Jayden's eyes sparkled as a new notification popped up. He had only just started to rest, and yet the system had already brought another task his way.
If this was how things were going to be, then he was already stepping into a serious challenge… A challenge that could actually lead to great rewards.
"Whoa... Five hundred thousand dollars just to show off?" Jayden sat up abruptly, his mouth falling open in disbelief.
Without wasting a moment, he jumped to his feet and began getting ready to rush to a luxury store. He couldn't wait to claim the $500,000 reward. That kind of money would skyrocket his financial status instantly.
He had to change out of the wet clothes he'd worn during the fountain incident. After a quick change, he slipped into his second-best outfit, a black short-sleeved polo and white jeans and headed out.
He decided not to touch the hundred thousand dollars he already had, so buying new clothes was off the table for now.
"Umm, where should I go?" Jayden muttered to himself, contemplating which luxury store would be ideal for the task.
Then, a name flashed in his mind.
"Maison Vertu," he whispered.
Without delay, Jayden rode towards the eastern part of the city, completely leaving behind the outskirts.
Soon, he arrived at the majestic building of Maison Vertu, a massive luxury store with supercars lined up outside and a visible presence of uniformed security guards moving around.
After taking a long look around, Jayden sighed and walked inside.
The glass doors of Maison Vertu, the city's most elite luxury boutique, slid open with a soft hush. This wasn't just a store; it was a temple of status and opulence. The floors gleamed like polished crystal, and the scent in the air was probably costlier than an average month's rent. The wealthy came here to flaunt; the truly elite came here to dominate.
As Jayden stepped in, several attendants glanced at him. At first, there was skepticism in their eyes. Then curiosity followed. He didn't exactly look like their usual clientele. In a place like Maison Vertu, appearances were everything.
He approached a tall, elegant woman dressed in black velvet, who was clearly the floor manager.
"I'm looking for something rare. Something quite new and classic," Jayden said, his voice calm and composed.
The manager blinked, glanced at him briefly, then smiled. "Of course, sir. We just received the Limited Edition Apollo Chronos Watch. Silver body, custom sapphire gearwork. Only fifty of these in the entire city."
Jayden nodded. "How much?"
"Seventy thousand dollars, sir," she replied smoothly.
"Perfect," Jayden said. "Get me one."
"Absolutely, sir. Please follow me," the manager said, gesturing ahead.
Jayden nodded and walked beside her.
Just as they approached the glass case where the limited-edition timepiece was displayed, a familiar sound of laughter echoed from the left aisle.
Jayden turned slightly and saw Royce, arm-in-arm with Sofia, browsing through designer suits and luxury watches. They were laughing smugly, like royalty mingling among commoners.
At that moment, Royce caught sight of him.
"Wait… Jayden?" Royce squinted. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Sofia's head turned instantly, her eyes widening. "Did you... get a job here or something?" She giggled mockingly after asking.
Jayden didn't respond. With a faint smile, he turned back to the floor manager. "I'll take the Apollo Chronos. Wrap it."
Royce's eyebrows shot up. "You're joking, right? That's more than your entire life savings!"
Jayden didn't flinch. He heard the mockery but chose silence.
The manager brought out the wristwatch personally, placing it on a velvet tray, while another attendant stepped forward with a POS machine.
"The payment, sir," the young lady said politely.
"Sure," Jayden replied.
He reached into his pocket and brought out his card, handing it over confidently.
"He probably stole someone's credit card. Just look at him trying to act rich," Sofia sneered. Their voices were loud enough to hear, and Jayden wasn't surprised. Royce and Sofia always found joy in humiliating him.
"Yeah. Watch it get declined," Royce added with a chuckle.
The attendant inserted the card and pressed a few buttons before turning the machine toward Jayden.
"Your pin, sir," she said with a courteous smile.
Jayden entered the pin without hesitation and handed the machine back.
Beep.
A moment later, a confirmation sound chimed.
"Transaction approved, sir."
Jayden gave a slow smile. "Wrap it. No bag. I'll wear it now."
As the attendant fastened the sleek silver watch onto his wrist, both Royce and Sofia were frozen in place. Their expressions were priceless—shocked, confused, and in total disbelief.
This was Jayden. The same Jayden who couldn't pay rent. The same Jayden whose family had been ruined.
And now he just bought a seventy-thousand-dollar wristwatch like it was nothing.
Jayden turned and walked past them slowly, brushing shoulders with Royce as he made his way to the door.
Just as he was about to step out, the attendant called out.
"Excuse me, sir! You accidentally paid one hundred thousand dollars instead of seventy-five!" she said aloud, her voice loud enough for Royce and Sofia to hear clearly.
Jayden paused briefly.
"Oh, that? Don't worry…"
"Keep the change," he said with a confident, piercing gaze, then walked out of the building.
For a few seconds, the entire store went silent.
Every attendant stood frozen.
Royce's jaw dropped. Sofia was speechless, her lips parted in disbelief. Even the manager looked visibly shaken.
But no, it wasn't a dream.
He was really gone.
"He really bought a seventy-five-thousand-dollar watch and left twenty-five thousand behind... just like that," someone murmured from within the boutique.
It was the last thing Jayden heard before the glass doors slid shut behind him.
...
Jayden stepped out of the store with a proud, satisfied look on his face. He'd enjoyed every second in there—especially the stunned looks from Royce and Sofia.
[Task #002 "Buy an expensive item from a luxury store and say: 'keep the change'" complete!]
[You have been rewarded 500,000 dollars. It will be transferred to your account shortly.]
{Credit Alert: You have received $500,000 from XXX-XXXX-XX}
A wide grin crossed Jayden's face the moment he saw the alert.
Just like that, his wealth had soared again in a matter of hours. He almost couldn't believe it was real. But deep inside, he knew it was.
Now was the perfect time to start getting the things he truly needed. If he wanted to rise from his past and abandon the life of poverty for good, this was his moment.
As Jayden prepared to head toward a boutique to get new clothes, a notification suddenly popped up on his phone. He paused, half expecting it to be another credit alert or perhaps a secret task reward. But it was something else entirely.
He unlocked his phone and tapped the message open.
{New Message: Virex Trading has officially launched their cryptocurrency "VIREX Coin" today! With the price as low as $0.80, you can grab a handful of them! Don't miss this golden opportunity!}
Jayden scanned the message and then sighed. He slipped the phone back into his pocket and scoffed.
"Stupid and pathetic cryptocurrency crap… I'll never forget what this did to me. Useless!"
But just as those words left his lips...
> [Crap! Host wants to misuse the greatest opportunity of his life!]
For the first time since, the system responded... aggressively.