_March 25th, 2030_
It was the early hours of a radiant morning, and the only light illuminating the tiny room Alister inhabited was the brilliant sunlight streaming through his window and the small holes punctuating the wall of his room.
Aside from the worn‐out foam on which Alister presently slept, there stood a small cupboard with a chair positioned beside it, he habitually repurposed the cupboard as a makeshift table whenever the need arose. There was also a small bag containing the few clothes he possessed, a plastic bucket, and a small waste basket near the door, where he kept his trash.
With but a single glance, one could immediately discern just how miserable Alister's living conditions were. He was the proverbial church rat, existing at the very lowest echelon of humanity.
RING... RING
His phone, resting atop the cupboard, vibrated as the blaring sound of the alarm reverberated throughout the tiny room.
"Ahhhh!"
Alister awoke with a frustrated shout as he swiftly reached out to silence the insufferable alarm.
"Yet another day with no good sleep," Alister lamented as he used his right hand to push aside his unruly, messy white hair that was obstructing his vision, revealing a pair of deeply sleep-deprived blue eyes.
Alister possessed a notably exquisite appearance, aside from his striking white hair and ocean-blue eyes, he boasted a sharp jawline and an attractive facial structure. Combined with his impressive 6'2 stature, he could effortlessly become a top-class model if given the opportunity.
Nevertheless, Alister never felt truly excited about his handsomeness, for it was nearly impossible to attract a girlfriend given his dismal living conditions.
"You might be really handsome, but what use are you to me if you can't even afford to cover my daily expenses? I'd rather be the sex toy of a rich, ugly bastard than be friends with you..." These were the exact words he received from the first girl to whom he had confessed in his class.
Ever since that moment, he had given up on dating and instead devoted his attention to finding a way out of poverty.
"Ahhhh! It's Friday, I have classes today!" Alister exclaimed with a tired and frustrated expression.
He forced himself upright and strolled lazily to retrieve the plastic bucket, which was half-filled with clean water that he had struggled to secure the previous night.
He proceeded into the tiny bathroom attached to his cramped room and washed up before strolling out to change into his uniform—a well-pressed white long-sleeve shirt paired with a black tie and a pair of black pants.
Although his living conditions were poor, he made every effort to maintain proper hygiene to the best of his ability.
He ambled in front of the small mirror hanging on the wall adjacent to his cupboard and carefully combed his hair.
After he finished, he grabbed his old backpack and strolled out of the room—or rather, his house—as it consisted solely of his small room and the attached bathroom.
Stepping outside, he was met with the familiar view of his impoverished street, where small houses like his occupied most of the space. He observed children, dressed in ragged clothes, playing about, while some women balanced buckets of water on their heads as they dragged their stubborn children along with their free hand, and several men prepared to head to nearby construction sites.
Although the place reeked of poverty, it retained a peaceful atmosphere as the people lived quite happily together, united in their struggle to escape their circumstances.
One of Alister's motivations for becoming rich—aside from attracting women—was to rescue everyone from this hellish lifestyle.
Alister was so absorbed in observing the street scene that he failed to notice two middle-aged men, dressed in old, tattered safety clothes, approaching him.
"If it ain't the scholar of the trenches," one of them drawled as they drew near.
Both men greeted him as they approached, immediately capturing Alister's attention.
Alister quickly recognized them; they were the well-known brothers in this area, famed for their ability to handle any job that came their way. They usually invited Alister to join them for work on weekends and holidays.
"Big bro Jake, Big bro Jack... good morning," Alister cheerfully greeted them with a smile.
"Good morning, our scholar. When will you get rich and finally pull your big brothers out of the trenches?" Jack teased as he lightly tapped Alister on the shoulder.
"Soon, very soon," Alister replied with a warm smile.
"Haha," both chuckled before Jake added, "Remember Mr. Stark, the billionaire who recently started a project not too far away from here. He has invited us to take care of some menial jobs—we plan to start tomorrow so you can come with us if you want."
"I have nothing fixed for tomorrow, so I would definitely come along with you guys," Alister replied.
"Great..." both brothers nodded, adding, "Good bye then, study well—we're counting on you."
They waved farewell to Alister and departed.
Alister had no time to waste lingering on his surroundings, so he hurriedly began making his way to school, greeting several of his neighbors as he passed by.
The journey from here to his school took up to an hour, so he quickened his pace accordingly.
Riverland Highschool
It was early morning at one of the most prestigious high schools in Rodal City, and, as usual, the students were seen arriving in a variety of luxurious cars. Some were driven by the students themselves, while others were accompanied by a parent or guardian.
As the students disembarked from their opulent vehicles, they strolled gallantly with wide, deliberate strides, their movements exuding pride and an unmistakable air of high self-esteem.
The majority of Riverland students were children of politicians and renowned entertainers, and consequently, the early morning entrance scene typically featured them flaunting their wealth—donning expensive accessories or discussing the latest acquisitions purchased with their parents' money.
"My new custom-made Lamborghini Egoista will be arriving tomorrow. I can't wait for prom to finally drive it to school, for now, I'll make do with my Corvette."
"Haha, prom is just a few weeks away. Besides, the school has planned to invite a host of top musicians from around the globe, I heard that the Lorenzo Musical family is also on the guest list."
"Look at my new diamond watch."
"My mom just divorced my dad... she's going to get me a new Mercedes."
There was an abundance of talk flaunting wealth all around.
People like Alister had long grown accustomed to hearing the shameless boasting of wealth from their affluent schoolmates.
"It's definitely going to be another hectic day," Alister muttered with a deep sigh as he strolled toward the entrance of the magnificent school building.
"Who are you talking to, loser?"
One of the wealthy students walking alongside Alister stepped in front of him in a provocative manner and inquired.
"Huh," Alister responded as he looked down at the 5'2 student standing before him, his expression filled with questioning bewilderment.
"Are you deaf? Can't you hear me talking? It seems you want me to call my guards to come rough you up a bit."
"I wasn't talking to you," Alister replied plainly.
He was too stressed out to waste his tiring morning on a dwarfed troublemaker.
Unfortunately, the diminutive troublemaker didn't share the same reasoning and continued yapping about his superiority to Alister and how someone like him should bow his head every morning to greet him.
Alister kept looking down on the 5'2 troublemaker with a bored expression on his face.
Seeing Alister react so calmly only infuriated the troublemaker further, as he instantly became the uncool one for provoking no reaction from Alister.
He tried punching Alister in the stomach for not responding, but Alister, who had spent most of his time doing menial labour, was much stronger and had a faster reaction as he caught the punch before it could meet him.
Both of their scuffles quickly drew quite a crowd who halted to watch.
The scene that unfolded was Alister calmly deflecting the punch of the short fella without much effort on his part.
"Isn't it too early for all these?" Alister spoke in a tired voice.
The diminutive fellow withdrew his hands right away, embarrassed by his current situation, especially with the onlookers watching.
"I will teach you a lesson!"
He gritted his teeth and left Alister.
Alister finally got the chance to let out the tired sigh he had been holding back and continued strolling casually into the school premises while ignoring the noisy, boastful students.
Unknowingly, his simple defense would lead to an even bigger trouble.