Rui tugged his worn jacket tighter around himself, his tall frame casting a faint shadow on the cracked pavement. At seventeen, he was already carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders — an omega with no parents, working multiple part-time jobs just to save enough for college.
His long, dark hair often fell over his pale eyes, hiding the tiredness beneath. Many assumed he was a beta because of his height and quiet, gloomy demeanor, but Rui knew the truth — and the dangers that came with it.
Tonight, as he hurried home from the night shift at the convenience store, a rough voice called out from the alley.
"Oi! Hand over the cash you earned today!" snarled a group of gang members. All betas, rough and loud, blocking his way.
Rui's heart hammered. They didn't know he was an omega — or maybe that made them even bolder. He froze, clutching his wallet.
One stepped forward, sneering. "Thought you were just some weak beta kid, huh? Tall enough to fool us."
Before Rui could respond, he broke into a run, dodging into the maze of alleys he knew well.
Suddenly, his chest tightened. Pain stabbed his side — someone had grabbed him. Panic surged.
Then, without warning, a blue light shimmered before his eyes. A translucent screen floated, glowing softly.
"Congratulations, Host! You have unlocked the Wealth-Building System!"
Confused, Rui stared at the screen as the pain dulled.
Before he could react further, a tall man stepped forward — calm, commanding, with sharp features and piercing eyes that seemed to see right through Rui. Despite never having met, Rui felt a strange familiarity in his gaze.
The man's presence alone was enough to make the gang members hesitate.
"You're a beta, but you're with an alpha now," the man said softly.
The gang grumbled and backed off into the shadows.
Rui barely caught his breath as the man's eyes briefly met his.
Without waiting for a response, the man turned and walked away.
Rui didn't look back. His legs carried him swiftly through the dark streets until he finally reached the safety of his small apartment.
Unaware, the man stood watching from a distance.
His assistant approached quietly, "He's your mate, isn't he? But you haven't even spoken to him."
The man's gaze softened as he glanced down. "He's only seventeen. This was our first meeting. He's scared… Let's let him go home."
Exhausted and shaken, Rui collapsed onto his bed. The weight of the day pressed down on him, and fear settled deep in his chest.
He barely noticed the faint glow of the system screen hovering in the corner of his vision. Whether it was real or a trick of his mind, Rui was too tired and scared to check.
Days later, back at school, Rui struggled to focus. Between classes and part-time jobs, exhaustion clung to him like a heavy fog. His body ached, but his mind was restless, unable to forget the strange man who had saved him.
That man's face — mysterious, sharp, and oddly familiar — kept drifting through Rui's thoughts.
Unbeknownst to Rui, the man was Kian — the city's youngest and most powerful alpha CEO.
And Rui was his 100% match mate.