The loud banging on the door jolts Ethan awake, and his bleary eyes land on the clock – already past nine.
He knows he's in for some scolding as he opens the door, and there stands Ariana.
"Hope nothing's wrong; you woke up late," she says, her eyes filled with concern.
"I'm okay, just tired," Ethan replies, and Ariana nods.
She turns to leave but abruptly halts, casting an assessing glance up and down Ethan before turning back, leaving him puzzled.
Realizing he is late, Ethan rushes to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
"What! Where is Ethan?" Mrs. Desmond's voice echoes through the house, reaching the kitchen. The impending facepalm moment has arrived. He hurriedly approaches her.
"I'm sorry, I woke up late," he mumbles, bowing his head.
Then, Mr. Desmond enters, and his wife envelops him in a hug.
"Where were you all night?" she asks while helping him with his suit.
"Just had an urgent and serious meeting," he replies, moving further into the room.
"Good morning, sir," Ethan greets him, trying to recover from the morning chaos.
As Ethan surveys the room, he asks, "Have you all eaten?""No, he's just cooking," Mr. Desmond replies.
"What! Are you insane? Just because I'm not around!" he yells simultaneously.
Nick emerges from his room, looking angry as he glances at Ethan. But his anger turns to surprise, and he asks, "Why are you in that?"
They all stare at Ethan, who suddenly realizes something is off. He examines himself, noticing that the shirt he is wearing is new and glistening, worth millions.
"It...it's one of my old clothes," he stammers, trying to make an excuse.
"This just arrived at the market yesterday night; I was even planning on how to get it. How the hell..." Nick trails off.
Ethan can't believe the system has done this. "I pre-ordered it, exclusively," he confesses.
They are all amazed.
"You were such a spoilt brat. Now, take off that shirt and wash his feet with it," Mr. Desmond orders Ethan, while Nick smirks, taking a seat.
"You heard that, wash my feet with your multi-million-dollar clothes," Nick repeats, enjoying the moment.
"I'm cooking, I'll join you once I'm done," Ethan says as he continues with his meal preparation.
After breakfast, Ethan finds himself busy washing Nick's feet with the expensive clothes.
"I don't know why you have to do this," Ariana protests.
"That's his job," Mrs. Desmond remarks.
Max seethes with anger, despising every time Ariana shows concern for Nick.
They turn on the TV to catch up on the news about Mighty-E and the nationwide giveaway. They are shocked to see that 200 million people have claimed the money.
"How could someone have that much money? And even if he does, why spend it so recklessly?" Mrs. Desmond exclaims.
"For him to do this means he still has a lot. I wonder about the source of his money," Mr. Desmond muses.
"To calculate it, that is, giving each person thirty-three thousand..." Max begins to calculate on his phone. "Wow, that's a trillion!" he exclaims.
Just then, there is a knock on the door, and Ethan rushes to open it. It is his uncle. "Welcome, Uncle," he greets.
Uncle Ben glares at him for a moment. "You, you bastard!" He pushes Ethan aside and storms in.
"Good morning, Ben," Mrs. Desmond greets.
"I want privacy with you," Uncle Ben says to Mr. Desmond. Mr. Desmond motions to his family. They move to another room. Ethan follows.
"Ethan, stop," Mr. Ben says.
"What's wrong, Ben?" Ethan asks.
Mr. Ben calls Ethan closer and plays a video on his phone. It clearly shows Ethan in the strange secret house from the other day when the system gave him the mission to sneak around. Ethan bites his lips.
"You, you bastard!" Mr. Desmond shouts, landing a hot slap on Ethan's cheek.
"I'm sorry, I... I..." Ethan stammers, kneeling down.
"What should we do now? What did the leader say?" Mr. Desmond asks.
"He asked for him. I don't know what will happen to him," Mr. Ben replies.
Ethan wonders what is going on. It seems like they are involved in some kind of organization with a leader.
"Go and dress up," Mr. Desmond prompts.
Ethan enters his room, his mind racing with thoughts. "What are they planning? What kind of organization are they involved in? I hope they don't plan to kill me. I'd rather reveal my true form than follow them."
