Jacob Wick woke up with a start, blinking the sleep from his eyes. The sunlight streaming through his bedroom window felt warm and inviting, but it couldn't shake the surreal feeling that had been following him since he arrived in this new world. It was still hard to believe that he'd gone from being a nobody to a billionaire in just a few days. The previous owner of this body had been practically invisible to his own parents, but Jacob had rewarded a fortune that seemed almost too good to be true.
Yesterday, his parents' behavior had seemed a bit off. They'd been acting though little but affectionate, but it didn't feel natural, maybe because, in his memories, he had never seen them like that at all.
He'd been starving, and his parents seemed completely oblivious to the fact that his sister, Anya, had eaten most of the food served to him as well. They saw that but never bothered to ask him if he wanted more or maybe give him some snacks for the night, at least not let him starve. The Tarra restaurant he now owns has a fancy Manu for lobby customers to taste expensive meals, but the portions were tiny, and as said they were just to taste the food of wealth. The real food of wealth was served in a private room booked only through membership. He'd only gotten two dishes yesterday, and they barely filled him up.
It was clear proof that his parents didn't care about him as much as they pretended yesterday.
Jacob's eyes widened as a translucent panel appeared before him, hovering in mid-air. Six notifications, each one more surprising than the last, were displayed on the screen.
[Ding! Host is rewarded with The Sapphire Table]
[Ding! Host is rewarded with 5 billion dollars.]
[Ding! Host is rewarded with Étoile Royale.]
[Ding! Host is rewarded with 10 billion dollars.]
[Ding! Host is rewarded with Luxe Ember Dining.]
[Ding! Host is rewarded with 5 billion dollars.]
Jacob's mind raced. What could have triggered these rewards? He still had no idea how the system worked, but he was starting to get a little worried. If the system kept giving him rewards, he might have to spend all his time signing paperwork.
As if reading his mind, the system responded, "Ding! Host can activate a feature to let the system sign paperwork for rewards, as long as the host permits it."
Below each reward notification, Jacob saw a simple "Y/N" option. If he chose "Y," the system would sign the paperwork for him. If he chose "N," he'd have to do it himself. If there was no "Y/N" option, it meant there was nothing to sign.
Jacob found this both amazing and a little strange. He asked the system, "Can I refuse a reward?"
[Ding! Yes, host can refuse to take a reward. The system will destroy that reward that failed to fancy the host.]
Jacob's expression turned from amusement to shock. "Anything I don't want will be destroyed?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "Isn't that a bit wasteful? This system is really crazy sometimes."
Jacob washed up and got dressed, preparing for his first day of school in his new life. With only two months left before the final exams, he knew he had to focus on his studies. While he was considered an average student, he wasn't satisfied with that. This was his chance to prove himself, to show that he could be more than just ordinary.
He had learned from his past life that studying all the time wasn't the key to success. It was important to find a balance between academics and other aspects of life. So, while he planned to work hard, he also wanted to enjoy his time as a teenager.
Jacob's goal was to finish in the top three of his class. It wasn't an overly ambitious goal, but it was something he was determined to achieve. He knew that if he could do well in school, it would give his classmates a reason to remember him. After all, he was barely on speaking terms with most of them. He didn't want to be forgotten after graduation.
As he left the house, Jacob couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. Going back to school is a dream maybe every average person has but he got this chance, and he was ready to make the most of it.
Inside a towering skyscraper in the heart of the city, a group of female office employees were gathered around the water cooler, discussing the latest gossip.
"Can you believe it? Our CEO, Olivia Philips, has gone crazy and bought three of the city's most exclusive restaurants overnight!" the first woman exclaimed.
"Is that even true? Maybe she sold some of her company shares to fund it," suggested the second woman.
A third woman joined the conversation, her eyes wide with excitement. "My brother's friend works in the upper management at Philips Group, and he told me that 50% of the company's shares were sold to a single person."
The other two women exchanged shocked glances. "You're serious?" one of them asked.
"Yeah, it's legit. Olivia Philips has always held 100% of the company's shares. She never diluted them. So, for her to suddenly sell half of the company to just one person...it's unheard of."
"And that's a lot of money. We're talking about 9 billion dollars," the second woman pointed out.
"Exactly. Someone must have made a really tempting offer for Olivia to sell so quickly. And it must have been more than the market rate, considering she's the CEO of Philips Group."
Olivia Philips sat in her CEO's office, examining the signed documents that had been delivered to her. The system, it seemed, had granted Jacob Wick the ability to sign documents remotely, saving her the trouble of meeting with him in person. While this was convenient, it also made her a little uneasy.
She had been looking forward to meeting Jacob in person. She had hoped to establish a friendly relationship with him, even if it was just a casual one. Now, with both of them owning 50% of the company, their relationship would be more than just a formality.
Olivia had always been hesitant to share any part of her company. She had grown attached to Philips Group, and the idea of giving up control had always filled her with dread. But the benefits of the deal far outweighed the drawbacks.
She had used the subsystem to purchase three expensive restaurants and had placed them under Jacob's name. She planned to expand the restaurant chain nationwide, and she had already received a 100x cashback on each purchase, totaling 20 billion dollars. This was her private money, untaxed and unrestricted.
While the subsystem was incredibly powerful, Olivia knew that the success of the company ultimately depended on her and Jacob's ability to work together. If Jacob ever decided to make bad decisions, she wouldn't be able to stop him. Her hard work and dedication could be undone in an instant.
For that reason, Olivia was determined to build a strong relationship with Jacob Wick. She needed him to be on her side, to support her vision for the company.