What?" Hearing the mention of $5000 each shocked them. One of them finally looked at Benjamin and asked, "Are you sure about this?"Benjamin met their eyes with assurance. "Absolutely. Consider it an appreciation for your understanding."Gulping audibly, they hesitated, as the amount was large. Finally, one of them relented, "Alright, young man. We'll make an exception this time."Benjamin smiled and smoothly pulled out his sleek iPhone 15 Pro Max. Seeing the top-of-the-line gadget, the guards were immediately convinced that Benjamin might be very rich. Benjamin opened his banking app, which was now linked to his $3 million card. Without wasting time, he noted down their account details, and just as swiftly, he transferred $5000 to each of them.Ting! Ting! The soft chimes of their phones confirmed the arrival of the unexpected funds. The guards stared in disbelief, their expressions a mix of astonishment and gratitude."Wow, young man, don't worry. Anytime you need something, just
Benjamin nodded and said, "Yes, Principal, that's why I'm here. I'm ready to buy."Immediately after Benjamin's words fell, the principal broke into laughter, laughing so hard that Benjamin was stunned.The principal scanned him from top to bottom and said, "I think your head must not be working, right? Do you know what you are saying? Do you know how much this school would cost? Do you think even I, myself, would have the ability to purchase? How about you, who has nothing other than this only good clothing and a borrowed iPhone?"The principal continued his mocking tone, "You, with your borrowed iPhone and a semblance of good clothing, are entertaining delusions of grandeur. Elysian University is not a commodity for someone of your financial standing. Perhaps you've mistaken it for a street stall. Get out of my office, Mr. Hayes, before I reconsider my patience."Benjamin sighed. He knew he was being looked down on because someone like him, who's popular for being poor, no one would
Benjamin, upon hearing this, smiled lightly and ended the call. He looked at the principal and said, "Principal sir, you were doubting me, right? Don't worry, your boss himself will be here in a few minutes."The principal frowned, still finding the situation amusing. He addressed Benjamin, saying, "Benjamin Hayes, I was on the verge of calling Security for you, but I won't anymore. I'll wait and prove to you how foolish you are. If anyone doesn't come here, I'll show the whole school what a clown you are, and not only for three months, but you'll be suspended indefinitely."Benjamin, unfazed by the threats, crossed his legs and replied, "We'll watch, sir. Practice how to kneel and call me daddy too." He then casually picked up his phone and started playing the popular Candy Crush game.The principal was so angry that he felt he could spit fresh blood instantly.It was around 10 minutes when a blue Toyota Corolla parked outside Elysian University, and quickly stepping out was a man ar
Even though $1 billion was a huge amount, hearing it didn't make Benjamin flinch. After all, the university was substantial, and he anticipated making even more profit.Universities have significant operational costs, including faculty salaries, administrative expenses, maintenance, and utilities. Let's estimate this at $500 million annually.Universities generate revenue through tuition, research grants, endowments, and possibly commercial ventures like bookstores or cafeterias. Assuming diverse revenue streams bring in $700 million annually,With effective management and strategic investments, the university's revenue can grow over time. Let's assume 5% annual growth.Assuming a steady growth rate of 5%, the profit in the following years could increase. After the first year, it might be $210 million, then $220.5 million, and so on. As time goes on, he will make more than the initial $1 billion investment.He looked at Mr. Wellington and asked, "Is that your final price?"Wellington,
Benjamin shook his head and said, "Thank you for this, but I just left a relationship. I'm not ready to be in one."Richard nodded a bit embarrassedly and said, "Okay, no problem then."Twenty minutes later, the door opened, and a man around the age of 30 walked in. He was the assistant to Richard Wellington.Immediately, he got in, greeted Wellington, and then pushed the file in his hand to Richard, saying, "Everything is complete, Boss Wellington."Richard nodded and said, "It's okay; that's it. You can leave."The assistant nodded and also said, "Mr. Wellington, a few minutes ago, before getting here, I saw a notification of an amount of $1 billion received in the account. It's just that it had no sender name; that place was blank."Richard smiled and gave Benjamin a quick glance before looking back at his assistant and saying, "Don't worry, I know about it."The assistant nodded and then walked out.Benjamin smiled and said, "You have the money now; time to also sign and take over
Benjamin, amused by the sight, couldn't help but chuckle. "Good, my son. Now, let's discuss how you can contribute to the new era of Elysian University."The principal got up, his face still showing a mix of shock and submission. Richard Wellington nodded at Benjamin and said, "Mr. Hayes, I'll take my leave now. My contact information is on the paper; if anything, just give me a call."Benjamin acknowledged with a smile, "No problem." He then gestured towards the seat, adding, "Have a seat, principal. Let's talk."The principal nodded and, albeit hesitantly, calmly sat down, his eyes fixed on Benjamin.Benjamin cleared his throat and wrote an account number down, stating, "First of all, profits should be exactly as they are and be deposited here. There is nothing like cheating; everything should go on smoothly, or I won't take it lightly."The principal nodded, assuring, "Don't worry, Benjamin. Profits and everything will come in as usual."Benjamin continued, "Secondly, no one should
