Infinite Wealth System: Crazy Tasks, Insane Rewards! - Chapter 197

Chapter 197: Throwback
(5 years back).

(A throwback).

Sky High University buzzed with life around it.

Students lined on the lawns with books in their laps, music drifted from open dorm windows, and laughter rippled through groups scattered across the campus paths.

But for Jayden, it all sounded far away, like a world he didn’t belong to.

He walked along the quieter side path behind the east lecture hall, his bag slung loosely over one shoulder.

He hadn’t made many friends here. Most people either avoided him or whispered when he passed. He heard it in the way their voices dipped, in the looks they gave him.

“That’s him…”

“The fraud’s son.”

“Emerson Cole’s son.”

“The boy whose father stole millions.”

He clenched his jaw, trying to shut it all out. His father was gone, and his mother had left not long after, unable, or unwilling, to face the weight of their family’s disgrace.

And here he was, carrying the stain of it like a brand on his skin.

He found himself drifting toward the alley behind the library, the one place where the noise of campus life felt muted. A place where he could breathe.

But today, he wasn’t alone.

Just as he had settled for a few moments, three figures suddenly rushed out from nowhere.

“Look who we’ve got here,” a masculine voice called, sharp with amusement.

Jayden froze. His stomach tightened. Slowly, he turned.

Royce, son of Gregory Kingsley. The man who had accused his father of stealing millions from his company and had him jailed.

Tall, broad-shouldered, a smirk that dripped with arrogance. Beside him were Luka and Richy, both wearing the same cruel grins. They walked toward him like predators circling prey.

Jayden’s fists tightened at his sides. He knew what was coming.

Royce’s smirk widened as he stopped in front of him.

“So, it’s true. The fraud’s son really did get into Sky High.” He tilted his head, his eyes glittering. “Tell me, Jayden… how does it feel? Walking around campus while everyone knows your daddy was a thief?”

Luka snickered. “Probably feels heavy, man. Imagine carrying all that shame around every day.”

“Bet he wishes he could change his name. Or maybe his face,” Richy chimed in, shaking his head in mock pity.

They laughed together, the sound loud and cutting in the empty alley.

Jayden swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady. “I’m not my father…”

Royce chuckled, leaning closer. “No? Then tell me, how’d you afford Sky High? Hmm? Everyone knows tuition here costs more than most people make in five years. You telling me Daddy Dearest didn’t pay your way in long before he got caught?”

Jayden’s chest tightened. Because it was true. He had been signed into Sky High when he was still a boy, long before the scandal broke. His father had secured his future with a considerable amount of money.

Yet, Jayden was still trying hard to believe that his father was innocent.

He had to.

Royce saw the flicker in his eyes and grinned like he’d landed a perfect punch. “Thought so. Fraud doesn’t just run in the family, Jayden. It is the family.”

Richy barked a laugh at once.

“Man, you’re lucky you even get to sit in class. If this was my school, they’d have thrown you out the minute the news broke.”

“Nah, don’t throw him out. Let him stay. Makes for good entertainment,” Luka added.

Jayden’s fists trembled. He wanted to scream at them, to tell them they didn’t know what it was like, to remind them that he hadn’t stolen a single cent. But the words caught in his throat.

Instead, he said, frustratedly, “Shut up.”

Royce’s eyes lit up with cruel delight. “What was that?”

He stepped closer quickly, his face inches from Jayden’s.

“Say it again.”

“I said shut up,” Jayden snapped, his voice louder this time, though it cracked.

Royce laughed, a cold, sharp sound. “Oh, look at him. Fraud boy’s got a little bite.” He turned to Luka and Richy. “You hear that? He thinks he’s tough.”

Luka chuckled. “He’s not tough. He’s pathetic.”

“Wanna test that theory?” Richy smirked, staring right at Jayden’s eyes.

Before Jayden could move, Royce’s fist slammed into his jaw. Pain exploded through his face, sending him stumbling back against the wall. He gasped, clutching at the brick for balance.

“Pathetic,” Royce spat.

Luka shoved him hard in the chest, and Jayden staggered, his bag falling to the ground.

Richy kicked it aside, laughing.

Jayden’s vision blurred, but he pushed himself up, chest heaving.

“Stop!” he shouted.

Royce stepped forward again, his shadow falling over him. “No, Jayden. You stop. You stop pretending you’re anything but a fraud’s son. You stop walking around this campus like you belong here. Because you don’t.”

