Episode 9

Time passed, and Noah had learned a variety of things in Silverstone. However, not all the information was easily accessible.

As Alice had said before, the city was powered by a network of influential families.

Yet, identifying who they were proved to be quite challenging to find out in full.

But Noah had seen the larger picture and was starting to understand how it all worked.

Still, six days had gone by without any status changes on his system's panel. Noah had been close to despair. But then, in the late afternoon, Alice contacted him.

"Yes, Miss Alice? What's up?"

"Noah, we've taken over a few promising locations. However, we need to discuss something with you."

"Go ahead, what is it?"

"We need a Name for our business network. We suggest using your name, or something related to it."

"No, I'm not interested in using my name. Wait a moment..."

Noah asked Alice to hold on while he thought of a suitable name for his enterprise.

"Miss Alice, I'm looking to the future. This is just the beginning for me. Therefore, I want you to think of a name that will fit my company."

"Alright, I'll give it some thought. ... And Noah?"

"Yes?"

"This might surprise you, but if we can acquire a portion of the shares there, we'll immediately have a foothold."

"I'm listening."

"Do you know the entertainment hub named Devil Hill?"

Noah paused, racking his brain. He hadn't heard of the place before. But he quickly replied.

"Miss Alice, does it matter whether I know of it or not?"

"Well, here's the thing. It's currently for sale, but the price is steep. However, if we can get at least thirty percent of its shares, it would make a significant difference."

"If that's the case, we'll buy it."

"Yes, it's somewhat pricey and..."

Alice's voice trailed off mid-sentence as it seemed ill-fitting with Noah's response.

"What?! ... So, we're buying it?!"

It was evident that Alice had expected Noah to ask about the price and to voice some considerations or objections, which would have been reasonable.

But her guess was off the mark. The young man she spoke with had decided to purchase without much deliberation.

"Alright. Great! Noah, the price is about—"

"Miss Alice, just proceed with the purchase. Show me you all are reliable, and I'll pay for it now!"

Across the line, Antonius and Alex were also near Alice. She had intentionally used the loudspeaker so the three could hear the young man's reply.

Previously, they had pondered how to explain the importance of the acquisition.

But the young man on the line didn't seem to care and decided on the spot to fund it.

"Noah, this can't be done immediately and will take some time. It requires convincing a few shareholders to secure the whole. After all, it's worth a total of thirty billion dollars; it's tough finding a company to buy the remainder instantly."

"Miss Alice, in that case, buy all the shares. I'm giving you only until tomorrow."

After saying this, they found Noah had ended the call. The three exchanged bewildered looks.

Without doubt in their minds about Noah, if they didn't believe he had the means, they could have left with enough money to live lavishly for the rest of their days.

Moreover, according to Antonius, there were indeed families of inconceivably great wealth, whose presence was nearly impossible to trace.

Noah might just be an heir to one such family. Considering all angles, this young man couldn't be from any local wealthy family, let alone from the state they were in.

They had once investigated Noah's background, and the results were astonishing. He appeared to have grown up in an orphanage.

Obviously, they considered this a cover by Noah's family to conceal their true identity. They ceased their inquiries, fearful of offending Noah or worse, his family.

But now, they were genuinely intent on working for this young man. They sensed that something significant was about to happen in their lives, should they follow Noah.

"Alice, we better move very fast. It looks like our boss doesn't like to wait," Antonius exclaimed.

"I'll handle the legal and security aspects," Alex replied promptly.

"Alright, Alice, make sure we get it all, I will manage the rest."

"Okay, I'll reach out to them."

Immediately, they began calling several people to ensure everything was set in motion.

They realized this would change the economic currents in Silverstone.

Whether he was aware of it or not, Noah had just disrupted the power balance of the Business Mafia Network in Silverstone.

The network he was about to build would soon emerge as a new force there.

That's why, at that moment, Antonius and Alex were contacting many people. Their actions would certainly provoke reactions from those who had been comfortable with the status quo.

All these parties were as yet oblivious to the emergence of a new power that would relegate them to a secondary position in Silverstone's Business Mafia Network, all from one phone call.

Noah himself was indifferent to the expense. Right now, he was eager to accumulate points and try to level up his system.

After nearly a week without any change, he was slightly disappointed with the three.

That's why he was so insistent that Alice, Antonius, and Alex move quickly.

"Phew! ... I hope Miss Alice wasn't offended by my earlier attitude," he mused.

At this point, Noah had just left the hotel where he had been staying the past few days.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated. When he looked at the screen, it was a call from a friend.

"Noel, what's up?"

"Noah, where have you been? We've gathered the money to cover your tuition. You should come here now."

Noah hadn't even had a chance to respond before Noel hung up. He couldn't be angry; instead, he just smiled.

His three friends must think his absence from class was due to an inability to pay tuition.

Noah decided to head to the dorm where his friends stayed. Of the few people close to him, these three were truly reliable.

Noah intended to repay their kindness tenfold. No, he planned to repay it a thousandfold. However, for now, he was unable to reveal just how wealthy he'd become.