Too Bad, You're Not A Billionaire

Whenever Zanjo White introduced himself as the "next owner" of Gracestone Trading Corporation, it would typically raise eyebrows due to his confidence, especially when the current chairman of the corporation was still in good health. Zanjo expected a similar reaction from Drake, but to his surprise, Drake seemed more concerned about Zanjo's surname than the way he introduced himself.

"White? Is that your surname?" Drake inquired, trying to recall why the name felt so familiar.

"Yes, I'm Zanjo White," he confirmed.

"Where have I heard that surname before? It sounds so familiar," Drake mused aloud, ignoring Zanjo's extended hand.

"Gracestone is owned by Whites. We have a well-known surname here in Canman," Zanjo explained, giving up on the handshake with Drake.

"No, I'm certain I've met someone with the last name White. Ah! Zack! Zack White, do you know him?" Drake asked.

"I don't," Zanjo replied immediately, though his facial expression contorted at the same time.

"Really?" Drake pressed. He could tell that Zanjo clearly knew Zack White based on his reaction, and it was evident that the two didn't have a good relationship, judging by the disgust in Zanjo's expression when Zack's name was mentioned.

"You're meeting with Havier, right? Go," Zanjo said.

"Aren't you joining the meeting?" Drake asked.

"Nope. I'm only handling clerical work here," Zanjo said, showing his ID that identified him as a clerk.

"The next owner doing clerical work?" Drake remarked, staring at his ID.

"Why? What's wrong with that?" Zanjo asked with a mischievous grin.

"No, there's nothing wrong with that," Drake replied. "You're just strange. You make me feel uncomfortable."

"Oh, you're honest. I like that," Zanjo said, attempting to put his arm on Drake's shoulder but getting immediately pushed away.

"I'll be going," Drake said.

"Okay, good luck, Mr. Millionaire." Zanjo waved.

Drake looked at Zanjo from head to toe once more before walking away. He still felt strange about Zanjo, but thanks to their interaction, the frustration and anger he had felt towards Merlyn had lessened.

"I'll just focus on my work here. I'll have a good vacation, just like Aunt Beck suggested," he said to himself, determined to enjoy the respite he deserved. He badly needed a vacation, especially now that Merlyn had caused him so much stress.

"Mr. Chwe, welcome back," CEO Havier warmly greeted him once more.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused by Miss Spenser, Mr. Havier," Drake apologized.

"No, it's fine," CEO Havier replied. "So, what really happened?"

"It was a miscommunication on our part. I sent her back," Drake politely explained, but his eyes were already scanning the conference room, familiarizing himself with the new faces that were also staring at him.

"Okay. Anyway, Mr. Chwe, let me introduce you to Gracestone's Chairperson, Chairman Zanduco White."

A man with a dominating aura stood up and extended his hand towards Drake.

Drake gulped as he felt overwhelmed by the presence of the imposing chairman, but he remained composed and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Chairman White. I'm Drake Chwe, the owner of DearBeck Co," he introduced.

"Don't be so tense, Mr. Chwe," Zanduco commented. "I've heard a lot about you. Is this your first time dealing with a business like this?"

"Ah, yes. Everything is new to me, but don't worry, I won't be that weak. You'll see I'm an excellent person even though I'm still new," Drake replied, mustering all the confidence he could.

Chairman Zanduco burst into loud laughter at Drake's response and said, "I bet you've become braver after all that stuff happened to you. I watched all the news about you as if I were watching a TV drama."

Drake awkwardly laughed, unsure if Zanduco's remark was meant as a compliment or criticism.

"It's quite awkward that the public knows about that vulnerable side of me," Drake remarked.

"Don't be ashamed of it. It's good PR for your company," Chairman Zanduco White reassured him.

"Ah, right. It indeed brought a lot of people to support our company."

"See? It's funny how an arcade company gains such massive support. Is that why you came here, right?"

"Yes, DearBeck needs Gracestone for manufacturing."

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that. Well, I'd love it even more if we could boost our sales as you gather more sympathy," Chairman Zanduco White replied.

"I don't plan to make myself look more pitiful. I think DearBeck has a lot more strength than those shameful states," Drake responded.

