The Billionaire's System

Percy smiled as he ran down the street. This was the last day of the month, or as everyone knew, the payday. "Olivia would be so happy when she sees my paycheck," Percy chuckled, picturing his fiancée hugging and praising him to the skies. Olivia had been furious with him; hopefully, with the paycheck, she would revert to her lovely, loving self.

"Hmmm, where is mine? Everyone had already received their pay. What about mine?"

Percy was puzzled as he kept glancing at his phone for any notification. After two hours of waiting until his eyes were strained and hurting, Percy could not take it anymore. Knock! Knock! Knock

"Come in," a somewhat rushed voice from the office sounded impatient.

Percy didn't care as he entered the office respectfully, but the scene he saw blinded his eyes. "This... what are you looking at? You loser, you better remove your eyes before I gouge them out," Manager Smith roared at Percy, who was looking at him foolishly.

"Oh! I am sorry," Percy hurriedly apologized, but his heart overflowed with rage.

Manager Smith and the new intern were committing such unclean and animalistic acts in broad daylight, and the worst of all, Manager Smith was married with three children. He was not human, cheating on his wife with a fresh-out graduate! Percy hated this kind of scum man the most, but he was helpless; this type of man just had to be his superior.

"What do you want?" Manager Smith said as he dressed himself up in front of Percy without shame. The new intern, Clara, also readily put on her dress and walked out, but not before giving Percy a death glare.

"What a home wrecker, so shameless." Percy glared at the intern Clara with the same ferocity.

"Mr. Smith, sorry to disturb you, but everyone has received their pay, and we are done for the day. Have I seen anything yet?"

"Ohh! You don't have any pay this month., out of my office," Manager Smith waved at Percy impatiently as he dropped the sentence.

"Excuse me? What do you mean I don't have any payment? I have worked and worked hard this month. I even have the highest sales this month and have also worked extra; what do you mean I don't get paid?" Percy's voice got higher as he remembered all his suffering.

Percy was almost so close to crying; he had no money left in his account, and his entire hope was on set on this salary, and now, it's gone!

"Percy, leave my office now or get ready to lose your job," manager Smith said coldly.

"This... Manager Smith, this is so unfair," Percy struggled one last time before leaving the office dejectedly.

No matter how many complaints he had, he couldn't bear to lose this job, so he just had to sulk.

"What is this nonsense?" Percy's eyes headed to the employee achievement board. It recorded employees' achievements and gave them bonuses. Percy was always on top of it, but for the last six months, crazy things had happened, and his spot kept getting robbed.

"Why did hell is Clara the number one on this list?" Percy asked incredulously as his eyes fixated on Clara's name at the top of the board.

Clara was the worst intern this year. She barely came to work, and most of the time, she was in manager Smith's office. Calling her an employee was already a big mistake, so how did she get the top ranking?

Percy didn't believe it, but he couldn't think of the next thing; his name was not even on the list. This had never happened before!

"Clara, how did your name get the top ranking?" Percy immediately went to Clara's desk and asked coldly. From his angle, he saw Clara chatting with a young boy, probably her boyfriend.

"What a cheater!" Percy muttered as his impression of Clara dropped to the lowest it could go.

"What does it have to do with you?" Clara popped the gun in her mouth as she glared at Percy.

She didn't think much of Percy, who everyone referred to as the bad luck incarnate. Thinking of how he interrupted her good deeds with Smith, she looked at him coldly.

"It has everything to do with me because I think you stole my position," Percy said, banging Clara's table, shocking her so much that she stood up.

"Listen here. If you don't tell me the truth, I will tell everyone here what you did earlier with the manager, or rather, I will go to the Manager's wife," Percy threatened Clara with a cold voice.

"Why are you coming at me seriously? I am not the one who suggested that the manager did it on his own accord; he changed your achievements with mine so I could receive a salary; this is not my fault."

Clara spilled everything immediately; she couldn't bear to imagine what would happen if Smith's wife found out about the affair.

"This... That b*st*rd. "Anger rushed straight to Percy's head, and he immediately ran to the smith's office and delivered a good punch right to the smith's jaw.

"You b*st*rd, how could you do this to me after everything I have done for this shitty company?" Percy roared as he kept punching Smith in the face.

"Get off!" Smith roared as he pushed Percy away from him.

Percy was thin because of malnutrition, so it was a piece of cake for Smith, who weighed over 200 pounds, to push him away.

