The word billion got thrown around a lot—but most people didn't really grasp what it meant. Maybe that was because of the small number that usually came before it.

But for someone like Max—someone who once thought he had serious wealth—he had a better sense of the bigger picture.

It was already tough enough for one person to earn a single million dollars in their lifetime. So when someone else claimed to have two million, people might shrug it off, thinking it wasn't a huge difference.

That's because they would hear one and two, and it sounded close. But in truth, that extra million was a large difference. It wasn't a small gap, it was everything.

Now if one were to imagine a billion, that was a thousand millions.

Even with all the power and money the White Tiger Gang had, reaching that kind of wealth would've been impossible. Not in this lifetime.

Max remembered something someone once told him that really put it all into perspective.

In terms of time:

One million seconds? That's about 11 and a half days.

One billion seconds? That's 31 years and 8 months.

Those two numbers weren't even in the same universe.

And just like that—just like snapping his fingers—all of that wealth had landed right into Max's hands.

I guess the tricky part in all of this… is how to actually grow the wealth, Max thought. Businesses fail all the time. And having that much money to fall back on might even work against you.

From Dennis's perspective, he's not looking for someone who can just make a few million. He wants someone who can expand his empire—even after he's gone.

Inwardly, Max was grinning. Based on the few interactions he'd had so far, he actually liked the old man. Dennis really did feel more like a mob boss than a businessman.

The rich life wasn't exactly what Max had imagined.

"I've now given you all the information everyone else already had," Dennis continued. "You're officially back on equal footing. There are no biases. What you do with the money is entirely up to you."

"If you want to just live comfortably off it for the rest of your life, then go ahead. That'll show me all you ever amounted to. And in time, the world will forget you even existed."

"Your starting point is already at the top—I want to see if you'll rise even higher… or fall straight to the bottom."

Even after hearing Dennis's words, Max was still deep in thought—mostly about the money… and how he could use it to get back at the White Tiger Gang.

Sorry to disappoint you, old man.

"With that, our meeting is over," Dennis said. "I hope you'll stay today, Max. It's a birthday celebration, and influential figures from around the world are gathered in the garden. It could be a great place to start building connections—or at least get some ideas. The rest of your family will be doing the same."

Right then, Max's stomach let out a low grumble. He hadn't realized how hungry he was. The thought of party food actually sounded pretty good right about now.

"Of course," Max replied, giving a respectful bow before turning toward the door. Aron was quick to move, opening it for him.

As they stepped out, Aron gently closed the door behind them—leaving Dennis alone in the room, eyes fixed straight ahead.

"Did you see that, Fred?" Dennis said calmly. "He tried to hide it… but there was a smile behind his face."

"I did, sir," Fred replied from his side.

"The smile of greed," Dennis said with a small grin. "I like it. But don't you think it's odd? Max never used to be that way… I wonder what happened to him."

"I'm still looking into the matter, sir," Fred said with a bow. "But I have to agree—Max has definitely changed. Whether it's for better or worse… only time will tell."

Just outside the office, Max stretched his arms as he walked down the hallway. The meeting had been intense, but a lot had come out of it—and honestly, he was still in disbelief over everything that had just happened.

"Sir, I suggest we head straight to the garden," Aron said as he caught up beside him. "Many guests have already arrived, and even your family members are starting to join the event. There's no need to return to the previous room."

Max nodded and followed Aron without protest. Mostly because he had to—he had no clue where the garden was.

And right now, Aron was the only person who seemed to be on his side… but Max didn't fully trust him either. He'd made that mistake before.

"There were a few questions I wanted to ask back there," Max said, glancing over. "But it didn't feel like the right moment."

"This contest… how long has it been going on?"

"Actually, not very long at all," Aron replied. "It only started about a year ago."

"Wait… does that mean I've had access to the funds for a whole year already?" Max asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

He couldn't help but wonder—how much had the original Max already spent? He was just a teenage boy, after all. Probably treated himself a little… fancy cars, flashy clothes. Honestly, Max knew he would've done the same at that age.

No, that's ridiculous, Max thought. Spending a billion in one year? You'd have to be a complete idiot to blow through that kind of money.

"That is correct," Aron replied calmly.

"Then… can I ask you something?" Max said, turning to him. "How much is left?"

"That," Aron said with a small smile, "you can check for yourself. Remember what I mentioned before—your phone has all the same apps you've used before. They're already installed and linked to facial recognition. Only you can access them."

Max immediately pulled out his phone. Sure enough, there were two banking apps on the home screen—one blue, the other white.

"The blue one is for your general expenses—your daily spending," Aron explained. "That's the one you'll want to check."

Max quickly tapped the white icon and waited.

How much of the billion is left? he wondered. Is it still enough to help me get my revenge?

A moment later, the app logged in—and the number appeared on the screen, staring back at him.

"What is this…? How can this be?" Max muttered, eyes narrowing. "This doesn't make any sense. Is this right?"

He looked over at Aron, who remained completely unreadable.

Max turned back to the screen and counted the digits again—just to be sure.

1,000,000,000

He hasn't spent a single penny.

But why?