Till the end of the test, the beautiful madam kept helping Benjamin.After an hour, the rest came to an end, and she took everyone's sheet."Benjamin Hayes, meet me in my office after 10 minutes," the beautiful lady said and then walked out.Huh? Benjamin was stunned. Why would she ask him to meet her? Was it because she was coming to yell at him?"I don't even know her office or her name. Where do I even go to meet her?" he thought.All of a sudden, the lady who was shut up by the beautiful madam walked over to Benjamin angrily, with two guys following her. The lady was Irene Azuka, one of the most troublesome ladies in class for Benjamin. Irene was also very beautiful but disliked Benjamin, and she was only attracted to rich guys."Irene, what's wrong?" Benjamin asked with a frown.Irene frowned and said, "Do you know madam disgraced me because of you? You are poor, so what gave you the audacity?"Benjamin chuckled and asked, "What's wrong with you? She shut you up. Why are you comi
Really? Benjamin nodded and said, "Okay, you both wait for me; I'll be there right now." After the call ended, he placed the phone in his pocket and decided to go to the dorm first before going to the madam.Within 10 minutes, Benjamin got to his dorm. Immediately as he entered, he saw his two friends, Austin and Matthew, who were all seated with their phones and pressing. There was no one in the dorm.He smiled upon seeing them. Austin and Matthew's eyes also fell on Benjamin, and then he got up."Wow! Benjamin, where are these clothes from? Austin was the first to ask."Oh my God, that's a Louis Vuitton sneaker, man. Did you win the lottery?"Benjamin laughed and brushed off the question by saying, "Forget about that, but tell me how far with NexaSky Aerospace? Were you guys hired?"Matthew's expression changed. He shook his head and said, "It's sad; we couldn't even meet the manager. Without connections, it's really hard to get a big company to work for."Benjamin nodded and asked,
The rugged man clenched his fists, his pride warring with his fear. “You can’t be serious,” he hissed, his voice barely above a whisper.Abdelkarim cocked the gun audibly, tilting his head. “Do I look like I’m joking?”Reluctantly, the rugged man lowered himself to his knees, the humiliation evident on his face. His companions followed suit, each moving with visible hesitation. The restaurant’s patrons and staff watched in stunned silence, their eyes wide as they bore witness to the surreal scene.One of the men reached for Abdelkarim’s shoe, his hand shaking as he wiped at it with his sleeve. Abdelkarim smirked, glancing down at their feeble attempts. “Pathetic,” he muttered. “Put some effort into it.”As the men continued their reluctant task, Abdelkarim’s tone turned colder. “Now, let’s add some respect to the mix. Each of you will address me properly while you’re down there.”The rugged man looked up, his face twisted with fury and shame. “What do you mean?”Abdelkarim leaned in s
The room fell into an eerie silence, the earlier chatter and laughter evaporating like smoke. All eyes were on Abdelkarim, who stood tall with the gun firmly in his grasp. Even the rugged man who had slapped him seemed caught off guard, his eyes widening in a mix of disbelief and anger.Benjamin, who had been calmly observing moments earlier, straightened in his seat, his sharp gaze narrowing as he assessed the situation. He hadn't anticipated this escalation, and for a fleeting moment, his surprise flickered across his face. Cipherella, sitting beside him, froze, her lips parting slightly as her eyes darted between Abdelkarim and the scarred man.The tension was palpable. The rugged man pushed his chair back slightly, his hands clenching into fists as if ready to retaliate. His companions, who had been laughing moments ago, now looked uneasy, their confidence shaken."You think this is funny?" Abdelkarim said, his voice steady, but the undercurrent of anger was unmistakable. He point
The room went tense as Abdelkarim froze, his gaze darting nervously to the man’s threatening expression. Around them, a few other patrons glanced over.Cipherella’s delicate brows furrowed with concern as she leaned closer to Benjamin, her voice barely above a whisper. "Master, they’re trying to bully him," she said, her eyes darting between Abdelkarim and the rugged man.Benjamin didn’t respond immediately. His sharp gaze remained fixed on the scene, observing every detail—the posture of the men, Abdelkarim’s unease, and the simmering tension in the air. Finally, he nodded slowly and said, "Let’s just watch for now.”"But Master—" Cipherella started, her worry evident."Relax," Benjamin interrupted gently, his tone calm but firm. "Let’s see how he handles himself first. If things go too far, I’ll step in."Cipherella hesitated, but she trusted Benjamin’s judgment. She bit her lip and stayed quiet, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as her eyes returned to Abdelkarim.Meanwhile, Abd
