Chapter 10: The Whole Building
Nolan blinked at the system screen.
He rubbed his eyes. Hard.
When he looked again, the words were still there.
[Reward: Commercial Building - Grayport City, Central District.]
[Property: Vellmar Tower.]
'The whole building?'
He read it again. And again. And one more time just to be sure.
Not a flat. Not a floor. The whole building.
His heart started pounding.
'Wait. Vellmar Tower. I know that name. Everyone knows that name.'
He grabbed his phone with shaking hands. His fingers fumbled against the screen.
"Come on, come on—"
He typed: Vellmar Tower Grayport City
The search results loaded.
Nolan's eyes scanned the page. Then stopped.
His breath caught in his throat.
[Vellmar Tower - Grayport City Center]
[One of the most prestigious residential buildings in the heart of Grayport.]
[Two separate towers - Tower A and Tower B]
[Each tower: 30 floors]
[Total apartments: 120]
[31st floor: Luxury Penthouse with private swimming pool]
[Average monthly rent: $5,000 - $15,000 depending on floor and size]
Nolan stared at the screen.
Two towers. Thirty floors each. One hundred twenty apartments.
His brain struggled to process the numbers.
A penthouse. With a swimming pool. On the thirty-first floor.
He kept reading.
[Building amenities: 24/7 security, underground parking, gymnasium, rooftop garden, conference rooms for residents, and ground floor commercial spaces.]
Nolan put the phone down.
He picked it up again.
Put it down.
Picked it up.
This can't be real.
He opened the calculator app. His fingers were still shaking.
Average rent. Let's say ten thousand. Just to make it easy. Ten thousand per month per apartment.
He typed slowly.
10,000 × 120 = 1,200,000
He stared at the number.
One point two million dollars.
Per month.
He typed again, just to be sure.
1,200,000 × 12 = 14,400,000
Fourteen point four million dollars per year.
The phone slipped from his hand and landed on the bed.
He just sat there, staring at the wall.
One hundred twenty apartments. Two towers. A penthouse with a pool. All mine.
I can sit at home. Play video games all day. Do nothing. And still get one point two million dollars every single month.
His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.
This isn't real. This CAN'T be real.
He grabbed his phone again. Checked the search results again. Read every word again.
It was still there.
Vellmar Tower. One of the most expensive buildings in the city. The kind of place where rich people lived. Business owners. Celebrities. Foreign investors.
And I own it.
A laugh escaped him. Small at first. Then louder.
'I own it. I actually own it.'
He was still laughing when—
[DING!]
[Building documents delivered to host.]
Nolan looked around wildly.
Beside him on the bed. A thick brown envelope. It hadn't been there a second ago.
He grabbed it. His hands were shaking so badly he almost tore it.
Inside were papers. Lots of papers. Official documents. Government stamps. Signatures. Seals. Everything looked legitimate. Professional. Real.
And at the top of the first page, in bold letters:
OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATE
Property: Vellmar Tower (Tower A & Tower B), Grayport City Center
Number of Apartments: 120
Additional: Penthouse Unit 3101 (with private swimming pool)
Owner: Nolan Drake
Ownership Type: Full and Complete
He read his name again.
Nolan Drake.
Owner of Vellmar Tower. *
He leaned back against the wall, the papers still in his hands.
'How? How did this happen? I spent money on a bike. Without permission. Without a quest. And the system gave me a whole building?'
He looked at the keys in his other hand.
'I was scared. I thought there would be a penalty. I thought I messed up.'
He laughed again. Louder this time.
Instead, I got a building worth millions.
His eyes fell on the papers again. The penthouse. Unit 3101. With a private swimming pool.
My penthouse. My pool.
He was still sitting there, grinning like an idiot, when the door opened.
Ethan walked in, backpack slung over one shoulder.
"Nolan? You awake? Don't you have class today too?"
Nolan quickly stuffed the papers under his blanket.
Ethan looked at him. "You okay? You look weird."
Nolan nodded. Too fast. "Yeah. Fine. Great."
Ethan squinted at him for a moment, then smirked.
"Don't tell me your mysterious sugar mommy finally upgraded you from the iPhone to a whole island."
Nolan rolled his eyes. "You really need better jokes."
Ethan shrugged. "Hey, I'm just saying. Yesterday you show up with an iPhone and Yamaha keys like you hit the lottery."
Nolan waved him off. "Just go to class, Ethan."
Ethan laughed and headed for the door.
