When Dale heard the figure of $300,000, his expression immediately shifted, his breathing grew more rapid as he fell into deep thought.
"$300,000… for one year of life… With that money, I could afford my little daughter's surgery! Maybe even more…"
At that moment, the tractor had quietly arrived at the place Michael had indicated. Dale pressed the brake. But his expression remained distant, still lost in his thoughts.
Michael wrote down a phone number and handed it to Dale. "Please, take your time to think it over. You have plenty of time to decide. This is my number—you can contact me anytime."
After finishing his statement, Michael got ready to get out of the car. Before he did, he patted down his pockets and eventually pulled out a few hundred dollars. That was all he had to his name for now, especially since the hundred million from the Cahill Family hadn't come through yet.
Michael frowned slightly, hesitating for a moment, then decided to give it all, placing the cash on his seat as payment for Dale's ride.
"Goodbye." Michael said, stepping out of the tractor.
Dale, still lost in thought, slowly came back to himself. His calloused hands held the phone number Michael had left, and he looked at the money on the seat. His gaze then shifted to Michael's retreating figure, filled with a mix of gratitude and complexity.
…
After getting out of the tractor, Michael stretched, letting out a yawn. "The Cahill Family's money should take a little longer to come through."
Now, Michael was heading to his company.
He had been fired the night before. Although his boss was a jerk, he still needed to go back to gather his things.
Michael stepped forward, heading toward the company—a sleek, modern office building. He glanced up, his expression neutral, and took in the striking name displayed in elegant script: Quantum Leap!
This was a software development studio. As soon as Michael approached, a wave of memories flooded his mind.
Since graduating from university, he had worked here. But over the years, he had accumulated plenty of grievances.
The company was steeped in a cutthroat, ruthless culture that originated from East Asia, relentlessly squeezing every ounce of effort from its employees. Overtime was the norm, and the boss was aloof and merciless. Those who couldn't handle the pressure had already left.
But Michael, due to the pressure of life, had no choice but to grit his teeth and stick it out. He had always been obedient, accepting whatever unreasonable demands were placed on him. Because of this, he was promoted to team leader.
"But after all these years of doing everything without complaint, working hard with no recognition. The company never showed any mercy. In fact, it probably just saw me as someone easy to push around." Michael scoffed bitterly. Ever since he was diagnosed with brain cancer, he had often had to take sick leave during overtime. But his damn boss just fired him outright!
"Eleanor Vance, I won't forget this grudge!" Michael muttered darkly, a sinister smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he strode into the office.
As soon as he stepped inside, Michael saw programmers hunched over their glowing screens, hard at work. Sunlight streamed through the glass windows, and the air was filled with the hum of computer fans and the rhythmic clacking of keyboards.
Upon his arrival, several pairs of eyes immediately landed on him.
"Is that... Michael? I heard he got fired last night by the boss."
"Yeah, it was bound to happen. He really pissed off the wrong person. Chad wasn't going to let that slide."
"He really cared about this job. Looks like he's going to have to find some other way to survive now."
A group of former colleagues whispered among themselves, their looks a mix of sympathy, mockery, and schadenfreude.
Michael said nothing, walking calmly to his desk and starting to pack his things. He didn't utter a word, and he ignored all the hushed conversations around him, acting as though they didn't exist.
Beside his desk, a pretty girl looked up. Since Michael entered, she had glanced at him several times. Unlike the others, her gaze held more sympathy than anything else.
"Hi, Anya." Michael greeted her with a warm smile, the only person in the office he'd even bother to acknowledge. She was the only one in the company who seemed to show some genuine humanity. Or perhaps, the only real friend he had here.
Anya Sharma, a cute girl from Asia, a year younger than Michael. He often looked out for her, and they had worked together well.
"Michael... What happened?" Anya's eyes were filled with concern, her pretty face marked with confusion. She wanted to know what had happened to him.
"Well, if it isn't our former team leader, Michael?" Just as Anya finished speaking, a man in a blue suit appeared from the corner. His hair was neatly combed, and he wore a Rolex watch. His blue eyes lingered too long on every female colleague in the office. Despite trying hard to show off his athletic, masculine physique, Michael only felt a sense of sleaze. As soon as the man spotted Michael, he almost immediately walked over.
"Chad-Williams?" Michael glanced at him, his expression unchanged.
"Hey, Michael. I heard you got fired. Finding another job isn't easy, huh? How about I recommend a few for you?" Chad's voice oozed with feigned sympathy, though it couldn't hide the smugness beneath.
"By the way, I forgot to tell you. I've taken over your old position. Michael, I'm really sorry about your situation." Chad said, patting Michael's shoulder from above. He leaned in close, whispering in his ear with clear malice, a sense of superiority in his every word.
Upon seeing this scene, the expressions of the others in the office became even more interesting. "I heard Chad's been taken in by Eleanor as her lover. He's currently her favorite pet."
"Remember when Chad first joined? He flirted with Anya in the office, and Michael ended up beating him up. Chad's been holding a grudge ever since. Now, he's getting back at Michael using this method..."
More whispers filled the air as the gossip spread.
Rumors about Chad and their boss, Ms. Eleanor Vance, had long been circulating in the shadows. The real reason behind Michael's dismissal, aside from his lack of motivation, was closely tied to this gossip as well.
Michael glared at Chad's hand, which was still resting on his shoulder. He swatted it off with disgust before setting down his things. "Are you done? Actually, I didn't just come here to collect my things. I have something else to discuss."
Chad smirked. "You? What could you possibly want?"
"Tell Eleanor Vance to come out and talk to me." Michael said calmly, his voice cold and firm. He didn't even bother to look at Chad.
Chad snorted, for some reason sensing a change in Michael's demeanor. But Michael seemed to have never given him a proper look before.
"What are you? Do you think you're worthy of seeing the boss?" Chad sneered, folding his weak arms.
Michael laughed. "And you? A pretty boy, and you think you can talk down to me?"
Chad's face darkened. He immediately became furious, clearly struck by the insult. "Who... who are you calling a pretty boy?"
"Enough." came a woman's voice, cutting through the escalating tension in the room.
Eleanor Vance stepped out of her office, her high heels clicking on the floor. She fixed her gaze firmly on Michael. "What is it that you want from me?"
Her eyes narrowed, her tone dripping with disdain. Her face carried the superiority of someone in power. She thought that Michael was simply upset about being fired. Now that he refused to accept his fate, she would make sure he was thoroughly humiliated.
At this moment, every pair of eyes in the office turned toward Michael. The air thick with anticipation.
"Do you have a problem with the personnel decision? You still want to stay, don't you?" Eleanor's voice was icy, her eyes full of mockery, as if she had already seen through him.
Anya wanted to speak up on Michael's behalf, but she couldn't get a word in.
"No." Michael replied calmly, shaking his head.
Eleanor raised an eyebrow. Behind her, Chad wore a smug grin, eager to watch Michael make a complete fool of himself in front of everyone today.
"So what is it that you want?" Eleanor Vance asked.
Michael looked at Eleanor's face, his expression neutral, his voice deliberate as he said, "I want to buy this company."
The moment Michael's words left his mouth, the entire office fell into stunned silence. Everyone was frozen in place.
And then, a burst of laughter erupted!
The idea of buying the company was utterly insane. To everyone present, Michael seemed to have completely lost his mind.
Chad laughed so hard he nearly doubled over. "Hahaha, Michael, I thought you had something serious to say. But it turns out you're just insane!"
Eleanor coldly fixed her gaze on Michael, her expression unreadable. "Are you joking with me?"