From Campus Trash To Tycoon

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Adrian glanced at the teller. Her face wasn't just pale; she looked like she was about to faint. "She said this branch doesn't offer financial fantasies," Adrian said coolly.

“You... you brainless, low-class trash!” Mr. Sterling shrieked. “Do you have any idea who this is? His daily interest alone could buy this entire building and turn it into a public toilet! You’re not just fired. I’m calling the police. You are charged with harassment of a VIP, and I’ll see you blacklisted from even working at a grocery store!”

The teller collapsed against her desk, her expensive makeup smeared by tears of terror. She reached out a trembling hand toward Adrian, begging for mercy, but the manager shoved her aside.

“Don’t you dare breathe near him!” Sterling hissed, kicking her. He then turned to Adrian, his face instantly shifting into a submissive, sweating mask of obedience. “Mr. Vale... please. Allow me to escort you to my office. This lobby is no place for a king.”

Inside the office, Mr Sterling closed the door softly behind him.

“I am the branch manager,” the man said. “We have been expecting you.”

He placed a small black case on the desk and opened it.

A black card rested inside.

“The Sovereign Centurion,” the manager whispered, his voice thick with awe.

“No spending limit. Global diplomatic immunity. Private jet access on a ten-minute notice. Mr. Vale... you are now one of the three people in this hemisphere who holds this power.”

Adrian reached out, his fingers brushing the cool metal. He felt the weight of every insult he ever swallowed, every meal he skipped, and every laugh Mira shared at his expense.

Adrian gazed down, he only heard of a black card when Lukas was mocking him that he would only be able to fight him head on and he'd only bow if Adrian owned a black card, now he owned one.

“Mr. Sterling,” Adrian said, his voice dropping to a dangerous chill. “I want to know exactly how much it costs to own the ground Lukas Leonardo walks on. I want to know the price of every brick in Greenhigh University.”

Mr. Sterling bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the desk. “Consider it done, Mr. Vale. I will personally pull every debt records, the land deeds, and the board members' private interests. I will have the full report for you shortly.”

“Good,” Adrian said, tucking the black card into his pocket.

He walked out of the bank, Mr Sterling himself holding open the heavy glass doors. His phone vibrated violently against his thigh. Hedipped his hand into his pocket and pulled it out, checking the screen.

Lina.

Lina stood by him when no one else did. She never mocked him when other students pointed fingers, and she never looked away when he spoke. Adrian swiped the screen.

“You answered! At last,” Lina’s voice spilled through the speaker, bright and breathless. “I called you three times, sent five texts, and almost gave up hope. You’re coming, right? It’s just a small birthday dinner. No drama, no crowds, and nothing crazy.”

“I will be there,” Adrian replied, his voice tightening as the realization hit his chest. He completely forgot her birthday.

The call ended and guilt twisted his stomach. A casual trinket wouldn't do at this point; a real gift mattered. Adrian turned on his heel and walked straight toward the high-end shopping district.

The jewelry store sat on a wide corner, all towering glass and blinding light. Adrian stepped inside without a single trace of hesitation.

The interior air felt cool, restrained, and expensive. Before he could take two steps, a sharp, familiar laugh cut through the quiet room and Adrian stiffened.

Mira and Jason stood right by the display cases. A confrontation in a place like this promised nothing but trouble.

Jason walked forward with Mira beside him, her hand looped tightly through his arm. Jason spotted Adrian at the exact same moment, a wide smirk spreading across his face. He tightened his grip around Mira's waist and kissed her temple. “Well,” he said lightly. “This is unexpected.”

Mira’s cold eyes flicked over Adrian, assessing his shabby jacket without a trace of embarrassment.

The salesgirl at the counter noticed the duo immediately. Her posture straightened instantly. She hurried away from her station, her high heels clicking eagerly against the marble.

“Welcome. I'm Especia, and I will be attending to you today,” she said brightly. “We just received a rare collection. Please, come this way. We have the finest designer bags and the most expensive necklaces from the House of Cartier.”

“Very good. I want to buy something for my girlfriend,” Jason said.

Especia pointed toward a special display glass. Mira's gaze locked onto a particular piece of jewelry, her expression turning lustful. “Baby, I want that necklace. It fits my complexion perfectly.”

Especia did not acknowledge Adrian at all. Jason glanced back deliberately, his eyes mocking Adrian as he followed the senior salesgirl. Mira did not bother hiding her smug satisfaction.

Irritation rose slowly in Adrian's chest. He arrived first why would the sales girl tend to Miraand Jason before him. Especia fawned over Jason, then shot Adrian a disdainful glare that looked like she just stepped in something foul.

“Sir,” Especia barked, her voice loud enough to draw the attention of every client in the room. “The exit is behind you. We don't have a discount section, and we certainly don't allow students to loiter for the air conditioning.”

Jason smirked, pulling Mira closer to his chest. “Oh, let him stay, Especia. It’s good for Mira to see what she escaped. Look at him—still wearing those same scuffed shoes. Adrian, are you here to see if we have any cheap silver scraps you can afford with your errand boy tips?”

Mira hesitated before giggling, her eyes raking over Adrian with pure mockery. “Jason, don't be cruel. He probably missed his road trying to buy a counterfeit cheap jewelry for that little friend of his, Lina. I heard they share ramen in the library. How romantic and cheap.”

