The God of Wealth's System

Chapter 7

A haunting silence blanketed the Atlantis Hotel Ballroom. The sound of Viktor’s crystal glass shattering still seemed to ring in the guests' ears. Sean remained standing tall, his hands tucked casually into his trouser pockets, while his sharp eyes stared flatly at a trembling Viktor.

"Mr. Vane? You look as though you’ve just seen a ghost," Sean remarked, his baritone voice cutting through the silence with a touch of subtle mockery.

Viktor struggled to catch his breath, his chest heaving erratically. He glanced at Sophia, who was now clutching his arm so tightly her nails nearly pierced the fabric of his white suit jacket. Sophia’s face was deathly pale, her eyes bulging as she stared at Sean as if waiting for death itself to claim her.

"Who… who are you, really?" Viktor asked in a hoarse voice. He attempted to rebuild his wall of arrogance, but the tremor in his hands betrayed him.

"Hasn’t Ms. Moretti already introduced me? My name is Sean Alexander. An antiques consultant," Sean replied calmly. He took another step forward, letting the scent of his expensive mahogany perfume weigh down on Viktor’s senses. "Or perhaps you remember me as someone else? Someone you thought would never wake up again?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Viktor barked, trying to deflect the attention of the guests who had begun to whisper. "I don’t know who you are, but using that name to gatecrash my party is an insult. Security! Throw this man out!"

Two burly security guards immediately closed in. However, before they could touch Sean, Isabella Moretti stepped forward with her head held high.

"Touch him, and I personaly guarantee the Moretti Group will withdraw all its shares from the port project tonight," Isabella threatened with a lethally cold tone. "Sean Alexander is my guest of honor. If you kick him out, you kick me out as well."

The guards hesitated, looking to Viktor for instructions. Viktor gritted his teeth until his jaw clicked. In front of investors and the media, he couldn’t afford to look weak or reckless.

"Isabella, this man is a fraud!" Sophia screamed, her voice shrill with the hysteria beginning to consume her. "He… he’s just a lowly former courier who was fired for stealing! He must have stolen the clothes and luxury items he’s wearing tonight. Don’t let yourself be fooled by this pauper."

Sean let out a short, bone-chilling laugh. "Stealing, Ms. Miller? Speaking of stealing, that diamond necklace around your neck is quite fascinating."

Sean’s Appraiser’s Eye throbbed, displaying data above Sophia’s head.

> [Item: 'The Star of Vane' Diamond Necklace]

> [Status: Proceeds from money laundering via Vane Logistics insurance claim fraud, 2025]

> [Value: $120,000]

>

"Careful, Ms. Miller. Sometimes jewelry that is too heavy can choke its owner if its origins aren't clean," Sean whispered, causing Sophia to flinch back as if she’d been slapped.

Viktor’s face turned beet red. He couldn't process what was happening. How could the lowly courier he thought was dead now stand so gallantly in this ballroom? The man was even evaluating items with such terrifying detail.

"What’s wrong, Ms. Miller? Perhaps my appraisal can serve as your engagement gift tonight?" Sean asked with a smirk.

"Enough!" Viktor roared. "You claim to be an antique expert? How laughable. Isabella said you brought a gift for the collectors here. Where is it? If you brought nothing but trash, I’ll make sure you rot in prison for fraud tonight!"

Sean glanced at Isabella, giving a subtle nod. Isabella handed over the small wooden box she had been holding. Sean opened it with an elegant flourish, revealing a tea bowl that looked dull, dusty, and uneven in texture.

Laughter erupted from the circle of guests.

"That? That’s an antique?" mocked an old collector standing beside Viktor. "It looks like a soup bowl found in an old shed."

Viktor laughed triumphantly. "You see, Isabella? Your consultant gave you garbage! You spent ten thousand dollars on a piece of clay unfit for a cat to eat from! This man was involved in a major scandal for damaging an expensive watch, and you actually trust him?"

Sean remained unfazed. His eyes swept the room, finding his primary target. Mr. Henderson, the legendary collector who had witnessed the destruction of Viktor’s Richard Mille the night before, stood in the corner with a bored expression. This was the moment to prove that the previous incident had been a setup.

"Mr. Henderson," Sean called out loudly enough for the old man to turn. "You are a man who values history beyond outward appearances. Would you be willing to look at this 'trash'?"

Henderson approached with a lazy stride, but the moment his eyes locked onto the bowl in Sean’s hand, he froze. He pulled out his reading glasses and flicked on his phone’s flashlight.

Sean handed him the bowl. To the untrained eye, it was junk. But under the ballroom lights, Henderson saw something else. The subtle patterns within the glaze seemed to move like clouds in a night sky.

