Just as they were talking, Patrick Murphy arrived, rushing over with his bag in hand.
“Sorry I’m late! Just as I was about to clock out, my annoying supervisor wouldn’t let me leave and made me stay an extra half hour with no overtime pay. It’s so frustrating!”
“No worries, you’re just in time to order! Waiter!” Willy Morgan called out.
“Whoa, Willy, what’s up with your outfit? You used to be so thrifty, and now you’re rocking Fendi? What happened?” Patrick Murphy adjusted his glasses in surprise.
“It’s a long story! Hahaha! Let’s just eat and enjoy ourselves!”
Willy Morgan loved hanging out with his three friends, drinking, chatting, and venting their frustrations. It felt real and honest. During the conversation, Willy learned that none of the three were having an easy time.
Patrick Murphy was working as a designer, constantly pushed to work overtime by his boss, with unsatisfactory pay.
Brandon Rogers, after spending some time traveling post-graduation, had just started working at his parents’ company a month ago and was treating his friends with his first paycheck.
Tyler Foster had landed a job as a sales associate at a Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari dealership.
“So, Willy, what are you planning to do next?”
“Me? I’m thinking of starting a company, having some fun, and maybe blowing some smoke—honestly, I have no idea! Hahaha!”
“Hahaha! For a second, I thought you were serious, but it turns out you’re just joking around!”
They chatted until 9:30 p.m., when suddenly a news report on the TV caught everyone’s attention.
“We’ve just received a shocking update! A single individual has won 200 first-prize tickets in the state lottery, totaling over one billion dollars! This is the largest jackpot ever won in the city, the country, and possibly the world!”
Willy Morgan found the news anchor’s voice particularly pleasant to listen to.
“Whoa! Did you guys hear that? Los Angeles just gained another billionaire!” Patrick Murphy exclaimed.
“Who cares? It’s not like any of us won! Let’s eat and drink! And remember, if you guys ever need a car, come to me. I’ve got every model Mercedes has to offer, and you can help me hit my sales targets! Hahaha!”
During a bathroom break, Willy Morgan secretly paid the bill—$780—leaving him with just enough to cover a cab ride home.
The four friends chatted until past 11 p.m. before finally parting ways. Willy Morgan felt a pang of sadness as he said goodbye, knowing that as they all ventured further into their careers, the opportunities to meet would become fewer and fewer, with some friends only seen once every few years.
Back at his apartment, Willy checked his bank balance—just $2 left. He decided to buy a bottle of mineral water to completely zero out his account and trigger the system upgrade.
Watching the control panel in his mind, Willy saw his level increase from 1 to 2. Two of the surrounding buttons lit up this time—the Prediction button again and a new one labeled Blessing.
“Ding! System successfully upgraded to level 2. Reward: $1 million cash!”
“Damn! It takes $1 million to upgrade from level 2 to 3? That’s a 50-fold increase! Does that mean it’ll take $50 million to get to level 4, system?”
The system remained silent...
Still, Willy was thrilled. He rushed home, quickly washed up, and then took out the lottery ticket worth over a billion dollars, grinning silently with excitement.
Perhaps due to the alcohol, despite winning such a massive amount, Willy soon drifted off into a deep sleep.
The next morning, sunlight streaming through the window woke Willy Morgan up. He quickly got ready, disguising himself with his old clothes, a mask, and a hat. He put the winning ticket in his backpack and quietly took a cab to the Los Angeles lottery center.
At the lottery center…
“Oh my gosh, sir! You’ve just won the largest jackpot in global history! Can I take a photo with you?”
“I’d rather you just cash my prize, thanks!” Willy politely declined.
The staff member didn’t seem offended by the refusal. She took out a calculator and began tallying up the prize for Willy.
“Sir, each winning ticket is worth $5,244,588. After deducting 20% in taxes, each ticket nets you $4,195,670. Since you purchased 200 tickets, your total prize comes to $839,134,000! We have several charitable options, including donations to the Hope Elementary Schools project. Would you like to contribute?”
“Just give me $835 million. You can donate the remaining amount to Hope Elementary Schools,” Willy decided quickly. After the paperwork was completed, Willy walked out of the lottery center with a check for over $800 million.
