THE REBORN GENIUS

CHAPTER 2 — REBORN BENEATH THE BRIDGE Part 2

Biscuit, despite his apparent lack of formal education, seemed surprisingly knowledgeable about human behaviour.

"Money," the dog explained, "is what humans use to get almost everything."

Justin frowned. "Everything?"

"Food, houses, clothes, those noisy metal boxes, and even places to sleep. If you have enough money, people suddenly become very friendly."

"And if you don't?"

Biscuit pointed towards their surroundings. "Then you can stand beneath a bridge and talk to dogs."

Justin looked at him. "That's an interesting economic system."

"Interesting? It's ridiculous. Humans spend their entire lives chasing pieces of paper and numbers on screens. Then they complain that they're tired."

Justin considered the explanation.

Money was not entirely unfamiliar as a concept. Even in his previous society, people exchanged goods and services using coins and other forms of currency.

However, the system Biscuit described appeared significantly more sophisticated. "How do people earn it?"

"Jobs, businesses, selling things, and whatever else humans do. Some people are rich, some are poor, and some are so desperate that they fight over food."

Justin glanced towards the people occupying the shelters beneath the bridge. "Do these people have jobs?"

"Some do. Others don't. Some lost their homes, while others have been here longer than I can remember."

Justin studied the area.

A middle-aged man sat beside a pile of cardboard, staring blankly at the ground. Nearby, a woman carefully arranged a few plastic bottles inside a shopping bag. Further away, a young boy slept beneath a thin blanket despite the noise of passing vehicles.

Justin's expression became serious.

He remembered the people in his former town who had dismissed him, mocked his work, and refused to recognise his contributions.

He also remembered how easily they had condemned him without examining the evidence.

The world around him was different, but something about human behaviour appeared remarkably familiar.

"Does everyone have an equal opportunity to become wealthy?" he asked.

Biscuit laughed. "Absolutely not."

Justin raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because life isn't fair. Some people are born into rich families, some inherit businesses, and others spend their entire lives working without getting anywhere."

Justin remained thoughtful. He had already noticed the difference between the enormous buildings in the distance and the makeshift shelters beneath the bridge.

This civilisation possessed technology beyond anything he could have imagined, yet poverty still existed. He found that contradiction fascinating. Technology has advanced, but the fundamental problems of society remain.

His eyes moved towards the road.

He watched the traffic, studied the streetlights, and examined the nearby electrical installations.

He noticed cameras mounted beneath the bridge, communication devices in people's hands, and advertisements displayed across enormous electronic screens.

His mind began assembling possibilities.

There were machines everywhere. Networks connected people across enormous distances, while industries produced goods on a scale that would have been impossible in his former world.

If he could understand the technology of this era, he could accomplish things that had once existed only in his imagination.

However, there was one immediate problem: he had no money. Justin looked down at his worn clothes and then towards Biscuit. "Then we need money."

The dog burst into laughter. "You?"

"Yes."

"And where exactly do you intend to get money? You look poorer than I am."

Justin brushed some dirt from his trousers. "Money is simply a resource. Resources can be acquired through intelligence, negotiation, and opportunity."

Biscuit stared at him. "That's a very long way of saying you have no money."

Justin smiled. "Not yet."

A little later, Justin and Biscuit moved towards the edge of the bridge. The morning traffic had become heavier, and people were beginning to fill the surrounding streets.

Justin watched a wealthy family step out of a polished black vehicle near a nearby shopping complex.

A well-dressed man emerged first, followed by a woman wearing expensive jewellery. Their young son jumped out behind them, holding a brightly coloured toy.

The boy accidentally dropped it. Before he could retrieve it, a passing vehicle rolled over one side, damaging the toy.

The child immediately began crying. His mother crouched beside him, comforted him briefly, and then took out another toy from a shopping bag.

The replacement appeared considerably more expensive. The boy stopped crying almost immediately.

Justin watched the exchange with interest.

A few metres away, the homeless child beneath the bridge was still sleeping under his thin blanket.

