The chaos in Room 304 was deafening. Students were taking photos of the bank statement on the screen. Professor Zane was sweating buckets, clutching the $100,000 check Alex had slapped onto his chest.
"What is going on here?!"
A booming voice silenced the room.
An older man in a grey suit marched in, followed by two security guards. It was Dean Miller. He looked furious.
"Professor Zane?" The Dean pointed at the screen. "Is that... is that a bank statement?"
Zane saw his chance. He pointed a shaking finger at Alex.
"Dean! Thank god you're here! This... this expelled student broke in! He hacked the projector! That image is fake! It's AI-generated slander!"
Zane looked at Alex with a vicious glint in his eye. "He threatened me! He tried to bribe me with a fake check! Arrest him!"
The Dean turned to Alex. He recognized the former scholarship student.
"Alex?" The Dean frowned. "You were expelled. You are trespassing. Security, escort him out and call the police."
The two guards stepped forward.
Alex didn't move. He didn't look scared. He looked... bored.
"Dean Miller," Alex said smoothly. "Before you call the police, you might want to check your email."
"My email?" The Dean blinked.
"I just sent a donation to the University's endowment fund," Alex said, checking his nails. "I think the notification should be arriving... now."
PING.
The Dean's phone buzzed in his pocket. Then it buzzed again. And again. It sounded like it was having a seizure.
The Dean pulled out his phone. He looked at the screen. His eyes widened so much they almost tore at the corners.
[Notification: Transfer Received.] [Amount: $50,000,000.00] [Donor: Alex]
"Fifty... fifty million?" The Dean whispered. His voice cracked.
The entire room went silent.
Fifty million dollars? That was enough to build three new libraries. It was more than the University's budget for the next five years.
"That's a lie!" Zane screamed. "He's broke! He's an orphan! It's another hack!"
"Is it?" Alex stepped forward. The Tycoon's Aura flared up, making him look like a giant. "Dean, check the bank verification code. It's real."
The Dean tapped his phone with shaking fingers. Verified. The money was sitting in the school's account right now.
The Dean looked up at Alex. The anger in his eyes vanished, replaced by pure worship.
"Mr... Mr. Alex," The Dean stammered. "This is... this is incredibly generous. I don't know what to say."
"I have a condition," Alex said coldly.
"Anything!" The Dean nodded frantically. "We can name a building after you! We can give you an honorary doctorate!"
Alex pointed at Professor Zane.
"Fire him."
Zane froze.
"Fire him," Alex repeated. "And revoke Eric's degree. He bought my thesis. He doesn't deserve to be here."
The Dean didn't even hesitate. He turned to Zane.
"Professor Zane," The Dean said sharply. "You are fired. Effective immediately. Pack your things and leave the campus."
"Dean! You can't!" Zane fell to his knees. "I've been here for twenty years! You're firing me because of money?"
"I'm firing you because you have no integrity!" The Dean shouted (though everyone knew it was because of the money). "Security! Drag him out!"
The guards, who were about to grab Alex, immediately grabbed Zane instead. They dragged the screaming professor out of the lecture hall.
"And as for Eric," The Dean added, turning to his assistant. "Pull his file. Expel him for academic dishonesty."
The students in the lecture hall erupted into cheers. They had hated Zane for years.
"Alex! Alex! Alex!"
They started chanting his name.
Alex looked at the Dean. "One more thing. Re-enroll me. I want to finish my degree properly. But... I won't be attending classes."
"Of course! You can be a distance learner!" The Dean wiped sweat from his forehead. "Mr. Alex, you are the pride of St. George University!"
[DING!]
[Hidden Mission Complete: Clean the Trash.] [Rank: S-Class Completion (You didn't just fire him, you destroyed him).] [Reward: +20 Wisdom. +1,000 Tycoon Points. Title: "Patron of Education".]
Alex smiled. He turned and walked out of the hall, leaving a legend behind him.
He got back into his Porsche.
[Current Tycoon Points: 1,000.]
"Good," Alex muttered. "I made my points back. Now... it's time to deal with the real problem."
He looked at his phone. A notification popped up.
News Alert: The David Corporation announces a new luxury mall project in the city center.
Alex's eyes narrowed. David's family company.
"System," Alex asked. "Does the Shop sell stock market manipulation tools?"
[Yes. "Stock Market Crash Card" available for 2,000 TP.]
"I need 1,000 more points," Alex grinned. "Time to go shopping again."