Reborn to Build a Billion-Dollar Empire

Chapter 007

After the taxi driver had helped him carry things upstairs earlier, Victor Hale gave him an extra fifty dollars when settling the fare.

For ordinary working folks, a simple thank you was usually reward enough for lending a hand. But the cold, hard cash of fifty actual dollars pressed into his palm made the driver break into a grin that showed two rows of yellowed teeth. He turned and handed over a business card with obvious pleasure.

"If you ever need me again, just give me a call."

"Will do."

Watching the driver's cheerful back as he walked away, Victor felt a rush of emotion. Today had been nothing short of surreal. He'd nearly died at Bruno Kade's hands, and now he found himself moved almost to tears by the simple kindness of strangers.

Stepping into the extended-stay apartment, Victor took in the clean, modern space with its two bedrooms and living area. His first thought went to his two children. He'd once bought his wife and kids a place even bigger than this, and the urge to call them over right away swelled in his chest.

He made it all the way to the door before stopping himself.

Now wasn't the right time. Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars wasn't enough to prove his real capabilities to the Mercer family. It wasn't enough to shut them up for good.

If he wanted to reclaim everything he'd lost, he had to make one hell of a splash.

With that thought crystallizing, Victor returned to the desk and opened his laptop, immediately downloading stock trading software. His first fortune in his previous life had come from the stock market, and even after bankruptcy had left him without capital to trade, he'd kept close tabs on market movements.

Now, if he just focused and recalled carefully, the trajectory of the market over the coming months and the hottest stocks in key industries materialized clearly in his mind, as vivid as if he were reading yesterday's news.

He entered his brokerage account credentials and transferred a hundred thousand dollars without hesitation.

Then he paused, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

The two stocks he'd just purchased would skyrocket over the next two days. Within a week, that hundred thousand would multiply more than tenfold. It was a golden opportunity, the kind most people never saw in a lifetime.

But stocks, for all their moneymaking potential, weren't suitable as a lifelong career foundation. They were a tool, not a calling.

Victor kept his hands off the remaining cash, letting the thought of investing in real business ventures take root instead. Real businesses offered stability that the stock market never could.

The decision took him only two minutes, but those two minutes stretched like hours. He knew the stock market could deliver massive wealth at breathtaking speed. If he poured everything in, he was confident he could become a multimillionaire within a year.

Anyone else would have thrown every penny into stocks, chasing the fastest route to riches. That was precisely why this decision felt so difficult, so heavy. It went against every instinct screaming at him to maximize short term gains.

Once his mind was made up, Victor immediately started browsing news online, scanning international headlines before narrowing his focus to domestic and then local Fairhaven news. Information was currency, and he needed to know what was happening now to capitalize on what he knew would happen next.

Then he began drafting a business plan.

He understood now, better than ever, how crucial planning was. Even the most rational person could veer off course without preparation and clear direction. His original life had taught him that lesson in the harshest way possible.

His plan was straightforward on its surface. Extract capital from the stock market while simultaneously identifying real business opportunities. Once he had one or two solid ventures generating income, he'd pivot his attention toward the internet sector.

The timing mattered. This was 2003, and the internet industry was still in its relative infancy, dominated by online gaming. He'd need to be patient, let other pieces fall into place first.

Of course, the plan contained far more than just broad strokes. Victor meticulously documented information about industries that would explode in popularity, companies that would become household names, and founders who'd become titans. Every detail he could recall, he recorded.

When he finally looked up from the laptop, the world beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows had gone dark. He rubbed his stomach, only then registering the hollow ache of hunger.

Instinctively, he reached for his phone, then stared at it with mild bewilderment. It had physical buttons. Actual tactile keys.

Reality reasserted itself. This was 2003. Food delivery apps didn't exist. Hell, touchscreen smartphones weren't even mainstream yet.

Shaking his head at himself, Victor picked up the landline and called down to the hotel kitchen, ordering dinner to be sent up.