On the way out, Willy glanced at the check, noticing it was issued by Unity Savings Bank. He realized he’d need to open an account there to deposit it.
Luckily, the Unity Savings Bank headquarters was just a short distance from the lottery center. Willy slipped inside, took a number at the front desk, explained his business, and waited.
Before long, it was Willy’s turn.
“Hello, sir. How can I assist you today?”
“I’d like to open an account and deposit some money.”
“Sir, you can open an account at the automatic machine next door, or ask the lobby manager for assistance.”
“I’m depositing a check.”
“Oh, in that case, please hand me the check!” The bank teller took Willy’s check casually, then froze when she saw the amount.
“Sir! Is this check really yours?”
“Well, who else’s would it be?”
“Please wait a moment, sir! I’ll have the branch manager assist you personally!”
“Huh? That’s not necessary…” Willy wasn’t concerned about who helped him; he just wanted the transaction done quickly.
A couple of minutes later, the bank manager came running over.
“Mr. Morgan, hello! I’m Victoria Bell, the branch manager. It’s a pleasure to assist you! Given the substantial amount of your deposit, we’ve issued you a black card, which grants you VIP status at our bank.”
“Oh, okay.”
Victoria Bell worked on the computer for a while, occasionally sneaking glances at Willy Morgan. She couldn’t help but wonder how someone dressed so shabbily could have so much money. Was the check stolen? But then again, such a large check would surely have been reported lost if it were.
“Sir, we need to record your work address. Could you provide that?”
“Oh, just put down Orion Universal Group.”
“Orion Universal Group???”
“Yes, is that a problem?”
“Your position there?”
“Does it have to be that specific?” Willy asked, a bit annoyed.
“Yes, sir, it’s required.”
“Fine, just put ‘Owner.’”
“What? Sir, you’re not joking, are you? We need to verify this!”
“Go ahead.”
Victoria Bell was stunned. Orion Universal Group was a well-established company in Los Angeles. How could someone so young possibly be its owner? However, since Willy Morgan had agreed to a verification, Victoria wasted no time and initiated the background check.The phone rang in the general manager’s office at Orion Universal Group headquarters.“Hello, this is Joyce, the general manager’s assistant.”“Hello, this is Victoria Bell, branch manager at Unity Savings Bank in Los Angeles. I’m calling to verify the identity of someone claiming to be the general manager or a shareholder of Orion Universal Group.”“Who are you inquiring about?”“The client’s name is Willy Morgan.”“What! You mean Mr. Morgan?!”“Yes, what is his position?”“He’s our big boss! Do not, I repeat, do not neglect him! He owns 79% of the company&rsquo
“Right this way, sir,” the Gucci sales associate said, leading Willy Morgan to the men’s section after noticing the Ferrari key in his hand. The associate assumed Willy might be a lesser-known celebrity and quickly guided him through the store for a shopping spree.Outside, Mr. Banana and Mr. Apple, the livestreamers, waited patiently with their phones pointed at the Gucci store entrance.Meanwhile, the livestream chat was buzzing with speculation:“Maybe he really is the car owner after all. He’s been inside for a while, probably shopping! This is Gucci, one of the top six luxury brands! Who could afford that without serious cash?”“I’m not convinced. Some people just like to window-shop luxury stores even if they’re broke.”“Are you talking about yourself?”“Mind your own business!”“It’s simple, just wait until he comes out. Mr. Apple, k
The livestream chat buzzed with speculation and curiosity as Willy Morgan continued to make substantial purchases.“Streamers, no doubt about it—this guy’s the real deal. Dropping tens of thousands on clothes and skincare products like it’s nothing. It makes perfect sense that he’s checking out the best property in Los Angeles, Silver Lake Enclave.”“Clearly, you don’t know the prices at Silver Lake Enclave. The cheapest units there start at over $9,000 per square meter, and every apartment is over 1,000 square meters. That means even the lowest-priced units cost nearly $10 million! Los Angeles isn’t the capital, and it’s not some major financial hub. It’s just a second-tier city!”“I don’t buy it. He’s probably just tired and decided to rest in the sales office.”Mr. Apple and Mr. Banana were also engrossed in the discussion, eagerly participating in the livestream chat as they speculated about Willy’s next move.Meanwhile, Willy Morgan appeared to be resting with his eyes closed in