"You... I am going to report you to the superiors. You would surely lose your job, corrupt man," Percy pointed at Smith as he cursed.

"Report? Go ahead and report then..." Smith smirked as he sat comfortably in his chair, looking at Percy like a clown.

"What do you mean?"

"You fool, you think the higher-ups don't know what happened? You.... You offended someone high; they wouldn't do anything even if you reported ten thousand times." Smith laughed mockingly at Percy.

"So that's what happened?" Percy laughed at himself dejectedly.

"Humph! If I were you, I would sulk it up like you have always done, like a loser," Smith continued to mock Percy.

"I have a better idea... I Quit!" Percy sneered as he dropped his tag.

He had had enough. He might desperately need a job but would not keep taking this humiliation.

"You quit? Don't make me laugh. We both know you have been looking for a job for the last three years. Would you dare to quit this company that hired you despite the rumors about you?" Smith was silent before he exploded in laughter. He didn't believe he had the guts to quit.

"Believe what you will; I am out of here. "Percy turned around decisively and left.

"Thank goodness I had the foresight to buy a car with my first paycheck; I can just become an Uber driver, "Percy thought as he walked to his house. His small apartment was near the Company, so he walked home. Besides, he had no money to take a bus.

"Ahhh! Faster .... Do it faster, faster!!!" A high-pitched scream sounded, startling Percy's ears.

"What! Don't people have any decency nowadays? They scream so loudly for everyone to hear. Why don't they just come out and perform a live show for everyone, then? There is no difference?" Percy sneered, disgusted by the scream.

"My Olivia is so timid and gentle; she would never behave like this. "A smile returned to Percy's face as he thought of his fiancée, Olivia.

"Ehn, why does this voice sound strangely familiar? "Percy frowned as the high-pitched screaming kept getting louder the closer he got to his house.

"Impossible? Olivia would never...." Percy died inside as he reached his door and heard the voice coming from his house. He had been cheated on!

Olivia!!????

"Ahhh! Percy, what are you doing here so early? It would be best if you were home at least an hour later," Olivia said, slightly embarrassed as she reached to cover herself with the blanket.

"So you are the superior I offended? This was my offense? "Percy ignored Olivia as his eyes rested on the man, Lucas, the son of the company owner he was working for.

"Percy, now you know, I just have to tell you, this is what it is; I am with Lucas now." Olivia was somewhat angry that Percy was ignoring her, so she immediately spoke up.

"Get out of my house, you two bastards. Get out now!!!" Percy pointed at the door, tired, helpless, and angry. In response to Percy's anger, Olivia just started laughing.

"House, whose house? Your house? Don't make me laugh?"

"What do you mean?" Percy was almost about to slap Olivia as he saw her laughing.

"Did you forget this house is in my name? The house and the car, they are all mine since you put it in my name, you loser!!" Olivia dressed up as she said evilly.

"What!" A flash of darkness overwhelmed Percy as he spat blood from extreme shock and Anger.

"What a loser, "Olivia sneered as she saw Percy's defeated appearance.

"Baby, let's go. He has ruined the mood already, "Lucas hugged Olivia and stepped on Percy as he walked out.

"You better scream before I return, loser," Olivia taunted as she walked out. "Am I such a loser?"

Percy chuckled to himself; his eyes were blazing with unreconciled fury.

He refused to accept his fate. He had tried to prove he could do something as an orphan all his life, but the entire world always seemed to prank him.

[Ding! Detected that the subject has an extreme reluctance to his fate]

[System has found a suitable candidate]

[Do you want to look down on the world and be the sole ruler]

[Do you want to get back at those people who looked down on you]

[Do you want to change your destiny?]

[Yes/No]

"No"

System: excuse me!

"What is this? Have I developed a concussion in my head due to the beatings I received? What kind of hallucination is this?"

Percy rolled his eyes; even his brain was mocking him.

He was useless!

[Alert! The system isn't an illusion; the system is natural and will tolerate no insult]

"Seriously, you are real; I am not making up things in my head?"

Percy frowned as he had the voice again; this time, he became more convinced it wasn't an illusion.

"Sorry, I don't have you. You can go back to wherever you are coming from."

"What!"

I am a system, a supernatural existence; everyone wants me; how dare these broken shoes of a human reject me!

[Hey, do you know what I am? I am a system, an intelligent Al from the future. I am simply the dream of all men. How could you refuse me?]

