"Oh, honey... Be gentle. It hurts..."
Tristan Stanfield stood outside the gym of Singve University. He was about to enter, but he stopped in his tracks when he heard a ragged voice coming from inside.
The voice sounded very familiar. He couldn't be mistaken. It was his girlfriend, Ellie Harrison.
"Do you believe me now? I am way more skillful than that piece of trash, Tristan, right?" Another familiar voice rang out in Tristan's ears. This time, it was a man.
Tristan was so shocked that the food container he was holding fell from his hand. Two hamburgers rolled over and scattered on the ground.
He stood in front of the door, trembling all over.
Anger surged in his heart, and it almost overshadowed his sanity. It was as if he was about to lose his marbles.
A loud bang echoed in the gym.
It turned out that Tristan kicked the door open. His eyes were already red.
Inside the gym, Ellie was in the middle, hugging Kevin Vance, a famous rich young man at Singve University.
Their clothes were disheveled, making them almost naked.
"Ellie! How can you do this to me? What did I do wrong? How can you cheat on me like this?" Tristan cried painfully, holding his head. He felt like he was about to explode.
But Ellie didn't show any sign of fear. She didn't even look guilty. Instead, she looked at him disdainfully and waved her hand as if she was driving a fly away.
Then she said coldly, "Are you sure you want to hear my answer? Fine! But don't blame me if it hurts you. Tristan, you are an orphan. Both of your parents died when you were small. No one is supporting you. You even have to work part-time in the cafeteria to earn money for your tuition fee in college. In short, you belong to the bottom of society. So tell me, what will I get if I stick with you?
I must admit, I also have a fault here. I was so stupid in high school that I wasted my time with a loser like you. But I'm thankful that I finally sobered up. I'm dating Kevin now. So stop pestering me already."
Every word that Ellie said was like a sharp knife that pierced through Tristan's heart. He looked at her and said indignantly, "Ellie, let me just remind you that Kevin is a playboy. Someone like him never treats a woman seriously. Yes, he takes a fancy to you now. But sooner or later, he will grow tired of playing with you. Then he will throw you away like trash."
After hearing Tristan's words, Kevin did not get angry. He even looked proud. He said triumphantly, "Tristan, listen carefully. Ellie is my girlfriend now. So stop pestering her anymore. I'm taking her to Breezy Hotel for a meal. Then I will book a room, and we will sleep together tonight."
As he spoke, he looked at Ellie and smiled lewdly. "Honey, I bought you a pair of sexy underwear. We can play as we like tonight. We will definitely enjoy it."
Ellie clamped her legs tightly upon hearing this. Her face even flushed, and she panted softly.
Tristan saw all this. All he felt was the hot blood surging in his chest, and he was dizzy. His legs went so weak that he staggered backward.
He and Ellie had been together for three years. They were high school sweethearts, and they were still together until college. But in three years, they hadn't even held hands.
In his eyes, she was pure and innocent. That was why he always respected her.
Never did he think that she behaved like a slut in front of Kevin.
At the thought of this, the anger in Tristan's heart intensified. It was as if a monster was about to jump out of his chest. He clenched his fists tightly, and he trembled all over.
He looked at Kevin and Ellie and muttered self-mockingly, "In the three years that we are together, she never allowed me to touch her. It turns out that it's because she thinks I'm poor. Does money really matter that much?"
When Kevin saw the painful expression on Tristan's face, he became even more excited.
He looked at Tristan with eyes full of disdain and ridicule. Then he smiled and said, "By the way, you destroyed my hamburgers. I will go to the cafeteria and complain. I will make sure you will lose your job."
After saying this, he held Ellie's hand and pulled her out of the gym.
Tristan watched their receding figures. He had the urge to rush over and stop them. But as soon as he stepped forward, he felt that the surging blood in his body became uncontrollable.
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
Then everything around him went blank. He completely lost consciousness and fell to the floor.
Tristan's blood stained the ring on his finger. Surprisingly, the ring instantly absorbed it.
He inherited this ring from his parents, and he always wore it since he was a child.
Tristan had been wearing the ring for twenty years, but nothing strange happened. It was just an ordinary bronze ring. But at this moment, the ring emitted a strange light.
Tristan didn't know how long he was unconscious. But when he opened his eyes, he was already lying on the bed in the school infirmary.
His body still felt weak, but he struggled to get up. Accidentally, his fingers touched the bronze ring.
Then suddenly, a distant voice rang out in his head.
"Ding! You have activated the Magnate System.
First novice task activated: spend one million dollars. Once you complete this task, the hidden achievements will be triggered, and the system rewards will be obtained. You have twenty-four hours to finish the task.
The system is now transferring the funds to your account."
When Tristan heard this strange voice in his head, he was so stunned that he froze for a while. He thought someone must be playing tricks on him. He looked blankly around the room, hoping to find that person.