"Well, if that's what you want," Chairman Zanduco White chuckled. "I like you, Mr. Chwe. You're twenty-eight, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"I thought your generation was the worst, but I guess there's still hope for your generation in the business world."

Drake tilted his head in confusion, as he didn't quite understand what Chairman Zanduco meant by mentioning someone's generation. Zanduco noticed the confusion and continued, "Haha! I have sons the same age as you. I've already given up on them because they're too reckless. Gracestone would be in trouble if they end up managing it."

Drake noticed a sudden shift in the expressions of the executives in the room, as if the chairman was discussing something undesirable. This piqued Drake's curiosity, and he asked, "Sons? Zanjo White... and Zack White?"

"Oh, you did your research!"

"Not really. I met Zanjo White before coming here," Drake replied. "And... I just randomly mentioned Zack's name. Where is he, though?"

"Why are you interested in my despicable son?"

"We actually met in Magrao before. I'm just curious how he's doing."

"Don't look for that kid. He'll just cause trouble for you too," Zanduco said with a scowl. "Anyway, let's begin by sharing each other's proposals."

Drake put aside his curiosity and focused on his main business at Gracestone. He spent the whole week closing the deal with Gracestone until he could finally enjoy the vacation he had been looking forward to in Canman.

"I'm glad that Merlyn didn't bother me after that," Drake shared while talking on the phone.

"That woman is truly shameless," Aunt Beck agreed. "Anyway, are you sure you don't need a secretary?"

"You told me to have a vacation. Who would have their secretary tag along with them on vacation?"

"Drake, you can bring a secretary around at work and ditch them when you're on vacation."

"Nah. I can't trust anyone to get too close to me, Aunt. You know that."

"Ah, right. It's better to be safe than for anyone to know about your miracles."

"Why call it a miracle? It's a system, aunt," Drake corrected. "You own an arcade; you should be familiar with this."

"It's the same. A system giving you hundreds of millions of dollars is still a miracle."

"Well, you're right," Drake agreed. "I'll be going, Aunt. Take care of Eleanor and yourself."

"Sure, enjoy your vacation. Thank you."

As soon as the call ended, Drake stepped on the accelerator and drove his sports car on the circuit. Canman was famous for its circuit tracks, and Drake finally had the luxury of renting one out for himself. Driving his car at high speed felt like he was truly enjoying his freedom, and a smile naturally appeared on his face as his satisfaction peaked with the great specs of the sports car he was driving.

However, his enjoyment came to a sudden halt when, out of the blue, another car appeared opposite to his, almost causing a collision. He abruptly swerved his car to the side, causing a crash.

"Ugh! What was that?" he yelled as he checked himself for any injuries, tapping his body from head to toe to ensure he was intact.

Drake stepped out of his car, visibly angered that his first-ever sports car was now ruined.

"Hey! Who are you? I rented this whole place out!" Drake yelled. He removed his helmet and threw it at the other car's door, ready to confront the person responsible for the accident.

"Drake, long time no see," the man said as he got out of his car.

"What? You know me?" Drake asked, squinting at the man, who hadn't taken off his helmet yet.

"Damn, dude. Did you forget about me already?" the man said as he removed his helmet.

Drake's eyes widened as he instantly recognized the man, who was smiling as if he hadn't just caused an accident.

"Zack!" he exclaimed. "Why are you—wait! Why did you drive in the opposite direction? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Well, I was trying to kill the man who rented this circuit track. I was quite frustrated; he was trying to steal the circuit track that I love," Zack shared casually, as if he were discussing something entirely ordinary. "Anyway, dude, no wonder someone could outbid the payment I usually make for this place. You still have a lot of money in your system?"

"What? Do you know about the system?" Drake gaped.

"Why are you so shocked?" Zack snorted. "We both saw the temple. Of course, I'll get a system."

"You have the system too?"

"Yes. Receiving the system and instantly becoming a billionaire is such a crazy miracle that happened to us," Zack excitedly shared, opening his arms wide.

"You received a billion?" Drake remained shocked at every word Zack revealed.

"Dude, why are you so shocked? Didn't you receive the same amount too?"

"No, I...I didn't," Drake stuttered.

"Oh, I'm sorry. How much did you receive?" Zack asked, looking at him with pitiful eyes.

"You're sorry?"