Adrian ignored the insults, turning his back on them to gesture for an assistant. A younger salesgirl stepped forward. Her smile was hesitant, her demeanor quiet.

“Hello,” she said softly. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Her eyes did not judge him. They did not skim his faded clothes.

“I am looking for a birthday gift,” Adrian replied.

She nodded quickly. “Of course. Do you have something specific in mind?”

Adrian scanned the glowing displays. At the same exact time, Jason’s loud voice rose from across the showroom.

“That one,” Jason said, pointing. “The necklace. The one with the emerald cut.”

Adrian’s gaze followed the movement. The piece was the exact same sapphire and diamond necklace that caught his own eye. Simple. Elegant. Understated.

Adrian lifted his finger, pointing at the glass almost the same time. “That one.”

Especia let out a loud, mocking laugh that echoed through the store. “Oh,” she said, glancing between the two men. “That piece costs 2.8 million dollars. It's a limited-edition sapphire and diamond necklace. The diamonds alone are worth more than a regular person earns in a lifetime.”

She smiled as Jason raked his eyes over Adrian, then she gestured sharply to the security guard near the entrance. “Mark, come here. We have a mental patient trying to touch the limited edition collection. He’s probably going to try and run with it.”

Especia turned back to Adrian, her voice dropping to a harsh hiss as her eyes skimmed his school tag. “Listen, you pathetic scholarship rat. I spend more on my cat’s insurance than your family makes in a year. You are an eyesore. You are ruining the vibe of this establishment. Your very clothes are probably shedding dust on my floor. Get. Out.”

Jason chewed on the inside of his cheek, completely amused. He felt a cruel wave of generosity washing over him. It was the perfect opportunity to completely bury Adrian in front of Mira.

"Wait, Especia, don't throw him out just yet," Jason sneered, holding up a hand as he chuckled darkly. He looked at Adrian's faded hoodie with supreme, mocking pity. "Let the beggar try. Go ahead, Adrian. I'll step back and let you pay for it. The salesgirl just said it's 2.8 million dollars. I want to watch your face when the machine prints the decline slip"

Mira crossed her arms, her mouth twisting into a tight sneer as she looked at Adrian with deep embarrassment. "Adrian, stop this pathetic act. You took a kitchen servant job last night just to buy me cheap flowers. You don't have the capacity to buy a single diamond. You're making an absolute fool of yourself in front of Young Master Jason."

Adrian didn't blink. His expression remained completely flat, cold, and bored. He didn't waste a single breath defending his capacity or arguing with their narrow minds.

He slowly reached into his pocket, pulled out his matte-black Sovereign card, and carelessly tossed it right onto the velvet tray next to the 2.8 million dollar necklace.

The younger salesgirl caught the card, her eyes going wide as she ran it through the premium terminal frame.

“Sir,” she said carefully, her voice dropping into a worshipful pitch. “We will take care of that for you immediately. The secure gift wrapping requires roughly an hour due to the high value of the piece—”

Adrian checked his phone screen. Lina's birthday dinner will start soon, he had no time to waste.

He didn't spare a single glance toward Jason or Mira. He watched calmly as the younger salesgirl placed the sapphire and diamond necklace inside a box.

“Forget the gift wrapping,” Adrian cut in. “Just include a blank note.”

“Yes, sir,” she said quickly, her fingers flying across the high-priority terminal.

Jason’s chest tightened, a cold sweat breaking out beneath his expensive designer jacket. Two point eight million dollars. In reality, his personal account didn't have anywhere near that kind of immediate cash capacity, and his father would skin him alive if he charged that to the family trust for a girl he had just started dating. He couldn't buy it, but his pride absolutely refused to let him look weak in front of a scholarship beggar. He frantically pushed the panic down, praying to God that Adrian's black card was just a fake. He needed the system to crash and humiliate the trash in a hoodie so his own financial limits wouldn't be exposed to Mira.

Jason cleared his throat, his face flushing a furious dark red. “This is obviously a misunderstanding. Especia tended to us first. Besides, what can a toy card possibly purchase? Keep pretending to be wealthy all you want, Adrian. People like you can only ever aspire.”

“Sweetheart, I wanted that necklace first!” Mira complained, her voice turning shrill as she tugged on Jason's arm.

Jason forced a smug smirk back onto his lips, masking his hidden panic. “Let's just watch, Mira. Give the boy his little moment.”

Adrian turned toward them, his gaze entirely calm, lacking any of the desperation or pain from the night before.

“Is that so?” Adrian asked evenly.

Jason said nothing, and Mira quickly looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

The younger salesgirl slid the card back across the marble alongside the securely boxed necklace. “Transaction approved, Mr. Vale. Thank you for your patronage.”

Adrian picked up the velvet box. He didn't pocket his card just yet. Instead, he pushed it a fraction of an inch closer to the younger assistant.

“Charge everything,” Adrian said, his voice echoing clearly across the quiet showroom. “Including whatever they were planning to buy today. Consider it a tip for taking Mira off my hands. Clearly, you need the financial help more than I do since you're struggling with the price of a single necklace, Jason Whitmore."