The God of Wealth's System

Chapter 3

Sean Alexander walked along the wet pavement with the last of his strength. His courier jacket, once a bright blue, was now tattered and caked in mud. It reeled with the stench of sewage. Every person who passed him on the sidewalk immediately stepped aside. They covered their noses with disgusted expressions as if Sean were a walking corpse.

Sean did not care. His eyes remained fixed on a single point at the end of the block.

There stood a two-story old building with a flickering neon sign. "Sector 7 Gold Pawn". This was no ordinary pawn shop. In this place, items with questionable origins could be exchanged for cash without many questions. That was, as long as the owner was willing to accept a brutal price cut.

Sean pushed the heavy glass door. A small bell chimed, signaling his arrival.

The air inside the shop was warm and stuffy. It smelled of cheap cigar smoke and old metal. Behind thick iron bars, a middle-aged man with a bald head and thick glasses was busy counting stacks of cash. His name was Barney. He was a man known to love money more than his own life.

Barney looked up. As soon as he saw Sean’s appearance, the wrinkles on his forehead deepened.

"We’re about to close, tramp. And we don’t take donations for old clothes," Barney said in a raspy voice full of contempt.

Sean did not stop. He kept walking until he stood directly in front of the iron bars. He could feel Barney’s gaze scanning his body from head to toe.

"I’m not looking for a donation. I want to pawn something," Sean replied calmly.

Barney burst into laughter until his shoulders shook. "Pawn something? What? Your lost dignity? Or those hole-ridden shoes you're wearing? Get out before I call the guards to drag you to the nearest police station."

Sean did not budge. He reached into his torn jacket pocket and pulled out an object wrapped in a piece of dirty cloth. He placed it on the glass-topped counter.

"Check this first before you say another word," Sean said flatly.

Barney rolled his eyes, but his curiosity overcame his disgust. With hands encased in latex gloves, he unwrapped the cloth. A vintage pocket watch that looked rusted and worthless appeared before him.

"Just a piece of junk watch?" Barney snorted. "This isn’t even worthy of being a doorstop. It’s just scrap metal eaten by age, kid."

[System Warning: Target is attempting to deceive you. Initial offer value: $50. Real value: $12,000. Do not let him pressure you.]

The blue screen in Sean’s eyes blinked softly. He could see Barney’s status marked in red, indicating malicious intent. Sean smiled thinly.

"Don’t take me for a fool, Barney. I know that watch looks like trash on the outside. But you and I both know the internal gears are not made of ordinary brass or steel," Sean said with a voice full of confidence.

Barney stopped. His hand, which was about to throw the watch back at Sean, froze mid-air. He stared at Sean with a more wary gaze. "What are you talking about?"

"Try opening the back cover. Check the density of the metal in the rotor. If that isn’t 95 percent pure Platinum, I’ll walk out of here and let you spit in my face," Sean challenged.

Barney went silent for a moment. He picked up a small watch-opening tool and a magnifying glass. With extreme care, he pried open the rusted shell. Once the inside was exposed, a pure silver-white shimmer caught the light under the desk lamp.

Barney’s breath hitched. He quickly performed a scratch test on the tiny rotor. His eyes widened behind his thick glasses.

"This... this is actually pure Platinum," Barney muttered. He looked at Sean as if the ragged courier in front of him had suddenly turned into a ghost. "How did you know? Physically, this watch looks like garbage found at the bottom of a river."

Sean did not answer the question. "How much are you willing to pay?"

Barney cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. His cunning brain started working again. "Since the watch is totally broken and can only be sold for parts, I can only give you two thousand dollars. That is a very high price for scrap."

[System: Target is lying. The current black market resale value for this metal is $12,000. A $2,000 offer is an insult.]

"Two thousand? You're joking." Sean laughed coldly. "The weight of the Platinum in this watch is at least four ounces. With current market rates, the raw value alone is ten thousand dollars. Besides, this is an 18th-century limited edition that could actually be restored. Don’t try to squeeze someone who is desperate, Barney."

Barney’s face flushed with shame. He did not expect this beggar-looking youth to know the market price of precious metals so accurately.

"Fine, fine! Eight thousand dollars. That is my final offer. I also need to make a profit for the resale," Barney said urgently.

"Ten thousand dollars in cash, or I’ll walk to the shop next door and tell them you just missed the best deal of the year," Sean countered without hesitation.

Barney gnashed his teeth. He knew he would still make a huge profit if he bought the watch for ten thousand. With a rough motion, he pulled a stack of cash from his iron drawer and counted it in front of Sean.

As the money changed hands, a warm sensation spread through Sean’s palm.

[Transaction Successful.]

[Your Balance: $10,000.]

[Deducting System Debt: $10,000.]

[Remaining Total Debt: $1,491,000.]

[Existence Status: Extended for 48 Hours.]

Sean felt a heavy weight lift slightly from his chest. Although his debt was still in the millions, at least he would not die in the next twenty-four hours.

"Wait, I have one more," Sean said as he pulled out Sophia’s broken perfume bottle.

Barney almost burst into laughter again, but this time he held back. The experience with the watch made him realize this young man was no ordinary person.

"What now? Broken glass?" Barney asked sarcastically.

Sean set the bottle down. "This contains pure Ambergris in the base layer. Check the scent. If you have a buyer in the high-end cosmetic or perfume industry, this is worth over five thousand dollars."

Barney performed the same check. He smelled the deep, pungent oceanic aroma of the thick liquid hidden at the bottom of the bottle. His eyes lit up again.

"Four thousand dollars," Barney said quickly. This time he did not want to waste any more time.

"Deal," Sean replied.

Ten minutes later, Sean Alexander walked out of the pawn shop with fourteen thousand dollars in cash tucked inside his jacket. To others, that money might only be enough for a used car. But to Sean, it was his first round of ammunition for a counterattack.

He walked toward a small hotel located not far away. He needed a shower, new clothes, and a place to plan his next move. However, as he passed a large electronics store, his footsteps stopped.

On a giant television screen displayed in the window, a news report had just appeared.

"Breaking News: CEO of Vane Logistics, Viktor Vane, officially announces his engagement to Sophia Miller. The celebration will be held tomorrow night in the Grand Ballroom of the Atlantis Hotel."

On that screen, Sean saw Sophia’s face. She was smiling happily while flaunting a large diamond ring on her finger. Beside her, Viktor Vane held her waist in a triumphant pose.

Sean gripped the stack of money in his pocket until the bills crumpled.

"You celebrate your happiness on my blood?" Sean muttered. His eyes flashed with a sharp blue light. "Enjoy your party while you can. Because tomorrow night, I am coming to collect everything you took from me."

[New Mission Detected: 'Engagement Party Ruined'.]

[Goal: Humiliate Viktor and Sophia in public.]

[Reward: $100,000 and System Level Up.]

Sean sneered. This madness finally felt real now. And he absolutely loved it.

To be continued...