The Billionaire Heir's Replacement

7. One Million in One Day

"Are you sure that's my first lesson?"

Elaine looked up from the tablet in her hand, not bothering to look up at her new boss. "Yes."

Haze frowned as he chewed on the delicious breakfast provided by a chef formerly cooked at a five-star restaurant. He forgot the name, but the chef surely sticks out if he stands between average people. He got this green dragon tattoo on his bald head.

Anyway, his mind tracked back to what his personal secretary said. "You want me to spend one million dollars in one day?"

Hearing him repeating her order, Elaine flicked her eyes to him and scoffed. "If it's not because you look so similar to Cassius, I doubt Mr. Blackwood will leave you to exist in this world."

"As if he can kill me."

"I'll relay that challenge to Mr. Blackwood on my report tonight."

Haze wasn't sure if she was joking or not, but just to be safe, "Please don't."

"Good, now finish your breakfast. It's noon already. How can you pass out after a morning jog?"

"It was straight-up torture!" Haze defended himself, face red with embarrassment. "Besides, I was just out of hospital and–"

"Yeah, yeah," she brushed him off and went to the kitchen area. "I'll be back in five, you better be ready."

Grumbling to himself, Haze finished his breakfast in three minutes. Once he was done, the tattooed chef came to put the dirty plate and dishes away, while Elaine came a minute later.

"You don't eat?"

"I just did."

Haze frowned again. "In the kitchen? Why not here with me?"

Elaine glared at him, as if with deep-rooted anger. "Because we have different roles here."

"Well, next time, you can join me here."

She looked like she was about to protest, but it died down before the words left her mouth. Haze didn't know why, but the anger came twice as fiery as earlier. "Just shut up and come with me."

Sighing in puzzlement, Haze filed it as just another girl thing. It was not seldom that his cheating ex-girlfriend became moody and suddenly mad at him.

They went out of the mansion, passing the stone-paved path with two long pools on its right and left. The car they drove yesterday was still there, waiting for them to get in.

Once he got in the passenger's seat, he quickly buckled the seatbelt, not wanting something bad to happen. What if a stranger crashed their car?

Elaine noticed that. "At least, you know the minimum safety when it comes to driving."

"Yes, I learned from experience."

She turned the engine on and they drove past the gate. The road downhill already became familiar from the torture earlier this morning. He'd never forget every turn and step as his lungs burned, begging for air.

"Where are we going?" Haze asked after they reached the farm field. Now, it really was beautiful, when people were sitting comfortably while passing. Not so much variety was planted, but it was a vast shade of green as long as the eyes could see.

"You decide," Elaine replied. Then, she handed a phone to him. "You lost your phone, right?"

"Unfortunately. My wallet, too," Haze mumbled in disappointment, "Though, it doesn't really matter. I only have a few bucks and my ID card. Whis is useless, as Haze Wilburn supposedly died drowning in a river somewhere."

Elaine ignored his laments. Instead, she gestured to the back seat. "Use that phone and credit cards from now on."

Grabbing the hard paper bag sitting on the back seat, Haze pulled up a brand new phone recently released by a giant tech company known throughout the world. He blew air, excitedly turning the phone on and found two contacts inside.

"Why do I only have Jeremy and your number?"

The brunette asked back, "What, you think you'll find Mr. President's number in there?"

"No, but Mr. Blackwood's number would be nice."

"What will you do with it?"

Haze didn't retort right away, because she was right. What would he do with Mr. Blackwood's number, anyway? It wasn't like he needed to contact the man who forced and threatened him into this situation in the first place.

Accepting fate, Haze pulled up the second item. Or three of them, more like.

"What do I need three credit cards for?"

Elaine shrugged, "One is for today's lesson, while the other two are for you to know later."

"Right. That explains well."

They came to an intersection and Elaine asked, "Where are we going?"

Haze tilted his head in confusion. "What?"

She sighed and repeated, "You have today to spend one million dollars, remember? So, where are we going?"

He blinked, still not expecting it to be real. "You're really serious about that?"

"How many times do I have to repeat?"

The lights were still colored red, but there weren't many cars around. It was practically empty. Haze thought, silently counting the number until it turned green.

But, first… where did he want to go?

