Mr. Smith's Trillion Dollar System

Chapter 5

Silence reigned in the parking lot after Richard spoke, his voice echoing from the phone Roland was holding.

Roland turned wide-eyed but just to ensure he heard correctly, he muttered. "Hello?"

As expected, his voice echoed from the phone Richard was holding.

Roland's lips quivered as he stuttered. "... Who are you?"

"Your new owner, it would seem." Richard casually replied.

"Impossible!" One of the guards that kept Richard under custody exploded as he tried to grab the black flip phone.

"There's no way you are the owner, just what sort of prank are you…"

Wham

He didn't even get the chance to finish the rest of his sentence as he got slapped across the cheek by Roland.

The guard spun and fell on his face, knocked out cold by the hot slap.

Despite being a mature person, Richard felt quite satisfied seeing the guard unconscious, even more so, since the person that hit him was yet another person that disrespected him.

"Shut your mouth!" Roland bellowed despite knowing that the guard was unconscious.

He then glared at the other guard who quickly took a few steps back out of fear of getting hit as well.

Gulping audibly, Roland slowly turned to meet Richard's gaze.

Despite being the same height as him, he felt infinitely small at this point.

"Sir…"

"Is this how Serenity treats their owners?... I guess I was wrong to think it had potential."

"No sir!" Roland quickly dropped to his knees. "I hope you can forgive my actions."

Richard sneered in his heart. 'Before I was less than trash but now?... Tch, people like you disgust me.'

"These fools robbed me and didn't exactly leave a great impression. If you want my forgiveness, you'd best be on your best behavior."

With those words, Richard casually sidestepped Roland and made his way toward the entrance to Serenity.

Seeing this, Roland immediately got to his feet and followed him closely behind like some puppy, even going as far as to bend a bit so he wouldn't be at the same height as Richard.

Meanwhile, Roland's bodyguards dealt with the police and sent them on their way while they detained the two guards, awaiting Richard's verdict on them.

***

Richard had never been in Serenity so entering it for the first time was a novel experience for him, especially with just how aesthetically pleasing the insides were.

One could quickly tell the establishment was meant for the nouveau riche.

Of course, his sudden appearance in the lobby garnered attention from workers and lodgers alike.

"Isn't that Mr. Roland Wimbledon?"

"Yeah, it is. But who is that guy he's with?"

"Looks like a pauper."

"But he has a nice face, right?"

Ignoring the whispers, Roland remarked. "Sir, if I may."

"Yes?"

"The penthouse at the top of Serenity is currently free. Would you like to clean up and rest while I inform the Manager of your presence?"

"..." Richard pondered for a moment before acquiescing. "Alright, lead the way."

"Yes sir.

Like a loyal dog, Roland led the way with Richard following closely behind.

***

After lodging in the penthouse, Richard changed out of his dirty clothes and took a well-deserved shower before changing into a white robe placed in the wardrobe.

He made his way to the sitting room where Roland was already waiting alongside two guards and a woman.

Richard found himself drawn to the woman.

At this point, Roland had already noticed his presence as he stood up to greet him with the lady following soon after.

"You are the Manager here." Richard casually asked as he walked to make himself comfortable on a couch.

The lady nodded. "Yes. My name is Maria. Nice to meet you, Sir Richard."

"Nice to meet you too," Richard replied as he began to wonder.

'Do these guys know that I'm Richard Smith?... I may not be big but my family isn't so small as to be forgettable. Bah, whatever, it's not like I'm a part of those bastards anymore."

"Before going further, I would like to extend my thanks to you for what you did. I don't know how to say this but Serenity was sorely in need of funds."

"Oh?... How come?"

Maria seemed to hesitate for a moment before she explained. "Recently one of our shareholders embezzled money from the company and ran away with the funds, leaving us close to bankruptcy. The money in question was meant to be used for expansion and with it gone, we had to pay those that would help with the expansion since we already had a contract signed and failure to pay would have caused those companies to smear our good name in the media and destroy our business. If not for your investment, our accounts would have still been in the red."

"... I see." Richard frowned as he couldn't believe such a thing had happened to Serenity which would explain why the conglomerate had been quiet for some time now.

"We honestly hadn't expected your investment since the shares you bought were just newly freed up after a few of our shareholders left out of fear of getting thrown into the mess. So once again, I have to thank you, you are Serenity's knight in shining armor." Maria said as she bowed.

Richard gestured with his hand. "Just forget it. There's no need to treat me like I'm such an old guy. I saw a business opportunity and I took it, nothing more, nothing less. As for the asshole that caused this to happen, I don't plan to let him get away so easily."

"... I understand." Maria's gaze flickered with a strange emotion but regardless, she remained poised.

Nodding casually, Richard remarked. "So I guess it's time to get down to business."

"Yes. What are your orders, sir?... As the Manager, I am required to serve you to the best of my abilities."

Ignoring the connotations of her words, Richard pondered for a moment before replying. "For now, I have only one directive."

"And what's that?"

"Hide my identity from the media." Richard pointedly said.