Chapter 19: Months later

"Ahh, stop thinking about that and focus," David said to himself as he turned back to his laptop.

On the screen was a digital copy of the land-use plan for the estate he had recently bought.

He wasn't an architect, nor did he understand much of the terminology used, but he planned to learn a bit about it.

To utilize the land well, he needed to understand these terms so that when discussing with the actual planners, he wouldn't seem lost.

"Shouldn't I just give this work to Caroline? She studied the subject," David thought after going through several e-books on architecture and urban planning.

He had discovered a lot recently. He wasn't sure if it was because of his contract with Nomus or if he had just gotten better.

However, David found himself capable of retaining memories far longer—supernaturally longer. It was almost as though he never forgot.

He was known for famously carrying around a book to jot down important things, only to lose the book itself after two days because he couldn't remember where it was.

Sherdrack's remark about him having the memory of a goldfish might have sounded insulting, but even he had to admit it was true.

However, so far, he found himself able to remember everything, even the details, just by looking once.

This was why he had gone from an imagination-full rookie to a knowledgeable rookie in business management and acquisition overnight.

David didn't know where this new ability came from, but he planned to take advantage of it for as long as he could.

Similar to before, he was trying to apply this to architecture and urban planning, but things weren't going his way.

After thinking about it once more, David decided that this was better left in the hands of an expert.

"After all, it's time I told them," David thought as he closed the laptop.

The main reason he was rushing all this was simply that he wanted a way to explain his wealth to his parents.

For now, he could just say he won around a million dollars from a bet on one of the many betting sites.

Then, he invested that money into several businesses that were now bringing him returns of over a billion dollars.

His father would likely disapprove, but it was a plausible explanation, which was why the trust fund was needed.

Giving them shares would make more sense than just handing them money; it was a slightly more natural and sensible way to introduce them to his sudden wealth.

As for the deadline, David wasn't too worried because he knew for a fact that a god like Nomus would never expect him to spend all that money within a year.

Considering the setup that allowed him access to the money, David believed that Nomus was well-versed in Earthly matters, so he didn't need to rush as much.

With that thought, David decided it was time to sleep. He jumped onto his bed, and seconds later, he dozed off.

…

"Sir, our mysterious entity just acquired Zhentech," a man reported, bowing towards the seat before him.

"How much money do they have?" the seated man asked, a strange look in his eyes.

Dark circles extended below his eyes, giving the appearance of a mask. His desk was filled with documents of all kinds.

"Sir, it seems they have the backing of the World Bank. The people at the People's Bank are investigating now," the subordinate replied.

"Even if they find it true, what can they do to stop it? Just find out as much as you can about these people and report back to me," the man said, pulling off his tie in frustration.

He never imagined a time would come when a massive increase in the nation's economy would be a problem for him.

He had held this position for over five years, yet he had never seen such rapid but steady acquisition before.

His issue wasn't the acquisition itself but figuring out who was behind it. It was his job to know, and now his curiosity was eating at him.

This entity was involved in every single sector across the country but always stopped at exactly 15% of the total market share.

This was the limit to prevent a monopoly, but from what he was seeing, one seemed to be developing.

If only he knew that in several countries across the continent, many others in his position were also complaining about the current situation.

Meanwhile, the main cause of it all was visible in what looked like a gym, going at it with much spirit and energy under the guidance of an instructor close by.

"That's all for today, sir. I recommend you find something to eat and rest for the rest of the day," the instructor suggested.

"I will," David replied as he collapsed to the ground.

His entire body ached. It felt as though millions of ants were biting him from within. The pain was immense, but it was something he had grown used to—it was his idea, after all.

Over the past five months, not much had changed in David's life. He had gotten used to his massive mansion and now called it home.

He didn't know why he hadn't cared before, but the house had six bedrooms: the master suite upstairs and five downstairs.

He didn't know if it was because he had been too busy thinking about how to spend the money, but he hadn't noticed how ridiculously large the house was.

The current gym was a bonus room on the ground floor, which he had converted to suit his plans.

They said every boy wanted to become Batman, and right now, he was as wealthy as Batman—probably wealthier—and he now had the means to achieve the same impossible physical prowess.

David had discovered something over time: his body was no longer normal. No matter how tired or injured he was, he would be fully healed, or close to it, if he slept.

He didn't know if this was an aspect of being an apostle, but he was enjoying it. Every morning, he woke up with absurd energy because each night's sleep made him feel brand new.

It was difficult to explain, but so far, in terms of health, he had no issues—to the extent that David believed he should be studied.