Chapter 4: Perfect Luxury

I hadn’t expected her to reject it quite that fiercely, but looking at her guard, I understood where she was coming from. Someone who had been treated like a burden her whole life wasn’t going to accept a handout from a complete stranger without looking for the hook.

"Look at it like a loan," I said, holding up a hand to calm her down. "A loan where you aren’t the one paying it back."

Chloe gave me a deadpan, thoroughly unimpressed glare. "That literally doesn’t make any sense. That’s just a gift with a ridiculous name."

I didn’t bother arguing with her. I knew pushing harder right now would only send her running back to the library.

"Just think about it," I said softly, stepping back to give her space.

She stared at me, still looking completely baffled and guarded. "You still haven’t answered my question. If you’re going out of your way to do this for someone you barely know, what is the actual string attached?"

I paused, looking back at her for a moment. A slight, quiet smile crossed my face as I gave her the closest thing to the truth I could offer without explaining the golden panel floating in my vision.

"The string?" I said smoothly. "The string is that I get to watch someone’s life actually get better instead of getting crushed by people like your uncle. That’s it."

Before she could process that or fire off another round of skeptical questions, I turned around and began walking down the hill, leaving her standing alone under the shade of the oak tree, staring after me in stunned silence.

Pulling out my phone as I walked down the stone path, I couldn’t help a small smile. Chloe was stubborn, but living under Dean Vance’s thumb was a ticking time bomb. Once she realized I wasn’t asking for anything weird, she’d take the lifeline.

In the meantime, I needed to have everything ready to go.

I opened a rental app and tapped the high-end filter, letting the System’s proxy account handle the heavy lifting. I scrolled past standard student housing and went straight for the luxury listings—gated complexes, quiet neighborhoods, maximum security, and full amenities.

A few swipes later, one specific listing caught my eye.

It was a fully furnished, top-floor suite located in a high-rise just ten minutes from campus. High ceilings, panoramic city views, private study nook, twenty-four-seven security, and a quiet environment completely isolated from the chaos of student dorms.

It was priced at $30,000 for the semester—a staggering amount for any normal student, but a perfect balance of pure luxury and practical comfort for Chloe’s potential unlock.

[Investment Target: Chloe Vance]

[Item: High-End Living & Study Environment]

[Estimated Cost: $30,000]

I stared at the numbers on the screen. Spending thirty grand on a place for her meant the System’s 20x cashback multiplier would yield an insane return once her glow-up conditions were met.

"Perfect," I muttered.

I hit the contact button, scheduled an in-person viewing with the property manager for tomorrow morning, and set my phone back into my pocket. I wanted to inspect the place myself before dropping the cash to make sure it was absolutely flawless.

Back in my dorm room, the reality of my situation hit as I looked at the packed duffel bag sitting on my mattress. Dean Vance’s deadline was firm: I had until tomorrow night before campus security officially threw me off the property.

If Chloe didn’t accept the offer by tomorrow, I wouldn’t just be homeless—without my scholarship fees paid, the university would officially process my expulsion.

I sat on the edge of the squeaky bed, flicked my wrist, and brought up the golden system interface floating in front of me.

[Host Personal Balance: $0.00]

[Investment Funds Available: $100,000]

I tapped directly on my personal balance, trying to see if I could route even a fraction of those investment funds into my own account to pay off my tuition or cover a cheap hotel room.

A sharp red warning flashed instantly.

[Error: Direct Self-Investment Violates Core System Protocol.]

[System Funds can ONLY be expended on designated Target Progression. Personal wealth must be generated via Cashback Multipliers and Target Milestones.]

"Bummer," I muttered, closing the warning panel with a sigh.

So there was no shortcut. I couldn’t just bribe my way back into the school’s good graces on my own. Everything hinged on Chloe, on unlocking her potential, and on triggering that 20x cashback return to get my own head above water.

I laid back on the thin mattress, staring up at the cracked ceiling tiles.

"One step at a time," I whispered to myself. "Tomorrow morning, I check out that luxury apartment."

The next morning, I threw on a plain grey t-shirt and a pair of worn shorts, grabbed my rusty bicycle, and pedaled out of the dorm complex.

The ride across town was a sharp contrast. As I left the dusty campus perimeter, the streets broadened, lined with clean, tree-shaded sidewalks and high-end storefronts. Ten minutes later, I pulled up to the address.

I squeezed the brakes and skidded to a stop, looking up at the high-rise in front of me.

In real life, the building looked even better than the photos on the app. The architecture was sleek and modern, featuring floor-to-ceiling glass paneling, polished granite pillars at the entrance, and a private guard booth managing the gated driveway. It screamed luxury, quiet elegance, and absolute safety—the exact opposite of the cramped, noisy house Chloe was currently trapped in.

"Damn," I muttered, resting my hands on the handlebars as a cool morning breeze blew past. "This place is perfect."

I parked my bike near the designated racks, smoothed down my plain shirt, and walked up the pristine stone steps toward the main entrance, ready to meet the manager.

The glass double doors slid open with a soft, expensive hum, and the air-conditioned lobby smelled like fresh lilies and high-end marble polish.

I barely took three steps onto the gleaming floor before the receptionist at the front desk gave me a sharp, up-and-down look, her brows knitting together in instant disgust. My faded shirt, worn shorts, and the fact that I had just walked up from a rusty bicycle made me stick out like a dirt stain on a silk sheet.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her tone flat, condescending, and cold. "This is a private residential complex."

Before I could even answer, a familiar, arrogant laugh echoed from the lounge area near the elevators.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in."

My jaw clenched as I turned toward the voice.

Walking out from one of the showroom corridors was Julian, dressed in a fresh designer outfit, draped casually over the arm of a polished real-estate agent. And right beside him, holding a set of luxury floor plans, was Sarah.

Julian’s face twisted into a smug, mocking grin as he took in my outfit.

"Did you get lost on your way to the soup kitchen, beggar?" Julian drawled, taking a slow step toward me while Sarah looked away with a mixture of annoyance and quiet embarrassment. "Or did security forget to lock the gates to keep the trash out?"

I stood my ground, my eyes narrowing as I looked at the three of them.

This piece of shit.