In a café, a young man about 25 years old, deeply engrossed in his laptop screen, was suddenly approached by a server who said:
“Sir, you’ve been sitting here for over five hours with just one cup of coffee. Could you please order something else or give up the table for other customers?”
The young man looked up at the server, then around the café, which had only a few customers and several empty tables. It was clear they were tactfully trying to ask him to leave.
Out of options, he was broke and couldn't go home where his wife's family always despised and looked down on him, urging him to be independent. If not for a project he urgently needed to submit to his boss, he wouldn’t have been at the café using their Wi-Fi like this.
He looked at the server and pleaded: "Could I possibly have another half hour? I need to urgently finish this project and hand it over to my boss.”
“Look, if you don’t have money, don’t come to a café and sit for half the day. And now you’re begging to stay longer?”
“There aren’t many customers, I’ll just stay a little longer, please…”
“Hmph, you penniless fool. If everyone were like you, this café would have to shut down. I’ll give you five more minutes, and if you don’t leave then, I’ll sweep you out!”
The server walked away coldly, leaving the young man in despair. Five minutes was not enough to complete his project. What was he to do? If today hadn’t been his wife’s grandmother's birthday celebration, he wouldn't have been in such a tight spot. To afford a decent gift for her, he had taken on this challenging project, which would pay him a commission of five thousand dollars – not much, but enough for a meaningful present.
His wife’s family always scorned him, seeing him as a useless son-in-law. If he couldn't even present a gift to his wife’s grandmother today, she would surely humiliate and berate him.
These thoughts reminded him of a time a few years ago when he was at the pinnacle of glory, acclaimed by everyone. His wife's family had also treated him with immense respect.
His name was Anderson Campbell, the eldest son of the Campbell family, one of the four leading families in Lightharbor city. Anderson Campbell was a prodigy, graduating from university at eighteen, with a reputation that spread far and wide. Many elite families sought alliances with his, including the Harrises.
The Harris family had an eldest daughter, Lauren Harris, renowned for her beauty and fame across the city. Anderson and Lauren were a perfect match, celebrated for both their talents and looks. It didn’t take long, after a few business meetings between Anderson and Lauren's grandfather, for the latter to personally propose the marriage.
But the joy was short-lived when Anderson's father was suddenly sabotaged. Shareholders withdrew their investments en masse, and businesses simultaneously cancelled contracts.
In no time, his father was burdened with a colossal debt amounting to billions of USD and declared bankruptcy. The only remaining asset of his father, the Campbell family's mansion, had already been covertly forged and transferred by his stepmother, Jillian Moore, and his brother, Adrian Campbell. What's more, the stepmother had deceived his father, Adrian Campbell was not his biological son. She had fabricated DNA evidence to marry his father.
When Anderson's father went bankrupt, Jillian and Adrian finally showed their true colors, seizing the house and expelling him and his father. His father fell gravely ill thereafter, spending his latter half bedridden in a hospital, never getting a chance to recover.
Those wretched people. Had Anderson's father not gone bankrupt, he would never have learned that Adrian wasn't his son. And if the Campbell family hadn't faced bankruptcy, his wife's family wouldn't have looked down on him. But, more infuriating was someone behind the scenes, pulling the strings, causing shareholders to withdraw and the Campbell family to fall. Who exactly were the ones who had sabotaged his family?
Ring ring ring!
Suddenly, Anderson's phone rang. Looking at the screen, he saw it was Lauren, his wife.
"I'm listening."
"Anderson, where are you? The celebration for my grandmother's birthday is about to start! If you don't come, everyone will..."
But before Lauren could finish, a voice spoke up behind her: "Young mistress Lauren, come here, let's have a drink with the young master."
"That's right, Lauren. Being favored by Young Master Miller is an honor, so be sensible."
Anderson clearly heard the conversation over the phone. Some Young Master Miller wanted Lauren to drink with him. For years, his grandmother-in-law and mother-in-law incessantly pressured him to divorce Lauren, even planning to marry her off to a scion from another influential family. Although Anderson was furious, he could only endure, using the words before the death of Lauren's grandfather to salvage the situation.
