While the investment agreement was still being drafted, the news had already exploded throughout City Hall, sending shockwaves through every department.
"Did you hear? A college student just returned to invest in his hometown—and his opening move is two billion dollars."
"A college student investing? Isn't that insane? He hasn't even graduated yet. Where did that kind of money come from?"
"I don't know the details. I only heard he graduated from Riverside High School and is currently a junior at the State University."
"I graduated from Riverside High too! After college, it took me nearly ten years just to become a minor public servant. And he hasn't even finished college, yet he's throwing around two billion like pocket change?"
"I really want to know how he made his fortune…"
Inside the Department of Economic Development, Deputy Director David heard the news and nearly jumped out of his chair. Without hesitation, he rushed straight toward the Mayor's Office.
But the moment he arrived, his excitement was instantly dampened.
The City Secretary, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and multiple department heads were already crammed inside. The room was so packed that David, as nothing more than a deputy director, didn't even have a place to stand.
Forget getting close—he couldn't even squeeze in a word.
David felt anxious.
If he could latch onto a magnate like this, his future would be limitless. Setting aside political promotion, even a casual investment from this man could become a dazzling highlight on his résumé.
And if politics didn't work out?
That was still real money.
David wasn't some saint. He entered public service for stability—and profit.
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
This mysterious investor was also a graduate of Riverside High School.
And so was his daughter.
A shared background.
If those two could connect…
David's breathing quickened.
That wouldn't just be networking—it would be becoming family.
Suppressing his excitement, he pulled out his phone and called his daughter.
After hearing the situation, Katherine on the other end was stunned.
"He hasn't even graduated from college, and he's investing two billion dollars into Riverside City? Dad, are you sure this isn't a rumor? Since when did our city produce a young billionaire like that?"
David lowered his voice and said seriously,"There's no mistake. He's signing the agreement with the mayor as we speak. If you can get close to him, it'll be a massive advantage—even if you want to enter politics later."
He paused, then added meaningfully,"And if you marry into a family like that, you won't even need politics. Money and power will come naturally."
Katherine's voice instantly brightened.
"I understand, Dad. I'll head over right now—wait, let me put on some makeup first."
After more than an hour of negotiations, the investment cooperation was finally preliminarily finalized.
Under the escort of the City Secretary, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and multiple department directors, Jason Carter and Olivia walked out of Riverside City Hall.
Waiting outside were David Grant and his daughter, Katherine.
Seeing such a grand lineup, both father and daughter became even more aware of Jason Carter's true value.
Although he held no official position, a single sentence from him could shake the entire city's political landscape.
Katherine's eyes lit up the moment she saw Jason.
She had originally assumed that as long as this young billionaire looked decent, it would be enough.
She never expected him to be this handsome.
Clean-cut features, calm eyes, and a faint aura of confidence that naturally set him apart from ordinary people.
For a brief second, Katherine felt her heartbeat spiral out of control.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Like a startled deer.
System Notification:
Katherine Favorability: +50
Name: Katherine
Age: 20
Appearance: 8.1
Height: 165 cm
Weight: 48 kg
Favorability: 0 → 50
After finishing his courteous farewell with the Mayor and other officials, Jason Carter turned and walked toward the black sedan parked along the curb.
Seeing this, David, Deputy Director of the City Development Office, hurriedly pulled his daughter along and rushed forward.
"Hello, Mr. Carter," David said with a practiced smile. "I'm David, Deputy Director of the City Development Office. This is my daughter, Katherine. Like you, she also graduated from Riverside High School—"
"I'm not interested."
Jason didn't even wait for him to finish.
He opened the car door, sat down, shut it cleanly, started the engine, and drove off without a second glance.
The car disappeared into traffic.
David stood frozen in place, his mouth hanging open.
Katherine, who had been preparing to step forward and strike up a conversation, was just as stunned.
If Jason Carter were an aloof, arrogant tycoon, she might have accepted it. But she had clearly seen him smiling and chatting moments ago—he had even been polite to an insignificant clerk.
Why was he so cold to them?
Not even basic courtesy.
Almost as if… he looked down on them.
Katherine frowned deeply."Dad… did you offend him?"
David snapped out of his daze."I hadn't even spoken to him before today. How could I offend him? What about you—did you offend him somehow?"
Katherine shook her head immediately."I didn't even know him before today. We weren't in the same grade, never had any interaction. I've never even heard the name Jason Carter before…"
Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly paused.
Because the name felt… familiar.
Yet no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't recall where she'd heard it.
Father and daughter were completely confused. They couldn't figure out what had gone wrong—but they were also unwilling to give up.
That night, Katherine kept thinking about it.
After David returned home, the two of them discussed it again in low voices.
Since this involved official matters and their future careers, they had no intention of talking about it with Laura, who usually wasn't interested in such things.
However, Laura, who was tidying up nearby, suddenly spoke up casually.
"Who were you talking about just now… Jason Carter?"
Both father and daughter were startled.
Katherine reacted as if she had grabbed onto a lifeline."Yes, Mom! Do you know Jason Carter?"
Laura thought for a moment."Isn't Mrs. Carter's son named Jason? Weren't you both at Riverside Mall yesterday when Mrs. Carter was talking about her son? Is the Jason Carter you're talking about… not her son?"
The room went silent.
David and Katherine's eyes widened at the same time, shock written all over their faces.
Katherine finally understood why the name had sounded familiar.
But that couldn't be right.
How could the son of that ordinary, rural couple be a super-tycoon who could casually invest two billion dollars?
"That shouldn't be possible," David said quickly, though his tone lacked confidence. "It's probably just someone with the same name."
As he spoke, he took out his phone and made a call.
With his position at City Hall, checking basic background information was easy.
Not long after, the information was sent over.
Katherine leaned in to look.
In the next second, both father and daughter sucked in a sharp breath.
It wasn't a namesake.
The investor who had poured two billion dollars into Riverside City today…was indeed the son of that middle-aged couple from yesterday.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Why Jason Carter was friendly to everyone else.
Why he was so cold to them.
He knew.
He clearly knew about their indifferent attitude toward his parents at Mall yesterday.
This was repayment—clean, direct, and merciless.
"This… this doesn't make sense," David muttered, his face pale. "How could the son of a rural family be this rich? Even if what she said yesterday was true—about him developing a patent in college—it would be a few million at most. How could he possibly have two billion dollars?"
Confusion, disbelief, and regret flooded his heart.
Katherine's face turned anxious."Oh no… yesterday was such a perfect opportunity. Mom, do you still have Mrs. Carter's contact information?"
At this moment, both father and daughter were filled with such intense regret that they nearly beat their chests in frustration.
Yesterday had been the best possible chance.
Without knowing Jason's wealth, they had coincidentally met his parents. The two mothers had even gotten along well—it would have been so easy to deepen the relationship.
Maybe… even become family.
But not only had they failed to seize that golden opportunity, they had instead created resentment through their cold attitude.
If only they had known.
If only they had been polite.
If only they had been warmer.
Then rising to the top… would have been just one step away.
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