince. He just wanted to make sure this was all real, not a dream or a cruel joke. The stinging sensation in his arm was the simplest proof.

"Ah, it doesn't matter if my lips bleed a little and my cheeks are bruised if I get this much money," he murmured with a smile.

Strangely, the pain in his body seemed to fade. The crushing pain in his bones and muscles that had made him nearly immobile this morning now felt much lighter. The money was like the most effective medicine for any ailment.

The next day...

Brian stood in front of a small motorcycle dealership on the side of the road. With his newfound money, he felt the need to replace his motorcycle immediately.

His old one was gone, and he knew full well he would never be able to get it back. After all, it was his most important means of transportation, both to campus and to the cafe where he worked.

With a motorcycle, at least his transportation expenses would be reduced.

After much deliberation, Brian finally chose a used motorcycle that was still in decent condition. It wasn't too expensive, nor too flashy.

He had to save money. He realized that the last semester was always full of unexpected expenses. By having savings, at least he wouldn't have to panic if he suddenly needed money.

As he parked his motorcycle on campus, several pairs of eyes immediately turned to him.

"Wow, someone's got a new motorcycle?" one of his friends joked.

Brian just smiled faintly. He did have an afternoon class at one o'clock. His presence on a different motorcycle immediately attracted attention.

"Where's your beat-up bike?" Jackson asked with a laugh.

"Traded it for this one," Brian replied curtly, choosing to lie.

He couldn't possibly tell the truth. Losing a motorcycle, a large sum of money, let alone the strange system on his phone, all seemed too unbelievable. His friends knew who Brian was.

Brian was a village boy from a humble background. His parents barely made ends meet. In the city, he studied while working hard to survive. Going hungry was nothing new to him. The past two years had improved slightly since becoming a regular singer at a café, but even then, it was far from plentiful.

Suddenly, a car stopped not far from them. Alex got out first, followed by Lily at his side. The two walked side by side toward class.

“Whose bike is this?” Alex asked, his eyes glancing at Brian’s, which was surrounded by people.

“Brian’s. Just got a new one,” Jackson replied.

“Wow, great. So Brian’s rich,” Alex said with a lopsided smile.

Anyone who heard him would know it wasn’t a compliment. His tone was clearly sarcastic. Brian stared at Alex calmly. He had always thought their relationship was fine. Only now did he realize that Alex was simply exploiting his intelligence. He never had any genuine intention of becoming a true friend.

“This is all I can do, Lex,” Brian replied quietly. “At least, all old memories should be put aside. The important thing is not to steal what belongs to a friend.”

That statement brought a sudden silence. Several students looked at each other, sensing the sudden tension.

“What do you mean?” Alex asked, his voice rising.

“Nothing. I was just answering,” Brian replied casually.

That’s when Lily stepped closer. Her eyes scanned Brian’s bike from top to bottom, and her lips curved into a sardonic smile.

"Brian, even if you replace your old bike with this, you still look poor," she said without hesitation. "It's no different from your old, smoking, beat-up bike."

Brian smiled slightly. It was a calm smile, but his eyes were cold.

"I know," he replied. "At least, even though I only had a crappy, smoking bike back then, I could still sleep with a beautiful girl like you."

Lily's face immediately paled.