Chapter 2 The Magnate System

Ellie was openly declaring her love for another man in public!

As Tristan thought about this, his entire body tensed, and a tingling sensation spread across his scalp.

"No!" he shouted and dashed toward the girls' dormitory.

The sound of the wind buzzed in his ears, yet all Tristan could hear was the pounding of his own heart.

Arriving at the girls' dorm, he was panting and nearly out of breath.

Bending over with his hands on his knees, Tristan struggled for air. He pushed through the gathered crowd and at last caught sight of Ellie, who had said she was at the library, standing at the entrance of the dormitory.

Ellie was in a white dress, standing within a heart-shaped outline of red roses.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes shimmered with excitement as she clutched a bouquet of flowers.

Facing her was a young man in a white shirt, Kevin.

His hair was slicked back stylishly, with a Mercedes parked behind him, showcasing the aura of someone successful.

"Kevin!" Ellie said, beaming. "I love you! Will you be my boyfriend?"

With those words, she offered the bouquet to Kevin.

Kevin looked over the crowd with a self-satisfied air, clearly enjoying the attention.

The crowd cheered, urging, "Say yes! Say yes!"

Tristan was seething with anger.

Ellie, his girlfriend, was actually making a move on another guy right in front of everyone!

"Alright, yes, Ellie!" Kevin said, grinning, and planted a kiss on Ellie's cheek.

They embraced each other right away.

The crowd erupted into cheers and laughter.

It seemed as though Ellie and Kevin were a perfect match, receiving the good wishes of their peers.

"Ellie!"

Tristan's shout of anger cut through the noise, silencing everyone.

An awkward silence fell.

"What are you doing? You're my girlfriend!"

Battling his way through the crowd and struggling for air, Tristan moved forward and flung the bouquet to the ground. "How could you do this to me and declare your love for someone else?"

Ellie was rooted to the spot. "Tristan?"

"Your boyfriend?" Kevin, holding Ellie close, lifted his head in a show of superiority.

Tristan's eyes were filled with tears as he fixed his gaze on Ellie, demanding answers.

"Ellie! Talk to me! What's this all about? Who is he?"

Kevin's embrace provided Ellie with a feeling of protection, allowing her to regain her composure.

Looking scared, she acted as though she was terrified and cuddled up even closer to Kevin.

With discomfort on her face, she said, "Tristan, please, stop this. I can't return your feelings. Could you please leave me alone, alright?"

Tristan stood there in shock, disbelief written all over his face.

Leave her alone?

What was she talking about?

Ellie went on, "I'm grateful for your feelings toward me, but I've always been clear that it's Kevin I love. I'm asking you not to bring me any more gifts. I... I find it repulsive!"

With the emphasis on the last word, Ellie made it seem as if Tristan had done something utterly distasteful.

Tristan was speechless.

He noticed the scorn and contempt in Ellie's eyes for the first time.

It hit him then.

Ellie had been putting on an act all along!

He thought back on all the times he had carefully looked after her and how he had trusted her with all his savings.

Tristan forced a smile. "I see now. You've been playing me for a fool from the start."

At that moment, Kevin looked at Tristan with a smirk.

"Tristan, what's your problem? You should know your place. Consider it. What do you think you are, huh? You're just a poor orphan without any family! Did you really think Ellie's slight kindness meant she loved you? That's laughable!"

"You..."

Tristan's whole body shook, and he pointed at Ellie, his fingers trembling, lost for words.

Ellie kept up her act.

Her face went ashen, tears rolled down her cheeks, and she voiced her complaint.

"Tristan! I'm begging you, stop this. Kevin and I are in love for real. And don't be so harsh on Kevin. I get it, you're jealous of him. You're jealous of his wealth and good looks. But being jealous won't help you. You need to work on bettering yourself."

Witnessing Ellie's fake vulnerability, Tristan's rage boiled over, and he wanted to expose her lies.

