Chapter 3 Sudden wealth

Edward stood before his apartment building, a two-story structure with peeling paint and a worn environment.

Those unable to afford better in Brickwoods often settled for one-room apartments.

Climbing the worn steps, the echoes of his footsteps reverberated in the narrow stairwell.

His room was perched at the top floor.

Reaching his door, he deftly unlocked it and was about to step inside...

"Where have you been?" A female voice queried from behind.

Startled, Edward swiftly pivoted to see the speaker. It was Angela Alvarez, the daughter of a Brickwoods sheriff.

Though her appearance might suggest wealth, her family wasn't. Her father, working as a sheriff, had been saving up to cure his ailing wife.

"It's rather late, you know. This is when those dangerous gangs operate," Angela said, concern lacing her voice. "You could get hurt if you run into them, and even my dad won't be able to save you."

"Sure thing, mom," Edward retorted mockingly, but then quickly realized his mistake.

Mentioning 'mom' in front of Angela was insensitive.

Angela's expression shifted from concern to sadness.

"Good night," she said calmly as she retreated into her room.

Edward stared at her door, torn between knocking and apologizing or not bothering.

"I'll address it tomorrow," Edward decided, entering his room and shutting the door.

Seated at his workbench, he quickly resumed typing on his computer.

'I must transfer the money to my private account. The one I established myself,' Edward stated, adjusting his glasses as they slid down his nose, and continued typing with purpose.

'Those individuals will surely track their money. If I don't move it to my account, they'll eventually reclaim it,' Edward thought internally, his gaze fixed on the computer screen.

Different codes and numbers flickered with every keystroke.

(Are you certain you want to transfer $74,999,999,999,999 to Edflex Account?)

A smile stretched across Edward's face after reading the notification on his computer screen.

He quickly hit the 'Enter' button, and a progress bar materialized.

__________________

Transferring: 1%

------------------------

Edward removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes before placing them back on.

'I can't believe I became wealthy all of a sudden,' Edward mused, a grin lingering on his face.

The entire situation felt surreal; a poor boy like him had suddenly become a trillionaire.

All those months Edward had spent attempting to hack one of the rich men's accounts, he hadn't held high hopes of gaining more than a few thousand dollars.

He was aware the security guarding the accounts would halt large transfers, but here he was, able to secure 750 trillion without detection.

'I'll finally become someone other than my usual self,' Edward pondered as he lay down on his bed to sleep, leaving the computer powered on to complete the transfer.

****

Elsewhere in Brickwoods, a towering skyscraper stood, illuminated by modern designs and dazzling lights that encircled the building at night.

At the heart of the structure, a sign emblazoned with 'Interlect Bank' stood proudly.

The bank catered specifically to the upper echelons of Brickwoods.

Mafia lords and gang leaders often deposited their funds there for secure storage and to evade inquisitive law enforcement.

Inside, individuals clad in black suits were immersed in their work. Despite the lateness of the hour, they continued toiling, determined to avoid any mistakes that might enrage the crime lords.

"Mary, are you okay?" A man inquired, noticing his partner beside him, perspiring profusely, her expression one of deep concern.

"Earlier, a sum of money suddenly disappeared from our banking vault and was transferred to another bank," Mary explained, typing feverishly.

"What?!" The man exclaimed in shock. "And you said nothing?"

"I thought it was a minor issue since the destination bank was reputable, and I could simply reverse it," Mary clarified, her typing still hurried.

"But for a while now, I've been trying to reverse it, but the hacker managed to implement a robust security code."

"When I finally managed to bypass the security, the money was no longer in the account," Mary concluded.

The workers in the room began to murmur amongst themselves, expressions of disbelief and anger evident.

Mary, responsible for bank security, was meant to prevent situations like this.

"How much is missing?" The man asked, struggling to control his anger.

He understood the dire consequences they would face if even a single dollar were unaccounted for.

Mary remained silent, her gaze fixed on the floor.

"How much?!" The man demanded.

"750... trillion dollars," Mary stammered.

The entire room gasped in collective shock.

A woman among them collapsed to the floor, overwhelmed by the revelation.

"Haha, very funny, Mary," the man scoffed, assuming it was a prank.

"Pick up the phone and inform the lords of your mistake." He stormed out of the room, leaving Mary alone with her thoughts.

****

The morning sun ascended, its rays filtering through Edward's small window, casting a warm glow on his face.

Edward slowly opened his eyelids and sat up in bed, stretching and yawning.

Ensuring he was fully awake, Edward donned his glasses and rushed to his workbench to check his computer.

[Transaction completed]

That was the notification displayed boldly on the computer screen.

A grin spread across Edward's face as he read it.

He retrieved his phone and opened his bank app, the one he had created himself.

The app displayed his current balance, the same trillion from the previous night.

'I'm truly a bad, bad boy, haha,' Edward laughed aloud at his devious actions.

He felt no remorse for whoever might have owned the money; he assumed they had probably acquired it through illicit means.

'Now, how should I start spending?' Edward pondered, his hand on his chin, contemplating what to buy first or what business venture to pursue.

Numerous business ideas flooded Edward's mind, prompting him to jot them down on a piece of paper to ensure he wouldn't forget later.

'But wouldn't it seem suspicious to suddenly start spending so extravagantly? Everyone knows me as a common security man; they'd probably ask questions about where I got the cash. And who knows, they might link it back to the hacking, and the gangs could come after me,' Edward contemplated.