As he contemplates, the mission reloads: {25%, 65%, 95%, 100%}.
"Don't tell me..." Ethan mutters, fearing what he is thinking.
Then, a new mission emerges: {Follow them}."
"Why must you give me a death mission? I've missed all those missions; it's just that I've spent..." he murmurs.
The system replies with a tempting {reward: 10 trillion}.
"What a high price for my death," he says.
But then, the {reward depletion announced: 5 trillion}.
"Why? It's not that I'm refusing it," he protests, but there is no response. He reluctantly dresses in his clothes.
Exiting the car, the chilly air sends shivers down his spine. The building is the tallest in the country after his own company's. He wonders, "What could they possibly be doing here?"
Ethan leads the way as they enter the building. The interior is just as vast as the exterior. He is surprised to see a gathering of prestigious people, about twelve of them, seated in a circular formation. An elderly man, exuding authority, sits at the center. Three bodyguards stand around them.
Murmurs erupt as they spot Ethan. He realizes he has stepped into some kind of cult gathering.
"Is that him?" the old man utters after taking a sip of tea. "Who are you working for?" he asks, fixing his gaze on Ethan.
Ethan remains silent, unsure of how to respond. The old man signals one of the bodyguards, who draws a gun and aims it directly at him.
"You have three seconds," the old man murmurs, raising the tension in the room.
As the old counts, "1...2...".Ethan finds himself on his knees, desperation in his voice, "Please, I'm just curious. I see them carrying something out of a van," he explains anxiously.The old man can't help but laugh."And you want me to believe that? You're here as a driver, yet you won't stay in your place," he scoffs."Anyway, you've seen what you shouldn't have, and for that, you'll have to pay with your life," he declares, signaling to the armed man to proceed with the grim task.But Ethan pleads earnestly, "Please, I'll do anything. Anything you want."His sincerity is evident.The old man leans forward, a wicked grin on his face."You'll do anything?" he inquires, raising an eyebrow.Ethan nods vigorously, desperation in his eyes. "Yes, yes, I will," he affirms.The old man exchanges whispers with the person beside him, their eyes locked in a sinister understanding."Alright, I'll give you a chance," he relents.Ethan sniffs in relief, "Thank you. I'll do anything," he repea
Ethan sits back in startled disbelief. "Master?" he wonders.Money certainly has the power to change situations dramatically.He decides, "I'm going to add more for you if you put away all the guns and return the people's belongings.""We will do that, Master!" they eagerly agree. They immediately return the stolen items to the passengers, who are bewildered by the man dressed in rags with such influence.Ethan continues, "I'll make another transfer to you, but... I'm sorry, I can't be your master."They drop back to their knees, pleading, "Please, we'll serve you."The leader speaks up, revealing their desperate circumstances, "It's not that we're doing this because we want to. We have to survive. We're just a group of thugs with no leader and nowhere to sleep. You see that gun? We borrowed it.""Oh, I understand. Get up," Ethan says, and they rise to their feet."I can't be your master, but you can work for me from time to time. Give me your contact information," he offers, and they
Ethan's heavy eyelids reluctantly open, a dull ringing in his head. His surroundings slowly come into focus as he blinks away the blur. He finds himself bound to a steel chair, his hands securely tied behind his back. Sandra and the bar-lady are similarly restrained nearby. "You're awake. Your little plan isn't quite working out this time," Sandra remarks, disappointment etched on her face. Ethan nods, realizing that his strategy is failing miserably. They're in an unfamiliar place, far from help. As the three captors come into view, one of them brandishes a phone, gesturing for the bar-lady to translate. She relays their message, "They're asking for the phone's password. They say they'll let us go if you give it to them." Ethan scoffs, knowing that revealing the password isn't an option. They converse again, and the translator relays, "They're giving us a chance before the guns arrive." Ethan, defiant, responds firmly, "Tell them to go to hell." The woman gazes at him incred
