System: From Trash Son-in-Law to Billionaire

Chapter 2

The bell above the door of Blue Horizon Cafe rang softly as Daniel Leonard stepped back inside. The chill from the remnants of Manhattan's storm seemed to enter with him, creeping across the gleaming marble floor. Yet that coldness was nothing compared to the oppressive aura suddenly emanating from Daniel's tall figure.

In a corner of the cafe's main area, Thomas—the portly cafe manager—was standing with a respectful bow and a sycophantic smile before the establishment's major shareholder, Louis Vuitton. The middle-aged man in an elegant suit sat leisurely while enjoying an expensive cigar, occasionally nodding as he listened to Thomas's report.

"You did the right thing, Thomas," Louis said as he exhaled cigar smoke into the air. "Daniel is nothing but a jinx of a waiter. The nerve of him to let his domestic problems with CEO Monroe and Young Master Vanguard happen in this cafe. If the Vanguard Group pulls their investment from our network because of this matter, we could suffer huge losses."

"Of course, Mr. Louis. I kicked him out immediately without giving him a single cent of severance pay. A poor loser like him doesn't deserve to dirty the floor of our luxury cafe," Thomas replied with a chuckle, feeling extremely proud of his cruel decision.

However, Thomas's laughter suddenly stopped when his eyes caught sight of Daniel walking toward them. Daniel's footsteps were steady, rhythmic, and full of pressure. There was no longer any trace of the slouched posture or lifeless eyes of a poor waiter.

Thomas's face instantly flushed red with anger. He quickly stepped forward to block Daniel's path, pointing a fat finger directly at his face.

"Daniel?! How dare you set foot in here again after I fired you!" Thomas roared, his voice rising high enough to attract the attention of several other waiters. "Are you deaf? You don't work here anymore! Get out right now before I call security to drag you out like a mangy dog!"

Daniel did not even spare Thomas a glance. He treated the arrogant manager as though he were nothing but empty air. Daniel's sharp, ice-cold gaze locked directly onto Louis Vuitton, who was seated at the VIP table.

Daniel walked right past Thomas, leaving the manager stunned at being ignored. Once he arrived before Louis's table, he extended his sturdy hand. With a movement that was calm yet filled with elegant arrogance, he tossed the pitch-black titanium card from between his fingers onto the table.

Ting.

The sound of the metal card striking the table rang out sharply and coldly through the silence of the cafe.

"Louis Vuitton," Daniel's voice was low, heavy, yet resonated with absolute authority. "I'm here to buy this building, along with the entire Blue Horizon franchise business network in New York City. Right now."

Silence followed.

One second... two seconds... and on the third second, Thomas's laughter erupted once more, even louder and more mocking than before. Several waiters watching from the corners of the room also shook their heads anxiously. They genuinely thought Daniel had lost his mind from the shock of being divorced by Seraphina Monroe.

"Buy this place? The entire Blue Horizon network in New York?!" Thomas clutched his belly, laughing so hard that tears nearly came out. "Daniel, did your head hit a utility pole outside? This business network is worth at least fifty million dollars! Your one-thousand-dollar monthly salary here wouldn't even be enough to buy the restroom's doorknob! Get lost and stop making insane jokes in front of Mr. Louis!"

Louis Vuitton himself had initially intended to call his bodyguards to throw this presumptuous young man out. However, the moment his eyes landed on the black card resting on the marble table, the mocking smile on his face froze completely.

Louis's pupils trembled violently. The hand holding his cigar began to shake until the burning ember of the expensive cigar dropped onto his trousers without him even noticing.

As one of the upper-class businessmen in the financial district, Louis was not a fool like Thomas. He knew exactly what was lying before him. The pure black titanium surface with its non-reflective finish, the golden dragon emblem engraved using micro-encrypted laser technology, and the special serial number issued only by the International Central Banking Consortium.

It was a Sovereign Edition Centurion Black Card. A legendary card that could not be applied for by anyone, but was personally granted only to the world's highest financial rulers. Possessing such a card meant its owner held legally recognized unlimited liquidity under global law.