But at this moment, his phone vibrated, bringing him back to his senses. He picked it up and checked the new message. It was a notification from the bank.
"Your account received a transfer of $1, 000, 000. Your current balance is $1, 000, 078."
Tristan was so stunned that he dropped his phone. It fell on the bed.
Tristan read the message again. Was this for real? Someone had transferred one million dollars to his account?
He was in utter disbelief and dumbfounded for a moment.
He could never earn this huge amount of money even if he worked hard his entire life.
According to the voice he heard in his head, he had to spend one million dollars in twenty-four hours. This was the novice task released by the Magnate System. He thought it was easy.
At this moment, Tristan heard some noise outside the door.
"I heard Ellie broke up with Tristan."
"Yes, that's right. I heard that Tristan got so angry that he vomited blood and fainted on the spot. Fortunately, Hannah Mitchell went to the gym and saw him unconscious. She immediately called the doctor in the infirmary. If not, he might still be lying in the gym now."
After hearing the harsh discussions outside the door, Tristan realized that the entire campus already knew what had happened in the gym. While he was in a coma, everyone was talking about how he was dumped by Ellie.
He didn't need to think about who had spread the news. That bastard Kevin must be responsible for it.
That son of a bitch would really seize every opportunity to trample on him.
Tristan gritted his teeth in anger. His eyes turned red as he murmured, "Kevin, Ellie, you have gone too far. Just wait and see. I will make you pay a hefty price for what you did to me. I will have to complete the task of spending one million dollars first. This is the most important thing now."
Tristan left the infirmary and went straight to Breezy Hotel. This was the best-known high-end hotel in their place and the closest to their school.
When he arrived at the entrance of Breezy Hotel, he was stopped by a waiter at the door.
"Hello, sir. Are you here to dine?" the waiter said with a smile.
"Yes," Tristan replied, hoping he could soon get in.
"I'm sorry, sir. Breezy Hotel is only for its members. We are not open to nonmembers. If you want to get a membership, the cheapest cost is one hundred thousand dollars. That's for ordinary members. Do you have enough money for it?"
The waiter sounded contemptuous. Since Tristan was wearing plain and ordinary clothes, he looked down upon Tristan, thinking he was a poor guy.
The disdain in the waiter's eyes was already very familiar to Tristan. But it still injured his self-esteem.
He clenched his fists tightly. Wasn't he rich now? He was no longer that miserable, poor guy. Why did people still look down upon him?
Tristan took a deep breath to calm himself down, suppressing the anger in his heart. He snorted coldly, "It's not that much. I can directly pay one million dollars. What kind of membership is it?"
The waiter was stunned for a moment. Did he just hear one million dollars?
When he came back to his senses, he sneered, "Look at yourself. You can't even buy yourself branded clothes. You want to pay one million dollars for the membership? You must be kidding me!"
Tristan had grown impatient with the waiter. He didn't want to waste his time arguing with the waiter, so he just took out his bank card, handed it to the waiter, and said, "Here! Swipe it and make me a member of your hotel."
The waiter took the bank card. But he snorted contemptuously, "If this card doesn't have enough funds, I'll ask the security guard to break your legs."
He then turned around and entered the hotel, leaving Tristan behind.
At this moment, a man and a woman came out of Breezy Hotel. Then suddenly, an extremely surprised voice sounded. "Tristan? What are you doing here?"
When Tristan raised his head, he immediately recognized the two people in front of him. What a small world!
He didn't expect to run into Ellie and Kevin here.
"Tristan, are you stalking me? I must say you are such a persistent man. Do you know how disgusting you are?" Ellie snapped disdainfully, crossing her arms over her chest.
Tristan didn't say anything. Instead, he took a deep breath to suppress the urge to hurt them. But his anger still uncontrollably flashed across his eyes.
He was madly and deeply in love with Ellie for three years. Although he didn't have much money, he made sure he bought gifts for her. Even if a set of cosmetics cost one month of his salary, he didn't hesitate to buy it just to please her.
But after everything he did for her, she still mocked him viciously. How could she do this to him?
Tristan gritted his teeth in anger. He didn't expect Ellie to be so ungrateful. "Stalking you? I'm sorry, but you're wrong. I'm here to have a meal."
"To have a meal? Ha-ha! I didn't know you were good at joking." Ellie found Tristan's words hilarious, and she couldn't stop laughing.
Kevin was also amused. He said jokingly, "Tristan, did you sleepwalk? Do you know where you are? If you don't, then let me tell you. This is Breezy Hotel. You are in Breezy Hotel right now. And do you know what Breezy Hotel is? It's the best hotel in Aylbupool. For a poor man like you, a single meal here can make you bankrupt."
Tristan turned a deaf ear to Ellie and Kevin's ridicule. He didn't care about them. Today was his birthday, and he had to complete the novice task released by the Magnate System. These two things were the most important to him now.
He would just remember the humiliation these two people gave him, and he would let them pay in the future.
