Ding! My System Turns Your Arrogance Into Cash

Chapter 4: Not Your Usual Prey

Chad laughed loudly, pulling out his phone. "Let me record this. The internet is going to love it."

Professor Vance reached out his hand, his fingers curling into a claw as he moved toward Nicholas.

"Give me that backpack right now!" Vance forcefully grabbed at Nicholas’s backpack to search it, threatening to call the campus police on the spot.

Nicholas shifted his weight and slid to the left with effortless grace.

Professor Vance’s hand swiped through empty air, completely missing the backpack straps.

Vance stumbled forward a step, his face twisting with irritation as he nearly lost his balance.

"Did you just dodge me, you little brat?" Vance yelled, his voice cracking with rage.

Nicholas didn't answer right away, his eyes locked onto the glowing letters hovering over Vance’s head.

The system text box shone brightly in the dim basement, revealing every dirty secret.

"Nicholas, stop resisting!" Miranda shouted, her face flushed with deep embarrassment for him.

"You are just digging a bigger hole for yourself. Just let the Professor search your things!" she added.

Chad smirked, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "He won't open it because he knows he's caught red-handed."

Nicholas let out a short, cold breath, a sudden, sharp confidence filling his entire chest.

He looked directly at Chad, his gaze so intense that Chad’s confident smirk slightly faltered.

"I don't have the textbook, Chad," Nicholas said, his voice dropping to a calm, deadly whisper.

"In fact, you know exactly where that textbook is right now," Nicholas added, taking a step forward.

Chad scoffed, though his shoulders locked up uncomfortably. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Nicholas clenched his fist by his side. The only reason he said that was because the system has apparently revealed that the professor was bribed to falsely accuse him.

He then turned his icy gaze over to Professor Vance, who was sweating heavily under his collar.

“Ten minutes ago, in the hallway, Chad slipped a thick white envelope into your jacket pocket," Nicholas exposed.

"Inside that envelope is exactly five hundred dollars in cash. A bribe to get me expelled today."

Vance gasped loudly, his hands flying up to cover his chest as if he had been physically struck.

"Slander! This is pure academic slander!" Vance shrieked, his eyes darting frantically around the room.

Chad’s eyes widened in sudden, absolute terror, his mouth falling open as his face drained of color.

"H-How do you... you’re making things up!" Chad stammered, his confident posture collapsing instantly.

Miranda looked at Chad, her eyebrows furrowing in sudden confusion. "Chad? What is he talking about?"

"Don't listen to him, Miranda! He's just trying to distract us!" Chad yelled, his voice sounding panicked.

"Is it?" Nicholas asked, pointing a calm finger toward the phone sticking out of Vance's pocket.

"How about we check your call log? Or probably your phone to see if you both exchanged any text.”

Nicholas said quickly. He wasn’t so sure about all this but the wealth insight already automatically gave Nicholas a leverage to work on.

This new system he just got?

It seemed like the most incredible thing that has ever happened to him and he swore inwardly that he would use it to the fullest.

Meanwhile, Miranda on the other hand froze, her jaw dropping open as she looked back and forth between Chad and the pale professor.

She wasn’t angry that they had accused Nicholas wrongly. She just hated that fact that they might lose this one.

"Professor Vance... is that true?" Miranda whispered, her voice filled with sudden shock and disbelief.

Vance couldn't even speak; he was trembling so violently his glasses slid down the bridge of his nose.

He grabbed his ledger, turned around, and began rushing up the basement stairs without looking back once.

"This meeting is over! I will not tolerate this disrespect!" Vance hollered, his voice fading down the hall.

Chad’s face turned a deep, furious shade of red as the entire plan blew up right in his face.

He felt the intense sting of public humiliation, especially with Miranda staring at him with wide, questioning eyes.

"You think you’re smart, Nicholas?" Chad roared, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white.

"This isn't over! I am going to completely ruin your life on this campus! Just you wait!"

Chad violently grabbed Miranda’s arm, dragging her up the concrete steps while she stumbled in her heels.

"Chad, let go! You lied to me? Now that fool thinks he has won!" Miranda cried out, her voice filled with sudden distress as they disappeared.

The heavy metal door slammed shut once again, leaving the archive room completely silent.

Nicholas let out a long breath. Now they are off his neck. He needed to figure out how this system works now.

He then pulled his phone out to check the digital clock on the home screen.

The time was exactly 9:00 PM.

Midnight is in three hours. I have to spend five thousand dollars completely, or the system resets to zero.

A sudden sense of urgency gripped him, erasing the last remnants of his sadness over Miranda.

He grabbed his backpack, marched up the stairs, and left the library building with fast, heavy strides.

He ran across the wet pavement toward the campus commercial strip, stopping in front of the largest luxury tech store.

The bright neon lights inside showed rows of high-end, custom-built laptops, sleek smartphones, and premium tablets.

Nicholas pushed the glass door open, the warm air of the store instantly hitting his cold, damp face.

He walked directly toward the main glass display case, his eyes locked on a top-tier pro laptop.

Before he could even get close, a tall, snobbish sales clerk stepped out from behind the counter, blocking him.

The clerk wore a pristine custom suit and had his hair slicked back with an excessive amount of gel.

He looked down at Nicholas’s soaked jacket, muddy jeans, and old canvas shoes with immense, visible disgust.

"Can I help you find the exit, kid?" the clerk sneered, his voice dripping with pure arrogance.

"I am here to buy a laptop and a new phone," Nicholas replied, keeping his tone calm and steady.

The clerk let out a loud, mocking scoff, crossing his arms and refusing to move an inch out of the way.

"The cheap student discounts are over at the university bookstore, buddy. We don't sell toys here," the clerk said.

"The items in this display cost more than your entire family makes in a whole year," he added coldly.

Nicholas felt a familiar spark of irritation, but his new system balance gave him a profound sense of security.

"I didn't ask for a discount. I asked to see the premium merchandise," Nicholas said, his aura turning cold.

"And I said no," the clerk snapped, his eyes flashing with a rude, elitist anger as he raised his voice.

"Look at you. You are dripping muddy rainwater all over our expensive, imported hardwood floor."

A few wealthy students shopping nearby turned around, whispering and snickering at Nicholas’s messy appearance.

"Leave right now before I call campus security to drag you out for loitering," the clerk threatened loudly.