I Level Up with the Trillionaire System

Chapter Four: A Billion Dollar Bid

The van drove toward a warehouse, pulling over slowly. The three men alighted, one of them opening the door for Winston. As the burly loan shark stepped out of the van, it groaned… as if finally relieved of the weight.

“Stupid van!” Winston cursed while fishing a cigarette from his pocket. “It's high time I got a new one for businesses like this…”

Apart from being a loan shark boss, he also dabbled in other illegal activities like gambling, human trafficking, and fraud. He had several companies set up around the entire Kansas City area. He'd been prosecuted several times, but he always got acquitted by corrupt judges bribed beforehand. Hence, he got away with all his crimes.

Even the police knew better not to mess with Winston; he had several friends and clients in the government, powerful firms, and companies. A single call from one of those individuals would make them lose their jobs for life.

“Boss, should we take her into the warehouse?” One of his henchmen asked. He was the one who had shot Jack to death earlier.

“Yeah, Browny,” he replied. “I agreed to bring her to this place. Our client asked for proof of success.”

“Oh, okay,” Browny nodded slowly and cast a knowing glance at the other two.

They opened the boot and dragged out the thrashing Margaret. She'd been tied up and gagged, but still persisted. They felt amused because no one was coming to save her. They had trafficked hundreds of young girls and gotten away with it.

“Hurry up,” Winston said as he placed the cigarette between his lips, biting it. He tilted his head in Browny’s direction afterward.

“You seem to be particularly happy about this gig,” Browny said as he fished out a lighter from his pocket. Carefully, he lit the cigarette’s ring.

“Why not?” The loan shark boss smirked. “We're getting that house which is worth millions of dollars. In addition to that we're gonna be paid for killing Jack and taking the girl.”

Browny narrowed his eyes, a dreamy expression appearing on his face. “Then can we…”

Winston glared at him, making him keep shut. “We can't have fun with her, yet. We haven't shown her to our client.”

“Right, right,” Browny nodded slowly to himself.

They walked toward the warehouse afterward, a massive husk with cracked and collapsing walls. They entered through the crumbling gates and saw a man already waiting for them.

He was dressed in a black suit, seated and flanked by four hefty bodyguards. Each of them held an automatic rifle—an AK-47 to be precise, their expressions meant.

Winston compared his henchmen to those bodyguards and sighed inwardly. He paled in comparison to the man seated in front of him. Even with his network of powerful clients, the man was capable of crushing him.

Browny stood behind him while the other two dragged Margaret forward and shoved her to the ground. There was silence for a brief moment, except for Margaret’s whimpering.

“Please…” she begged. “Please let me go…”

The man clicked his tongue and crossed his leg. “Did you kill that Jack Neuman?” He asked with a cold voice, as if rehearsed.

Margaret's eyes flashed with despair when she heard that. She wriggled desperately to break free, but was weak against the thick ropes. In the end, she stopped thrashing.

“He's been killed,” Winston nodded. “Just as you wanted. As you can see, we also brought the girl.”

“Efficient,” the man remarked, almost unimpressed. “The rumours about you were true after all.”

Winston's eyes lit, lips curling into a warm smile. “I never fail my clients, Mr. James.”

James scoffed, not falling for the man's fawningness, “Good. Now that you've completed your… gig, I'm at rest assured.”

He still remembered how Winston had made both of them sign contracts, as if they were doing something legal. He could recall Winston calling him ‘client’ and saying he wouldn't fail the gig.

Even though this loan shark boss is backed by the law, he thought to himself, eyes narrowed. Actually, he's not bad… he's actually good for business.

One of his bodyguards lifted a large briefcase off the floor. It had been placed behind him, so no one had seen it. There was silence for a brief moment as the bodyguard threw the briefcase at Winston.

Only the sound of leather scraping across the floor could be heard as the briefcase slid toward Winston. The loan shark boss stopped it with his right foot, his eyes flashing with greed.

“That's five eight hundred million dollars,” James said emotionless, as if the sum was meager. Even his bodyguards maintained expressionless faces.

But Winston and his men couldn't control their expressions. Shock was etched on their faces as they began fantasizing to themselves about what to do with the money. Browny even had thoughts of betraying his boss, but he shrugged it off. It was impossible to betray Winston as he'd witnessed what happened to those who tried.

“You can keep the girl,” James said. “I don't want anything to do with her… I already have someone…”

Winston's eyes lit up even more, his imagination running wild. Now he could finally make Margaret a sex worker in one of his nightclubs! His profits would be so huge tonight!

James waves his hand, voice commanding. “You can leave with the money and girl now…”

Winston didn't need to be told twice as he whipped around and walked away briskly, lest the man change his mind. His henchmen followed with the money and the girl.

“The heavens are surely on my side!” He said, dragging a noisy puff of the cigarette.

They got into the van and drove away, headed for one of his nightclubs, a five-star one that embraced several wealthy men from all walks of life.

Along the way, Winston dialed a number in his contact. It belonged to the manager of his five-star nightclub, Night Garden.

“Hello, boss,” a hoarse but cheerful voice sounded from the other end.

“Update the billboard immediately,” Winston said urgently. “A new VIP ‘companion’ is arriving. The price tag is fifty million dollars, but VIP members are allowed to bid…”

“Yes, boss!” The manager replied instantly and he ended the call afterward.

He looked at Margaret who was now seated with them in the van. “You're gonna fetch me profits this night, you get?” He sneered lewdly.

Everything was going to sail smoothly, what could go wrong? He thought to himself. A buzz on his cellphone jolted him from his thoughts.

“What's the matter, Josh?” He asked. “The bid shouldn't have taken place already—”

“Someone paid a billion dollars for the girl!” The manager’s voice came out very excited. “A billion dollars!”

“A billion dollars?!” Winston was shocked, body trembling. He'd never seen a bid as huge as this one in his entire life!

Browny, who was driving, glanced at him, eyes narrowed. A billion dollars?! It wasn't just him, but the two other henchmen. The person who had bidded for the girl was either stupid or insanely wealthy, or both.

“I'm getting my money anyway!” Winston scoffed. “Perhaps I'd really go into a legal business this time!”

His mind flew with several business plans instantly, countless ideas popping into his head. He'd never go broke in his entire life!