The gate of Oxford High, as high as ever, polished, refined, imposing under the afternoon sun. Students moving in clusters, it was the start of a new session at Oxford High, but the end of something else in Kobe Gray's life.
"Kobe Gray, stop bothering me."
"Love without money behind it? It's nothing but sand, it slips through your fingers."
"What I want… you simply can't give me."
She didn't raise her voice. If anything, Isabella Sinclair sounded calm, too calm. There was even a trace of pity in her eyes as she looked at him.
"He can take me to the most luxurious hotel in Oxford for a candlelight dinner. Can you?"
"Even if you saved for a whole month, it wouldn't be enough for a single piece of clothing I like."
"To me, your efforts are… cheap."
The words landed lightly, almost carelessly, but they cut deep.
Kobe stood frozen, struggling to process what he'd just heard.
After speaking, Isabella casually brushed a strand of black hair behind her ear. Then, without hesitation, she slipped her arm around an obese, balding man beside her. The man's oily face shone under the light as they walked past Kobe together.
They didn't even try to hide it, the way they glanced at him, like he was nothing more than a stray dog lingering where he didn't belong.
The sleek black SeDavies Benz purred to life.
Only then did Kobe Gray snap back to reality.
"No… that's not possible."
"Ella, Isabella! Explain yourself!"
He rushed forward, pounding on the tinted window, his voice breaking. But the engine roared louder, drowning him out. The car surged forward, kicking up dust and wind that knocked him off balance and sent him stumbling to the ground.
Around him, students slowed, whispering behind their hands. Some pointed. Some laughed.
No one helped.
Kobe could only watch as the girl he'd loved for four years disappeared down the road, growing smaller… and smaller… until she was gone.
"Entanglement…" he muttered bitterly. "So that's what I was to you."
"All those years… was it just me?"
The weight in his chest became unbearable. A dull ache twisted in his stomach as he clenched his fists and slammed them against the cold pavement. Pain shot up his arm, sharp and immediate. Skin split. Blood welled up.
But it didn't matter.
It was nothing compared to the hollow ache in his chest.
…
Today was supposed to be the start of something new.
Kobe had imagined this moment so many times, walking into Oxford High as a freshman, finally standing on the same campus as Isabella. After a year of grinding through textbooks and sleepless nights, he had made it.
They had promised each other, back before the exams.
No matter what, they'd get in together.
But reality hadn't been so kind.
When the results came out, Isabella had passed with ease, her scores high enough to secure her place immediately. Kobe… hadn't made the cut.
Still, he didn't give up.
"Just wait for me," he had told her back then, his voice full of determination. "I'll repeat the year. I'll come find you at Oxford High."
Ask any student, and they'll tell you, no one wants to relive their final year. The pressure, the exhaustion… it's something most people are desperate to escape.
But Kobe chose it willingly.
For her.
He had no family to fall back on, no safety net. Raised in an orphanage, everything he had came from his own effort. Tuition, living expenses, he had to earn it all himself.
Even then, every month, he still sent Isabella a hundred dollars so she could live comfortably.
Meanwhile, he survived on little more than plain rice and free soup from the cafeteria.
Days were for studying. Nights were spent in a cramped restaurant kitchen, hands soaked and raw from washing dishes. Four hours of sleep, if he was lucky.
It nearly broke him.
More than once, he had felt himself on the verge of collapse. But whenever that happened, he'd think of Isabella's smile… and push through.
That single thought kept him going.
And in the end, it paid off.
He passed.
He got in.
The day the results came out, he called her immediately, barely able to contain his excitement. But her response had been… off. Short. Distant. She hung up quickly.
After that, she was impossible to reach.
Busy with a summer job, she said.
Kobe believed her.
He never once doubted her.
Until today.
Seeing her walk out of the campus, hand in hand with that man, it didn't take a genius to understand. And when he demanded answers, all he got in return were cold, dismissive words… and blame.
Somewhere along the line, she had decided he wasn't enough.
Kobe let out a hollow laugh.
"I really thought you'd be different…"
He pushed himself to his feet, brushing dust from his clothes. His head still felt heavy, like he hadn't fully woken up from a dream, one that had just shattered.
Four years of feelings… gone.
"Maybe you're right," he murmured. "Maybe I was just a joke to you."
His hands tightened at his sides.
"But one day… I'll prove you wrong."
There was something steady in his eyes now. Determined. Unyielding.
Then,
A mechanical voice echoed inside his head.
["Apex Capital System has detected a suitable host."]
["Installing… Installation complete."]
Kobe blinked.
"…What?"
For a moment, he just stood there, stunned. Then he glanced around. The crowd had already dispersed, no one reacted, no one heard it.
Which meant…
It was real.
His heart began to race.
Scenes like this, weren't they straight out of novels?
As if responding to his thoughts, a translucent interface flickered into view.
[Host: Kobe Gray]
[Function: Spending money on a female target grants cashback (minimum 1x, no upper limit).]
[There were conditions.]
[Only women linked by the system counted. The higher their favorability toward him, the greater the possible multiplier. Once favorability reached 50, cashback would stop, replaced by other rewards.]
Kobe read it once.
Then again.
And again.
"So… I just spend money… and get more money back?"
"At worst, I break even… at best, I profit."
"And the more she likes me… the more I earn?"
His eyes widened.
"Wait, then doesn't that mean…"
"If I keep spending… her favorability increases…"
"And if her favorability increases… I earn even more?"
He let out a breath, almost laughing.
"That's… basically infinite growth."
The crushing weight in his chest lifted, replaced by something sharp and electric.
Hope.
But one question remained.
"How do I bind someone?."
As if on cue, the system responded.
["When the host interacts with a female, the system evaluates 'heartbeat value.'" "If it meets the threshold, binding is automatic."]
Kobe exhaled slowly.
"…So I just need to talk to them."
Then he paused, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
"This system is basically telling me to become a scumbag."
He shook his head.
"Fine. I don't care anymore."
"I'll use it. I'll rise to the top."
"And I'll never be humiliated like that again."
He checked his phone.
Three thousand yuan.
Not much, but enough to test things.
Without hesitation, he flagged down a taxi and gave the driver a destination.
Jeffrey's Plaza.
…
The coffee shop buzzed softly with conversation and the faint aroma of roasted beans.
Kobe stepped inside, scanning the room before approaching a woman seated by the window. She was elegant, long legs crossed, black stockings, sunglasses resting neatly on her face.
"Excuse me," he said politely. "Is this seat taken?"
["Heartbeat value: 20. Binding successful."]
The woman looked up, briefly studying him. Suspicion flickered across her face, maybe she thought he was trying his luck.
But the café was full, and his expression was calm, almost earnest.
"No, go ahead."
She moved her bag aside.
Kobe nodded in thanks and sat down, pulling out his phone to scan the menu.
"To thank you," he said, glancing at her with a small smile, "let me get you a coffee."
As he scrolled through the options, his eyes narrowed slightly.
'If this works…'
He paused on the most expensive item.
'Then let's start small… and see what happens.'