Jayden became curious after that reaction… On a normal day, he had already promised himself never to get involved in anything related to cryptocurrencies after what happened to him in 2066—just two years ago.
After finishing his part-time jobs on one fateful day, where he made as much as $1,300, the highest he had ever managed to gather, one of Jayden's neighbors came over and introduced him to ROBIT Coin.
After feeding him with all sorts of hyped-up and allegedly credible information, Jayden was completely captivated. The ROBIT Coin was newly launched and going for as low as $0.72 per coin.
Jayden was starving for wealth back then. He wanted to rise and restore his family's name from disgrace. Blinded by the hunger for success, he went all in and bought coins worth $1,200, leaving himself with just a hundred dollars.
After months of waiting for the coin price to skyrocket, everything ended in tragedy. The projected ROI nosedived to $0.11 instead of increasing even slightly. It was expected to rise by up to 450%, but unfortunately, everyone who invested was crushed in the end.
Then came the second disaster... RC Coin. That one left him completely stranded. Jayden had invested $4,000 and got back only $35.
Since then, he made a solemn vow: never again would he touch anything cryptocurrency-related.
And now, the system was reacting aggressively just because he hesitated about VIREX Coin?
"What? How is that a mistake? Cryptocurrency is shit. They'll only ruin your life," Jayden muttered, shaking his head bitterly as he recalled the hell he'd gone through.
> [Do you trust the system, host?]
The question struck his ears sharply.
Jayden froze for a moment and thought deeply. Why would the system ask him such a thing? Then again… he reflected on recent events.
Talking about trust… why wouldn't he trust the system?
This system had appeared and changed his life within hours. He was no longer poor. In fact, he had the opportunity to become one of the wealthiest men alive if he kept completing tasks.
Jayden nodded slowly.
"Yes… I trust you," he answered.
> [Good. This isn't going to be a task. It's a valuable tip.]
> [Invest before the crowd. Buy $400,000 worth of VIREX Coin. Now.]
"What?!" Jayden bellowed, his eyes twitching with disbelief.
> [If you trust the system, host, do as I say.]
"No way, man! I have just five hundred thousand, and you want me to throw four hundred grand into cryptocurrencies?! What if it turns into dust?" Jayden's voice trembled between awe and fear.
> [Trust… Trust. Just trust the system.]
Jayden stood speechless, torn between instinct and logic. The system's tone was serious, but his fear was real. He had been screwed over twice—who in their right mind would want to be screwed a third time?
> [It's your choice. You can decline if you feel like, host.]
The system's passive remark only increased his tension. That made him even more curious… and even more scared.
What if he chose not to invest, and then VIREX actually skyrocketed like Bitcoin in the old days? That kind of regret would tear a man apart.
Besides, with more tasks ahead and more money to earn, he could take the risk. He breathed deeply.
"…Fine," he whispered.
> [Great choice!]
Jayden went ahead to download the VIREX Trading App and signed up. It took him a few minutes to get verified and set up his wallet. Finally, he bought $400,000 worth of VIREX Coins—amounting to 500,000 VRC at $0.80 per coin.
His hand flinched the moment he clicked on "Buy," but he stayed hopeful—no matter how hopeless it seemed.
"Gosh… I'm counting on you," he said to the system.
> [And I'm counting on VIREX.]
Jayden didn't know how to respond to that. He just kept quiet.
He went on to another boutique, this time, a less expensive one. Maison Vertu had great luxury, but he couldn't afford to spend too lavishly anymore. At least not now.
Now that he had only $100,000 left, he had to manage things more wisely.
He visited Rays Collection, a low-key boutique in town that was underrated despite its neat designs. He bought a few polos, hoodies, some stylish trousers, three sneakers, and a sleek handbag along with a backpack.
He spent around $5,000 on them.
Then, he decided to treat himself to a long-overdue, proper meal.
"My stomach first," Jayden muttered as he swallowed his saliva.
He made sure to feast on luxurious meals he hadn't tasted in years—tender steak, creamy pasta, seafood platters—and drank a bottle of Sevon De Ray, a rare wine worth nearly $4,000.
After getting himself full and satisfied, he decided to head back home. He needed rest. He had lectures tomorrow.
Once again, he skipped over the idea of buying a car.
"Nah, not yet…"
...
Just as he reached the apartment and walked in, Jayden froze.
There he was.
Mr. Collins. The Landlord.
Short. Bald. Eternally frowning, like happiness owed him rent.
The man didn't even let Jayden take a breath.
He stomped down the stairway with his face red and voice high.
"You've got until tonight to move out!" he barked. "Someone offered more for your unit. I'm done with your type!"
Jayden blinked. "My type?"
"You think just because you got some nice clothes, you suddenly belong here? You've been late on rent three times this year! I'm not running a shelter for broke dreamers!"
Jayden's eyes went cold. Then, suddenly...
> [Task #003 (Bronze Level): Buy the entire apartment building and slap your troublesome landlord with the payment in cash.]
> [Reward: $2 Million. +3 Confidence. +2 Reputation.]
The Infinite Wealth System spoke.
Jayden's lips curled into a slow smile as he saw the figures on his interface—visible only to him. He made sure not to show anything that would alert the landlord.
"Fine," he said calmly.
He reached into his backpack, pulled out a thick wad of hundred-dollar bills from the earlier cash withdrawal, and peeled off ten grand like it was nothing. Then he slammed it into Collins' chest.
"Here's ten grand. For wasting my time."
The landlord's eyes shrunk.
"What…?"
Collins was about to rant again, but Jayden cut him off.
"Now tell me, how much for the whole building?"
"What?"
"You heard me. The entire damn building. Every floor. Every unit. How much?"
Collins stuttered. "I—uh… well… it's old. Needs repairs…"
"How much?" Jayden asked again, his voice as hard as iron.
The landlord paused. "Sixty-five thousand. But it's not—"
Before he could finish, Jayden pulled out another thick bunch of hundred-dollar bills and smacked it right into his face.
"No need for repairs. I'll take care of it from here," Jayden said with a smirk.
The landlord stood there, stunned, speechless, watching Jayden like he was hallucinating.
He didn't even count the money! Collins screamed inside his head.
"I guess you get the message now," Jayden continued with a shrug. "I'm no longer your tenant… I'm your landlord. And you're my tenant."
Jayden turned and walked away like a king.
[Task #003 Completed!]
[You have been rewarded $2,000,000. Funds will be transferred shortly.]
> [+3 Confidence | +2 Reputation added to your Attributes.]
Beep!
{Credit Alert: You just received $2,000,000 from XXX-XXXX-XX}
Jayden stared at his phone's screen, jaw dropping slightly as he made his way to his apartment.
"Oh my god…! I fucking love this!"
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[A/N: The author gracefully asks for your opinion after these first five chapters. Please do well to comment. It means a lot.]