"The games of kings: Rise of the underdog"

Chapter eleven

"One million dollars!"

The words dropped like a thunderclap in the room. Gasps erupted.

"Did I just hear that right?"

"One fucking million dollars!"

" Jason is doomed. He can never match that amount of money."

" Do you think Derek was joking when he said he was going to bury him?"

Phones slipped from hands. Mouths hung open like broken hinges. Even the auctioneer's ever-confident grin faltered for a second.

I froze.

Everything inside me shattered. My heartbeat surged in my ears like a roaring wave, drowning out the murmurs and laughter that erupted again. One million dollars?

Derek stood tall, the microphone casually resting in his hand like a weapon, his other hand tucked into the pocket of his silk designer suit.

His smug smirk was the sharpest thing in the room. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he added with mock pity, “Was that too much? You can still back out, Jason. No one will judge… well, maybe just a little.”

Laughter. A brutal storm of it.

I didn’t move.

I couldn’t.

I felt like a deer caught in headlights—staring death in the face, unable to choose between running or standing still. My knees wobbled, but I stayed standing. Olivia’s gaze was on me. I couldn’t look at her now. I didn’t want to see disappointment—or worse—pity.

“One million dollars,” the auctioneer echoed, trying to regain control of the room. “Mr Jason, will you counter or concede?”

Concede?

That one word rang louder than everything else.

I looked at the golden trinket on the stage. It wasn’t worth a quarter of that money. It was never about the trinket. It was about pride. About power. About humiliation.

About me.

I took a slow breath, but the air felt too thick, like trying to breathe underwater. I looked at Derek, my teeth clenched so hard they ached. He was waiting for me to crash and burn. Every second of silence was fuel to his arrogance.

“I...” My voice cracked.

The crowd leaned forward, a collective breath being held.

This was it.

The final moment.

My phone buzzed.

I flinched and looked down instinctively. A message blinked on the screen.

[ DING! ]

[System Activated: Welcome Back, Jason.]

My eyes widened.

Was I hallucinating?

I blinked once, twice, and tapped the screen. The interface returned—the black background, the glowing gold symbols, the same as before.

[Balance: $3,000,000 Available]

I almost dropped the phone.

The system… was back.

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I wanted to scream. But instead, I slowly lifted my head, a new calmness settling into my bones.

I stared at Derek and smiled.

That smile—the kind you give when you’ve already won but your opponent doesn’t know it yet.

“One-point-five million dollars,” I said.

The room exploded.

“WHAT?” Derek barked, stepping forward, losing his cool. “You’re bluffing! There’s no way you have that money!”

I turned to the auctioneer, steady and calm. “Would you like me to transfer the funds to the escrow account now?”

The auditorium exploded into a frenzy mode.

"Bloody hell! Did he just match that?"

" There is no way Jason would have that money. He is just kidding."

Selena's face faltered a bit.

Her friends looked at her, wondering how on earth she had jilted someone like me for Derek.

"They are still duelling. Can you quit looking at me?" Selena said in anger.

Her friends giggled among themselves as the show continued.

The man adjusted his glasses, trying to remain neutral but failing to hide the slight upward twitch of his lips. “Yes, if you’re prepared.”

"Do you think you can match the amount of money, Little Derek?" I taunted

I saw how he kept silent.

The hall held its breath as I held up my phone, selected the ‘TRANSFER’ tab, and watched the digital loading bar dance across the screen. Within seconds, a soft ding confirmed it.

[Transfer Complete: $1.5M Sent to Auction Escrow Account]

I tilted the phone so the auctioneer could see. His eyes widened. He cleared his throat.

“Well, it seems... we have a legitimate transfer. One point five million dollars from Mr Jason. Can I get a confirmation on our end?”

A man in a suit walked onto the stage with a tablet, whispered something to the auctioneer, then nodded.

“It’s confirmed!” he announced.

There was complete silence.

For one sweet, stretched-out moment.

Then the crowd erupted. Screams, shouts, applause, disbelief. Phones came up, flashes went off. Everyone was talking at once.

I turned to Derek, whose face had lost all color.

“Still think I asked my grandma for a loan?” I said quietly.

He stepped forward again. “This doesn’t prove anything! You’re just a broke scholarship kid in a rented suit. That app must be fake—”

“You want to match my bid?” I interrupted, my voice sharper now.

He flinched. “What?”

“You called one million. I went higher. Now’s your turn. Match it—or walk.”

He stared, stunned. For the first time, his silence wasn’t arrogance. It was fear.

“Well?” I pressed. “Your ego doesn’t look too expensive now, huh?”

He couldn’t say a word. His lips twitched. His hand fidgeted by his side. But he didn’t speak.

The auctioneer raised the gavel. “Going once...”

The crowd quieted, holding its breath.

“Going twice...”

Derek took a step back.

“Sold! To Mr Jason for one point five million dollars!”

The room thundered with noise.

It was over.

I turned and walked off the stage slowly, my feet like lead, but each step feeling like triumph. I wasn’t sure how I’d explain this later—or even what the hell the ‘system’ was—but for now, I had won. And everyone saw it.

I saw Olivia pushing through the crowd, her eyes glowing. She looked proud. She looked stunned. And something else. Something closer to attraction.

I stopped in front of her.

She smiled, wrapping her arms around me without hesitation. “You’re full of surprises,” she whispered.

“Not yet,” I said with a grin. “But I’m just getting started.”

I grabbed the trinket and hung it over Olivia's neck with pride.

The crowd buzzed around us like bees, stunned by the turn of events.

In that moment she stood on her hing legs. She tilted her head a bit and placed the most passionate kiss on my lips.

The students shouted as the flash sound of the cameras could be heard.

I knew the school magazine tomorrow was going to have a new headline and I can't wait to see what it was going to be about.