Kevin was a rich young man who always felt superior. So when Tristan ignored him, he got angry. He said gloomily, "How dare you pretend to be deaf when I'm talking to you! Are you courting death?"
Tristan looked at him coldly and shouted, "Fuck off!"
Tristan's sudden shout made Kevin subconsciously step back.
But what Kevin did only made him feel embarrassed and humiliated. He belonged to a family who owned a business with a market value of tens of millions of dollars. Because of his wealth, he was respected in their school. And he looked down upon the poor the most.
Now, a loser's words made him step back in fright. For him, this was totally unacceptable.
He snorted coldly, "It seems that I really have to teach you a lesson to make you realize the fact that you are trash."
After saying this, Kevin raised his fist and punched Tristan's temple with all his strength.
If such a punch hit Tristan, he would either suffer a concussion or die.
But, of course, Tristan would never let Kevin touch him. With a fierce look in his eyes, he kicked Kevin over. Then he rode on Kevin and hit him again and again. In the end, Kevin was beaten black and blue, whining continuously.
When Ellie saw this scene, she shouted frantically, calling the security guards.
More than a dozen security guards rushed over and surrounded Tristan.
With this, Ellie regained her courage. She looked at Tristan disgustedly and scolded, "Tristan, you bastard! How dare you hit Kevin! Don't you know that his uncle is the chief cook of Breezy Hotel? He can kill you effortlessly."
Tristan was even more disappointed in Ellie when he heard this. He smiled self-mockingly and said, "Ellie, are you really the Ellie I know? How can you say that to me? You know that I'm only defending myself. What are you trying to say? That it's okay for Kevin to beat me, but it's a heinous crime if I hit him? How can you be so shameful?"
Ellie didn't take his words seriously. She sneered, "Why? Can you compare yourself with Kevin? You're a loser! You're nothing but a piece of trash."
Tristan could only sigh inwardly. He treated Ellie well. But no matter how good he was to her, he couldn't warm up her cold heart. In this case, why would he still love her? He should no longer attach himself to a woman like her.
With this thought, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, there was nothing but coldness in there.
He tore off Kevin's shirt, stood up, and wiped the blood off his fist. Then he said, "I've just paid one million dollars for a membership here. I am now a legitimate customer of this hotel, so I should be their priority. Do you think a mere cook is capable of making things difficult for me? You are ridiculous!"
Tristan tried his best to suppress his emotions. But his voice was still filled with coldness.
At this moment, Kevin got up from the ground. His face was swollen, and blood oozed out of his mouth. But he still didn't give in. He roared, "Tristan Stanfield, you bastard! You are just a loser who earns a living working part-time in the cafeteria. You have one million dollars? Ha-ha! Even a fool won't believe you."
Then he turned to the security guards and said, "All of you! Whoever breaks his legs will get a ten-thousand-dollar reward from me."
After he said this, the surrounding security guards became a little excited. With sinister smiles on their faces, they all approached Tristan. Of course, they all wanted to get the bounty.
Just then, the waiter who took Tristan's bank card trotted out of the hotel.
Fear was written all over his face as he said respectfully, "Mr. Stanfield, we've processed your one-million-dollar payment successfully, and you are now a member of our hotel. Please forgive me for being so stupid just now. I know I was presumptuous. Please forgive me."
Kevin and Ellie were still cursing. But when they saw the waiter bow and humbly apologize to Tristan, they were so stunned that the expressions on their faces froze.
Ellie was the first to recover from the shock. She exclaimed, "That's impossible! This man is a poor orphan. He can't even afford to pay one hundred dollars for a meal. How can he pay one million dollars?"
However, Tristan ignored her. He turned around and entered the hotel.
The group of security guards didn't dare to stop him. Instead, they all bent down and said in unison, "Welcome to our hotel, Mr. Stanfield!"
Kevin was not reconciled. "Tristan!"
He strode over, caught up with Tristan, and blocked his way. He looked at Tristan ferociously and asked resentfully, "Where did you steal the money?"
Kevin came from a well-off family, but he couldn't pay one million dollars for membership. How could a loser like Tristan afford it? Tristan must have stolen the money somewhere.
When the waiter saw that Tristan was stopped by Kevin, the expression on his face gradually turned cold. He said, "Excuse me. I'm sorry, sir, but please get out of the way. Don't bother the most distinguished guest of our Breezy Hotel."
Tristan ignored Kevin. He looked at the waiter and asked, "By the way, what is the level of my membership in your hotel?"
"Sir, your membership is the highest. You are now a super VIP of our hotel," replied the waiter respectfully.
"Oh, I see. That means I also have some privileges to enjoy, right?" Tristan said, nodding.
"Definitely, sir!" The waiter was very enthusiastic.
Tristan nodded again. "Okay. If that's the case, I have one request. I want to drive these two people out of the hotel. Is that possible?"
As he spoke, Tristan pointed at the arrogant Kevin and Ellie.