章節 18: Gain
No one anticipated that Raven, Dwayne's top supporter for the contest, would give him a million worth of money just because Dwayne asked.
As the meeting ended, Raven returned to his office, briefly glancing at Cole's chest pocket, where he often kept Raven's phone.
Noticing the subtle glance, Cole immediately assumed Raven wanted his phone. Without hesitation, Cole take it out of his chest pocket and handed it over.
Years of working with Raven had taught Cole to understand his boss's intentions without a word. Raven often entrusted both his work and personal phones to Cole to avoid distractions during work hours.
It was common for Raven to instruct Cole to send messages on his behalf, whether to business contacts or family members, so it was rare for Raven to need his phone back.
But today was different. Raven was eager to know if the child had won the contest. He could not help but wonder how delighted the child would be, imagining the boy's curls bouncing as he jumped for joy, his head bobbing with a bright smile.
The memory of the boy's face brought a slight smile to Raven's lips.
This small gesture left Cole stunned. He stopped in his tracks, staring in disbelief as Raven continued walking.
Did he really just see that? Did Raven just smile?
Cole shook off his shock, dismissing the thought as irrelevant, and quietly followed Raven.
Raven slowed his pace, checking his messages on Message Line. He had been expecting a message from Professor Richard, and sure enough, there it was.
The professor started by scolding Raven for recklessly spending a million just to vote for Dwayne, saying it could have sparked unwanted complaints from the other contestants. Raven just skimmed over it and focused on Dwayne's name that caught his eye in the third to the last message.
"Thanks to you, Dwayne won the contest. The boy was so shocked he turned pale when he was on stage. Fortunately, I reassured him that you supported the school's activities, so he needn't worry about the money."
"It was a challenge convincing the boy. He's too honest."
Raven quickly typed back, "Did he know it was from me?"
Since the last message was sent only ten minutes ago, Professor Richard was still online and responded promptly.
"Of course, he knew! It took some effort to dissuade him. He wanted your phone number, but knowing you wouldn't want that, I refused."
"Give it to him."
"What?"
"He still owes me a 'request.'"
Professor Richard was walking to his car when he read Raven's last message, nearly tripping over the pavement in shock.
A request? Did Raven mean the part where the top supporter could make a request to the contestant they voted for?
Richard had known Raven since his college days. Despite being exceptionally talented, Raven rarely showed emotion or interest in anything.
Richard always felt that Raven's brilliance came naturally, and he excelled without any real motivation.
But this was different.
Richard sensed something significant in Raven's words.
Raven hadn't just given money to support the school's activities, he had done it specifically for Dwayne.
It seemed Raven knew how Dwayne would react and wanted to create a bridge so they will further interact.
This level of interest was unusual for someone like Raven.
Realizing this, Professor Richard was thrilled.
"Raven, be honest with me. Do you know Dwayne from before? Are you trying to pursue him?"
Raven's reply was almost immediate. "Yes."
The revelation left Professor Richard so stunned that he had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. He was in the car park, surrounded by students, and didn't want to draw attention by laughing alone.
But his excitement was hard to contain.
"Alright, I'll give Dwayne your phone number so he can contact you."
"I'll be waiting."
Meanwhile, Dwayne stood at the cashier's counter. Thanks to his excellent memory, he had learned how to process orders—where to press for coffee, milkshakes, chocolate, and desserts.
Maki had told Dwayne he could handle the cashier's duties, while she and her husband Ryan would manage the serving.
Dwayne found joy in the simple task of punching in orders, especially since it allowed him to use his sharp memory.
When the café was less busy, Dwayne finally had a moment to check the matchmaker system. It seemed the system understood his intention, as it displayed the congratulatory message for the completion of the side task.
[Congratulations on completing the side task: winning the contest with Raven McGarden's support.]
[As an additional reward, your cute, amicable appearance will be enhanced twofold.]
Dwayne blinked in confusion. "What?"
[You already look adorable to others, but to further aid you in your tasks, the 'Charm' skill has been activated.]
[This skill will make people perceive you as extremely endearing, which can be useful when gathering information.]
[Just flash your charming smile and big, sparkling eyes, and people will be eager to help.]
Dwayne was so startled by the message that he jolted, accidentally knocking a calculator off the desk. Luckily, the remaining three customers did not seem to notice the commotion and continued to mind their own business.
As Dwayne crouched down to pick it up, he hastily whispered.
"Shouldn't the award make me smarter? Or to help me with studies? Why is it trying to enhance my looks?"
[The main purpose there are rewards host, is to help you complete your missions. And being even more good looking will surely help you.]
"But I don't need that. I want rewards that can help me with my studies."
[Host, the purpose of the rewards and the side task is to bring you and that person closer.]
Dwayne tilted his head, as his head is trying to make sense of what the Matchmaker System said to him.
"Is it because that scary person does not have red and white strings that's why you want me to help him?"
[Yes, something along those lines.]
Dwayne pondered. That man was not scary. In fact, when their eyes met earlier, he can feel a sense of familiarity. As if he knew him from before.
A familiar figure overlaps as that scary man's face came into his mind.
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