About three years ago, Lauren's grandfather died of illness. Before his death, he insisted that even if the Campbell family went bankrupt, they must fulfill the promise to marry Lauren to Anderson and not allow her to divorce him. Because of his grandfather's words, he was still able to stay with Lauren, but for how long, as the influence of the Harris family grew with the support of young masters from renowned families.
Smash!
In anger, Anderson threw his phone, unexpectedly hitting the laptop in front of him. In an instant, both the phone and laptop screens went black, heavily damaged.
"Damn it!" Anderson cursed, the heaviest swear he had ever used.
Everything bad always happens to him, anger making him lose his senses, and now he can't even send the project to his boss.
But it doesn't matter, his boss isn't exactly a saint either, always suppressing him, looking down on him. His mother-in-law constantly humiliates him, pushing his wife to divorce him.
They are not worth his concern or thought. Throwing his phone at his laptop was his way of ending these headaches, ending the unfeasible project, ending the gift that never met his mother-in-law's standards! How could a once-famous prodigy in Lightharbor end up in such a situation?
Suddenly, the laptop screen flickers with a mysterious light, followed by a mechanical voice: “Hello, Host Anderson, I am the All-Powerful Reform System here to assist you.”
Anderson stares at his laptop, then looks around, as if he's the only one hearing this. The magical light emerges from his laptop, swirling around his head, turning into a transparent screen in front of him, displaying his personal information. The mechanical voice speaks again: “Meeting is fate, Host. As a welcome gift, the system grants you One Hundred Trillion USD legally, please accept it.” Soon after, Anderson's phone lights up, its long-ago cracked screen now healed as if it was never damaged. His bank balance shows a deposit of one million dollars, not the One Hundred Trillion as the system had mentioned. But as if reading his thoughts, the system says: “Host will receive rewards after each mission completion, starting with one million dollars, then ten million, maybe even one hundred million, a billion,... until the total gift amount reaches One Hundred Trillion USD.” This is... magical. The system, the rewards, things that seem like they only exist in movies, are really ha
Meanwhile, at the Harris family mansion. "Come over here, Caroline, let me get you a drink." “Young Master Lopez, I’d also like to offer you a drink. Thank you for helping Caroline secure the contract for my longevity celebration gift." said an older woman, dignified and elegant in her manner. She was Jennifer Harris, head of the Harris household, and Lauren’s grandmother. “This contract could bring over ten billion in profits to the Harris family! Let's have three more drinks!” Today, Caroline Harris, with the help of her fiancé Conrad Lopez, successfully secured a partnership contract with Pinnacle Dynamics. It was indeed a good day, and coupled with the celebration of Mrs. Harris’s birthday, it was truly a double joy, so they organized a family party to celebrate. “I apologize for delaying the fun and making everyone wait." Anderson said as he entered the room, apologizing. The laughter suddenly stopped, abruptly. Everyone looked at each other, nearly all sharing the same ques
"What are you saying? How dare you insult us?" Caroline nearly exploded in anger. "You might not be aware of Pinnacle Dynamics Corporation. Just so you know, its market value exceeds a hundred thousand billion USD, making it the strongest enterprise in Lightharbor. Any family could reach the pinnacle of success if they could establish even a small connection with Pinnacle Dynamics!" "So many families bow down to Pinnacle Dynamics, for it is the emperor of this city's entire business world!" "Why bother talking to this loser? He's never even looked at the world around him. Do you expect him to understand?" Chase commented dismissively. "Hmph, maybe that's true. He came to my birthday celebration without even a gift, how could he possibly understand the importance of Pinnacle Dynamics?" Mrs. Harris finally spoke up. "Grandmother, I do have a gift. It's about to be delivered." Anderson said, then communicated with the system in his mind: "Is my gift arriving soon?" "In about five mi
