Chapter 4: Slap to the Face

The card reader chimed with a soft, clear confirmation tone. The digital screen on the terminal instantly flashed a bright green checkmark.

[Transaction Approved: $12,000,000.00 USD.]

[Payment Complete. Villa No. 1, Mount Mist.]

The entire sales hall fell into a stunned, heavy silence.

The sales agent stared at the green screen, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. The receipt printer began chugging rapidly, spitting out a long slip confirming the full, upfront cash purchase of the most expensive property on Mount Mist.

Marcus stood frozen in place, his face turning from bright red to a ghostly, chalky white.

"Approved," Marcus stammered, his eyes darting between the glowing receipt and Mira's calm, impassive face. "No way. This is a glitch. That machine is broken."

He spun around and glared at Mira, his hands shaking in a mix of embarrassment and rage. "Where the hell did you get twelve million dollars, Mira? You stole it. You stole Julien's corporate funds, didn't you?"

He turned to the crowd of onlookers, raising his voice hysterically. "Everyone, call the police. This woman is a thief. She's a broke housewife who just signed a divorce paper this morning. She probably hacked Julien's business accounts or stole his company cards before walking out."

The crowd whispered among themselves, eyeing Mira's simple jeans and plain shirt with renewed suspicion.

Mira didn't show a single trace of anxiety. She picked up her signed receipt, folded it neatly, and tucked her platinum card back into her purse. Then, she turned her head and looked Marcus up and down with disgust.

"Stole it?" Mira asked, her voice carrying easily across the quiet floor. "Marcus, not everyone relies on stealing or leeching off other people to survive. Unlike you."

Marcus flinched. "What did you say?"

"Do you really want me to explain to everyone here how you earned your card today?" Mira said, stepping closer to him, her cold eyes pinning him to the spot. "Should I mention Mrs. Gable? The seventy-two-year-old heiress whose mansion you stay in? The woman who pays your allowance in exchange for you acting as her private male escort?"

A wave of sharp gasps echoed through the crowd. Several wealthy socialites in the room recognized the name instantly and began covering their mouths, snickering and pointing at Marcus.

"Is she talking about old Mrs. Gable?" a woman in the crowd whispered loudly. "Oh my god, I knew that young guy was just her toy boy."

"Look at his designer suit. Paid for by a grandma," another laughed.

Marcus's face burned with unbearable humiliation. His pride was completely shattered. "You!" he screamed, lunging forward with a raised fist. "I'll shut your mouth!"

Before Marcus could even get close, two tall, burly security guards in dark suits stepped in front of Mira, seizing Marcus firmly by both arms and slamming him back against the marble pillar.

"Sir, calm down immediately or we will have you arrested for assault," the head guard barked.

The sales agent's attitude had completely flipped. Realizing she was standing before an actual multi-millionaire who had just paid twelve million in liquid cash without blinking, her face flushed with panic and subservience.

"Ma'am... Mrs. Lin, I am so deeply sorry for the disrespect earlier," the agent gushed, bowing repeatedly to Mira while handing over a heavy, gold-embossed velvet box containing the villa's electronic master keys and biometric access cards. "Please forgive us. Villa No. 1 is fully furnished, turnkey, and ready for immediate move-in. Please allow me to escort you up the mountain personally."

"No need," Mira said coldly, snatching the velvet box from her hands. "I can find my own house."

Leaving Marcus groaning and struggling against security in front of a mocking crowd, Mira walked out of the sales pavilion into the bright morning sun, where a private estate shuttle was already waiting to take her up Mount Mist.

Down in the parking lot, Marcus broke free from security, slammed his car door shut, and grabbed his phone with white knuckles. His hands shook so violently he could barely dial Julien's number.

The call picked up on the second ring.

"Julien," Marcus screamed into the receiver, his voice cracking with anger. "What the hell is going on with your wife? Did you win the lottery and hide it from everyone?"

Back in his office, Julien frowned, holding the phone away from his ear. "Marcus? What are you talking about? What wife? I just divorced that useless woman an hour ago."

"Divorced?!" Marcus yelled. "Julien, she just walked into the Mount Mist sales office and paid twelve million dollars in cash. She bought Villa No. 1 right in front of my face. Where the hell did she get that kind of money?"

"What?" Julien leaped out of his executive chair, nearly knocking his coffee over. "Twelve million dollars? Villa No. 1? You're out of your mind, Marcus. She doesn't have a penny. All her money was transferred to my accounts years ago."

"I saw the receipt print out with my own eyes," Marcus roared. "The transaction cleared instantly. She has a private platinum bank card. Julien, she made a fool out of me in front of everyone. You better find out what the hell she's doing."

Marcus slammed the phone down.

Julien stood frozen in his office, his heart hammering against his ribs like a sledgehammer. Twelve million cash? A platinum card? It was impossible. Where could she have gotten that kind of wealth?

With trembling fingers, Julien hit the intercom on his desk. "Secretary. Order an immediate, full forensic investigation into Mira's bank records and personal history. Right now."

Meanwhile, high up on the peak of Mount Mist, the heavy iron gates of Villa No. 1 slid open automatically.

The shuttle dropped Mira off at the grand entrance. She walked through the heavy, reinforced oak front doors and stepped into the living room. The interior was breathtaking—sleek, modern, and completely, fully furnished with imported leather couches, high-end kitchen appliances, and floor-to-ceiling smart-tinted windows.

She walked downstairs into the basement level, checking the reinforced steel vault door that led into the underground survival bunker. It was massive, airtight, and fortified with thick titanium plating.

Mira breathed a deep sigh of relief. She walked back up to the spacious living room and sank into the plush sofa.

The moment her body touched the soft leather cushions, the air in front of her shimmered. The familiar pale blue translucent window materialized right before her eyes, glowing brighter than ever.

[Congratulations, Host. Main Task 1 Completed: Apocalypse Survival Fortress Acquired.]

[Host, welcome home. You have been granted full access to the Infinite Space.]

Mira's eyes widened slightly as the system prompt flashed again.

[Infinite Space Unlocked: A subterranean pocket dimension attached to Host's soul. Features: Infinite capacity, absolute time stasis, items stored will never rot, spoil, or change temperature, and instant item extraction.]