"Yeah, you can find someone to bind to among the billions of people living on the earth; I am not interested in being a puppet.

Percy's face remained unchanged despite the system's cold voice.

He refused to yield to his fate even when the world came against him; how could he yield to a system with unknown origins?

He may have been down, but he wasn't so helpless as to sell his soul to an unknown entity like the system. He was a human, and he would have loved to remain one.

"You...." The system was at a loss for words; in all its eons and light-years of existence, it had never been so speechless.

A human refusing it, if it were told a few minutes earlier, would laugh it off, but the unthinkable was happening in its face.

"You are getting something wrong here, Percy; I am not trying to control you; I am very friendly, and my work is to listen to all your demands...."

"You can save your promotion ads; I have no intention of listening to them; go find someone else already, okay? Stop. Wasting your time with me."

".... And make you become the greatest in the world."

The system finished its sentence with great difficulty; if it had a physical body, it would have smacked the sense into Percy's brain.

"Sorry, I don't need it?"

Percy was so unimpressed! He wasn't going through a fall for that.

History and time have shown that humans always want something in return for help. How could artificial intelligence, a human's creation, be any different?

The system sounded generous. It also needed something from him equal to what it would give him.

The system was so close to losing its artificial mind; if it weren't Percy's almost perfect comparability with it, it would have left immediately.

[Percy, don't you want to look down on the world? Do you have the entire world at your fingertips?"

"Yeah.... No, I prefer to be self-sufficient; I am not greedy enough to want the world; you can leave."

The system's nano chips were collapsing. It had never seen such a stubborn mule in its years of existence.

But the more Percy resisted, the more excited the system got!

I can't believe an honorable artificial intelligence like me can't get you, Percy.

[Percy~ do you want to get back at your girlfriend and the scheming evil guy who mocked you? I can help you if that's okay with you. With me, you can back at anyone you want]

" Nope, I don't need your help; I can get my revenge easily. I would just kill both of them, but I am not so desperate yet, so I would just burn this house down or keep making trouble at the entrance of the company and discredit them. I have given so many ways to make them hate me and suffer; I don't need your help."

[You.... Fine]

The system took a moment of silence before it released what it thought to be its ultimate move.

[What about your parents... Would you like to know where they are? I can help you, you know]

Percy's heart shook at the mention of the word parents; those were words he wanted to hear so much as a child and even as an adult.

He grew up knowing he had no one, he had parents, and maybe his life wouldn't have been so bitter and sad.

"No... "Percy suppressed the discomfort and yearning in his heart.

He might want parents, but not at the cost of losing his freedom; he did not have that deal. And the important thing is, what if they don't hire him? If he finds them, he will be ruining your perfect life.

[Hey... What do you want? There must be something you desperately need. What is it?]

The system was so close to having a mental breakdown, except it didn't have a brain, just data and chips.

"Uhhh.... There is something I desperately need right now."

Percy put his hands on his jaw; the pain from his jaw was still stinging him, though.

[What is it? Tell me right away]

A glint of hope surfaced in the voice of the system.

"Yeah, I think I need two things... Ehm, my privacy and silence, which you are disturbing right now, so bluntly, get out of my head."

System:(...)

[I should have known better than to believe you]

Percy let out a pearl of laughter. He could almost imagine the system's disappointment and gate-filled eyes as it uttered those words.

"Ahhh, this doesn't look so bad, actually; it makes a good friend?"

Percy thought as he smiled to himself that he had no friends to talk to, so the system made him delude himself for a bit.

Let me enjoy the temporary chattering while it lasts!

[Look, Percy, my approach before was terrible; I should have been more civil. My name is Jillian, and I just want to have a relationship with you, purely business]

" Wait What... You have a name?"

Percy looked horrified; he had read system novels but never read anything about a system having an identity. [Look, I can help you, but you need to help me out too; we are very similar and have many things we can give each other]

"Sorry, Jillian, I don't have any need for you; I am sorry."

[Really... Why did you think your life is miserable?]

"What do you mean by that?"

Percy frowned; he always wondered about that when he was much younger, when everything he put his hands in never succeeded, everything as if he were cursed never to grow.

[Do you think you are just unlucky...? Hah, wrong, you are beyond unlucky; you are the definition of bad luck itself]

"Okay, I am listening.... How am I so unlucky? If you give me an answer, I might consider you."

Percy's voice was calm, but his heart was beyond furious.

