The WealthTap System: Rising from Rags to Riches

But... His good going date was suddenly interrupted by a sudden ringing of his phone, the message of a person he didn't expect to be contacted by so soon. Maximus Flagon aka Max!

He fished out the mobile from his buzzing pockets and checked the contents of the message which were a little... unusual.

// Max - Come to the bar, please.//

Although Chris didn't know Max that well, he can at least say that the reason behind such abrupt text wasn't natural. Especially when the text was just a one-liner, while usually Max always texted in big and descriptive paragraphs.

Filled to the brim with unease, Chris had no choice but to cut short his date with Aria. Apologizing to her repeatedly, he somehow convinced her to wait in the car with Cathy, and he will take her to his house again.

Not like she minded staying at Chris's penthouse, after all, it was much better than her hostel room.

...

*Creak*

Chris pushed the door of the familiar Ten Down Street bar, quickly finding a secluded booth that was occupied by two familiar figures.

Max was seated, leaning ahead with a nervous and... sad? look in his eyes, tapping his feet impatiently. While his professional young bodyguard was much more composed and calmly looked over Max.

"What happened, Max?" Chris asked calmly, nearing towards the secluded booth. He picked up an empty glass and poured some bourbon for himself. Sitting opposite Max and waiting for the reply.

"I just wanted to talk about something," Max gave a sad look to Chris and continued in a glum tone, "Just... promise me that you won't get too disappointed about this..."

Hearing the spoken gloomy words, Chris adopted a solemn face and kept down the glass of bourbon. He nodded to Max's words, urging him to spit out the matter.

"T-The thing is... you know my father is Mayor, right? He has many connections with people in bigger cities like Obelisk City and Minar City..." Max began with a dejected look on his face.

"I totally did not ask for this...But! He suddenly just got a seat at a business university in Minar City!" Max announced sniffing as if he was on the verge of crying. But... Chris knew it was just an act...

The whole getting sad and disappointed was an act... this bastard just wanted to flex his D-Grade University seat in a D-Grade city in front of Chris!

'...' Chris didn't have any words left for the top-notch act that was just performed on him and left him completely deceived. 'This bastard should become an actor instead...'

But, Max wasn't done yet either.

"I am beyond depressed and disappointed to tell you that I need to vacate this glorious city and head to the Minar city which is just a D-Grade city..." Max continued his melancholic act.

"Sigh... it's really disheartening brother. What a shame we need to separate from each other like this," Chris sighed deeply in sadness.

"Indeed brother... let's have one last drink for our memories, I am sure you can get into a nice university too," Max sighed and raised his glass that was filled with top-notch Bourbon too.

'He really fell for it?!' the bodyguard who was sitting nearby Max gaped in surprise, breaking the aloof act he was trying very hard to maintain.

Naturally, both Max and the bodyguard were partners in crime to deceive Chris!

Why?

Why would a friend deceive another friend? For fun of course! Watching the friend fall into harmless schemes was one of the best things Chris has ever experienced.

He would be an idiot to let this chance of bragging go, won't he?

"I sure hope so... But, I hoped we would have gone to the same university..." Chris sighed while sipping his Bourbon.

"Indeed," Max nodded, trying hard to not scoff and laugh. Why would he wish to go to an E-Grade university like Chris?

"Too bad you weren't able to get into a C-Grade university, sigh..." Chris swirled his drink with a disappointed look, while the nearby surroundings got strangely quiet and the temperature dropped a couple of centigrades.

Chris's words fell like bombshells upon Max. Just hearing the name of a C-Grade university was enough to make him blank out. While the scoffing bodyguard choked on his saliva after hearing Chris's words.

'Heh! That's what you get Maxxie, you are too green to trick this daddy,' Chris smirked inwardly, satisfied by the reactions of Max and his bodyguard.

"W-What...?" Max after several moments of silence and disbelief, asked in a faint whisper. Unable to believe Chris's mind-boggling words.

"Yeah, I was so looking forward to studying at the C-Grade University of SeaShore City with you..." Chris sighed sorrowfully.

"...Y-You got a seat in C-Grade city," Max murmured in a daze.

Of course, Chris haven't got the admission yet, but, with his awakened status, there was simply no way he would be rejected.

"Well yeah," Chris shrugged carelessly.

"I-I... will ask Dad to cancel the Minar University's seat! I won't let you win!" Max stomped his legs in anger and clenched his fists.

Chris smiled at Max, this was what he wanted. The thing that hurts the most is when your equal, or the one you consider as equal, leaves you behind in the dust and achieves the thing that you have never even dreamt of.

Max was the same, unwilling to lose to his brother-like friend and rival, he vowed to achieve the seemingly impossible job of getting into the C-Grade university.

"I wanted to tell one more thing to you," Max suddenly realized something and turned extremely serious.

Chris looked at Max, who was in a serious mood. However, unlike the previous faked sadness this seriousness was much more... real.

Chris nodded while Max for the first time, gestured for his bodyguard to leave. Chris was shocked, something so important that Max gestured for his bodyguard to leave?! What is it?

He was dying to know.

However even after the bodyguard left, Max remained silent for a long while, as if rearranging his thoughts and making up his mind if he should really tell the unbelievable and shocking secret to Chris.

"Can I trust you completely?" in an unusually serious and sharp tone, Max asked while looking into Chris's electric hazel eyes.

"Of course, what is it?" Chris nodded solemnly.

Max went silent again, deep in his thoughts, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead as he clenched his teeth, unable to make a sure decision if he should reveal the secret.

"I have... to go study for the entrance," Max shifted on his seat and made a bullshit excuse to leave.

Chris didn't know why, but, he now at least knew that Max had a really big secret that he had chosen not to reveal to Chris. Whether it was because Max didn't trust him enough or the secret was too big to be revealed carelessly, Chris didn't know.

"I am not that dumb, Max." Chris squinted his eyebrows and tried to force a little for the secret, after all, of course he was curious.

"You won't believe me even if I tell you," Max wiped the sweat on his forehead and sighed.

Before Chris can even say that he will believe Max, he continued.

"I will tell you when the time comes..." Max looked at Chris and blocked all of his attempts of fishing for information.

What else can Chris say except, "Okay."

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