The Supreme God of Wealth

Chapter 9

The lecture hall stayed quiet for the next forty minutes. Professor Halloway tried to keep his cool, but his voice was shaky. He kept glancing at the front row, where Adam sat perfectly still in his charcoal suit. The whole room felt different; the social ladder everyone had climbed for years had been kicked over in a single moment.

Adam didn't take notes. He didn't have to. With the Eye of the Investor active, the math Halloway scribbled on the whiteboard looked like a joke. Adam could see the flaws in the formulas. They didn't account for the kind of brutal power a trillion dollars could bring. To Adam, this wasn't a lesson anymore; it was proof that he had moved far beyond this room.

Behind him, the tension was thick. He could hear Charles’s fingers tapping rapidly against a mahogany desk. Every few minutes, Charles let out a sharp, ragged breath. The boy who had spent his life looking down on people was suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

Olivia was worse. Adam could feel her staring at the back of his neck. It wasn’t a look of concern; it was the look of someone who realized she had thrown away a fortune. Her perfume; the same expensive scent he used to skip meals to buy for her drifted his way. Adam didn’t move. He didn’t even look at her.

When the bell finally rang, no one rushed for the door. The students stayed in their seats, eyes darting between Adam and the exit, waiting for what would happen next.

Adam stood up slowly and straightened his blazer. He turned around to find Olivia standing right in front of him. Her eyes were red, the same vulnerable look she had used to trick him a thousand times.

"Adam," she whispered, her voice shaking. "We need to talk. Please. You don’t understand. The video... Charles made me say those things. He threatened to ruin my father’s job if I didn't help."

Adam looked at her. Through the Eye, red text appeared: [Sincerity: 4%], [Primary Motivation: Money].

"Your father’s promotion was signed two hours ago, Olivia," Adam said, his voice flat. "I know, because I’m the one who paid for the restructuring at his firm. He didn't get the job because of Charles. He got it because I decided he was useful."

Olivia’s mouth fell open. The lie she had been practicing died right there. "You... you did what?"

"Adam!" Charles’s voice cracked as he pushed through a group of students. His face was covered in sweat. He gripped his phone so hard his knuckles were white. "I don't know how you hacked our business data, but you’re done. My father just messaged me. Someone is trying to buy our debt. If that’s you, you’re an idiot. We’re protected."

Adam stepped closer, making Charles tilt his head back just to look at him. "It’s not a takeover, Charles. It’s a foreclosure. Five percent of your debt is now held by a private group you’ll never find. And that group is very close with Metropolitan Trust."

Adam’s phone buzzed.

[System Alert: Rick Global is trying to sell North District assets to meet the Friday deadline.]

[Action: Block the sale by buying the purchasing firm.]

Adam smiled. It was too easy. He looked at Charles, who was frantically checking his screen again. "Is something wrong? Did the North District deal fall through?"

Charles’s eyes went wide. His phone slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a loud thud. "How... how do you know about that? That meeting ended ten minutes ago!"

"I am the door, Charles," Adam said. He turned back to Olivia. She was already looking at Charles with a new sense of alarm. She could smell a loser from a mile away.

"Adam, please," Olivia said, grabbing his arm. Her touch used to make his heart race; now, it just felt annoying. "Let’s go somewhere private. We can fix this. I still love you. Everything I did... I did it for us."

Adam looked at her hand on his sleeve, then looked her in the eye. "Olivia, look at me."

She looked up, hope in her eyes.

"You called me a parasite," Adam said, his voice empty. "You called me a pig. You laughed while this coward talked about giving my necklace to a dog."

"I was scared!" she cried.

"No," Adam corrected her. "You were greedy. And now, you’re terrified because the man you threw away is the only one who can save you."

He firmly pulled his arm away. He took a silk handkerchief from his pocket, wiped the spot she had touched, and dropped the cloth into the trash can.

The students gasped. No one expected this kind of coldness from gentle Adam Carter.

"Adam, wait!" Charles shouted, trying to grab Adam’s shoulder.

Elias appeared instantly. The driver moved like a shadow, stepping between them. He didn't draw a weapon or even raise his hands. He just stood there—a wall of muscle. Charles jumped back, nearly falling over.

"Mr. Carter is leaving," Elias said, his voice a low rumble. "Stay where you are."

Adam walked out, the crowd parting for him. His footsteps echoed in the hallway with a steady, confident beat.

[Quest complete.]

[Reward: 50 Wealth Points + Eye of the Investor (Permanent).]

Once he reached the stairs, his phone buzzed. It was a notification from the RM23 site. The video of the confrontation was already online. The title: [The Return of the King: Adam Carter Reclaims the Campus.]

The views were jumping by thousands. People were shocked. He wasn't the victim anymore; he was a mystery.

At the ground floor, the Dean was waiting with a nervous smile. This was a man who had never even looked at Adam’s grades before.

"Mr. Carter! What a pleasure," the Dean said, holding out a hand. "I heard about the... incident. I hope everything is okay. We’ve set up a private lounge for you, and I’d love to talk about that donation over lunch."

Adam looked at the Dean’s hand but didn't take it.

"I’m busy," Adam said, walking toward the SUV. "Send the paperwork to my hotel. If I like the terms, I’ll sign. If not, I’ll find another school that wants five million dollars."

The Dean went pale and nodded quickly. "Of course! Whatever you need!"

Adam slid into the back of the SUV. The door shut, and he was back in the quiet, expensive-smelling cabin. He felt a strange sense of peace. The anger was still there, but it was a tool now, not a fire.

"Elias," Adam said.

"Yes, sir?"

"Find Charles Rick’s father. I want to meet the man who raised him."

"He’s at Rick Global headquarters, sir. Board meeting at 2:00 PM."

Adam checked his watch. 12:45 PM.

"Good. Tell him an investor is coming. And tell him to clear the room. I don't like an audience."

The car sped toward the financial district while Adam opened the System interface. He had 60 Wealth Points. He looked at a locked skill: [Market Manipulation: Level 1].

He didn't buy it yet. He wanted to see the look on the elder Rick’s face first. He wanted to see if the father was as arrogant as the son. If he was, Adam would enjoy breaking them both.

The SUV turned onto the main road, the glass towers reflecting in the windows. 

Adam let out a short, cold breath that was almost a laugh. The hunt was just beginning.