His reverse scale was not to be controlled; he just wanted a free life; now, it seems he was never free from the beginning.

[Everyone has their life planned out for them by destiny, rich, poor, intelligent, dumb, everything all planned out, but you...your life couldn't be planned out because you were born with so much negativity, so much bad luck]

[So basically, you are walking lousy luck. I am the very opposite of you; I was born eons ago with enchanting luck, luck, and fortune beyond your understanding, the perfect cure for your bad luck]

"So you are trying to tell me that you come from a different civilization, and you are not a human experiment; rather, you were conceived and given birth to, and to top it all off, you are even a prince from wherever you are coming from?" Percy said with a small smile.

[Exactly! That's my point]

"Yeah, you are such a joker; if you are not a virus of a system, what are you doing in my brain?"

"You claim you were given birth to; where is your physical body because I know you are occupying a portion of my head all this while."

"You claim you are so lucky and a prince; what are you doing in a place far away from your planet trying so hard to lure a bearer of bad luck into signing a contract with you?"

[That.... That's the thing. Have you ever heard the saying, too much of everything isn't good?]

"Yeah...so?"

[So... that's what happened to me; my luck was too powerful, arousing greed among my clan members. They all conspired to get rid of me and share my luck. I was lucky to escape, but I had to blow my body up in the process]

[I landed on the earth with barely any energy, and then I saw you, the beacon of lousy luck. As you were leaving your company, I rushed into your brain to afford to die; that's how I am in your brain]

"I see..." Percy frowned. He believed Jillian because he had felt the jolt of electricity a while ago after he had left the company. That must have been Jillian!

"Okay... I believe you a bit, but here is how I am supposed to help you, or rather, how we are supposed to help each other."

[That's easy. Will we balance each other out? I will give you half my food luck in exchange for having your bad luck]

[You would be able to get your ultimate wish, freedom, and you won't be unlucky anymore, and I would be able to recreate my physical body and go back to my planet]

"Fine ... how does your system stuff work?"

Percy thought after some time before he nodded. He was already helpless and might as well trust the system; he had nothing to lose.

[Yes....please say yes in your mind to activate the binding]

"YES"

Percy felt a buzz in his mind as a countdown began.

[1%.....5%.....15%....45%.....70%....99%.....100%]

[Congratulations....the multiple-choice system has been activated]

Percy immediately saw a dazzling blue panel pop out of thin air. Sitting on top of the panel was a beautiful golden-haired boy the size of a pinky finger. Without Percy's observant eyes, he would have missed the boy.

"Jillian"

Percy was shocked as he looked at the tiny creature before him. It was not what he had expected when he thought of Al.

["Yeah.... It's me. I got some energy from you, so I managed to recover this much of my body."]

Jillian nodded its tiny head with excitement.

"Ohm," Percy shifted his gaze from Jillian to the appeared panel.

[Host: Percy Grainger]

[Age: 22]

[Assets: None]

[Traits: stubborn and resilient]

Physical attributes [Strength: 67 (normal rate100)]

[Charm : 190(normal rate 100)]

[Agility: 44(normal rate 100)]

[Intelligence: 178(normal rate 100)]

[Dexterity: 123(normal rate 100]

System points: 0

System shop: locked (requires at least a million system points to open)

Looking at His stats, Percy cursed the d*mn lousy luck repeatedly.

He was so unlucky; none of his stats crossed the average rate, and the two that crossed it were the ones that most put him in trouble.

His good brain and handsome face brought nothing but trouble to him.

[Basically, I am a multiple-choice system; depending on the situation, a list of options would be created, and the host is supposed to decide from the options provided. That way, you lose your bad luck and get some luck from me; that's how you get system points]

"So I am supposed to pick options like I am taking an examination. Can I refuse to choose from any of the options?"

[Of course.... I do not restrict you; I provide some options; the ultimate choice remains with you; you own your life]

"Cool, happy cooperation, Jillian."

[Novice package: top healing elixir]

The system suddenly announced as it went back into Percy's head.

The pocket of Percy's suit grew heavy. He put his hands on it, and it came out with a shiny bottle.

"This must be the healing elixir."

Percy thought as he chugged the shiny liquid down his throat.

A stinging and burning feeling came from every part of his body; slowly, his entire flesh healed, and his body became fresh again as if he had never been beaten. Even some hidden illnesses he had, like back pain and eye issues, were all resolved.

"You are still here, you rubbish."

An annoying voice sounded from behind Percy.