Chapter 12: The Black Card's Echo
Ethan watched the head salesman's face with a sense of cold satisfaction. The man's mouth hung open so wide it looked as if his jaw might unhinge. Ethan thought to himself, Face slapping is good, really. He wondered how nice it was going to be if this were Julian instead of a random salesman. He thought to himself, I'm really looking forward to the party at Red Rose tonight. The silence in the showroom was absolute, broken only by the rhythmic hum of the air conditioning. Sarah, the young recruit, was trembling so hard she could barely hold the tablet. She wondered how she had just started the job and was already going to earn one percent of 68 million dollars. The thought of such a large amount of money was so sudden that her heartbeat could be heard by those within range; the weight of a 68-million-dollar commission was more than her mind could process in a single afternoon.
"I... I can't," Sarah whispered, her eyes wide as she looked at the success notification on the screen. "Sir, I have to call the General Manager. A transaction of this magnitude... I don't have the clearance to finalize the registration and the tax papers." She knew she was new and couldn't possibly handle such large transactions alone.
The senior salespeople, seeing an opening, began to step forward, their faces twisted into oily, desperate smiles. They knew they could use this chance to redeem themselves to Ethan for their previous actions. They thought to themselves, Who would have thought a bum in clothes worth less than a hundred bucks could afford to pay more than 60 million on a whim? They both rushed toward Ethan, wanting to be the one to earn the commission.
"Sir, please, Sarah is just a trainee," the head salesman began, his voice cracking. "Allow me to handle the paperwork for you. I can offer you a premium membership and—"
"No," Ethan cut him off, his voice like a falling axe. "I held a grudge the moment you opened your mouths. All of you saw me enter your establishment, but you all looked at me with disdain. Now you're all rushing down to earn from a commission you didn't work for."
Their faces flushed with embarrassment, and they couldn't say anything more. Ethan added coldly, "None of you will touch these files. Call your manager."
A moment later, a man of small stature with a lean, wiry body emerged from the glass-walled back office. This was Mr. Chen, the General Manager of Aurelius. He had seen the transaction alert on his master terminal and had run toward the showroom. He took in the scene—the worn-out hoodie of the young man, the stunning elegance of Elena, and the shell-shocked expressions of his staff.
Mr. Chen quickly came to his senses, bowing low. "Mr. McCain, I am Chen. I apologize profusely for any lack of hospitality you experienced. Please, allow me to handle your procedures personally alongside Sarah. We will ensure the commission is logged under her name as you requested."
"Good," Ethan said, leaning against the red Ferrari 812 Superfast. "Make it fast. I have a party to attend."
Elena, who had been standing silently by Ethan's side, felt a second wave of shock hit her. She had been surprised that Ethan bought two Ferraris instead of one, but she assumed he wanted options for himself.
"Ethan," she whispered, leaning into him. "The yellow one is beautiful, but why did you buy two? The maintenance on these machines is..."
"The yellow one isn't for me, Elena," Ethan said, turning to look at her with a gentle expression. "It belongs to you. Consider it a company car for the new General Manager of the Golden Dragon."
Elena felt the world tilt. Her knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed onto the polished floor. She had worked her entire life, sacrificing every penny for her brother's education and her parents' health, never dreaming of owning something worth 28 million dollars. She almost jumped into his arms again, but she calmed herself due to the number of eyes watching them in the shop. Her face was a brilliant shade of red, her heart singing with a happiness she couldn't describe.
Ethan turned back to Mr. Chen. "My father has always been a fan of Mercedes-Benz. Do you have any G-Class models?" He thought to himself, Father should like this. He could use it to cruise around the neighborhood, and the parking space outside will finally have some use after all this time.
Mr. Chen's eyes lit up. "An excellent choice, sir! We have one in Obsidian Black with the Night Package. It features the 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine, 577 horsepower, and the custom Diamond-stitched interior. It is the pinnacle of rugged luxury."
"I'll take it," Ethan said, placing his finger on the scanner once more.
[DING!] [Transaction Confirmed: $220,000.00]
As the payment cleared, Ethan realized that while the fingerprint scanner was convenient, it might become a hurdle for smaller, everyday transactions later. He needed a bridge between the System and the real-world financial grid.
"Elena," Ethan said, his tone shifting to business. "I need you to arrange a meeting. Get me the manager of the most prestigious bank in South River County. I want a private line and a dedicated team. I can't keep going about placing my fingers on a scanner every time I want to make a payment."
"Of course, Ethan," Elena replied, already making a note on her phone. "I will contact the Executive Director of the South River Private Reserve. They usually only handle billionaire accounts."
"Perfect," Ethan said. He then looked at her silver sedan parked outside. "I'm going to a party tonight at the Red Rose Bar. It's... a personal matter. I don't want to show up in a Ferrari just yet." Ethan thought to himself, I might be rich now, but being high-profile isn't always a good thing. "Borrow me your car. I should probably keep up my appearance for a while longer."
He turned to Mr. Chen. "Elena will call some people from the hotel to drive the Ferraris and the G-Wagon back to the Golden Dragon. Keep them in the VIP vault until then."
"Understood, Mr. McCain!" Mr. Chen bowed again, his respect total.
Ethan took the keys to the old sedan from Elena. "Go back to the hotel and settle into your new office, Elena. I'll see you later tonight."
He walked out of the gleaming showroom, leaving behind a group of salespeople who would regret this day for the rest of their lives. He climbed into the cramped, fabric seat of the old sedan—a sharp contrast to the 812 Superfast he now owned. As he pulled out of the lot and headed toward the Red Rose Bar, Ethan exhaled deeply. "System," he whispered. "Show me the interface."
A holographic blue screen shimmered into existence before his eyes, invisible to anyone else.
[ZILLION SYSTEM INTERFACE] > Host: Ethan McCain
Body: 16 (Athlete Level)
Mind: 28
Wealth: $9,859,931,780,000,000.00
Lavish Points: 201
Ethan looked at the 201 Lavish Points. He felt a surge of power radiating from the interface. He thought of Julian, the wealthy students who looked down on him, and the manager of the Red Rose who had treated him like a slave for months.
"Two hundred points," Ethan murmured, a predatory glint in his golden eyes. "Let's see what happens when I put fifty into 'Body'."
As he drove toward the place of his former suffering, he could feel his muscles twitching, his bones densifying, and his height increasing slightly. His posture straightened, and the worn-out hoodie he wore suddenly felt tight across a chest that was expanding with raw, physical power. By the time he reached the Red Rose Bar, he wouldn't just have the money to buy the place—he would have the presence of a king returning to claim his throne.
Ethan thought to himself, The "scholarship student" is dead.