Ultimate Cash System
Chapter 165: Busy Life.

Chapter 165: Busy Life.

Lukas ended the Nike call with a satisfied smile.

Two million dollars for a three-day shoot and five years of brand licensing with minor future appearances? It was an easy yes. And it came at the right moment, right after Vince had tried to undercut him. The timing felt poetic.

Still seated in his office chair, Lukas rolled his shoulders and checked the time on his golden wristwatch—a gift from Bella. Although it was not expensive, it has sentimental value, which makes it priceless, and it also tells time. "9:45 AM."

His eyes drifted to the laptop where his class timetable was shown.

"If I leave now, I can still make it before roll call," Lukas murmured to himself. He stood up, slipped into a long brown coat over his dark grey turtleneck, and picked up his backpack. Jay and Roy were already waiting near the lobby.

"Are we heading back to Princeton?" Roy asked, checking his watch.

"Yeah. Class is still important. Let’s go," Lukas replied.

Jay gave a small nod of approval as he opened the car door for Lukas. The bodyguards had grown used to their boss’s unpredictable routine—one day he was meeting billionaires, the next he was sitting in Economics 101.

The ride was smooth. Lukas reviewed flashcards and highlighted passages in his finance book the entire way. Jay and Roy respected the silence, understanding the student side of Lukas.

As the black Mercedes cruised through Princeton’s familiar gates, students turned heads, some waving and others murmuring. Lukas had grown into a campus legend in just one semester.

He stepped out of the car, adjusting his coat and slinging his backpack over one shoulder. The December air bit lightly at his cheeks. Snow had not fallen yet, but the campus was already painted in a winter palette.

He entered the hallway, where the chatter of students echoed off the marble walls. Some greeted him quietly, others smiled in awe. Lukas nodded, his eyes focused. He was never cold to his peers, but he had learned how to keep just enough distance.

Inside the classroom, the professor was already preparing the board. Lukas slid into his usual seat—third row, left side—and pulled out his notes. Lana, sitting next to him, raised an eyebrow.

"Didn’t think you’d show up today. Rumor was you were in Japan."

Lukas smirked. "I was, I just came back yesterday. But class comes first."

Lana huffed playfully. "You’re a rich man. A walking gold mine."

The professor cleared his throat, and class began. Lukas took meticulous notes. His handwriting was sharp and economical, as if it too had been trained for performance.

Two hours passed. Then another. Lukas moved from one lecture hall to the next. Microfinance. Applied Statistics. Political Economy. His schedule was tight, but he thrived in the structure.

By lunchtime, his brain was buzzing with numbers and theories. He texted Jay to bring his food box. Lukas refused cafeteria food when he was preparing for exams.

Sitting beneath a bare-branched tree in the courtyard, he opened his grilled chicken wrap and sipped warm green tea. Across the yard, other students lounged, threw snowless snowballs, and talked about holiday plans.

He felt something heavy but comforting in his chest. The weight of momentum.

Lukas wasn’t just surviving his double life anymore—he was mastering it.

With the Nike deal secured and classes flowing smoothly, he knew the coming year would be even more packed. But right now, for this one crisp morning at Princeton, Lukas allowed himself to breathe, to simply be a student.

Until his phone buzzed again. Another message from the Facebook office.

"Sir, the testing site went down for twenty minutes. We need your input."

Lukas smiled faintly.

The break was nice while it lasted.

The campus gates slid shut behind Lukas’s Mercedes as Jay accelerated toward the office. Class was over, his afternoon had shifted gears from textbooks to the boardroom. Bella was away with Annie, and Yaho was still wrapping up her final visa paperwork with Ronald, who will help her get unbanned in the US. She’s still in Tokyo—which meant this announcement would give everyone their marching orders before the new CEO physically arrived.

Pulling up to the pristine façade of the Facebook headquarters, Lukas slipped out of the car. Jay and Roy took their posts at the entrance, scanning the lawns and parking lot. Inside, the hum of keyboards and hushed conversations stilled as he entered. Word traveled fast: the chairman had summoned a company-wide meeting.

In the glass-encased conference room, every department was represented. Screensaver slides flickered on monitors, waiting for the presentation to begin.

Lukas waited until all eyes were on him, then tapped the table for quiet. "Thank you for making time on short notice. I know you’ve all been carrying extra weight these past few weeks."

He clicked the remote, and the screen behind him displayed a single line: Permanent CEO Appointment.

"Effective immediately, Ms. Nakayama Yaho has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of our company," Lukas announced. The screen updated to show Yaho’s name, credentials, and a photo taken in Tokyo.

Though Yaho couldn’t be here today, Lukas continued, "Her qualifications are exceptional: Bachelor of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Master of Science in Computer Science, Stanford University, MBA in Tech Management, UC Berkeley, Senior Director at NVIDIA. She accepted our offer last week and will join us on any day as soon as her work in Japan is wrapped up."

He paused for the information to sink in. Anya, standing at the back as Acting Head of Projects, exchanged a proud glance with Ashmika.

"Please join me in welcoming her, even in absentia." He raised his hand in an open salute. Staff members applauded, an excited buzz spreading through the room.

A software engineer nodded toward Lukas. "How should we direct project requests until she arrives?"

"Anya will continue as acting projects lead until Yaho is on site," Lukas replied. "All workflow or budget escalations go through her inbox."

Someone else asked about the Japan launch.

