When Miles returned home, it was clocking close to 5pm. He was very concerned about his little brother, knowing he was supposed to be back home an hour earlier. Moreover, there was little food left at home and he wasn't sure if his aunt had given Charlie.
Sighing, Miles pedaled his bicycle into the apartment's curb. He chained the tires and grabbed the last box of pizza, his mind still reeling with this new phenomenon that had given him access to 10 million dollars. No, he OWNED ten million dollars now.
When Miles entered their apartment, his brows furrowed and he was in high alert once he heard Charlie's cry. He rushed inside to receive a heavy slap from his aunt. "Where have you been, heh?!" She thundered, her words emerging with the strong stench of alcohol.
Did we forget to make it clear Miles' aunt was abusive?
Well, it was a usual thing for Miles Bennett now as he ignored it. This was her normal attitude and under the influence of alcohol even made it worse. Moreover, Miles could see an unfamiliar ragged bloke seated in the parlour. Her drinking mate, obviously, he thought, enduring the painful burn on his cheek.
Right at that moment, what he cared about was his brother's cry. So he pushed through his aunt, almost knocking her over and headed to the lobby. There, his little brother was crouched to the wall, crying in hunger. Miles picked him up and hurried to their room before his aunt could regain her footing to attack him again.
Bam Bam Bam! She slammed her fists on the room door as soon as Miles locked it from the inside.
He sighed, dragging a chair and a few heavy boxes to barricade the entrance. It wasn't that his aunt was strong enough to knock it down, but with the brutish man she had lounging in the parlor, Miles wasn't taking any chances.
Turning away from the door, he knelt down to his little brother, wiping the tear-streaks off Charlie's chubby cheeks. His heart ached, but he forced a smile and pulled the pizza box closer. "Here, buddy. This one's for you."
The savory scent of pepperoni filled the air as Miles cut small slices, feeding Charlie piece by piece. The boy's face lit up, his tears replaced by an enthusiastic smile as he gobbled down the food. Watching his brother eat was bittersweet for Miles. Moments like these reminded him why he endured everything—the insults from his mates, the abuse from his aunt, the long hours at school and work.
As Charlie happily munched, Miles dug through the cluttered drawer by his bed and pulled out his debit card. He held it up, his thumb brushing over the embossed numbers. This is not my debit card, he thought, examining it. Miles debit card was red not black surrounded with golden lines.
[System automatically customized host's debit card for optimal usage without issues. The default pin is "124568". Please change it as soon as possible.]
Miles' heart was beating with excitement as the system spoke while he studied the magnificent design of the black VIP card. This simple piece of plastic now represented more money than he'd ever dared to dream of. Millions. The thought was surreal, but it was real.
Don't worry, Charlie. Aunt doesn't know what she's doing, does she? She'll regret all this she's saying and doing one day!....One day? Tomorrow! She'll regret!
[Ding!]
The sudden sound startled Miles. His head snapped toward the glowing interface that appeared before him.
[System Task Bundle Assigned!]
"System Task Bundle?" Miles muttered, narrowing his eyes.
[Host, System Task Bundle is a set of three missions required of host to complete for EXP rewards. A few may offer corresponding bonuses.]
Three missions? That sounded... interesting. His curiosity piqued as the first mission loaded.
[First Mission Assigned!]
[Details: Host needs to build body confidence for financial confidence]
[Action: 100 Pushups and Pull-ups]
[Reward: 100 EXP and +1 Strength]
Wow! "Pushups and pull-ups? That's doable," Miles muttered, nodding. He had been meaning to get in shape anyway.
[Second Mission Assigned!]
[Details: You have a very wicked aunt who does not care about you or your brother, but instead feeds off your parents' savings.]
[Action: Buy your aunt out of your life forever]
[Reward: 1000 EXP]
Miles was flushed by the second mission. He blinked rapidly to be sure if he was seeing correctly. Sure enough, the System wanted him to get rid of his aunt forever.
Believe it or not, this was something that was kind of at the back of Miles' head ever since he knew his aunt, but he never knew how to implement it. She owned what little his parents had left for their children, if they haven't been sold by now. All insurances were handled by her, everything.
"How would I do it?" Miles asked.
[Host would figure that out on his own]
Miles nodded as the next mission loaded.
[Third Mission Assigned!]
[Details: Your heartless, wicked boss is on the brink of bankruptcy]
[Action: Face-slap your boss, buy, and grow his pizza company to surpass great heights]
[Reward: $10,000 and a 12-hour limited 30× rebate on expenses.]
Miles blinked. "Face-slap my boss? Buy his company? What the heck..."
[System does not require host to physically slap his boss. Face-slapping is a metaphorical term.]
"Metaphorical?" Miles muttered.
[Face-slapping refers to a host proving their worth, achieving overwhelming success, or gaining the upper hand against an adversary. The goal is to render the target stunned, humiliated, or regretful for underestimating or mistreating the host. It symbolizes a reversal of power dynamics, ensuring host's superiority is recognized.]
"So, system wants me to show my boss who's boss? I kind of like the sound of that."
Images of Mr. Santos flashed in his mind, and Miles wondered how he'd able to stand up and flaunt his new, immersive wealth. The thought of turning the tables was exhilarating, but buying the pizza shop? That was too bold, and the system expected its host to carry out his tasks all by himself.
After all, that's all that's required from the host after gaining such wealth.
Miles smirked as he processed everything. The thought of buying out the pizza shop and turning it into something bigger, better, and more successful than his former boss could ever dream of sent a jolt of excitement through him. He could practically see the look on the ol man's face already—a mix of shock and regret.
"I will do it!"
Now, Miles Bennett could finally rewrite his path. With his good knowledge of money, his college course being Financial Management, Miles promised to himself this was just the start of his wealth and the regret of those who looked down on him.