Chapter 192: The Billionaire Awakener

The news of the Laurentian Annual Grand Lottery spread throughout Toronto like wildfire.

By the following morning, virtually every major news outlet in the Laurentian Region was reporting on the extraordinary jackpot, with television stations, newspapers, and online platforms discussing the possibility that someone had successfully claimed the winning combination.

However, the identity of the fortunate winner remained unknown.

According to the official lottery authorities, the grand prize would only be confirmed after the winning ticket had undergone the necessary authentication procedures.

Meanwhile, inside the presidential residence of the Grand Meridian Hotel, the atmosphere was considerably more chaotic than usual.

"Bro, I still can’t fucking believe it!" Frey exclaimed, staring at the lottery ticket resting on the coffee table. "One hundred and fifty billion Union Dollars! Do you realize how many zeros that is?!"

Mikhail, who was sitting opposite him with a plate of breakfast pastries balanced on his lap, shook his head.

"You’ve been repeating that since last night," Mikhail remarked, taking another bite. "At this point, I think you’ve said the number more times than the lottery presenters themselves."

"Because it’s unbelievable!" Frey retorted, throwing his hands into the air. "We came to Toronto three days ago with a dusty truck, and now Jet’s about to become a billionaire!"

"Technically, he hasn’t received the money yet," Mikhail pointed out, glancing toward Jet. "There’s still the verification process."

Jet nodded as he examined the official notification displayed on his phone.

"That’s right," he replied calmly. "The lottery authorities have requested that I visit their headquarters to authenticate the ticket and complete the necessary paperwork."

Frey immediately leaned forward.

"Then what are we waiting for, bro?!" he exclaimed impatiently. "Let’s go collect your money!"

Jet chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"Relax, Frey. I’ve already scheduled an appointment," he answered, placing his phone on the table. "We have plenty of time."

Beside him, Inez was happily eating her breakfast while listening to their conversation.

"Big Brother, are we going to buy our new house today?" she asked, looking up at Jet with hopeful eyes.

Jet smiled and gently patted her head with his gloved hand.

"Not today, Inez," he answered warmly. "First, I need to collect the money. After that, we’ll start looking for a house."

Inez nodded obediently before returning to her breakfast.

Frey grinned.

"Little princess, forget an ordinary house!" he declared dramatically. "With that much money, your big brother could probably buy an entire neighborhood!"

Mikhail snorted.

"Please don’t give him any ridiculous ideas," he remarked.

Jet merely smiled. An entire neighborhood wasn’t particularly appealing to him.

However, the house he have in mind is something else entirely and if his memory served him correctly, it was currently available.

After breakfast, the group prepared to leave the hotel.

Jet wore his usual fully covering black clothing, with gloves concealing his hands and a dark bandana covering the tattoo at the center of his forehead.

He carefully put the lottery ticket inside an inner pocket before checking that he had the necessary identification documents. Although he could have attended the appointment alone, Frey had insisted on accompanying him.

Mikhail also decided to come, while Inez refused to be left behind. All four of them departed the Grand Meridian Hotel together.

Rather than using their dusty off-road vehicle, which remained parked in the hotel’s private garage, Jet arranged for a chauffeured luxury car.

Their destination was the headquarters of the Laurentian Annual Grand Lottery Administration, located within one of Toronto’s major financial districts.

The journey took approximately thirty minutes.

As they traveled through the bustling streets, Jet noticed several enormous advertisements celebrating the previous night’s draw.

News reports continued discussing the jackpot, while financial commentators speculated about the identity of the winner.

"Look at that!" Frey exclaimed, pointing toward a holographic advertisement displaying the winning numbers. "They’re practically celebrating you already, bro!"

Jet glanced at the advertisement before returning his attention to the road.

"They’re celebrating the lottery," he corrected with an amused expression. "Nobody knows who won yet."

"Exactly!" Frey replied, grinning mischievously. "Which makes this even better. Imagine their faces when they discover the winner is an eighteen-year-old Awakener!"

Mikhail folded his arms.

"That’s actually something we should be careful about," he remarked thoughtfully. "A fortune that enormous is going to attract attention, and not all of it will be friendly."

Jet nodded.

"I’ve already considered that," he answered. "I’ll make sure our personal information remains protected as much as possible."

The conversation continued until their vehicle arrived before an enormous commercial tower.

The building’s exterior was decorated with golden architectural accents, while a massive holographic emblem rotated above its entrance.

Several uniformed security officers stood near the doors.

After identifying himself at the reception desk, Jet was escorted to a private waiting room with his companions.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, a professionally dressed woman entered, accompanied by two officials carrying electronic tablets.

"Good morning, Mr. Saint-Clair," the woman greeted him with a courteous smile. "My name is Evelyn, and I’m the senior claims director responsible for processing major lottery prizes."

Jet rose from his seat and shook her hand.

"Good morning, Ms. Evelyn," he replied politely. "Thank you for arranging this appointment."

"The pleasure is ours," Evelyn answered before gesturing toward the conference table. "Please, have a seat. I understand you’re here regarding the winning ticket for yesterday’s grand draw."

"That’s correct," Jet confirmed, retrieving the ticket from his pocket.

He placed it carefully on the table. Evelyn examined the document before passing it to one of the officials.

