The Last Billionaire Candidate

Vero's footsteps felt light as he entered the house. In his hands, a bouquet of fresh white roses and a cake box that read "Happy 5th Anniversary" symbolized his struggle. Five years. Five years he had worked like a horse to provide a decent life for Alice, the woman who was the only reason Vero endured the harshness of the capital city.

However, the silence of the house was shattered by the sound of familiar moans coming from behind the master bedroom door. Vero's heart pounded. With trembling hands, he pushed open the slightly ajar door.

BANG!

Vero's world seemed to collapse instantly. On their bed, Alice—his seemingly pure wife—was tangled with another man. That man was Robert Davidson, the Vice Director at the company where Vero worked himself to the bone.

The bouquet of roses fell, its petals crushed and scattered across the floor. Robert turned around calmly, while Alice showed not the slightest trace of shame. Instead, she let out a long sigh, as if a burden had just been lifted from her shoulders.

"So, you finally found out," Alice said coldly as she pulled the blanket over her body. "Good. I don't have to pretend anymore."

"Alice... why?" Vero's voice caught in his throat, his eyes burning. "Five years, Alice! What did I lack?"

"What did you lack?" Alice laughed mockingly, looking at Vero with deep contempt. "You're poor, Vero. You're just a small pawn. I'm tired of eating at roadside stalls while my friends carry Hermes bags. Love can't buy my lifestyle."

Robert stood up and casually put on his expensive shirt. He walked toward Vero and patted his subordinate's shoulder in a condescending manner. "Vero, listen carefully. Consider this compensation for your hard work. I gave you that promotion two months ago because Alice asked for it. If you want to keep your job, keep your mouth shut and leave."

Vero laughed bitterly. That promotion... it turned out not to be because of his achievements, but rather the "rental f*e" for his own wife.

---

An hour later, Vero wandered aimlessly beneath a raging storm. His body was soaked, but his heart felt far colder. Suddenly, his phone vibrated violently. The name Reno, his best friend and coworker, appeared on the screen.

"Vero! Run right now!" Reno's voice sounded panicked, almost shouting over the roaring wind.

"What do you mean?"

"The Director and Robert set you up! All the infrastructure project funds were transferred into your personal account through illegal access. They've fabricated evidence to make it look like you embezzled five million dollars from the company! The police are heading to your house right now!"

Vero's blood ran cold. "That's impossible... I never touched that money!"

"They've been planning this for a long time, Vero! You're being used as a scapegoat! Get out of there! If you're caught, you'll rot in prison for life!"

CLICK.

The call ended. Vero stared at the dark night sky. The wife he loved had betrayed him, the superior he respected had destroyed his future, and now he had become a fugitive for a crime he never committed.

He stood at the edge of Grand Bridge. Below him, the raging river flowed like a deadly abyss calling his name.

"So, this is the end?" he muttered despairingly.

[DING!]

A transparent blue holographic window suddenly appeared before his eyes, glowing amidst the rain.

[Desperation Level: 50%]

[System Detecting Desire To Give Up...]

"Hallucinations... I must be going crazy," Vero shook his head, trying to dismiss the screen.

He looked at the remaining balance in his banking app. Empty. Alice had drained all of his savings two days earlier under the pretense of a business investment. Everything had been planned perfectly.

"If I die, they win," Vero whispered. However, the pressure in his chest was too heavy. His logic died. He climbed over the bridge railing, closed his eyes, and threw himself into the darkness.

As his body plummeted downward, a strange sensation spread across his skin. The air around him seemed to condense, creating an invisible transparent shield.

CRASH!

Vero slammed into the concrete foundation beneath the bridge. His bones should have shattered into pieces. Yet he only felt a sharp throbbing pain on his forehead. He was still breathing. He was still alive.

[DING!]

[Desperation Level: 81%]

[Condition Fulfilled: Total Ruin Detected.]

[The Billionaire System Successfully Activated!]

Vero groaned, clutching his bleeding head. The screen before him now appeared brighter and more real.

[Initializing Unlimited Wealth Authority...]

[Manipulating Global Banking Protocols... Complete.]

[Your Account Balance Has Been Updated.]

A vibration in his pocket made Vero pull out his cracked phone. A banking SMS notification had arrived. Vero's eyes widened. His heart seemed to stop beating as he stared at the impossible string of zeros.

"One... one billion dollars?" his voice trembled violently. "This can't be real. It must be a dream before death."

To prove it, with trembling fingers, he opened the transfer application. He entered the account number of the orphanage where he had grown up and typed in the amount of 10,000 USD.

Click. [Transfer Successful.]

Within seconds, his phone rang again. It was the caretaker of the orphanage.

"Vero? My child? What happened? Someone just sent an enormous donation in your name! Did you win the lottery?"

Vero collapsed to the ground. His tears mixed with the rain. The money was real. The system was real. The power that could turn this world upside down was now in his hands.

[DING!]

[Level 1: Candidate Status Confirmed.]

[Main Mission: Revenge Begins.]

[Task: Spend 10 Million Dollars within 7 days to maintain system access.]

[Failure Will Result in User Heart Deactivation.]

Vero grinned in the darkness. Blood still dripped from the wound on his forehead, but his eyes now radiated the aura of a predator. His despair had died, replaced by burning ambition.

"Alice... Robert... you want to see me destroyed?"

He stood upright and stared at the distant skyscraper belonging to Davidson Group.

"I will buy your lives, and destroy them with my own hands."