The contrast was difficult to ignore. One child had received a replacement toy within seconds, while another did not even have a proper bed.

Justin's expression gradually changed.

He did not resent the wealthy family. They had done nothing wrong by possessing money, and he had no intention of condemning people simply because they were fortunate.

However, he could not ignore the opportunities that wealth created.

In his former life, he had struggled to obtain basic materials for his inventions. People had refused to support his work because they feared what they could not understand.

Now he was standing in a civilisation where technology had advanced beyond his imagination, yet he had awakened with nothing.

He clenched his fingers.

He would never allow his circumstances to determine his worth. He would never spend another lifetime begging people to recognise his intelligence.

If this world valued money, then he would learn how to acquire it. If it valued innovation, then he would create things worth more than anyone could imagine.

And if it required power to protect his ambitions, he would acquire that too.

Biscuit noticed his expression. "Why are you looking at them like that?"

Justin glanced at the family. "I'm thinking."

"About what?"

"About opportunities."

The dog yawned. "Humans always think too much. That's probably why you have so many problems."

Justin ignored him.

His attention had shifted towards a large electronic advertisement mounted on the wall of a nearby commercial building.

The display changed several times before settling on an announcement written in bold letters.

ANTIQUE & GENERAL CRYSTAL AUCTION

PUBLIC AUCTION TODAY

Rare collectibles • Historical artefacts • Unclaimed estate items

REGISTERED BIDDERS WELCOME

Justin's eyes narrowed.

He read the advertisement carefully, paying particular attention to the words historical artefacts and unclaimed estate items.

He stepped closer to the display. "Interesting."

Biscuit followed his gaze. "What?"

Justin studied the announcement again. "An auction."

"Yes. Humans gather in one place and waste money competing over things they don't need. I've seen it before."

Justin ignored the comment.

He was more interested in the possibilities.

An auction meant that people were willing to exchange valuable objects for money. It also meant that the value of an object could depend on how much the buyers understood about it.

In his previous life, he had developed an unusual ability to recognise mechanical components, materials, and structures that other people overlooked.

If that knowledge remained useful in this era, an auction might provide his first opportunity to earn money.

He turned towards Biscuit. "Do you know where this place is?"

The dog followed his gaze. "Of course. It's in the commercial district. Why?"

Justin's lips slowly curved into a smile. "Because I think our financial problems are about to end."

Biscuit looked at him suspiciously. "Wait. What exactly are you planning?"

Justin pointed towards the advertisement. "Take me there."

"Why?"

"I need to examine something."

The dog narrowed his eyes. "Are you planning to steal something?"

Justin looked offended. "Of course not."

"Then how are you going to make money?"

Justin glanced towards the advertisement again. "By recognising something valuable that everyone else has overlooked."

Biscuit remained silent for a moment.

Then he sighed. "Wonderful. I've found a homeless human with delusions of grandeur."

Justin started walking. "Come along, Biscuit."

"Don't order me around!" The dog hurried after him, grumbling under his breath.

Neither of them noticed the small security camera mounted beneath the bridge. Its lens had been following Justin ever since he woke up.

Inside a nearby security office, a man wearing a dark uniform leaned closer to his monitor. He rewound the footage and watched Justin speaking to the dog.

The man frowned. "That's strange."

His colleague glanced over. "What?"

"The homeless fellow beneath the bridge. He's been talking to that dog for nearly an hour."

The colleague laughed. "Perhaps he's mentally unstable."

The first man shook his head. "Maybe. But look at this."

He zoomed in on the footage.

Justin was pointing towards the auction advertisement while Biscuit appeared to respond to him.

The security officer stared at the screen. Then his phone vibrated.

A notification appeared from the city's animal control monitoring network.

UNUSUAL ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR DETECTED

The officer's expression changed.

The dog beneath the bridge had appeared in several previous reports, always near incidents involving unusual animal behaviour. But this time, something was different.

The system had detected an audio pattern that resembled human speech, and the man walking beside the animal was not listed in any of the city's identity records.