"Before proceeding, we’ll need to authenticate the ticket and verify your identity," she explained professionally. "The process is standard for prizes of this magnitude."

Jet nodded.

"Of course," he answered calmly. "I brought everything listed in your instructions."

The verification process began immediately.

First, the officials scanned the ticket using specialized authentication equipment.

The system checked its registration number, purchase timestamp, security markings, and recorded number combination against the lottery’s central database.

Several minutes passed before the results appeared.

[TICKET AUTHENTICATION SUCCESSFUL]

[WINNING COMBINATION CONFIRMED]

[GRAND JACKPOT ELIGIBILITY VERIFIED]

One of the officials looked toward Evelyn with visible astonishment.

"Director Evelyn, the ticket is genuine," he announced, his voice remaining professional despite his surprise. "Every winning number matches the official draw."

Evelyn nodded before turning toward Jet.

"Congratulations, Mr. Saint-Clair," she said with a warm smile. "Your ticket has successfully passed the initial authentication process."

Frey immediately clenched his fists.

"YES!" he exclaimed before remembering where they were and quickly lowering his voice. "Sorry. Please continue."

Mikhail covered his mouth to suppress a laugh.

Jet merely shook his head.

The officials subsequently verified his identity through the Earth Union’s official identification system.

They confirmed that the ticket had been purchased legally, that Jet satisfied the eligibility requirements, and that no irregularities existed within the transaction records.

Once the final verification was completed, Evelyn presented several documents.

"Everything is in order," she announced, looking genuinely pleased. "You are officially entitled to the grand jackpot of one hundred and fifty billion Union Dollars."

Although Jet had expected those words, hearing them spoken aloud still brought him considerable satisfaction.

Frey, meanwhile, looked ready to explode.

Evelyn continued explaining the remaining procedures.

"Under the Laurentian Annual Grand Lottery regulations, the grand jackpot is exempt from taxation," she informed him. "Therefore, you will receive the entire amount without deductions."

Mikhail blinked.

"Wait, the whole amount?" he asked incredulously. "All one hundred and fifty billion?"

"That is correct," Evelyn replied with a polite smile. "The full prize will be transferred to the verified financial account designated by the winner."

Frey leaned back against his chair.

"That’s absolutely insane," he muttered, staring at Jet.

However, before completing the transfer, Jet raised an important question.

"Ms. Evelyn, I’d like to discuss the publicity arrangements," he said calmly. "I understand that major lottery winners are usually announced publicly."

Evelyn nodded.

"That’s correct," she answered. "However, winners of exceptionally large prizes may request additional privacy protections under our confidential claims procedures."

"Then I’d like to exercise that option," Jet replied without hesitation. "I have a young sister, and I don’t want unnecessary attention directed toward her."

Evelyn’s expression became more understanding.

"Of course," she assured him. "We can withhold your photograph, residential information, and other identifying details from our public announcements. Your identity will remain available only to authorized personnel and institutions where disclosure is legally required."

Jet nodded with satisfaction.

"That would be appreciated," he answered.

The final documents were signed shortly afterward.

Jet then provided the details of his verified bank account, which was capable of receiving large financial transfers.

The lottery administration initiated the payment through the Earth Union’s financial settlement network.

Because of the enormous amount involved, several additional security confirmations were required.

However, the process proceeded smoothly. Approximately twenty minutes later, Jet’s phone vibrated.

He glanced at the screen.

A notification from his bank had appeared.

[TRANSACTION NOTIFICATION]

[INCOMING TRANSFER: 150,000,000,000 UD]

[SOURCE: LAURENTIAN ANNUAL GRAND LOTTERY ADMINISTRATION]

[TRANSACTION STATUS: COMPLETED]

Jet opened his banking application and checked the updated balance.

The money was there. One hundred and fifty billion Union Dollars. For a moment, he simply stared at the enormous figure displayed on the screen.

In his previous life, he had struggled to afford ordinary necessities. There had been times when even purchasing enough food for himself and Inez required careful planning.

Now, he possessed a fortune that most people could never hope to accumulate in several lifetimes.

Jet slowly exhaled. His first major financial objective had been accomplished.

"Bro?" Frey called, leaning toward him with an impatient expression. "Don’t just sit there! Did it arrive?!"

Jet turned the screen toward him.

Frey stared at the balance.

Then his eyes widened.

"Holy fucking shit!" he shouted, nearly jumping out of his chair. " it’s there! The money’s actually there!."

Mikhail immediately leaned forward.

When he saw the figure, his mouth fell open.

"One hundred and fifty billion..." he murmured, shaking his head in disbelief. "Jet, you’re actually one of the richest people I’ve ever met."

Inez, who had been quietly watching the adults, looked toward her brother.

"Big Brother, does that mean we can buy our house now?" she asked innocently.

Jet smiled and lifted her into his arms.

"That’s right, Inez," he answered warmly. "Now we can start looking for our new home."

After thanking Evelyn and completing the remaining formalities, the group departed the lottery headquarters.

Outside, Toronto continued bustling with activity, completely unaware that the mysterious winner of the annual grand jackpot had just walked out of the building.

As they entered their waiting vehicle, Jet retrieved his phone and opened a private list of properties he had begun researching.

Among them was one particular estate that he already have his mind on.