"The system is truly out of this world! With a photographic memory, learning new things will be a breeze! System, I'm ready to activate the Prediction button!"Willy Morgan was even more excited about the Prediction function than the Blessing one. The reason was simple—Predictions could bring the most direct financial benefits!"System initializing the Prediction button. Please wait... Prediction is about to refresh.""Ding! The system predicts that on April 4, 2034, the old residential areas of Tianwen Community on Cultural Road, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Streets in the Los Angeles Education District will undergo demolition! Host, seize this opportunity!"As soon as Willy heard the prediction, he quickly noted down the details on his phone and looked up the area on Google Maps. He discovered that the community was a large, nearly 40-year-old area that had long been deserted.Willy didn’t know much about real estate and land acquisitions, but he knew someone who did—his employees. He remember
Over the weekend, Willy Morgan drove back to his old, run-down apartment, packed his belongings, and officially moved out. Standing in his now-empty room, Willy felt a wave of nostalgia. This place held so many memories—from moving out of the orphanage to working through his college years. Despite its shabby state, it had been home. Unable to completely let go, Willy spent $100,000 to buy the small unit so he could return and reminisce whenever he wanted.On Monday at noon, before Willy had a chance to visit Orion Universal Group, he received a call from Heather Collins."Mr. Morgan, our team went to Tianwen Community as planned. The residents were surprisingly eager to sell. All 117 building owners have agreed to sell, and they were so concerned we might not have enough funds that they offered to drop the price by another $50 per square meter. The final total comes to around $650 million, and we’ve arranged for a joint property certificate. The certificate lists your name and include
"Close your eyes, focus deeply on your thoughts, and then visualize the current stock market trends in your mind. You'll see the stocks that will hit the limit-up tomorrow!" the system instructed.Willy Morgan followed the instructions, and sure enough, six stock codes appeared in his mind. He quickly noted them down on his phone, planning to compare them the next day.After chatting with the system for a while, Willy drove home. It was already late, and the stock market had closed, so he decided to visit the securities company the next day to open an account.Early the next morning, Willy went to the largest securities company in the country, opened an account, and deposited all the remaining money from his lottery winnings into it. He checked the six stocks he had predicted the day before, and to his delight, three of them had hit their limit-up at the opening, while the other three were steadily rising. This greatly boosted Willy's confidence in the system.However, since the predi
Willy Morgan looked at the group of people before him. Each of them exuded a vigorous energy. The leader, Eleanor Rodriguez, was a woman in her forties, dressed in a sharp professional outfit with a neatly tied ponytail. Her subtle makeup complemented her face, striking a balance between professionalism and youthful appearance. The three men with her, clearly bodyguards, had muscular physiques that strained against their jackets. There was a burly man with a large head and thick neck, obviously the chef, and another man in a suit with gold-rimmed glasses, carrying a box that hinted at his role as a private doctor. Beside Eleanor, there was a demure young woman, presumably the personal assistant, and a middle-aged man with a square face who looked like the chauffeur.“Mr. Morgan, as you can see, we have three personal bodyguards, this is the chef, this is the private doctor, and this is the driver. This lady is the personal assistant, and I am the housekeeper. Our annual salary is 2 mi
The next morning, Willy Morgan woke up to the tempting aroma of breakfast. It was the first time someone had made breakfast for him.“Master Morgan, you’re awake! Hurry and eat! Zoe made an English breakfast today. You should try it!” Eleanor Rodriguez said as she brought the dishes over.“Have you all eaten?” Willy Morgan glanced at the time; it was almost 9 o’clock. The stock market would open in half an hour.“We’ve already eaten. Each of us has a fixed early wake-up time and duty schedule. Do you have any plans for today?”“Not really. By the way, Eleanor, I have a buddy working as a sales representative at a Mercedes dealership. If you’re going to buy cars today, go through him. It’ll help him hit his sales targets!”“Got it, Master Morgan.”“Here’s his number. I’ll send him a WhatsApp message to let him know you’re co