Chapter 564

Samuel remarked, "Jack, did you see Jenna's expression earlier? I think she

regrets it now. I'll admit it's a bit petty, but seeing that regret actually felt satisfying. Does that make me as despicable as her?"

Jack chuckled in response. "Can I admit that I enjoyed it too? So, you're really giving up on her?" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ findnovel.net

"Yeah. Some bonds, once broken, can't be mended. I'll just wish her the best with someone else."

Samuel gazed out the car window as he spoke, as if an invisible knot in his heart had suddenly loosened. Yet, after that fleeting satisfaction, a quiet melancholy settled over him.

They drove around aimlessly before heading back. That evening, Samuel and Jack carried two bottles of beer up to the rooftop, clinking glasses under the night sky, with laughter and conversation flowing freely.

With alcohol loosening his tongue, Samuel began to open up.

"Jack, did you know? My biggest dream used to be going back to my hometown after graduation and becoming a teacher or a small-town civil servant, then marrying a local girl, taking care of my mom, and supporting my younger sister.

"My dream was just to live an ordinary life. I never wanted anything grand. And I always thought the gap between someone like me and city folks like you was too wide. I never dared to hope for the life you guys have.

"But you... you changed my fate. You changed everything," Samuel said emotionally, his eyes glistening under the dim rooftop lights.

After all, Samuel was just a small-town guy-a nobody from a prestigious university. He was not even a "small-town academic overachiever"; he was just a regular person.

Before meeting Jack, he never imagined he'd be part of a venture reshaping the digital world. He never dreamed he'd ride in million-dollar luxury cars, even if they weren't his.

Samuel certainly hadn't expected Jack to offer him a monthly salary in the tens of thousands of dollars, allowing him to send home seven or eight thousand dollars -sometimes even 20 thousand dollars-to his mother.

Samuel would never forget the day his mom had called, voice trembling with disbelief when she had received his first transfer. In her world, where annual earnings barely scraped two thousand dollars, a monthly income of ten thousand dollars might as well have been fantasy.

Watching Samuel's face light up with pride, Jack raised his bottle and said, "Believe it or not, I have a feeling that Haven Net will become something great- because of us."

It was a grand vision, one where a bright future waited just beyond the horizon. What Jack didn't mention were the storms they'd face to get there.

Haven Net might collapse before dawn. But if it didn't, they'd charge forward until they succeeded.

After finishing their drinks, the two headed downstairs to rest.

That night, Samuel slept more soundly than he had in years. For the first time, he truly felt the beauty and joy of life.

When his father passed away, he had believed his world would be shrouded in darkness forever. But he now discovered life's radiance and purpose. He anticipated and dreamed about tomorrow. Samuel owed it to Jack.

As preparations for Alnewgo University's centennial celebration kicked into high gear, more and more accomplished alumni began frequenting the campus. Many of them were faces usually only seen on television.

Alnewgo City's government, education authorities, and various organizations sent congratulatory letters. Even a high-ranking central official, an alumnus of Alnewgo University, announced plans to personally attend the festivities.

Meanwhile, Haven Net's expansion was explosive. Its user base had already reached a staggering 300 million.

Then, someone leaked the news that the quietly viral social platform sweeping the globe was developed by a domestic company called Haven Net.

The revelation sent shockwaves everywhere.