He leaned in closer, his voice low, venomous. “You hear me? You’ll never belong. Not here. Not anywhere.”

Jayden’s throat tightened. The words cut deeper than the blows. Because some part of him believed it.

Royce straightened, then slammed his fist into Jayden’s stomach. Air burst from his lungs, and he doubled over, choking. Luka and Richy laughed, their voices echoing across the alley.

Royce grabbed him by the collar, yanking him upright. “Listen carefully, fraud boy. This isn’t just today. This is every day from now on. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll make your life a living hell.”

He shoved him back against the wall, hard, then stepped away, smirking as Jayden slid down to the ground.

Richy gave him one last shove as they passed, their laughter fading as they walked away with Royce in the lead.

Jayden sat there, bruised and aching, the sunlight glaring down on him like a spotlight.

He wanted to cry, but no tears came. Just a hollow ache in his chest, a storm of shame and rage twisting inside him.

That feeling lingered, knowing that this was just the beginning of hell.

As he was all alone in it.

******

(Present Day).

After all that he had done, Royce just couldn’t figure how he would meet up with Jayden again.

The very first picture that flashed into his mind was Jayden slitting his throat the very moment he sees him, and there’s was no doubt that that could happen.

But then he understood that they were in a different circumstances, and he would be always okay with it if Jayden never wants to see him again.

At that point, all he had to do was to pass the information, but at the same time, he wouldn’t be doing it directly, face-to-face.

He wouldn’t risk it.

After all there was no way he would be able to get into the island that easily.

Then Royce began to crack out ideas, trying to figure a way.

It was crazy how he was brainstorming just to have a talk with the guy who he had bullied for many years.

Those times he would even storm into Jayden’s room to beat and mock him. Now, that same guy was out of reach.

But finally, he got an idea.

A call.

Only of he can get the contact, and that appeared not to be a problem, depending on the scenarios.

He would find the contact of the villa in their mansion, something his father had when they were allies with The Dominus.

The night was thick with silence as Royce wandered through the old district, his boots crunching against broken glass.

He stopped before a sagging gate with rust eating through its hinges. The nameplate was gone, but he didn’t need it.

He knew the house.

“This was his place,” Royce muttered, pushing the gate open. The sound groaned across the street like a warning.

The house was abandoned, its windows clouded with dust, ivy crawling along the walls like veins.

Once, it had been alive with light and chatter. His father had called it their pride, back when the family name meant respect, not shame.

Royce slipped inside, the stale air stinging his nose. He let his fingers trail across the cracked wallpaper, moving toward the study room he remembered.

The door creaked open, revealing a desk buried under faded papers and an overturned chair. He pulled open drawers one after another, frustration slowly building, until finally…

Click.

At the bottom of the last drawer sat a small leather-bound book. Royce lifted it, brushed off the dust, and flipped through. Tucked inside was a slip of yellowing paper, numbers scribbled in his father’s sharp handwriting.

“The villa’s contact line,” Royce whispered, exhaling with relief. “You really kept it all these years, old man.”

He carried the paper to a corner where a telephone still sat, its cord tangled but intact. To his surprise, the dial tone still hummed faintly when he lifted the receiver. His chest tightened.

This was it.

He dialed slowly, each number pressing like a weight on his finger, and fortunately, the call rang, then connected.

A female voice echoed on the line:

“Villa Info Unit. State your clearance.”

Royce let silence linger for a beat before speaking. His voice was low, steady, but every word dripped with intent.

“No clearance. Just a message.”

The feminine voice sounded again. “Proceed.”

Royce’s jaw tightened as he leaned closer.

“I want to talk to President Jayden,” he said.

There was a short moment of silence and then soon, the voice on the other hand changed.

“Yes? What you got?”

Royce’s heart raced, heaving a long sigh.

But then he went clear.

“The storm is already here. The Sovereign Protocol Army would be here in ten days. You have to be prepared. You have to get the world ready.”

He paused, his voice turning sharp, personal, undeniable.

“If case you need more info, grab the book I dropped in here. It’s in the home of the man that murdered your father.”

And after another pause…

“Good luck, Jayden. Yours sincerely, Royce.”

The line cut off with a click.

******

Meanwhile, Jayden who had been on the call at Charlotte’s office had frozen at that moment. His breath stopped, his hands trembling against the receiver.

“Royce…?” he whispered, stunned.

“The man who killed my father?”

Well, he didn’t need further explanations to understand.