Intelligence & Manipulation

Months passed, and Ruja became known as the smartest student in school.

One day, during an economics lesson, the teacher asked,

"If you had 10,000 Deutsche Marks and wanted to double it within a year, what would be the best strategy?"

Some students answered with standard investment theories. But when it was Ruja's turn, she gave a sly smile.

"Easy. I would promise people that I have a secret method to double their money within six months. I would take their investments, then pay the old investors using money from the new ones. In six months, I would have hundreds of thousands of Deutsche Marks."

The classroom fell silent. Some students stared at her in horror.

The teacher frowned.

"That… That's not a business strategy. That's a Ponzi scheme. It's illegal."

Ruja shrugged.

"But it works, doesn't it?"

The teacher simply shook his head, but from the back of the class, a boy whispered to his friend.

"Crazy, her mind is sharp. If she wanted to, she could scam a lot of people in the future."

And they had no idea that this was exactly Ruja's plan.

---

💰 Befriending the Wealthy

One day, in the school cafeteria, Ruja deliberately dropped her book near the table where the rich kids sat. One of them, a boy named Jörg von Mettmann, picked it up for her.

"Oh, you're Ruja, the genius girl, right?"

Ruja smiled.

"Maybe. Who are you?"

"Jörg. My father owns several big companies in Frankfurt. You should come over to my house someday."

Ruja immediately saw a golden opportunity.

She knew that befriending the wealthy was the key to building her future. From that day on, she started integrating herself into the circle of rich kids, learning how the business world worked from them.

One particular conversation with Jörg made her think even further.

"My father says the rich keep getting richer not because they work hard, but because they know how to control other people's money," Jörg said one day.

Ruja gave a faint smile.

"That's the best lesson I've ever heard."

Invitation to Jörg von Mettmann's House

A few weeks later, Ruja started attracting the attention of the wealthy kids at school. One of them was Jörg von Mettmann, the son of a successful businessman in Frankfurt.

One day in the cafeteria, Jörg casually approached her.

"Ruja, you always get the highest scores in economics class. You're a real genius."

Ruja looked at him and gave a small smile.

"It's not genius. I just understand how money works."

Jörg laughed.

"You should come to my house this Saturday. My father loves talking about business. Maybe you could learn something."

Ruja knew this was a golden opportunity.

"Sure. I'll be there."

---

🏰 A Luxurious House & Valuable Lessons

On Saturday, Ruja stood in front of the grand von Mettmann estate. Towering pillars, a vast front yard, luxury cars in the garage—this was a completely different world from her cramped apartment.

A servant opened the door, and Jörg greeted her.

"Welcome to my home! Come on, I'll introduce you to my father."

They walked into a massive study, where Mr. von Mettmann sat behind an expensive wooden desk, dressed in a sharp suit.

"Father, this is Ruja, my school friend who's brilliant at economics," Jörg said.

Mr. von Mettmann raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? A girl who understands money?"

Ruja smiled confidently.

"I simply understand how the system works, sir."

The businessman looked at her with interest.

"Good. Then tell me—what makes the rich even richer?"

Ruja thought for a moment, then answered,

"They don't work for money. They make money work for them."

Mr. von Mettmann smiled with satisfaction.

"A good answer. Most people spend their lives working hard, but the wealthy… they know how to control assets and people."

Ruja nodded slowly.

"So the key isn't working hard, but controlling other people's money?"

Mr. von Mettmann stared at her intently.

"You understand faster than most adults."

Ruja knew this wasn't just casual conversation. This was knowledge that would shape her future.

From that day on, she started socializing with the children of the rich, learning how they thought, how they spoke, and how they used money to gain power.

And one thing she realized… They weren't smarter than her.

They just had access to a bigger world.

And Ruja was determined to enter that world—on her own terms.