While eating, his thoughts drifted to Bruno's boss, Kingston Reyes. People called him Mr. Reyes with a mixture of respect and wariness. Victor remembered vaguely that Kingston had just acquired a parcel of land a couple days ago, somewhere near the Central Business District.

If Kingston could secure land, so could he.

Real estate development required proper licensing, though. Same as investing required an actual investment company. Operating without credentials meant staying small time, fighting uphill battles without legitimacy.

Tomorrow, he'd need to handle both those matters. Get registered, get licensed, get legitimate.

And doing business meant he needed a car.

After finishing dinner and taking a shower, Victor handed his new clothes over to the hotel's laundry service, then headed out into the evening.

Fairhaven in 2003 carried a nostalgic quality everywhere he looked. No smartphones, no convenient apps, none of the seamless services he'd grown accustomed to before his rebirth. Yet Victor loved this city all the same, perhaps even more now.

Because everywhere he looked, he saw opportunity.

He'd been wandering for barely twenty minutes when he spotted a crowd gathered around a car promotion event in a nearby plaza. Perfect timing, given that he needed a vehicle.

A decent-sized crowd circled the display cars while sales staff in crisp suits worked the floor energetically, their pitches overlapping into a general buzz of commercial enthusiasm.

Cars in this era remained expensive for most families. Even households that had achieved comfortable middle class status hesitated at the prospect of such a major purchase.

These 2003 models couldn't compare to 2020 vehicles, of course, but as basic transportation, they'd serve perfectly well.

Victor was studying the nearest sedan with genuine interest when someone grabbed his arm from behind.

"Well, well! If it isn't the drunk himself!"

He turned to find a woman in her early thirties, genuinely stunning with curves that the tight, hip-hugging dress emphasized rather than concealed. Her skin was flawless, her features striking enough that she could have passed for an actress.

Vanessa Mercer, Elise Mercer's cousin. Among the Mercer family members, Vanessa had done relatively well for herself, primarily because she'd married money.

Vanessa and Elise's parents belonged to the same breed of people. The type who'd abandon family ties in a heartbeat if money was involved.

"Look at you, all dressed up! Where'd you fish these rags out of, some dumpster?"

Her voice carried across the plaza, loud and deliberately mocking. "I almost didn't recognize you! Thought you spent all your time hiding in that sad little room drinking yourself stupid. What are you doing out here?"

She looked him up and down with theatrical disbelief, then burst into laughter. "Wait, don't tell me you actually came here to buy a car! Oh, that's rich! Do yourself a favor and crawl back to whatever hole you climbed out of. You're embarrassing yourself!"

Her shrill commentary drew stares from nearby pedestrians. Several people glanced over with curiosity or secondhand embarrassment.

Victor didn't take the bait. Getting into a public argument with someone this shallow would only make him look worse. He kept his expression neutral, his silence more cutting than any retort.

A moment later, Vanessa's husband Dale Corwin returned, keys dangling from his fingers. He recognized Victor but didn't acknowledge him at all, just jingled the new car keys at Vanessa with obvious satisfaction.

Vanessa's face lit up with genuine delight. "Honey! I love you!"

As the couple turned away, Victor raised his hand and caught the attention of a nearby sales representative.

The saleswoman approached with a practiced, brilliant smile. "Good evening, sir. How can I help you today?"

Before Victor could respond, Vanessa whipped around and grabbed the saleswoman's sleeve.

"Hey, sweetie, don't waste your time with this one. He's completely delusional. Look at that outfit, he picked it out of a trash heap. Seriously, just ignore him."

One round of humiliation apparently hadn't been enough for her.

Victor drew a sharp breath, his gaze settling on Vanessa with cold intensity.

The saleswoman wasn't stupid. Reading people was fundamental to her job, and nothing about the well dressed man in front of her suggested mental instability. She offered Vanessa a polite, professional smile and a slight bow before turning her full attention back to Victor.

"Sir, are you interested in purchasing a vehicle today?"

Victor kept his eyes locked on Vanessa, his voice calm and absolutely certain.

"Yes."