To spend one million dollars as he likes, what kind of a joke was this?

One million dollars.

If he had that much money eleven days ago, then he didn't have to lose everything. His best friend. His girlfriend. His place to stay. His life would be fine and everything would still remain beautiful. He wouldn't be forced to be in this complicated situation, pretending to be someone he wasn't.

He would get everything back.

If only–

Well, no use lamenting the past. He wouldn't get them back, even if he had this one million now.

The question was, what to do with this one million in one day?

Haze mumbled to the brunette driving beside him, "Do I have to buy things for my daily needs?"

"No, we already provide for you. The mansion and everything inside is basically your property, including this car and the clothes on your skin."

"But that's Cassius' thing."

"Some of it, yes." Elaine scoffed indifferently. "Except for the clothes and your personal hygiene items, as they are all new."

"Okay," he nodded.

After he had showered earlier, Haze had a look in the walk-in closet. Rows and rows of dress shirts, suits, leather shoes, and expensive watches lined up for him. He only saw some of it in the fashion tabloid or with rich clients who visited his office. With that in mind, Haze only needed to spend the million on something else that wasn't in the mansion.

"Oh, man, can I get a pet shark?"

The brunette gave him a side eye out of his random musing. "Yes, obviously."

"How many do you think I can get with one million?"

"A thousand?" Elaine tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. "Maybe not that much, because you have to get a wide and complex aquarium for it too."

Haze thought for a second, "What if I throw them to the pools leading to the front door?"

"Yeah, not happening."

"Ugh, but I really want that."

"Think of something else, the time is ticking you know. You only have until 9 pm to decide."

Haze's eyes darted to the brand new phone in hand. It was already past noon. The breakfast he just had wasn't really a breakfast; it was more like lunch indeed. What would he do with one million in hand?

Argh!

How many times did he think, nothing came to mind. Elaine aimlessly drove around, waiting for him to say their destination. Now, when he practically had everything he could ask for, he didn't know what to get. This was very much unlike what–

Wait.

He could get everything he wanted.

Literally.

Haze smiled, calling up a dream he almost forgot.

"I want two things," he started, "First, I want to make a gaming team.

Elaine definitely raised an eyebrow, even if he only caught a glimpse of it. "You sure?"

"You said I can do anything?"

"Yes, but a team of professional gamers sounds–"

"Are you going to deny me, just like how you denied my wish to get a thousand shark pets earlier?" Haze challenged. When she didn't respond, he considered it as her agreement. "To do that, we have to look for a headquarters of the future's best gaming team to train and strategize."

The brunette made a turn next and headed to town. "I have three buildings for sale in mind, choose whichever you like."

"And while we're driving there, what do you think of the names I have in mind?" Haze excitedly listed them off. "Either it's 'Work Hazards,' 'Walnut Slayers,' or 'Haze and the Minions'?"

"All of them sound awful."

"Then, suggest some to me."

Elaine tapped her fingers on the driving wheel, thinking, "Anything but that."

"See, you can't come up with cool names like me." Haze gloated. "Fine, it's Peanut Slayers then."

"Don't you mean 'walnut'?"

"No."

"Ugh..."

It didn't take more than half an hour to arrive at the first building for sale Elaine knew.

The realtor agent, Frank, was friendly, like anybody else in the marketing business. After two hours of looking up the three possible headquarters, Haze finally decided on the building in the city. It wasn't particularly tall with only four storeys and two basements.

He liked it because it was close to coffee shops and a bakery that gave off good smells when he was on the sidewalk.

Next, Elaine put him up with an advertisement agent. Haze said he wanted to hire seven people to form a gaming team and one coach to handle them. As he didn't have any gamers in mind, Haze told the agent that he would make the selections himself, but everything else regarding their contract would be done for him.

As the entire building was still empty, Haze asked his personal assistant to buy whatever might be necessary for a professional gaming team at the highest price. That left Elaine jaw-dropping at his audacity. However, she recovered fast and did as told.

"So, how much did that leave me?" Haze asked his personal assistant as they exited the building.

"About half of it," Elaine handed back the credit card to him just before she drove.

"Then, the other thing I want is a doomsday bunker."

Elaine almost stepped on the brake out of surprise.