From Campus Trash To Tycoon

Chapter 1

Chapter One

“Hey,” a young man with curly locks said, snapping his fingers. “You want easy money or not?”

Adrian Vale did not flinch when the words hit him. He stood in the corridor outside the business block, shoulders relaxed and eyes lowered, as if he had heard worse before.

He had.

Words like these came easily to people who never worried about rent, tuition, or tomorrow. Lukas Leonardo was one of the richest students in the university, known for his extravagant lifestyle and constant showing off. He was the undisputed leader of the campus bullies.

Adrian thought of his wallet, the empty space where money should be. His feeding allowance had run low. He would do any work as long as it did not involve stealing. Even if it involved them laughing at him, he would bear it.

Lukas leaned against the wall with careless confidence, surrounded by others who looked exactly like him. They wore expensive watches and polished shoes, faces that had never learned the meaning of restraint.

“We are throwing a party tonight,” Lukas continued condescendingly. “You will handle the drinks, run errands. Whatever we tell you to do.”

Adrian stayed lost in his train of thought for a second before speaking quietly. “At least let me know what my cut is, Lukas.”

“Why are you such an eager loser?” Lukas laughed, beating his chest. “I’ll give you enough to foot your bills.”

Someone laughed, then Lukas added, “You should be grateful. Easy money does not come knocking for people like you. I'm being generous, Adrian.”

The phrase slid into Adrian like a blade, but he was in no position to react. He insisted, “How much?”

That amused them even more.

“See,” Lily, the only girl in the group, added with a smirk. “At least he knows his place.”

“Haha, Adrian isn't just broke; he is the epitome of poverty. Utterly useless and quite repulsive,” Jack taunted. “Lukas is taking it easy on you. Just be ready tonight.”

Jack’s words elicited uproaring laughter. Stung and speechless, Adrian felt dazed. Pride did not keep the lights on, especially for a scholarship student like him.

Adrian stifled a bitter smile and walked away.

The villa was already loud when Adrian arrived that night. Music thumped through the walls, the heavy bass vibrating under his shoes. Sleek and foreign cars lined the driveway and each one worth more than everything Adrian owned combined.

At the door, Lily handed him a black shirt, wrinkling her nose in disgust. “Put this on. You look too much like a guest.”

He changed in the bathroom without complaint.

A tray was pressed into his hands. Guests bumped into him without apologizing. Some of the students recognized him and pretended not to, others stared openly, amused by the scholarship bum playing servant.

“Hey,” someone called loudly as Adrian passed. “Careful with that bottle. You might drop something you cannot replace.”

“We’d deduct it from his tuition fees!” another voice shouted.

Laughter followed him, but Adrian kept moving. At the center of the room, Lukas raised his glass and cheers erupted. Adrian poured drinks, wiped spills, and swallowed the weight pressing against his chest.

Then Lukas whispered something into Jack’s ear. Jack leaned close to Adrian and bumped his chest. “Go to the wine cellar. Bring the most expensive champagne. The real bottles. Do not mess it up... or you pay for it.”

The stairs down were cold and quiet. Adrian exhaled slowly as he descended. The silence wrapped around him like relief. For a brief moment, he was just a person again. Not a joke. Not a servant.

Then, he heard soft, familiar laughter.

His steps slowed. Around the corner, framed by rows of imported wine, his girlfriend, Mira, was pressed against the wall, kissing someone else. Her hands were tangled in the boy’s jacket. She laughed between kisses, unhurried and unafraid of being seen.

The boy holding her was everything Adrian was not. Rich. Confident. From a powerful family. He was Jason, the young master whose father owned the largest share in the university.

Adrian felt the ground tilt. He had accepted this humiliating job just to get enough money to buy her flowers. He realized now that Jack sending him to the cellar wasn't an errand—it was a trap. They wanted him to see this.

Adrian stepped forward. Mira's eyes met his. For a fraction of a second, surprise flickered across her face. It was quickly replaced by irritation.

“What are you doing here, Adrian?” she asked sharply.

“I was sent to get wine,” Adrian said quietly.

Jason laughed, fiddling with Mira’s hair like she was his pet. “Of course you were. Jack is such a nuisance to my advantage.”

Adrian ignored him, his gaze fixed on Mira. “Can we talk?”

She sighed as if he were an inconvenience. “Not now.”

“When then?”

“When you stop pretending this was ever going anywhere,” Mira snapped.

Adrian’s chest tightened. “I thought we mattered.”

Mira let out a short and cruel laughter. “You never did anything for me. Not once. No dates. No gifts. No plans. I was always waiting for you to become something. It's better we part ways than become an inconvenience to each other.”

“I tried,” Adrian said, his voice cracking.

“Tried with what?” she shot back. “Your empty promises? Or the fact that you're willing to sell your pride for any job that comes your way?”

In her brown eyes, Adrian saw his reflection clearly for the first time, he was just a useless campus errand boy to her.

Jason smirked, resting an arm on her shoulder. “I flew her out last weekend. I buy her designer bags and jewelry. Things you cannot even dream of. Things bigger than your vegetables that will die in a few days.”

Jason teased with a wide grin, “Come on Adrian, you can’t afford this girl. She’s way bigger than you.”

Adrian looked at Mira. “Is this true?”

She crossed her arms. “Yes. I moved on. I am tired of pretending love is enough. I deserve more. You... you embarrass me.”

Those words cut deeper than the laughter upstairs.

“You were never capable of giving me the life I want,” she continued. “I am done settling.”

Jason laughed again. “You should thank me. I took the burden off you.”

Adrian said nothing. He wanted to strike Jason, but he knew the consequences. With Jason’s status, Adrian would be expelled and his life made a living hell. He turned and walked away, his eyes burning with a silent curse.

No one stopped him. No one cared.

As he reached the exit, Lukas stepped in his path. “Hey, bummer. Where do you think you’re going?”

Adrian ignored him, his jaw clenched. Lukas reached into his pocket and threw several dollar bills onto the floor.

Lukas waved his hand in dismissal. “Get lost.”

Adrian stood still for a heartbeat. Then, he leaned down, picked up the dollar bills from the floor, and dusted them off before putting them in his pocket. He placed his tray in the kitchen and slipped out the back door without a word.

The dorm room felt small and empty when he returned. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor as the night replayed in fragments. The laughter. Her voice. The word settling.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated. An unknown number.

He checked the screen, expecting a bank error or a prank. Instead, his eyes widened.

Unknown Number. He wondered who might be calling him late into the night.

Transaction Alert!

A deposit of one billion dollars has been made to your account.

Adrian stared at the screen.

The amount was impossible.

His breath caught. His heart slammed against his ribs.

For the first time that night, he doubted his own eyes. Maybe it was the heartbreak, he thought. But he checked again.

His eyes flashed open and the number of zeros (1,000,000,000)!!!