The Billionaire's Cashback System

Chapter 3: The Trap at the Dealership

With his daily limit upgraded to a staggering $250,000 and a new 500x multiplier unlocked, Ethan needed to move massive amounts of capital fast. The quickest way to liquidate that kind of volume was high-end assets. He walked into Apex Motors, the city’s premier luxury supercar dealership.

His phone buzzed. It was an email notification from his corporate email account at his former employer, Apex Financial.

‘Notice of Urgent Audit: Former Analyst Ethan Wright. Discrepancies discovered in the Q3 tech portfolio models under your management. Please report to corporate headquarters immediately for legal review.’

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. A hurdle.

In his previous life, before he was reborn into this timeline as a struggling analyst, Ethan had been a legendary chief risk management officer for a Wall Street hedge fund. He knew every corporate dirty trick in the book. A low-level analyst like his current self wouldn't have access to models that could trigger a full corporate audit unless someone intentionally planted fraudulent data to frame him.

Oliver.

Oliver was a senior director at Apex Financial. Realizing Ethan had paid the $3,200 dinner bill without breaking a sweat, Oliver was using his corporate leverage to crush Ethan legally before he could even start his new life. If Ethan panicked and fled, he would look guilty, and the state authorities would freeze his bank accounts—effectively locking him out of using his system.

You want to play corporate politics? Ethan thought, a cold smile forming on his lips. You chose the wrong opponent.

"Well, well. Look who decided to play dress-up."

Ethan turned around. Oliver stood by the showroom entrance, his arms crossed, flanked by Chloe, who was holding a brand-new designer handbag. Standing next to them was a middle-aged man in a sharp grey suit—Vince, Ethan’s former landlord, who also happened to be a major private investor at Apex Motors.

"Ethan, I told you that your fraud wouldn't last twenty-four hours," Oliver sneered, stepping forward. "I already flagged your sudden 'wealth' to our compliance department. The audit is live. The police will be here in an hour to question you about corporate espionage and data theft. You stole proprietary trading models, didn't you?"

Chloe looked at Ethan with deep disgust. "Ethan, this is pathetic. Stealing from your own company just to buy a suit and try to impress me? You're going to prison."

Vance stepped in, his voice gruff. "As the building investor, I’m exercising my right to refuse service. Security, escort this fraud out of the building immediately before he stains the floor."

Two heavy-set security guards moved in, blocking Ethan’s path.

The dealership fell silent. The trap was set perfectly. If Ethan tried to swipe his card to buy a car, Vance would block the sale. If he stayed, Oliver’s corporate police force would arrest him based on the fabricated audit data.

Ethan didn't panic. His mind worked at the speed of a supercomputer, instantly drawing upon his past-life expertise in financial regulations and corporate law.

"Oliver, you're a director, but your understanding of securities compliance is embarrassing," Ethan said, his voice echoing clearly across the showroom. "Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act states that any internal audit triggered against a departed employee regarding Q3 models must be signed off by the Chief Financial Officer and filed with the SEC within twelve hours if it involves proprietary algorithms."

Oliver’s eyes widened slightly.

Ethan pulled out his phone, typing rapidly. "I just checked the SEC public database. No filing. Furthermore, the Q3 models were locked in the secure server vault last Tuesday at 5:00 PM. I was clocked out and at a dentist appointment—the logs are in my HR file. The only digital signature that accessed the vault after hours was your personal executive keycard, Oliver."

"What... what are you talking about?" Oliver stammered, his face turning a slight shade of pale.

"You copied the data to frame me because you were humiliated last night," Ethan said coldly, taking a step forward. The security guards hesitated, sensing the sudden shift in authority. "By launching a false audit without CFO approval, you've violated federal compliance laws. I’ve just forwarded the server access logs—which I downloaded weeks ago as a standard backup protocol—directly to the federal regulatory board. In exactly five minutes, Apex Financial's compliance team is going to fire you to save their own skin."

Right on cue, Oliver’s phone rang violently. The caller ID read CEO Office.

Oliver’s hands shook as he answered. "Hello? Sir—yes, but—no, I can explain—" He fell silent, his face draining of all color. "Fired? Effective immediately? Wait!"

The call disconnected. Oliver stood frozen, completely ruined in a single move.

Chloe gasped, stepping away from Oliver as if he were radioactive. "Oliver? What happened?"

Ethan ignored them completely, turning his attention to Vance, the landlord. "Now, Vance. You wanted to refuse me service based on Oliver's word?"

Vance swallowed hard, sweating profusely. "I... Mr. Wright, it was a misunderstanding—"

"I don't care about your excuses," Ethan interrupted. He walked straight over to the centerpiece of the showroom—a matte black Bugatti Chiron priced at exactly $250,000 for the down-payment and immediate delivery lease options.

Ethan pulled out his blue debit card and slapped it onto the front desk terminal. "Process the payment. Let’s see if your dealership prefers a fired director's opinion or cold, hard cash."

The manager behind the desk scrambled to insert the card, his hands trembling.

Transaction Approved.

Buzz.

The mechanical chime roared in Ethan’s mind like a thunderstorm of absolute victory.

[Transaction Successful! Spent: $250,000.00!]

[Level 2 Multiplier Applied: 500x!]

[Rebate Calculated: $125,000,000.00 has been successfully wired to your account!]

[System Notification: Daily limit reached! Progress toward Level 3: $260,000 / $1,000,000.]

Ethan’s bank balance instantly surged past one hundred and twenty-five million dollars.

The manager bowed so low his forehead almost touched the desk. "Thank you, Mr. Wright! The keys are yours. We will deliver the registration to your penthouse immediately!"

Ethan took the keys, walking past a trembling Oliver, a desperate Chloe who looked ready to beg on her knees, and a terrified Vance. He jumped into the driver's seat of the roaring hypercar, leaving them in the dust of his exhaust.

His past-life genius had neutralized the threat, and his system had just made him an official multi-millionaire.