My Quadrillionaire System

#7#

Kai sat in the back of the worn out taxi, watching the city blur past his window. The morning sun cut through the buildings and painted everything gold. His phone was heavy in his pocket. Sixteen million dollars. The number didn't feel real yet.

The driver was a middle aged man with graying hair and laugh lines around his eyes. His name tag said Chen. He had been talking since they pulled away from the hospital, mostly about his daughter.

"She's fifteen," Chen said, glancing at Kai in the rearview mirror. "Smart kid. Really smart. She got accepted into Silvercrest Prep on a scholarship. Can you believe that? My daughter, going to a school with all those rich kids."

His voice was full of pride and worry at the same time.

Kai thought about Mara. His own sister was fifteen too. She had that same scholarship. That same chance at something better.

"That's good," Kai said quietly. "You should be proud."

"I am. I really am. But man, the expenses. They say it's a scholarship but there's still fees. Books, uniforms, activities. It adds up fast." Chen laughed, but it sounded tired. "That's why I drive sixteen hours a day. Gotta make sure she has everything she needs."

Kai looked out the window again. He understood that exhaustion. He had lived it for three years. Three jobs. Endless shifts. All of it for people who never cared.

The blue screen flickered into view in front of him, visible only to his eyes.

CURRENT BALANCE: $16,327,427.43

AVAILABLE UPGRADE POINTS: 60 UP

SUGGESTED UPGRADES: COMBAT SKILLS, BUSINESS ACUMEN, SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Kai dismissed it with a thought. He would deal with upgrades later. Right now he just wanted to see Mara. To tell her that everything was going to be okay. That she didn't have to be afraid anymore.

Chen was still talking. "You know what the hardest part is? Watching her come home and try to fit in with those kids. They all have designer bags and expensive phones and she's got the same backpack she's had for three years. She never complains but I can see it. I can see it hurts her."

"She'll be okay," Kai said. "If she's as smart as you say, she'll be fine."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Kids are tougher than we think." Chen smiled at the mirror. "You seem like a good guy. You got siblings?"

"A sister. Same age as your daughter."

"Then you get it. You do whatever you have to for them, right?"

"Right," Kai said.

The light ahead turned yellow. Chen slowed down and stopped. The intersection was busy with morning traffic. People in expensive cars heading to expensive jobs. The world kept moving like nothing had changed.

But everything had changed.

Kai was thinking about what he would say to Mara when the impact came.

The taxi lurched violently to the right. Metal screamed against metal. Glass cracked. Kai's seatbelt locked hard against his chest and his head snapped forward. Chen shouted something. The world spun for a second and then stopped.

Silence.

Kai blinked. His head throbbed but he was okay. He looked forward. Chen was gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles, breathing hard.

"Are you okay?" Kai asked.

Chen nodded slowly. Then he looked to the left and his face changed. The color drained out of it. His hands started shaking.

"Oh no. Oh no no no."

Kai turned to look.

A silver Maserati sat at an angle next to them. The front end was barely scratched. The taxi's side door was crushed inward, the paint scraped away in long ugly streaks.

Chen opened his door and stepped out. His movements were stiff and jerky. Kai followed.

The morning air was cool. Traffic had stopped around them. People were getting out of their cars to look. Someone already had their phone out, recording.

Chen walked around to inspect the damage. His taxi looked bad. The whole side was dented and the door wouldn't open properly. He put his hand over his mouth and made a sound like he was going to be sick.

"This is my livelihood. This is everything."

The Maserati's doors opened.

Three young men stepped out. They were all tall, all wearing clothes that cost more than Chen probably made in a month. Designer jackets, expensive watches that caught the sunlight, shoes that had never touched anything dirty.

Kai recognized them immediately.

His blood went cold.

Derek Ashford. Brandon Cole. Justin Park.

They had been at the gala. All three of them. Derek was the one who had suggested Kai eat off the floor like a real dog. Brandon had recorded the whole thing on his phone and uploaded it. Justin had kicked Kai's ribs while he was on his knees.

They were laughing.

Derek looked at the Maserati's front bumper and shook his head. "Look at this. There's a scratch. An actual scratch."

Brandon walked over to the taxi and kicked the dented door. It bent inward even more. "What kind of idiot drives a piece of shit like this on the same road as us?"

Chen took a step back. His hands were shaking worse now. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. The light was red and you came through and I couldn't stop in time."

Derek turned to look at him for the first time. His expression was cold and amused. "Are you seriously trying to blame us? Do you know who we are?"

"I didn't mean to. It was an accident. I have dash cam footage, it shows the light was red when you came through."

Justin laughed and pulled out his phone. "Dash cam footage? You think that matters? My uncle is the chief of police. Your little video means nothing."

Chen's face went pale. He looked like he might collapse.

Brandon walked closer to the taxi and ran his finger along the scratched paint of the Maserati. Then he turned and kicked the taxi's side mirror clean off. It shattered on the pavement.

"Animals like you shouldn't be allowed on the road. You belong in cages."

Chen dropped to his knees. Just like that. No hesitation. His voice cracked when he spoke. "Please. Please don't call the police. I have a daughter. I have a sick wife. This cab is all I have. I'll pay for the damage. I have three thousand dollars saved. You can have all of it. Just please."

The three of them laughed harder.

Derek crouched down so he was eye level with Chen. "Three thousand dollars? My watch costs more than that. Do you think three thousand dollars means anything to us?"

"It's all I have," Chen whispered.

"Then I guess you're fucked," Derek said.

Kai's hands clenched into fists. His vision narrowed. The anger was cold and sharp and it filled his chest like ice water.

He stepped forward.

His voice cut through the laughter like a blade.

"The only animals around here are you."

Everything stopped.

The laughter died. The crowd that had gathered went silent. Someone in the background muttered something about a death wish.

Derek stood up slowly. He turned around. So did Brandon and Justin. They were all squinting at Kai like they couldn't quite place him.

Then Derek's eyes went wide.

"Wait. WAIT." His face split into a huge grin. "Holy shit. Guys. GUYS. Look who it is."

Brandon pulled out his phone immediately and pointed it at Kai. "No way. No fucking way. It's the dog. It's the famous barking dog."

Justin started laughing so hard he had to lean against the Maserati. "This is too good. This is way too good."

Derek walked closer. He circled Kai like he was examining something interesting. "Well well well. Look who we have here. Tell me something, dog. Since when did your doggy balls grow larger than the last time we saw you?”