"You sure you're not skipping to meet her again?"
Nolan smiled this time. A real smile.
"I'm better than alright, Ethan. Much better."
Ethan stared at him for a second. Then shrugged again.
"Okay, weirdo. See ya."
The door closed.
Nolan waited until Ethan's footsteps faded.
Then he pulled the papers out again.
Vellmar Tower.
He grabbed his phone.
I need to see it. I need to see MY building.
He got up, took a quick shower, and stood in front of his closet.
What do you wear to visit your own multi-million dollar building?
He looked at his clothes. Old jeans. Wrinkled shirts. The same stuff he always wore.
Doesn't matter. It's mine. I can wear whatever I want.
He pulled on his usual clothes and headed out.
Twenty minutes later, Nolan parked his bike near Vellmar Tower.
And looked up.
Holy...
The building was massive. Two towers side by side, gleaming glass and steel, rising high into the sky. Thirty floors each. Modern design. Expensive looking. The kind of building that made you feel small just standing next to it.
People walked in and out. Some carried grocery bags. Some walked dogs. Normal people living normal lives.
In MY building.
He parked the bike near the entrance. A security guard in a neat uniform glanced at him, then at the bike. The guard nodded politely. Probably thought he was a visitor. Or someone here to see a friend.
Nolan walked through the glass doors.
The lobby was even more impressive inside. Marble floors polished so bright they reflected the lights above. A huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Comfortable leather sofas in the waiting area. Fresh flowers on a modern coffee table.
And a long reception desk with a young woman sitting behind it.
Nolan walked toward the reception.
The woman—maybe mid-twenties, pretty, with perfect makeup and professional clothes—looked up as he approached. Her eyes scanned him quickly. Old jeans. Wrinkled shirt. Cheap shoes.
She looked back down at her phone.
Nolan stopped at the desk.
"Excuse me."
She didn't respond.
"I need to speak with the building manager."
She finally looked up. Her expression was flat. Bored. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No, but—"
"Then you'll have to wait. Or come back tomorrow. The manager is very busy."
Before Nolan could respond, the main doors opened.
A couple walked in. Older woman, maybe fifty, with expensive jewelry and a designer bag. A man beside her, slightly older, in a tailored suit. They looked rich. The kind of rich that made receptionists stand up straight.
The woman's face changed instantly. She stood, smiling warmly.
"Good morning! Welcome to Vellmar Tower. How may I help you today?"
The older woman smiled back. "We're here to see the penthouse. The one with the swimming pool. We're very interested in purchasing it."
"Of course! Right this way. I'll call the manager immediately."
The receptionist completely ignored Nolan. Like he was invisible.
Nolan stood to the side, watching.
'This is how the world works,' he thought. Clothes matter. Appearance matters. If you don't look rich, you don't exist.
The rich couple stood there, radiating importance. The woman glanced around the lobby with approval. The husband checked his expensive watch.
Nolan stepped forward again.
"Excuse me," he said, louder this time. "I need to see the manager. It's urgent."
The receptionist glanced at him with irritation. "I already told you—"
The older woman turned. She looked at Nolan. Her eyes did the same scan—old jeans, wrinkled shirt, cheap shoes.
A small, mocking smile played on her lips.
"Oh dear," she said to her husband, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Looks like there's a line for the manager today."
The husband chuckled.
The woman looked at Nolan directly. "Let me guess. You're here to rent a small flat? Maybe a studio on the ground floor?"
Her voice dripped with fake sympathy.
"Those are more affordable, you know. The higher floors are quite expensive. And the penthouse—" she laughed lightly, "—well, that's for people like us."
The husband nodded. "Yes, the penthouse is 750 square feet. Private pool. Skyline views. Not exactly student housing."
They both laughed.
Nolan felt heat rise in his chest.
'How dare they?'
He looked at the woman. At her smug face. At her expensive clothes. The way she looked at him was like he was nothing.
They have no idea who they're talking to.
He looked at the woman again. At her mocking smile.
Then he spoke.
His voice was calm. Quiet.
"Ohhh...You came to buy the penthouse?"
The woman raised her chin. "Yes. We're serious buyers. We don't waste time with rentals."
Nolan nodded slowly.
A small smile crossed his face.
It wasn't a nice smile.
"Forget about buying the penthouse."
The woman blinked. "Excuse me?"
Nolan's eyes turned cold.
"You won't even be able to rent a single flat in this building."
The words echoed across the reception.
Every pair of eyes turned toward Nolan.