"This..." Henderson’s hands began to shake. "This isn't Ming. This is much older. This Yohen Tenmoku pattern... it's impossible. Only three remain in the world, and all are in Japanese museums."

The entire room fell deathly silent.

"This is the fourth Celestial Bowl, lost for thousands of years," Sean explained calmly. "Crafted under extreme temperatures that created rare mineral crystallization. Its value? Half a million dollars is merely the starting price for such a piece."

Viktor turned pale. "That’s a lie! He’s a liar! He knows nothing about antiques. He must have forged it!"

"Forge this?" Henderson looked up, his eyes misty with awe. "Mr. Vane, I have spent forty years in the world of antiques. You cannot forge the soul of this clay. This is authentic. And if Ms. Moretti is willing to sell, I will write a check for one million dollars right now."

Isabella gasped. She looked at Sean with an unreadable expression. She had bought this item for only ten thousand dollars on Sean’s advice, and in a single hour, its value had increased a hundredfold.

"My apologies, Mr. Henderson," Sean interrupted politely. "This bowl is a gift from Ms. Moretti to you, a token of friendship for future port cooperation. However, if you feel a sense of debt, there is something I would like to discuss privately."

Isabella beamed; she felt completely victorious. "Of course, Mr. Henderson. The bowl is yours."

Sean led Henderson slightly away from the crowd, making sure Viktor could still see them.

> [System Warning: 45 Hours Remaining]

> [Appraiser’s Eye Lvl 2 Active: Mr. Henderson’s Secret Detected]

> [Secret: Holds an offshore account worth $10 Million, undeclared for taxes]

>

Sean looked at Henderson with a deep, knowing gaze. "Mr. Henderson, the bowl is yours. But I need a small favor. I’m making an urgent investment and need $500,000 in liquidity tonight. In exchange, I will provide information regarding a loophole in the bank's system that currently puts your secret account at risk of being tracked by federal authorities."

Henderson jolted. His friendly face turned tense. "How do you know about—"

"I know many things, Mr. Henderson. I am the man who can save your fortune, or let it crumble. The choice is yours."

Henderson stared at the bowl, then back at Sean. He realized the man before him was no ordinary person. Without a word, Henderson pulled a checkbook from his pocket. He wrote the figure $500,000 with a steady hand and handed it to Sean.

"Consider this a consulting f*e for the antique. Either I’m crazy or you are, Mr. Alexander. I truly thought you were just a lowly courier. My apologies for the incident the other day," Henderson whispered, patting Sean’s shoulder.

> [System Alert!]

> [Balance Received: $500,000]

> [Weekend Deposit Target Met!]

> [Debt Reduced: $500,000]

> [Remaining Debt: $991,000]

> [Identity Security Protocol: Active. You are safe from legal pursuit for now.]

>

Sean felt a massive weight lift from his shoulders. He folded the check and tucked it into his jacket. He turned and walked back toward Viktor, who was still frozen in the center of the ballroom.

Sean stood before Viktor, who now looked small and pathetic.

"Mr. Vane, it seems you lost your glass earlier," Sean said, taking a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray. He offered it to Viktor. "Drink. You need something to calm your frayed nerves."

Viktor slapped the glass away, splashing the contents all over his expensive white suit. "You think you’ve won? I don’t know how you pulled this trick, but I will destroy you!"

Sean only smiled thinly. He leaned in, whispering directly into Viktor’s trembling ear.

"Destroy me? Viktor, you can’t even hold a glass in your own hand. Tonight, I took your honor. Tomorrow, I will take your company. And the day after... I’ll make sure you feel exactly what it's like to be left freezing under a pile of trash, just like your men did to me yesterday!"

Sean turned, giving a small bow to the guests who were now staring at him with admiration and curiosity. He walked out of the ballroom with Isabella, leaving behind a roaring, frustrated Viktor and a sobbing Sophia who had collapsed onto the floor amidst the ruin of her own party.

Outside the hotel, the night air felt incredibly fresh. The blue screen reappeared before Sean’s eyes.

> [Mission Accomplished: 'The Engagement Party Ruin']

> [Reward: $100,000 added to cash balance]

> [System Level Up: Level 2]

> [New Feature Unlocked: 'Manipulator’s Aura']

>

Sean Alexander looked up at the star-filled sky. His long journey had only just begun. His debt was still nearly a million dollars, but for the first time, he felt like a god playing with the universe.

"System," Sean muttered as he stepped into the car. "Prepare the next target. I want to buy the Vane Logistics building next week."

To be continued...