As they entered, Benjamin's gaze swept over the bustling interior of the establishment. The atmosphere was thick with chatter, clinking glasses, and faint music playing in the background. At one side of the room, a group of rugged-looking men occupied a long table. They were loud, drinking and eating heartily, with wisps of smoke curling from the cigarettes and cigars they casually puffed.Their appearances were striking—some had jagged scars running across their cheeks.Others had scarves tied around their heads, their expressions hard and uninviting, with sharp eyes that scanned the room like predators on the lookout. A few wore leather jackets with frayed edges, while others had rugged shirts and boots.Benjamin took note but didn’t linger on them. Instead, he calmly made his way to an unoccupied corner on the other side of the room. He settled into a chair with an air of quiet authority, his face betraying no hint of concern. Cipherella followed closely, her gaze flickering brief
Benjamin settled back onto the couch, gesturing for Cipherella to sit. She listened intently as he recounted the night's events."Cipherella," he began, "I met Abdelkarim yesterday. His boss wasn’t exactly treating him right, and he seemed ready for a change."Abdelkarim shifted uneasily, but Benjamin continued. "We ended up being followed by three of Darnell's men. They tried to corner us, but I convinced them to switch sides and work for me. Abdelkarim here was part of that, and he’s proven he’s willing to take on something bigger.”Cipherella raised an eyebrow, intrigued but cautious. “And they just… agreed? Just like that?”Benjamin nodded, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Sometimes all it takes is to show someone what they’re worth. They’d been risking their lives for scraps. Now, they have a reason to be loyal." He glanced at Abdelkarim, who looked both grateful and a little overwhelmed.Cipherella sighed, finally relaxing a bit. “If you trust him, Master, then that’s enough
The men exchanged nervous glances, doubling down on their story despite Darnell's threat. The first man cleared his throat, attempting to sound confident. "Boss, like we said, it was just a routine check. We saw the car following and thought it could be a minor threat, so we stopped to make sure it wasn’t an issue. But they turned around as soon as we approached."The second man nodded quickly. "Exactly, boss. We didn’t think it was worth disturbing you for something so small, figured we could handle it ourselves.”Darnell's gaze remained icy, not buying the excuses. His eyes bored into each one of them, but they held firm, each nodding in agreement, sticking to their story. "We were just looking out for you, boss," the third one added, trying to muster confidence. "Didn’t want to waste your time.”Darnell narrowed his eyes at them one last time, as if weighing the truth of their story. Finally, with a wave of his hand, he dismissed the tension. “Fine,” he said sharply. “Get back in
The men climbed out of their cars and walked over to Darnell’s vehicle, where he stood waiting, his expression already dark with suspicion. As they approached, he wasted no time.“What’s wrong?” Darnell’s voice cut through the silence, his gaze sharp and unyielding. “Where’s the last car?”The men looked at each other, shifting uncomfortably, clearly at a loss. Finally, one of them spoke up. “We...we don’t know, boss. One minute, they were right behind us, and the next...they weren’t.”Darnell’s jaw tightened. “I don’t want excuses. Give me an answer.”They fumbled for words, but all they could offer was a helpless shrug. Frustrated, Darnell took a deep breath and crossed his arms. “Fine. Who was in the last car? Give me their names. Now.”The men stammered for a moment, then rattled off the names of the three who had been in the missing car, exchanging nervous glances as they waited for Darnell's reaction.Darnell narrowed his eyes, his impatience evident. “Call them. Now,” he ordere
As the men disappeared down the road, Abdelkarim turned to Benjamin, a worried crease on his brow. "Do you trust them? What if they tell their boss everything?"Benjamin's expression was unwavering. "They won’t."Abdelkarim’s eyebrows rose, disbelief flickering in his gaze. "How do you know?"Benjamin smirked, a trace of confidence in his eyes. "Because I gave them something Darnell never has: respect. They’ve been doing his dirty work for scraps. Darnell treats them as disposable. But me? I just paid them a month’s worth in minutes and offered them a way out. Right now, loyalty is cheap—but it’s the one thing Darnell can't buy.”Abdelkarim nodded slowly, his gaze steadying with newfound determination. “I’m ready to work for you, Benjamin,” he said with a slight smile. “But... tonight, I don’t have anywhere to stay. I might just end up sleeping in the car.”Benjamin’s expression softened. “Don’t worry about that. You’ll stay with me,” he replied. “As long as you’re willing to follow m
Benjamin looked at them intently. “How much do you want to be paid?” he asked, his voice calm but commanding.The men glanced at each other, hesitating for a moment. Finally, one spoke up, “Every month… pay us double what Darnell does.”The other nodded, adding quickly, “Yeah. 2000 dollars each.”Benjamin smirked, a glint of amusement in his eyes. He had expected them to ask for something outrageous—10,000, even 50,000 dollars a month. Instead, they only wanted a mere double of what Darnell paid them. To someone like him, 2000 dollars was nothing, even if he had to pay them that amount daily.“Deal,” he said without hesitation, nodding once.They stared at him, dumbfounded. “Wait… deal? Just like that?” one of them asked, disbelief evident in his voice.Benjamin shrugged. “2000 dollars a month is nothing to me if you’re loyal and good at what you do.”They exchanged glances, still stunned by his response. "You... you really mean that?" one of them asked, sounding almost hopeful.Benja