I Level Up with the Trillionaire System

Chapter Three: "Ding!"

It took a few seconds for Jack to recover from the shock. Winston and his men were not only taking his house as collateral, but his sister as well. His eyes drifted to their faces and beheld their lewd expression. Obviously, Margaret would be sexually assaulted, then sold into prostitution.

“This wasn't part of the deal!” He gritted his teeth, his expression cold. “You can have the house, but not my sister!”

Margaret, who was still confused, whimpered. Her eyes darted shakily between the men and his brother, trying to figure out what was going on. But the fear of being taken as collateral won over; in the end she shrank, body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

Winston raised his eyebrow, a surprised expression creeping over his face. “You dare to go against me?”

Jack clenched his fists, heart tightening. “It was written in the contract, Winston!” He reminded the man. “There's no way you're breaking the agreement!”

“Is that so?” Winston glanced at his men. They all nodded and raised their shirts a little, a creepy smile etched on their faces.

Jack's pupils dilated when he saw the black shiny object tucked into their trousers, heart palpitating. Guns! The men had brought guns to his house!

His body shuddered, but still, he didn't back down. Instead, he stepped forward to shield his sister, eyes glaring at the men. Margaret whimpered even more behind him, her hands gripping his shirt.

Seeing this, Winston sighed. “You're being so stubborn, Jack… and stubborn people don't live long.”

One of the men pulled out his gun—a black revolver—and aimed it at Jack. He didn't need his boss to give him instructions… he knew what needed to be done.

The pain registered within Jack's mind, before he heard the gunshot. He gasped and grabbed his torso, eyes widening as blood bloomed. The impact made him stagger backward, a searing pain biting at his torso.

“Jack!” Margaret screamed with a trembling voice, body shuddering. Still, she grabbed her falling brother.

“Take the girl,” Winston ordered the other men, his eyes flashing with rage. He glared at Jack and his sister as his men walked toward them.

“No, please don't die…” the young girl kept crying, holding her brother in her arms. She didn't even bother about the approaching two men.

They grabbed her, pried her off her brother, and pulled her away. She screamed and thrashed about, but was powerless against two strong men.

Jack crashed to the ground, his eyes fixated on his sister and the men. He grunted and tried to move, but his body was stubborn.

"No, no,' he begged, a whisper in his mind. 'Don't take her please…'

He saw Winston walk toward him, one black shoe after the other. The man squatted a meter away from him, his head shaking gently.

“You had to end up this way, didn't you?” Winston said, clicking his tongue. “To be honest, I didn't plan on doing this…”

Jack blinked, a rasped grunt escaping his lips. His eyes drifted to Margaret who was still struggling vainly. The two men had already pulled her to the porch, while the remaining one still aimed at him with the revolver.

“You see… I was supposed to take the house and your lovely sister,” Winston chortled, licking his lips. He even cast a lewd glance at Margaret who had already been dragged to the black van outside.

Jack should have felt angry; he should have even gotten up. But he was already dying, his breath becoming ragged.

“You’re dying,” the burly man continued, “so it won't hurt to say a thing or two. After all, a dead man doesn't speak… Is that the proverb or have I forgotten?”

He creased his eyebrows for some seconds, trying desperately to remember. When it was obvious he couldn't, he let out a deep sigh and said, “It doesn't matter, does it?”

He edged closer and grabbed Jack's chin, “Do you know James? He put me up to it… Gave me a hundred million bucks to do the job.”

James… Jack repeated the name inwardly as his eyelids grew heavy. Through a blurry vision, he watched Winston leave, his footsteps deliberate and heavy.

It's all over now, he thought to himself—his last, dying thought. Darkness took over him and then, there was silence.

“Ding!”

He heard this ringing in his head, like a small metal bell. It lingered for only three seconds, before fading.

[Seeing that misfortune eventually won till death, you have been granted the Trillionaire System!]

[Revival in progress! You are being resurrected, your wound healed!]

Jack heard the synthetic voice which sounded ethereal to him. Am I hallucinating? He asked himself. Or am I in the afterlife?

He remembered how he'd been clearly shot by one of Winston's henchmen. He could still recall the cold sensation of blood on his hands and grimaced. He should have already died, but then—

[Revival completed! You're now as good as new!]

He flashed his eyes open, sunlight almost blinding him. Tilting his head around, he saw that he was still lying down in the living room. With confusion in his heart, he rose gradually.

There was a pool of blood on the ground, obviously his. His shirt was also drenched in blood, but when he checked his torso, the wound was gone!

What's this? He asked with trembling eyes. What kind of trick is this?

[This is not a trick, Jack Neuman. You're now the Trillionaire System’s Host and have been awarded fortune for the rest of your life!]

His breath hitched, his eyes narrowing. Perhaps it was due to shock, or happiness… or even both. This was no magic trick or the afterlife because he was still alive!

[As a reward for being haunted by misfortune, even in your dying breath, $100 million has been deposited into your account!]

[Host’s Name: Jack Neuman

Balance: $100,000,000]

Jack gasped in shock and clenched his fists. It's real! He told himself, a smile creeping across his face. Then, he remembered his sister who had been taken away and frowned.

He'd have his revenge on Mary, James, and Winston, but first, he had to save his sister. Who knew where she'd been taken?

“I'm going to make you all pay for this…” he said in a cold tone, a promise to himself.