As the auction concludes and guests begin to depart, Lord Chua, a tall Chinese man with a sharply defined face, maintains an intense gaze on Ethan. Sandra breaks the silence, asking, "What will we do now?". The others have already left, with Ethan promising to contact them later. He decides to take action, saying, "I will go meet him." Approaching Lord Chua, Ethan extends his hand for a handshake, acknowledging, "Hello, Lord Chua. I know you understand English well. Congratulations." Lord Chua's bodyguards are ready to intervene, but he motions for them to stand down, aware of the onlookers. When he takes Ethan's hand, he unexpectedly squeezes it firmly, causing Ethan to grimace quietly. Leaning in closer to Ethan's ear, he whispers ominously, "I am going to kill you for that," before releasing his grip and heading to his car. Ethan moves swiftly, stopping the closing windshield and making an unexpected offer. "I will buy the girl from you for one trillion." The driver, the bo
Ethan, accustomed to his daily routine, rises early in the morning, takes charge of cooking, and meticulously tidies up the house. On this particular morning, an unusual hush fills the room as they sit down for breakfast. The sole sounds are the clinking of silverware against plates until Mr. Desmond finally breaks the silence."Why the somber atmosphere, everyone?" he inquires. "Well, I have an announcement to make. I'm passing the reins of Des Technology and Engineering to my son, Nick," he declares, causing everyone to straighten up in their seats. Mr. Desmond is the owner of three distinct companies—Des Technology and Engineering, Des Financial Management, and Des Welfare and Growth. The primary one being technology, and he's entrusting it to Nick."Thank you, Father. I promise to take it to new heights, higher than the where the mightiest eagle flies!" Nick proclaims, eliciting laughter from nearly everyone. Ethan, however, can't help but scoff as he stands beside them."Con
"What are you doing there?" he asks the boy, apparently named Derek.Derek, a young adult in his early 20s, sniffs, "We... we are being trafficked.""To where and for what?" he curiously inquires."I... I don't know. We were put in this van, and we don't know where we are going. When the van is about to return, I sneak out and manage to escape.""Where are the others?" he probes further."I told you, I don't know," Derek replies.Something big is clearly happening. He returns to the secret house but doesn't drive the van along to maintain the ruse."Where's the van?" Mr. Rex asks.He bows down, "I'm hijacked by some gunmen, I'm sorry."They burst into laughter, each one of them."Good job. Good thing they don't kill you. There is nothing in the van. We just use it as a distraction.""You use me as a distraction?" he points out, his voice shifting."Yes, and so?" Mr. Desmond responds.He faces Mr. Desmond, determination in his eyes. "I'm not working for you again. I'd rather sleep on t
"I will like to upgrade my shirt." {Upgrading in process. Processed. Points spent: 200}. Ethan's clothes metamorphose from rags to a sparkling new one. He walks inside the Royal High Hotel, remembering the day he first came here. It was the first time he met Sandra. "I will like to lodge overnight," he says to the receptionist, who is busily jotting something down in the record. When she gazes up, she is the receptionist from the other day. She, at first, startles as she sees him, then becomes even more polite. "Thanks for coming again; I have been looking forward to when you will come again," she says. Ethan nods, "I want the VVIP." "Oh..." she brings out the brochure. The one available now is the "VVVIP." "How much?" he asks. "200 million, sir." "Okay," he initiates the transfer, "and you have been improving… give me your details." She quickly presses her information into her phone, and when Ethan sees it, she nearly screams but controls herself—1 million dollars! She
To thwart the cunning plans of the elusive Mr. Ben and his organization, Ethan takes action. He calls upon Black Scorpion, putting him into motion with a straightforward mission: trail them, capture them, and recover the stolen ID cards."Sandra, why do you think the system chose me out of all people?" Ethan asks Sandra, curious about his unique role."Because they did you unfairly, and you were about to die. I'd say the system pitied you," Sandra responds.Ethan nods, pondering his recent missions. "The missions the system has given me revolve around me and that secret organization. The main reason, I think, is that I am the only person close to them."Sandra repeatedly nods in agreement. "What baffles me is how this system can provide money and upgrades."Ethan grins mischievously. "Don't try to trace the root of my system before it gives me a mission to smack your face... that is some cool money, you know."Sandra scoffs playfully, and Derek, sitting quietly, wonders what they are