Chapter 516

Robin and Bethany clutched their signed notebooks like they were holding treasure. To them, having the autograph of the founder of Haven was beyond cool.

Mona couldn't help but chime in, her voice filled with admiration, "Jack, you're amazing!"

Her eyes sparkled with a mix of surprise and respect. Though she didn't fully understand the scale of Haven's success, seeing how her friends idolized Jack told her he was someone extraordinary.

Something shifted inside Mona. She began to feel a sense of pride just knowing him.

Jack, however, brushed it off with a casual shrug. "It's nothing."

Mona invited Jack to dinner, but he politely declined.

After saying goodbye to Wendy, Mona, and the others, Jack took his bidding team out for a meal before finally leaving with Samuel.

Even though the bid hadn't gone their way, Wendy's earlier words had lifted Jack's spirits.

After dinner, Jack didn't plan to return to school immediately. He turned to Samuel and asked, "Do you feel like checking out the land the company's eyeing? Who knows? This might be where our future takes off."

Samuel stared at him, stunned. "You're really getting the land?"

He couldn't wrap his head around the idea that a plot worth 345 million dollars could be transferred to Jack for 30 million dollars less. It sounded like something out of a fairy tale.

Samuel was surprised by Jack's confidence. The latter hailed a cab, and the two of them headed to a small town in the Newlight District.

The thirty-acre plot was still partially farmed, with crops growing in some areas and wild weeds taking over the rest. It seemed like a neglected plot.

A gentle breeze swept through, making the weeds sway rhythmically, adding a strange charm to the desolate landscape.

Jack and Samuel stood there, their eyes filled with a quiet longing.

They could already see a towering skyscraper rising from the ground, the headquarters of a world-class company that would surpass even the likes of Genesis Games. They imagined the surrounding area transforming into a bustling commercial hub, all because of this one enterprise.

Jack lit a cigarette and took a slow drag, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

"Samuel, have you ever thought about what your future looks like?"

Samuel glanced at the barren land, his expression a little awkward.

"The future I imagine is simple—a life where I don't have to worry about food or shelter. But more than that, I want to earn enough to repay everyone who's ever helped me. That includes you, my mom, my sister, and all the folks back home who've supported me."

Jack couldn't quite picture the poverty-stricken rural life Samuel described—a hidden valley in the remote northwest, accessible only after crossing multiple mountains and riding an ox-drawn cart.

There weren't roads in the village, and poverty was generational. Samuel's tuition fees had been scraped together by the collective efforts of the villagers.

Samuel, a child of the rural village, understood the weight of gratitude better than anyone.

Jack listened quietly, then nodded.

"Have you ever thought about growing alongside a company, creating something extraordinary together? Something that could change the way people live—or maybe even become a billion-dollar enterprise one day?"

Samuel looked a little lost at the grand vision Jack painted. To him, it all felt like a distant, almost unreachable dream.

Jack gestured to the land around them, his voice brimming with ambition.

"I plan to build skyscrapers here. This is where Haven will rise."

Finally, Samuel voiced the question that had been on his mind for a while.

"I've always wanted to ask. What exactly does Haven do?"