The attitude of the partygoers became increasingly outrageous. Gregory couldn't stand the snobbish and disdainful attitude of the crowd and handed the jewelry box to Anderson, saying: "I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Gregory Thompson, CEO of the Eclipse Prestige branch in Lightharbor city. Since Young Master Anderson purchased the Aurora Luxe necklace and paid immediately, I had to arrange for a quick delivery. Furthermore, as Young Master Anderson is an acquaintance of the chairman, I came to deliver and receive the item." "Alright, no need to say more. I've signed and confirmed it, you can go back." Anderson emphasized sternly, as if scolding Gregory for talking too much. Gregory, realizing he had intervened too much, quickly said, "Thank you, Young Master Anderson." Gregory Thompson finished speaking and turned to leave. At that moment, a chilling silence enveloped the room, everyone present was stunned. It took them a while to recover from their astonishment. "Clap
Lauren's brilliance had always overshadowed her since childhood, and as Lauren was always more beloved by their grandfather, Caroline harbored jealousy and hatred towards her sister. It was only a year ago that Lauren had to marry Anderson, a poor and useless man from a bankrupt family, and with their grandpa's death, Lauren's status in the family declined, giving Caroline a chance to seize the spotlight. "It depends on who the owner is. Even if Anderson were a dog, he would still be my dog. It's not your place to lecture him!" Lauren retorted. Anderson looked at Lauren in surprise. It was the first time in three years she had taken his side. Although her words were not pleasant, Anderson was deeply moved. "Oh, look at the owner of the dog, we have to see if the owner's status is worth showing up for!" Caroline, having just signed a lucrative contract, didn't bother to consider Lauren's feelings. "You..." Lauren, angry, her face flushed with emotion. "Alright, it was just an accid
After a while, everyone regained their composure and burst into laughter. "What's this joke now? He alone plans to organize a wedding?" "Wow, I bet he'll slaughter a huge cow for his wedding, I'm already drooling at the thought!" "The poor thing can't even afford a wedding ring, yet dares to say he'll organize a wedding a hundred times grander than ours?" "Just look, Lauren has been married for so long, but she doesn't even have a wedding ring to wear." "She'll become a bride again, just divorce this useless man and marry someone else. She's so beautiful, she'll definitely have opportunities. Otherwise, she'll just wait for the rest of her life." "By the way, my boss, Young Master Miller, has long fancied Lauren. If she really wants to be a bride, she can divorce him and remarry Young Master Miller." Conrad mocked and pointed towards Young Master, who had just invited Ye Tao for a drink. Hearing everyone's scornful laughter, Lauren's face turned red, then pale, and she wanted to
Lauren was so angry she was speechless. The man who couldn’t even pay his phone bill was boasting about organizing a grand wedding in Lightharbor? Without a word, she angrily handed her phone to Anderson. He took the mobile, went to a corner, and dialed a number listed by the system. This was the number of Fernando Lewis, his grandfather, and also one of the top three most powerful people in the country. Not to mention a small city like Lightharbor, even the whole country could be easily influenced with just a flick of his hand. Meanwhile, at the Lewis residence in Rose Quay city. A man in his seventies was leisurely reviewing a list, appearing both relaxed and dignified. This man was Fernando Lewis, the head of the Lewis family, and a significant influencer in Ivory Essence. Suddenly, his phone rang. He was quite surprised, as no one had called this mobile number in recent years. He only kept it in the hope that his daughter, who had been missing for over twenty-five years, might
"No need, I want to take things slowly. If I suddenly stand too high, it won't win people's hearts." Anderson said. "Alright, tomorrow, you will surely become the chairman of that corporation." Mr. Lewis said. For people like Mr. Lewis, with global achievements, even if his grandson wanted the entire city of Lightharbor, it wouldn't be a problem. But surprisingly, he only wanted a small corporation! "Second, on the 14th of this month, prepare a grand wedding for me in Lightharbor." Anderson began stating his second condition. “Who are you marrying?” "Three years ago, when I got married, it's a pity I didn’t have a wedding then. The 14th this month is my anniversary with Lauren Harris. I want her to be truly happy that day, so I will organize a wedding for her." Anderson said. "Can I attend then?" Mr. Lewis asked, appearing smaller and more humble than ever. It was evident that even a boss like him could seem so diminished in front of his grandson, clearly showing his deep love fo