Investment System: Rise to the Top

CHAPTER 005

The more Noah tried to calm himself, the wilder the anger churned in his chest. Hot and suffocating.

His clenched hand slowly lifted, the veins on the back of his hand tightening.

“I—”

“Oh, oh… can’t do anything, huh?” Rico cut him off, his voice full of mockery. Seeing Noah’s reaction, he seemed to enjoy it even more.

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so only Noah could hear.

“Tsk, really weak and useless. All this time you only lived off your family’s name. Now? Hah… you’re nobody. Just an orphan who happened to be lucky back then.”

Those words hit their mark perfectly, making Noah’s expression stiffen and his jaw tighten.

“Rico,” he growled softly.

His voice wasn’t loud, but the anger within it was unmistakable.

At the same time, the system’s voice appeared in his mind, cold and firm.

[Host, your emotional fluctuation is unstable.]

[If it continues to rise, the system will take over control.]

[Please control yourself.]

As if splashed with cold water, Noah’s awareness snapped back. His breath hitched for a moment before he slowly exhaled. The anger that had been surging began to subside, though not completely gone.

He lifted his head. His gaze returned to calm, very different from just moments ago.

He answered Mr. Hogan, “If this has to be reported to the dean, I don’t mind.”

Several people at the doorway exchanged glances.

Noah ignored them and continued, his voice firmer, “But I won’t leave the dorm before there’s an official decision. Besides… I’m not guilty.”

As soon as those words fell, Mr. Hogan narrowed his eyes, clearly displeased. He had been told to deal with Noah quickly without causing much noise, otherwise things would become complicated.

But he didn’t expect Noah to not play by the rules.

Meanwhile, Rico let out a small laugh, full of confidence.

“Good. Then report it now, sir. Let’s settle everything tonight.”

He glanced at Mr. Hogan, that sneer still hanging on his face.

“Right? Why delay it?”

Mr. Hogan fell silent for a moment, clearly weighing something. But when he considered the time and that contacting the dean now might not be a bad option for him, he agreed.

He opened his mouth to speak, but someone beat him to it.

“It’s already too late.”

The voice was cold and calm, but different from Noah’s tone. It carried a sense of pressure and finality, instantly cutting through the atmosphere.

All heads turned toward the door. A student stood there with an indifferent expression, looking like someone just passing by. His face was calm, but his gaze was sharp.

“If you want to report it to the dean, do it tomorrow morning. It’s already past hours. This is a dorm, not an administrative office,” he added.

Rico hadn’t seen who was speaking yet. He frowned in annoyance.

“What do you—” he tried to argue, but his words stopped midway when he clearly saw who it was.

His eyes widened slightly. So did Mr. Hogan’s.

The two exchanged a brief, silent glance before looking back at the student.

A short pause followed.

Noah looked at the student, who was now leaning casually against the doorframe as if watching a show. And when their eyes met, Noah could see a mocking smile at the corner of his lips.

Noah quickly looked away, snorting coldly in his heart. That student was none other than his childhood rival.

Then, as if losing his edge.

“Fine, fine,” Mr. Hogan finally said, his voice restrained. “We’ll settle this tomorrow.”

His tone changed, no longer as harsh as before. He cleared his throat, then looked at Noah coldly.

“For tonight, you may still stay in the dorm. But remember, don’t cause any more trouble. Otherwise, it won’t just be you who gets punished, the others will too.”

Several students nodded slightly.

“Now, disperse. Return to your respective rooms.”

Slowly, the crowd at the doorway began to disperse. The whispers faded, footsteps receded.

Before long, the dorm room door closed again, and the atmosphere instantly turned silent.

For a few seconds, no one spoke. Only Rico let out a soft scoff as he glanced at Noah.

“Lucky you,” he said mockingly. Leaning back against his bed, he looked at Noah with a faint smile. “But don’t get too happy yet, everything ends tomorrow.”

He tilted his head, eyes narrowing.

“You’d better start preparing now. This might be your last night here. Maybe even in this campus.”

His two friends chuckled softly, just loud enough to be heard.

Noah didn’t respond, nor did he turn around. He simply sat in his chair, back straight, opening the notebook in front of him.

As if everything that had just happened… didn’t matter.

Rico clicked his tongue in annoyance at the reaction, then turned away and climbed onto his bed.

The room lights were turned off one by one, and the room fell into darkness.

One by one, they lay down.

But Noah was still sitting at his desk, illuminated by a small lamp. His eyes lingered on the blank page of his notebook for a long time.

The tip of his pen hovered above the paper, unmoving.

Then, he closed his eyes in frustration.

“System… what should I do?”

There was no immediate answer, and a few seconds passed in silence.

“If you really can help me… help me now.”

The tone in his mind was no longer hesitant, it sounded more like a desperate plea. He had nothing to rely on for tomorrow. He couldn’t prove his innocence, but he also refused to accept blame and be wronged.

Not to mention he realized that everything that happened today was a setup against him.

Finally, the cold voice appeared.

[Request accepted.]

[As long as the host does not act recklessly or violate system rules, assistance will be provided.]

Noah slowly opened his eyes.

“Then what?” he murmured softly.

[Formulating plan…]

[Analyzing targets…]

[Steps will be adjusted according to situational development.]

Some information flashed briefly in his mind, fragments that were not yet fully clear, like the outline of a hidden plan.

[Host only needs to follow instructions at the right time.]

Noah fell silent. He didn’t fully understand everything, but somehow… it felt enough.

Slowly, his tense shoulders relaxed. His breathing became steadier. At least now, he wasn’t completely alone.

His gaze returned to the notebook in front of him. The blank page no longer felt oppressive. Instead, it felt like a beginning.

The start of something new.

He began writing a few things down, his thoughts moving more clearly, about possibilities, about his next steps, about the choices he had to make.

“If I want to survive… I have to move fast.”

At that moment, his laptop screen suddenly lit up and a notification appeared.