System Activation: Becoming a Super Rich

Chapter 6: The Malicious Landlady

Justin escorted Ava home and made sure she was settled before returning to his rented house in Nova City. The place was a mere 30 square meters, and despite its size, the monthly rent was still a whopping $1,200.

This was already the cheapest rent in the entire city. Even so, he hadn't paid rent for three months. His landlady had warned him just a day before that if he didn't pay up, she would throw all his belongings out.

As Justin approached his front door, he found it wide open. His clothes, luggage, and various knick-knacks were strewn across the yard, many of them damaged beyond use.

"Well, if it isn't Justin. You've finally decided to show your face."

A sharp, mocking voice pierced his ears, instantly souring his mood. Justin glanced over at the speaker, his expression darkening.

"What's the matter, young man? Every time rent is due, you're nowhere to be seen. I thought you might've died out there or something."

Victoria was a woman in her 40s, plump and mean-spirited. She looked down on Justin, a country bumpkin in her eyes.

"But since you're not dead, hurry up and pay me. Otherwise, when you do kick the bucket, I'll have nowhere to collect my money."

Rent. A bitter smile crossed Justin's face. He'd forgotten all about it while buying clothes earlier. Although he now possessed boundless wealth, it could only be used after the system issued specific tasks. And at the moment, no such task had been assigned.

"Ma'am, can I owe it to you for today? I promise I'll bring you the rent tomorrow," he said with a smile.

"No money, no house. Get lost and go back to your village to raise pigs! You're doomed to a life of poverty," Victoria sneered, her voice growing more venomous.

"You're a grown man. How can you not know any better? I rented this place to you out of pity, but it turns out you're just an ungrateful wretch, thinking you can live here for free."

"Y-you..."

Justin's face flushed with anger, feeling humiliated. The frustration of being ridiculed nearly drove him mad, a fiery rage surging within him.

"Rest assured," he said coldly, "I'll pay you every cent I owe. Not a penny less. From today on, I won't live here anymore. And one day, you'll regret this."

"Regret? Ha! You think I'll ever regret anything because of you?" Victoria scoffed, her disdainful gaze fixed on him. "You're just a broke student. What's so great about being a college graduate? This world's full of them. Without money or connections, you'll end up with some lowly job, like cleaning toilets or emptying chamber pots."

"You want me to regret? Are you out of your mind? Maybe you've been so traumatized that you've gone insane."

Victoria's repugnant expression and her shrill, caustic voice carried far, drawing the attention of the neighbors who had been lounging nearby. Curious, they all gathered around to watch the commotion unfold.

"Look, Victoria's at it again, berating that young man."

"Poor guy, he's come all this way to the big city on his own to study, and he's even been admitted to such a prestigious university. It's quite an accomplishment."

"What's so great about that? He's just a poor kid. Nowadays, only the wealthy and powerful are worth anything. Without money or influence, you're forced to grovel."

The voices of schadenfreude and sighs of sympathy reached Justin's ears.

"Is it true that the poor should grovel and be bullied? Who came up with such nonsense? Fine, today I'll show them what it means to be truly wealthy."

"System, where the hell are you? Come out! Tell me what I should do now. Can I slap her?"

"Of course, I'll grant you the authority right now. Consider this your new mission. Take out your money and slap her face hard. I've long been fed up with her disdain for the poor. If you don't make her face swell today, I won't be satisfied."

Justin then received a text message and looked at his phone, a smile spreading across his face.

"Warm reminder, dear Mr. Wilson, your account 9806 at Nova City Bank has been credited with $1,000,000,000. Account balance: $1,000,000,560. Please be informed."

"What's the matter, brat? Weren't you just acting all high and mighty? You said you wouldn't live in my house anymore, right? Then hand me the rent and get lost. I'd like to see where you'll go when you leave here. Perhaps tonight you'll have no choice but to sleep under a bridge like a beggar."

As Justin stood there, seemingly dumbstruck, the woman resumed her taunts. However, at this moment, all he could feel was disgust—deep, visceral disgust.

Suppressing his anger, he shot a cold glance at the onlookers and strode over to the woman. He stopped right before her, causing her to retreat in fear.

Faced with Justin, who towered over her, she felt a twinge of insecurity. Grinding her teeth, she mustered her courage and warned:

"What do you think you're doing? I caution you, don't try anything. We're in broad daylight and surrounded by people. Do you really think you can get away with assaulting someone? Is there no law in your eyes? My nephew is a police officer, you know. If you dare to cause trouble, I'll make sure he has you thrown in jail for a few days."

This tactic had always worked wonders for her, intimidating others into submission. Over time, it only fueled her arrogance and domineering attitude. But now, she was astonished to find that Justin's face showed no fear. Instead, it bore a cold, detached smile.

His eyes, in particular, were as dark as an unfathomable abyss, as cold as a razor-sharp blade, and emanated a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.