He exploded, shouting, "Lies! You swore you'd be my girl! What about all the promises we made to each other?"

Kevin let out a derisive chuckle and hit his car key. The headlights of the Mercedes-Benz blinked.

He casually wrapped his arm around Ellie's waist and remarked, "Looks like this guy here's got some issues. Just ignore him; let's head out."

There was no deliberate sarcasm in his tone. He avoided any rash acts of violence.

Kevin didn't even give Tristan a second look from start to finish.

It was a complete snub.

Ellie nodded obediently and said, "I have one last thing to say to him."

She faced Tristan again, feigning bravery, and whispered, "Tristan, I'm asking you, don't bother me anymore, or I will call the police. You kept pursuing me before, and I tolerated it. But now that I'm with Kevin, I don't want him to get the wrong idea."

Seething with rage, Tristan shouted, "To hell with both of you! Ellie, you're a traitor!"

At this, Kevin couldn't help but sigh, feigning sympathy.

"It seems you've lost it. You were the one chasing after Ellie. She never agreed to be your girlfriend!"

With that, Kevin took Ellie by the hand, ready to get into the car.

Everyone around cast judgmental looks at Tristan.

Even Ellie's roommates, who had seen Tristan and Ellie together previously, all wore expressions of apathy on their faces.

"Tristan has lost it. Ellie was never into him, yet he wouldn't stop bothering her!" one onlooker said.

"Goodness! He must be dealing with some mental issues. What's this? Is he delusional?" another commented.

"In medical terms, this could be called delusional disorder. He's fabricating relationships in his mind."

These comments pierced Tristan's heart like daggers.

He rushed forward, grabbing the car door to keep it from shutting.

With eyes red from anger and struggling for air, he said, "Ellie! Damn it! We're over, and return my money! I need it for my health!"

Ellie tried but failed to shut the door.

Dropping her act, she showed annoyance and whispered in a voice only they could hear, "What money? Do you mean the cash from your jobs? I've spent it all."

Spent it all?

Tristan felt as if hit by a shockwave.

That money was crucial for his health!

Caught off guard, he loosened his grip on the car door, and Ellie managed to slam it shut.

"Ellie!" Tristan cried out without thinking.

Kevin rolled down the window, chuckled, and remarked, "Just so you know, I've promised to throw a birthday bash for Ellie in three days. Make sure you're there. It'll prove once and for all that you and Ellie have nothing to do with each other, just in case you try to start rumors."

He was accused of spreading rumors? Tristan felt an overwhelming rage.

This made it hard to catch his breath. "Cough!"

Tristan covered his mouth with one hand, sensing the scent of blood intensified.

When his vision cleared, he saw his hand covered in blood.

Blood!

Blood was indeed what Tristan was coughing up!

The last flicker of hope in him dimmed.

The reality of his leukemia hit him hard.

Kevin turned to look at Tristan, his laughter cold.

"Looks like you're really sick. Dying sooner might actually be a mercy for someone as broke as you. What a relief that would be. Ha-ha..."

As Kevin's laughter echoed, his car roared to life, kicking up dust as it stylishly drove away.

Tristan looked down to see his hands smeared with blood.

The bronze ring, a keepsake from his parents, was also stained with his blood. Unnoticed by all, the blood seemed to vanish into the ring as if absorbed by it.

Tristan remained standing, seemingly lifeless, as if his soul had been sucked away.

The crowd quickly scattered, fearing Tristan might collapse dead any moment in front of them.

Yet, unknown to them, Tristan was hearing something entirely unexpected.

A voice, mechanical and synthesized, announced, "Ding! The Magnate System is now active. Currently in a temporary bind. Your mission: spend a million within 4 hours. The spending must be on dining. Complete the mission, and you'll get a million in return. Failure to complete will result in the system being unbound."

Tristan stood frozen, confusion written all over his face.

The Magnate System?

A million dollars?