"Yahoo’s first assignment will be our Tokyo platform launch," Lukas said. "She will lead the whole office, she is a seasoned Silicon Valley expert, unlike most of us here."

The meeting wrapped with clear next steps: Anya would send updated role descriptions, HR would prepare onboarding schedules, and each department head would receive a 15-minute 1:1 with the incoming CEO.

As employees filtered out, energized and chatting about the future, Lukas lingered. The room now felt complete with possibility.

Later, in his office oasis, Lukas exhaled slowly and called Henry. "It’s official. Yahoo is the new CEO—so I can focus on my career from now on."

Henry chuckled. "Perfect timing. Now go enjoy your weekend."

Lukas smiled at the map of Tokyo still tacked beside his whiteboard. "I just might."

[Ding!! Mission: Enjoy Your Time in the Hotel. Reward: $1000]

Damn!! Even the system knew I was stressed.

After leaving the office, Lukas leaned back into the leather seat of his Mercedes, eyes closed, exhaling a long breath. Jay and Roy didn’t ask where to go—they already knew. The hotel.

"Sir, should we take the longer route? More scenic," Jay offered casually from the driver’s seat.

"No, straight to the hotel," Lukas replied with a sigh. "I want to eat, take a hot bath, and sleep like a corpse."

The car cut through the late-afternoon traffic of Princeton. The winter air had begun to settle in, and the sky outside looked like it was dipped in silver. Lukas kept his eyes closed for most of the ride, his body loose, his mind unraveling from the tightly wound coil of leadership.

By the time they pulled into the underground parking of the hotel, Lukas was already halfway asleep. Roy opened the car door, and Lukas stepped out, stretching his arms and neck before walking toward the private elevator that led to his suite.

The suite was quiet, untouched since his last stay. The staff had cleaned it, refreshed the linens, and left a handwritten note from the hotel manager on the table: "Mr. Lukas, welcome back. Your preferred menu has been prepped. Room service awaits your order."

He tossed his coat on the rack, pulled off his boots, and collapsed onto the large velvet couch. The silence felt holy.

He reached for the tablet beside the couch, pulled up the room service menu, and ordered a full spread—roasted duck, butter garlic prawns, wild mushroom risotto, miso soup, and a tall glass of mango lassi. He didn’t care about combinations. He was hungry, tired, and wanted a feast.

The food came thirty minutes later. The butler arranged it neatly on the dining table, bowed, and left without a word. Lukas sat down, cracked his knuckles, and dug in. He didn’t eat fast, but he ate with the satisfaction of a man who knew he earned every bite. The duck was tender, the prawns buttery and crisp, and the miso soup had just the right warmth to soothe the throat.

Halfway through the risotto, Lukas grabbed his phone and started replying to delayed messages—one from Lana about a class meetup, one from Henry about WWF contract negotiations (still no reply from Vince), and one from Bella reminding him to check the heating in the hotel.

He typed a quick response to Bella: "All warm. Thanks for thinking about me. Hope you’re not letting Annie scold you too much today. Love you."

The message was read immediately, but no reply came.

Lukas didn’t dwell on it. He finished his meal, placed the dishes back on the cart, and rolled it outside his suite.

Next came the bath.

The suite had a stone-carved soaking tub, deep enough for full immersion. He ran the hot water, added in bath salts, and dimmed the lights. The room smelled of lavender and cedar as steam filled the space.

Lukas slipped in slowly, every muscle relaxing as the heat spread through his body. He leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling, and let his mind go blank.

No contracts. No deals. No lectures.

Just warmth, silence, and a body that was finally resting.

After half an hour, he got out, dried himself, and wore his softest set of grey sweatpants and a loose white tee. He padded barefoot back to the bedroom and climbed onto the king-sized bed.

His phone buzzed again. A notification.

[Mission Completed. Grade: S. Enjoyed it nicely, but sex was missing. Reward: $10000]

Fuck!! This system is becoming crazy.

He smiled. Even on his off days, he was still stacking income.

Before sleep claimed him, he scrolled through a few Japan travel articles—temples in Kyoto, hidden ramen shops in Tokyo, and possible business universities where he might poach a talented but underappreciated prodigy.

His eyes eventually closed.

Lukas fell asleep not as a CEO, not as a student, not even as a future emperor—

But as a young man who had done his part for the day.

The snow began to fall outside.

Lukas’s phone alarm chimed at 6:00 AM. He sat up, slipped into his running shoes and gym shorts, and headed to the hotel gym. The suite’s private corridor was silent, the only sound his footsteps.

In the compact fitness center, he started with a quick warm-up on the treadmill—five minutes at a steady pace—before moving to strength training. Twenty minutes of free weights: bench press, deadlifts, and overhead presses. He finished with core work and a brisk stretch.

By 7:15 AM, Lukas had showered and traded his gym gear for a crisp white tee and navy joggers. The morning routine left him refreshed and focused.

A knock at 7:30 AM announced breakfast. The attendant rolled in a tray with scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, avocado toast, and a green tea.

"Good morning, Mr. Martin," the attendant said.

Lukas nodded. "Thank you."

He ate quickly yet deliberately: eggs first, toast next, finishing with the bacon and a final sip of tea.

His phone buzzed: "Yaho cleared to enter US." He checked his watch—7:45 AM.

Plenty of time. Clearing the tray, he replied, "Okay, thanks." He was although shocked, but he was really happy.

Laptop in hand, he settled on the couch overlooking the frosted quad, ready to dive into slides.

"Time to let her know."