The Unbreakable Rise of Raymond Stone

Chapter 2: The Impossible Wealth

Raymond stood in his tiny apartment that evening, staring at his phone. The screen had changed. Where his banking app usually showed a balance of seventeen dollars and forty-two cents, it now displayed something impossible.

[Bank Central World]

[Account Balance: USD 50,000,000,000.00]

Fifty billion dollars.

Raymond's hands shook so badly he almost dropped the phone. He checked again. And again. The number did not change. It was real. This was real.

"This cannot be happening," he whispered to himself.

[Hello, Host,] a calm, electronic voice spoke in his mind. [I am the Elite System. I have been bonded to you for a reason.]

Raymond spun around, looking for the source of the voice, but he was alone in his apartment.

"Are you talking to me?" he asked out loud, feeling foolish.

[Yes, Host. I exist in your mind. Only you can hear me. I have been sent to you because I have judged you worthy.]

"Worthy of what?" Raymond demanded. "What is this? Some kind of dream?"

[This is no dream, Host. You are worthy of greatness. The money in your account is real. It is yours. Use it as you see fit.]

A screen appeared in Raymond's vision, showing his status:

[Name: Raymond Stone]

[Level: 1]

[Strength: 25 (Weak)]

[Intelligence: 45 (Good)]

[Charisma: 30 (Below Average)]

[System Points: 0]

[Wealth: 50,000,000,000 USD]

[Mission: Become the most powerful person in this city]

[Secondary Mission: Punish those who have wronged you]

"This is insane," Raymond said, but his heart was racing. "Why me? Why now?"

[Because you are different, Host. You have suffered injustice, but you have not become cruel. You have been humiliated, but you have not given up. The system recognizes this strength of character.]

Raymond sat down on his bed, his mind spinning. He had spent ten years dreaming of the moment when he would have enough money to leave this life behind. And now, suddenly, he had more money than he could spend in a thousand lifetimes.

He opened the messaging app and saw a notification he had missed. It was from Sofia, the woman who had saved him that afternoon.

[Hi, I'm sorry about what happened today. I wanted to check on you. Are you okay?]

Raymond stared at the message. Sofia Chen was not just beautiful. She was also kind. She had risked her position at the company to help a janitor she had never met before.

He typed back: [I'm fine. Thank you for what you did today.]

Sofia's response came almost immediately: [What's your name?]

[Raymond Stone.]

[Well, Raymond Stone, I'm having coffee tomorrow morning at the Golden Bean Cafe. Would you like to join me?]

Raymond read the message three times. This was not real. This entire day was not real.

But it was.

He typed: [I would like that very much.]

That night, Raymond could not sleep. He lay awake, staring at the ceiling of his tiny apartment, trying to understand what was happening to his life. Just hours ago, he had been a janitor, invisible and powerless. Now he had more money than most countries had in their reserves.

The Elite System had given him a mission: become the most powerful person in the city and punish those who had wronged him.

Derek's threat echoed in his mind. "I will destroy you for this."

Raymond had no doubt that Derek would try. But Derek did not know what Raymond now knew. Derek did not understand that the tables had turned completely. Derek did not realize that he had just made an enemy far more powerful than he could ever imagine.

The next morning, Raymond walked into the Golden Bean Cafe. He was wearing the clothes he had owned for three years, simple jeans and a faded shirt. He felt out of place among the wealthy businesspeople sitting at the tables around him, but he did not care.

Sofia was already there, sitting at a corner table, waiting for him. She smiled when she saw him, a genuine smile that made her face light up.

"Raymond," she said, standing to greet him. "I'm glad you came."

They sat down and ordered coffee. Sofia was different in person than she had been in the hallway. She was softer, more human. But her eyes were still sharp, still intelligent.

"I wanted to apologize again about what happened yesterday," Sofia said. "I had no idea that kind of thing was happening in our company."

"It happens often," Raymond said simply. "Derek has been doing things like that for months. But no one ever stopped him before. No one ever cared."

Sofia's expression hardened. "That is going to change. I am going to make sure that Derek never works in this industry again. What he did was not just cruel. It was criminal."

Raymond studied her face. "Why do you care? You barely know me."

Sofia set down her coffee cup carefully. "Because it is the right thing to do. Because I believe in justice. Because when I see someone being hurt for no reason, I cannot just walk away."

"That is rare," Raymond said. "Most people would have looked the other way."

"Most people are cowards," Sofia replied. She leaned forward, her eyes intense. "But I want to tell you something, Raymond. Something I sensed yesterday when Derek was threatening you. I sensed power in you. Real power. The kind that cannot be broken by kicks or insults."

Raymond felt his heart skip a beat. Could she see something the system had given him? Or was she simply perceptive enough to recognize something real in him that others missed?

"I have a proposal for you," Sofia said. "The company is looking for someone to fill a management position. I want you to apply. You are smart, you are strong, and you have character. I think you would be perfect for the job."

"I am a janitor," Raymond said. "I have no experience in management."

"You have life experience," Sofia countered. "And I can teach you the rest. Besides, I have a feeling that you are destined for much greater things than pushing a mop around an office building."

Before Raymond could respond, his phone buzzed. A notification from the bank appeared:

[Wire Transfer Completed: Sterling Industries Inc. - $2,000,000,000.00]

[Remaining Balance: 48,000,000,000.00 USD]

Raymond's eyes widened. Two billion dollars had just left his account. But he had not authorized any transfer.

[Host,] the system's voice spoke in his mind. [I have made an investment on your behalf. You now own forty percent of Sterling Industries.]

Raymond nearly dropped his phone.

Raymond was now part owner of the very company where he had been cleaning floors just hours ago. But when Derek found out, would he explode with rage? And what would Sofia do when she learned the truth about Raymond's sudden wealth?