"This... this is impossible..." Louis's voice caught in his throat. His face instantly turned pale as a corpse's. The man standing before him was no longer a poor waiter he could trample upon, but a colossal dragon capable of sinking all of his investments overnight.

"Fifty million dollars?" Daniel glanced at his old wristwatch before looking back at Louis with a killing gaze. "I'll give you one hundred million dollars in cash right now through international clearing transfer. I have only one condition: within two minutes, every digital ownership document for this place must be transferred into my name."

Still oblivious to the situation, Thomas shouted foolishly, "Mr. Louis, don't listen to this lunatic! He must be using a fake toy card to scam us! Security! Where's security?! Beat this man and throw him into the street!"

"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID BASTARD!"

SLAP!

A vicious slap landed directly across Thomas's face. The force was so great that the portly manager's body was sent flying across the marble floor, smashing several decorative flower vases nearby.

Thomas clutched his suddenly swollen and bleeding cheek, staring at his boss with a blank expression filled with fear.

"M-Mr. Louis? Why did you hit me? I was only trying to protect you from this con artist..."

"Shut your mouth, or I'll personally make sure you rot in prison by tomorrow morning!" Louis screamed hysterically, breathing heavily from overwhelming fear.

Without paying any attention to Thomas, who was crawling in terror, Louis Vuitton turned toward Daniel. His trembling body immediately bent forward into a deep bow, forming a perfect ninety-degree angle. Every shred of dignity he possessed as a wealthy businessman collapsed instantly before Daniel.

"M-Mr. Leonard... please forgive the unbelievable insolence of this uneducated staff member!" Louis's voice trembled as cold sweat poured down his forehead and soaked the collar of his suit. "I... I will immediately process the transfer of ownership for all Blue Horizon assets through my corporate account system right now! Two minutes... no, give me one minute, Sir!"

Louis frantically pulled out his business laptop. His fingers moved at a crazy speed as he transferred all legal ownership rights to the encrypted account number indicated by Daniel's black card.

The waiters watching from afar felt as though their world had just been turned upside down. Their mouths hung wide open. Their powerful boss, famous for being arrogant and ruthless, was now trembling in fear like a servant before Daniel—the man they had pitied and mocked as a poor loser only minutes earlier.

Bzzzztt.

Inside Daniel's mind, a magnificent mechanical voice echoed once again, carrying cold satisfaction.

[Ding! Beginner Mission Successfully Completed!]

[Status: All office buildings and franchise rights of Blue Horizon Cafe New York have been officially transferred 100% to the Host's name!]

[Mission Reward: Regional-Level Underground Intelligence Network Information Authority has been activated.]

Daniel Leonard exhaled slowly, feeling absolute financial power now flowing beneath the command of his fingertips. He slipped the black card back into his pocket, then walked forward until the tip of his shoe stopped directly before Thomas's tearful face on the floor.

Daniel bent down slightly and looked at Thomas from above with the gaze of a king looking at an ant.

"Thomas," Daniel called. His voice was so calm, yet it was enough to make every hair on Thomas's body stand on end. "Who was it that you called worthless trash earlier?"

Thomas trembled violently, tears and sweat mixing together on the floor.

"M-Mr. Daniel... I was wrong... I'm a blind, stupid dog... please forgive me, Sir..."

"From this moment onward, you are dishonorably dismissed from the entire culinary industry on the East Coast of America," Daniel said coldly without the slightest trace of emotion. "And the remainder of your salary will be deducted to pay for the flower vases you destroyed earlier. Now crawl out of my property."

Thomas cried hysterically, yet not a single waiter dared to help him. Using the last of his strength, the portly man was forced to crawl out through the glass doors, lamenting his ruined fate.

Daniel turned around once more to face Louis Vuitton, who was still standing in a respectful bow.

"Handle the remaining administrative matters with my personal lawyer tomorrow morning," Daniel ordered flatly.

"Yes, Mr. Leonard! Thank you for your generosity!" Louis replied in an extremely relieved tone, as though he had just escaped a death sentence.

Daniel strode out of the cafe, passing through the curtain of cold Manhattan rain. This time, there was no longer any heartbreak or regret over his divorce from Seraphina Monroe.