In a mansion seated on the outskirts of campus, nestled between rows of quiet pine trees and high walls that shut out the world, a group of four settled inside as they passed their free time with leisure.
The group gathered in the sunlit living room... Luka Vane lounged on a white suede couch, his legs sprawled, a game controller forgotten on his lap. Richy, a wiry guy always putting on a smirk, was halfway through a can of Monster, while Sofia, poised and always the sharpest of them all, scrolled through her phone with furrowed eyebrows.
It didn't take long before Luka Vane broke the silence.
"Bro, tell me I'm not tripping," Luka said, tossing the controller on the glass table. "You guys saw that ride, right? That was a f*cking McLaren Sabre. That costs quite a lot, and that clown Jayden pulled up in one like he's the next Corey Ederwood."
Corey Ederwood is currently the richest man in the entire republic of Nortasia.
Richy laughed. "Nah, man. I saw it with my own eyes. Camillia Frost was in it yesterday, too. Maybe she's sugar-momma-ing him now?"
Sofia scoffed. "Don't be stupid. Camillia doesn't spend on men. Besides, her McLaren is blue. Jayden's is red. If anything, they spend on her... But she has been hanging around Jayden lately, which is the first time I had seen her with a guy. I even saw them at a café earlier today after class. She looked so comfortable with him."
Sofia rolled her eyes like a wiggling snake, her face showed a clear image of plain jealousy.
"Comfortable? She looked like she was about to claim him publicly," Richy said.
"It's not her money..."
Royce, who had been sipping slowly from a glass of red wine, finally spoke, voice calm but serious.
Everyone turned to him.
Luka raised a brow. "Then what, you think he won a lottery?"
Royce leaned back, his sharp eyes narrowing. "If Jayden Cole had money fall into his lap, it wasn't by chance. You can't fake that kind of aura shift. Didn't you notice? He looked like a different man... back straight, voice firm, like he wasn't afraid of anyone anymore. People who win the lottery don't carry themselves like that."
"Then what? You think he found oil under his bed?" Richy teased.
"No," Royce said quietly, "I think... he got something. Maybe some kind of backing from an unknown force. Either someone very powerful is funding him, or..."
Royce paused as his voice dipped with intrigue.
"Maybe he's trying to play a game we don't understand yet."
"Or maybe he already sold his soul to the devil..." Luka cut in.
Sofia's brows rose, and for once, she looked genuinely interested. "That's… a big leap."
"Maybe," Royce murmured, staring into his wine. "But there's no way he would win my spotlight. I am the son of Gregory Kingsley, the richest man in Cloudbridge City... I'm the boss anywhere I go, and if he dares to stand in my way, I won't hesitate to cut his tongue!"
Royce spoke as his eyes darkened.
His friends, including Sofia, couldn't help but flinch as he made that statement, but there was only one guy who was used to it...
"I love that," Luka said as he took a sip of the Monster whisky.
******
Jayden went straight back home after the long day on campus... He was keen to plan his moves for the next day, since he would have to establish his first local business so it could earn to meet the requirement to get his rewards.
As he pulled into the narrow compound of the apartment building, the supercar growled like a beast caged too long, and heads turned immediately... Tenants on balconies, passersby on the sidewalk, and most notably, Mr. Collins, the caretaker who had sold Jayden the apartment just yesterday.
The man's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "Is that... Jayden?!"
Jayden stepped down from the car, noticing the sharp and stunned gazes from all directions. That only made him smile, as he stepped forward to Mr. Collins, who was standing downstairs.
"Good day, Mr. Collins," Jayden greeted politely.
However, Mr. Collins was dumbstruck to the point that he didn't even move for a moment.
"Mr. Collins? You good?" Jayden furrowed his brows as he asked.
"Uhh, yeah. Yes, sorry," the man was jolted from his shock at once.
"Alright. Call a meeting with the tenants, I'd be down shortly," Jayden said and walked upstairs.
"Right... away," Mr. Collins stammered as he nodded, still switching glances between the car and Jayden.
Just a day ago, he was slapped with over $70,000 by this young man who was previously very poor, and now this young man already bought a damn car... Not just any car... It was a McLaren Sabre.
Mr. Collins figured he wasn't dreaming, no matter how hard he tried to see it that way.
When the tenants were already settled downstairs, Jayden walked down for a speech.
He wasn't actually trying to show off and directly tell them he was the new landlord. It was the last of his intentions at this point.
There were many things he'd do to make him claim the glory of an apartment building he would be leaving soon...
The tenants were already settled downstairs, including the guy who persuaded him to buy the cryptocurrencies a few years ago.
But that was in the past now. He wouldn't try to punish him just because he's rich now.
The other tenants were Mr. and Mrs. Williams, who had four children. They were a wonderful and disciplined family, but they hardly made ends meet due to their poor status.
They both managed a small family business that hadn't been moving fine, and sometimes, Mr. Williams engaged in hard labor to raise money when it got terribly hard.
There were up to four more tenants, but only the Williams were considered the poorest family, and Jayden pitied them a lot, considering the fact that they had four children.
Jayden adjusted his watch and gave a slight nod to the gathering tenants. "Good afternoon, everyone. I just wanted to let you know that renovations on the building begin tomorrow."
"Renovations?" Mr. Collins asked, baffled. "We can..."
"It's old," Jayden interrupted coolly. "It needs to be modernized. I've already contacted an engineer and team. Roof upgrades, plumbing, paint, the works."
Someone gasped.
Jayden smiled. "Also, none of you will be paying rent for the next two years. Consider it covered."
The eyes of all the tenants widened at once.
The stunned silence that followed could have dropped a pin. Then murmurs turned to gasps, and gasps to cheers. Some tenants clapped, others just stared at him like they were seeing a ghost, or a savior.
"Are... Are you sure about this?" Mr. Collins approached him and asked as the stunned look on his face sharpened.
"I'm for real, Mr. Collins. I'd be leaving after the weekend, and you would have to own the apartment to yourself. Promise me you won't collect rent until after two years," Jayden said.
"I cross my heart," Mr. Collins replied, still in awe.
"You are to supervise the renovation when the team arrives. Don't worry, Mr. Collins, I'll pay you for your time," Jayden said.
"You won't need to. You already gave me enough!" Mr. Collins said.
"Well, that was just for stopping you from being a troublesome landlord," Jayden said and walked away as he went back upstairs.
Entering his apartment, he settled in for a fast research session on unique local businesses that could actually boom with good management.
It wasn't as if Jayden would settle for a local business, though. He only needed the money, which would definitely add to the amount he would take to the auction.