The hospital's VIP lounge was quiet, but Aryan's mind was a battlefield. He stared at his phone—$915,012.45. Just an hour ago, he was counting coins for a single bread. Now, he could buy the whole bakery and the land it stood on.
He looked at his reflection in the glass window. He looked like a mess. His delivery jacket was torn, his hair was matted with rain and mud, and he smelled like the exhaust fumes of Haddon City. But his eyes? His eyes were different now. The desperation was gone, replaced by a cold, sharp hunger for justice.
"Mia is safe for now," he whispered, his voice raspy. "Now, it's time to settle the old bills."
He walked out of the hospital. The rain had slowed down to a drizzle, but the night air was biting. He didn't pick up his old, rusting bicycle. He didn't even look at it. That bicycle belonged to the Aryan who got stepped on. That Aryan was dead.
He pulled out his phone and opened a premium ride-sharing app. Usually, he'd look for the cheapest 'Pool' option. Today, he swiped all the way to the end and tapped on 'Black Label Luxury'.
Within five minutes, a black Mercedes pulled up. The driver looked at Aryan's dirty clothes and hesitated to unlock the door. Aryan didn't say a word. He simply showed the driver his bank balance on the phone for two seconds.
The locks clicked instantly. The driver jumped out and opened the door with a bow. "Where to, Sir?"
"The Imperial Motor Plaza," Aryan said, leaning back into the soft leather seats. "And don't take the shortcut. Drive through the main square."
As the car glided through the city, Aryan watched the lights of Haddon City flicker past. He saw the billboard for Steve's father's real estate company. He saw the expensive restaurants where Maya always wanted to go. He felt a twisted sense of calm. He wasn't just rich; he was a weapon.
[The Imperial Motor Plaza]
The Plaza was the playground of the 1%. Rolls Royces, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis sat under golden spotlights behind massive glass walls.
Aryan stepped out of the Mercedes. He looked like a beggar who had lost his way, standing in front of a temple of wealth. As he pushed open the heavy glass doors of the 'Lamborghini Experience' showroom, the chime of the door felt like a warning bell.
The showroom was empty except for a group of sales consultants standing near the coffee bar. They were dressed in suits that probably cost more than Aryan's annual rent. When they saw him, their conversation stopped.
A young, arrogant salesman named Victor walked toward him, his nose wrinkled in disgust.
"Hey! The delivery entrance is at the back, kid. We didn't order any pizza," Victor said, his voice loud enough for the other staff to laugh.
Aryan didn't stop. He walked straight toward the centerpiece of the room—a matte black Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. It looked like a fighter jet on wheels.
"Get your hands off the car!" Victor barked, rushing over to block Aryan. "Do you have any idea what this costs? One scratch on that paint job and you'll be working in a coal mine for the next three lives just to pay for it. Get out before I call security!"
Aryan looked at Victor. His voice was calm, almost scary. "How much?"
Victor blinked, then laughed. "What? You want to buy it? It's $600,000. Plus taxes, plus insurance, plus the fact that you clearly can't afford the shoes on my feet. Now, beat it, loser."
Aryan reached into his pocket. He didn't pull out a wad of cash. He pulled out a black titanium card that the System had 'materialized' in his wallet just moments ago.
"I didn't ask for your life story, Victor," Aryan said, throwing the card onto the hood of the $600k car. "I asked for the price. Is it $600,000? Fine. Pack it up. I'm taking it now."
The other salesmen gathered around, whispering. Victor's face turned bright red. "Listen, you little punk. This isn't a game. If I swipe this card and it fails, I'm going to have the police drag you out of here for wasting my time."
"Swipe it," Aryan said, his eyes locking onto Victor's. "And if it works... I want you to apologize to every person who walked into this store today looking 'poor' like me."
Victor snatched the card, his hands trembling with anger. He walked to the terminal. The entire staff held their breath. Victor entered the amount: $650,000 (including the 'arrogance tax' he added).
He swiped the card.
Processing...
Connecting to Server...
The silence in the showroom was so heavy you could hear the ticking of the expensive wall clock.
Beep.
[TRANSACTION APPROVED.]
The receipt started printing—a long, white strip of paper that felt like a slap across Victor's face. Victor's knees actually buckled. He looked at the receipt, then at the card, then at Aryan.
"S-Sir... I... I didn't..."
[Ding!]
The mechanical voice in Aryan's head was almost singing now.
[Extravagant Purchase Detected: $650,000.00]
[Current Cashback Rate: 10x]
[Congratulations! You have received $6,500,000.00 Cashback!]
[Level Up! You are now Level 2. Cashback Rate increased to 15x!]
Aryan's phone buzzed.
New Balance: $6,765,012.45.
In a single afternoon, he had gone from a delivery boy to a multi-millionaire.
The Manager of the showroom, who had been watching from his office, practically sprinted down the stairs. He pushed Victor aside so hard the salesman stumbled.
"Mr. Aryan! Please, forgive my staff's incompetence!" The Manager bowed low, sweating. "I am Mr. Khanna. It is an absolute honor! Would you like some champagne? Perhaps a seat in our private lounge while we polish the car?"
Aryan picked up his card and tucked it back into his pocket. "I don't want your champagne, Mr. Khanna. I want the keys. And I want Victor to clean the tires. With his silk tie."
Victor looked horrified, but the Manager glared at him. "You heard the man! Get down there and clean those tires!"
Ten minutes later, Aryan sat in the cockpit of the Aventador. The engine roared to life behind his head—a terrifying, beautiful scream of 700 horsepower. It was the sound of power. It was the sound of his new life.
He looked at himself in the rearview mirror. He was still wearing the delivery jacket. He kind of liked the contrast.
As he drove out of the Plaza, the tires screeching on the pavement, he saw a familiar white BMW M4 parked at a red light.
It was Steve. And Maya was in the passenger seat, laughing at something on her phone.
Aryan pulled up right next to them. The roar of his Lamborghini drowned out their music. Maya looked over, her eyes widening as she saw the matte black beast next to them. She couldn't see the driver clearly because of the tinted windows, but she was mesmerized by the car.
"God, Steve, look at that car!" Maya said, her voice full of greed. "That's way better than yours. Who do you think is inside?"
Steve looked over, his face twisted with jealousy. "Probably some old billionaire or a prince. No one important."
Aryan lowered the window just an inch. Just enough for them to see his eyes.
"Nice umbrella, Steve," Aryan said, his voice carrying over the engine's growl. "Hope it keeps you dry when the storm hits."
Before they could even react, Aryan floored the gas. The Lamborghini shot forward like a rocket, leaving the BMW in a cloud of smoke and the smell of burnt rubber.
Maya froze. "Wait... was that... Aryan?"
Steve gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. "No way. That loser is probably crying in a gutter somewhere. It's just someone who sounds like him."
But deep down, Maya's heart began to sink. She knew those eyes.
Aryan watched them disappear in his rearview mirror. This was only the beginning. He had $6.7 million in the bank, and the cashback rate had just jumped to 15x.
"Next stop," Aryan smirked, "Steve's father's company. I think it's time for a hostile takeover."
💖Author's Note:💖
> "The tables haven't just turned—they've been smashed! Aryan is now a multi-millionaire, and the 'God-Level Cashback' just reached Level 2 (15x!). Can you imagine the power he has now?
> To my amazing readers:
> * Add to Library: Aryan is about to buy Steve's entire world. You don't want to miss the moment he makes Steve beg for a job! Save the story now!
> * Power Stones: Give me your stones to unlock the next massive cashback!
> * Comment: What should Aryan do to Maya? Forgive her or make her regret the day she was born? Drop your thoughts!"