Richest Man: It All Started With My Rebate System-Chapter 11: Renting The Apartment

Steven stepped through the double glass doors and walked to the receptionist’s desk.

"Hi. I was called by a Mr. Andrew to come and sign a lease agreement," he said.

"Please give me a moment to confirm," the lady said, as she lowered her head and pressed the intercom.

"Mr. Andrew. There’s a Steven Craig here for you," she said into the intercom.

A voice came from the other end and the receptionist nodded.

"Yes, I will send him in immediately," the receptionist said, and raised her head.

"He will see you now. Head down the hallway. His office is the second on the right," she said, gesturing to direct Steven where to go.

"Thanks," Steven nodded, and walked down the hallway.

It didn’t take him long to locate Andrew’s office and he knocked on the door.

"Please, come in," Andrew’s voice came from the other end.

Steven pushed the door open and walked in.

Andrew looked up from his desk and smiled.

"Have a seat, Mr. Craig," he said, motioning to a leather chair across from him.

Steven sat down, making himself comfortable while controlling his excitement.

"I’m glad we could get everything finalized so quickly," Andrew continued, pulling a neatly stacked folder from his desk. "Here’s your lease agreement. It outlines the terms, the rent, and the building policies."

Steven glanced over the documents as Andrew pointed out the key sections:

Monthly rent: $3,800

Security deposit: $3,800

Administrative fee: $200

"Everything looks good," Steven said, nodding.

The rent for the penthouse condo didn’t cost as much as he had expected. He currently had $28,000+ in his account, enough to pay up to five months of rent, and he intended to do exactly that.

"Excellent," Andrew replied. "If you’re ready, we can get the payments processed and the keys handed over."

"I actually want to pay five months ahead. Is that possible?" Steven asked.

"Of course. It’s actually a great idea. Give me a moment to work out the total," Andrew said.

He quickly typed something into his computer and printed out the updated cost. He took the paper from the printer and slid it across the desk to Steven.

The key sections now read:

Monthly rent: $3,800

Next four months’ rent: $15,200

Security deposit: $3,800

Administrative fee: $200

Everything totalled $23,000, up from the previous $7,800.

I hope a big rebate multiplier is triggered this time.

"The same account details?" Steven asked.

"Yes."

Without hesitation, Steven sent the money immediately.

"Done."

"Let me confirm," Andrew said, turning to his monitor and reaching for the mouse.

Steven barely heard him. His attention was on the system notifications appearing in his vision.

[You spent $23,000. A 10x rebate was triggered.]

[You received $230,000. The money has been transferred to your account.]

Yes!, Steven screamed inwardly.

He was overjoyed that the multiplier had been exactly what he had hoped for.

He didn’t get to sit with the feeling for long, before Andrew’s voice pulled him back.

"Perfect. That covers your first month’s rent, the next four months, the security deposit, and the administrative fee," Andrew said, having confirmed the payment.

He slid the key card across the desk toward Steven.

Steven picked it up and observed it for a moment. A small smile spread across his face.

"Congratulations, Mr. Craig. The penthouse is officially yours starting today," Andrew said warmly.

"Thank you," Steven replied, standing up and tucking the key card safely into his pocket.

He shook Andrew’s hand, feeling a quiet mix of excitement and satisfaction. The paperwork was done, the payment had been made, and the penthouse was ready for him.

With everything finalized, Steven turned toward the door, eager to settle in.

But first, he had somewhere else to be. He needed to buy a car. It would make moving his things to the new place much easier.

He didn’t have much to move — just his clothes and what remained of the groceries he had bought the day before — but having a car meant he could move freely going forward.

With that decided, Steven made his way to the car dealership. It was a fair distance from the agency, and he probably should have called a cab, but he was still trying to avoid a repeat of what had happened earlier.

The walk took about twenty minutes. He could already see the cars on display through the dealership’s glass walls before he even reached the entrance.

He pulled open the glass door and walked inside. He looked around briefly before moving toward the section that caught his eye.

Steven had never been much of a car person. He had gotten his licence at eighteen and driven a handful of times after that, but it had never gone beyond necessity, especially when money was always tight. He had never had the means to get into car culture.

But that didn’t mean he was immune to that pull men tend to feel around cars.

His eyes landed on a grey car bearing the unmistakable Aston Martin logo, and something about it just held him there.

"Can someone come attend to me, please?" he called out.

He heard quick footsteps approaching and turned to see a salesperson walking toward him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, sir. How may I help?" the salesperson asked.

"I want this car. How much is it?" Steven asked.

"That’s the 2026 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster. Base price is $212,000," the salesperson replied.

"Perfect. I’ll make the payment," Steven said, handing over his debit card.

"The total settlement amount comes to $229,960," the salesperson said, glancing at Steven from the corner of his eye, curious to see his reaction.

"I’ll take it," Steven said, his expression neutral.

The salesperson couldn’t help looking at him properly for a moment, quietly sizing up whether the young man standing in front of him was genuinely capable of purchasing the car he was pointing at. He wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. He was just a professional with reasonable doubt.

He collected the debit card and walked to the counter to process the payment.

Steven noticed the look but didn’t mind. He understood the hesitation. There was no need to take offence. The transaction would speak for itself.

His account balance now sat at $235,486.43.

It was a staggering number.

Steven smiled to himself and walked around the car, taking it in from every angle while he waited for the salesperson to return.

He was still making his way around the vehicle when a familiar voice called his name. One he had no desire to ever hear again.

"Steven?"

He didn’t bother turning around, completely ignoring the person. He crouched slightly to look at the rear of the car and examined the exhaust.

"Steven! I’m talking to you and you’re just ignoring me. What exactly are you doing here? Did you hear that Watson is getting me a car and I’d be coming here to pick one out, so you followed me here to beg me to take you back? Let me tell you something — you can beg all you want, but I will never take you back. Ever."

Steven saw that she had no intention of stopping on her own, so he decided to help her with that.

"Were you always this loud?" he said, his voice completely flat. "Do yourself a favour and shut up."

Tara’s eyes went wide with shock.