Rebirth Of The Tycoon: I Shall Dominate The World

The café was bustling as usual when I entered with John. It was a cozy, slightly rundown spot just off-campus, the perfect hideaway for our team's secret meetings. As they made their way to the back booth, where Todd and Janet were already seated, the air was thick with the kind of tension that came with running a business in secret.

John, still adjusting to this strange new life, looked around at the familiar faces of the team. Todd, with his usual grin plastered across his face, and Janet, who sat quietly but always seemed to observe everything around her with sharp eyes.

"Alright, everyone, this is John," I said while sliding into the booth across from the team. "John's going to be a key part of our plan to stay ahead of the teachers. We need someone who can get close to them without raising suspicion."

John smiled awkwardly, nodding at the team. "Hey guys, I guess we'll be working together from now on."

Todd raised an eyebrow. "Is he… is he like you, Will?"

I leaned back and took a deep breath. "John's been reincarnated too."

The café went suddenly quiet, and for a moment, there was nothing but the soft clink of coffee cups being set down by the barista. Janet blinked first, glancing over at Todd, who had already started laughing so hard he was almost choking on his coffee.

"Wait, wait, wait," Todd gasped between laughs. "You're telling me John—Mr. 'I used to work at a giant tech company and now I'm reincarnated to screw things up with Will'—is also one of us?!" He burst into laughter again, leaning back in his chair as if he just heard the best joke of his life.

Janet, though she managed to keep a straight face, couldn't resist. "Okay, now that's too much. Are we sure we're not all just in some weird dream?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I know. I thought you'd find it funny, but we've got bigger things to worry about."

"Well, now you're telling me," Janet said with a grin. "This is going to be even more of a ride than I thought. Okay, so, what's the plan with John? You said something about him helping us out with the teachers."

I nodded, while leaning forward I pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to John. "You're going to write a report for the teachers. Something that sounds convincing enough to make them think you're one of the good guys, but not enough to tie anything back to us. They need to believe that you're on their side—like a whistleblower, but with just enough vagueness so they can't connect the dots."

John took the paper, his eyes scanning the carefully planned outline. "Got it. I'll make sure it's solid. We don't want to leave any evidence that could backfire."

"That's the idea," I said with a sly smile tugging at my lips. "Once we get them thinking you're on their side, they'll be less likely to look too closely at us. If you play this right, they'll have enough to chew on, but nothing to act on."

John nodded, already starting to scribble some notes on the paper. "I'll handle this. I can make it sound good."

Todd, still grinning, leaned in. "Man, I'm excited to see this in action. But, uh, while we're talking about making things sound good… I heard something interesting today."

I looked up, raising an eyebrow. "What's that?"

Todd's grin widened. "Leon told me that one of the first-year students has been advertising some competition for us. Apparently, this kid's offering the same study guide service, but for half the price! At first, the jocks didn't believe him, but one of them tried it, and it actually worked." I leaned back in my chair with my fingers tapping thoughtfully against the table. "A first-year? Offering the same service? That's… that's new. There wasn't anyone like that in our previous life."

Janet frowned. "A first-year? You're telling me someone that's already as good as us at this whole business thing just showed up out of nowhere? That doesn't seem right."

"Exactly," I muttered, his mind already spinning with questions. "We need to find out who this is. Someone's trying to undercut us, and I don't like it. A first-year who's pulling this off—where did they come from? How are they doing this? And most importantly, who are they?"

John, still scribbling notes, glanced up at me. "Do you want me to look into it?"

I shook my head. "No, you've got your task with the teachers. I'll take care of this. We need to know who we're dealing with before they get any bigger. If they're making waves already, they could become a serious problem down the road."

Todd leaned in, suddenly more serious. "And we don't want to risk them cutting into our business. Especially not if we don't know who they are yet."

"Exactly," I replied. "Let's keep this between us for now. I'll start investigating. You—" I looked at John, "—stick to the report. We'll handle this quietly. The last thing we need is for the teachers to start getting any ideas."

With that, the conversation shifted. John made quick work of writing the report, following my directions to the letter. He crafted a document that detailed some of their activities, but nothing too specific. It was just enough to make the teachers believe he was on their side, looking to get them out of trouble, but with no real evidence. Nothing that could lead back to them, but enough to throw them off the scent.

The café buzzed with the low hum of chatter as the team continued to strategize, but my mind was elsewhere. I already sent John off to submit the report to the teachers, leaving the group to figure out how to handle the new mystery—the first-year offering the same service for half the price.

As the team dispersed, my thoughts stayed focused on the enigma. A first-year student pulling off something this bold, so early in their academic career? It didn't sit right with me. There hadn't been anyone like this in my previous life, and the timeline was already twisting in ways I didn't fully understand.

My first instinct was to head to the administration office. If there was anyone who might have information on this mysterious first-year, it would be the staff. I glanced at his phone as he made his way through the hallways, noticing a message from Todd.

Todd: "Hey, I talked to Leon. The jocks were really impressed by this kid's study guides, and they're already spreading the word. Looks like this first-year's making waves. We need to figure out who they are before they become a real threat."

I was already planning my next move when I entered the teacher's lounge. The teachers were having their usual afternoon coffee break, exchanging casual conversation. I leaned against the doorway, scanning the room. The staff wasn't particularly large, and there were a few familiar faces from my past life, though they hadn't recognized me yet. That was a good thing—at least for now.

I approached the head of the department, a short woman with glasses named Ms. Carter, who had been teaching here for years.

"Ms. Carter," I greeted, trying to sound as casual as possible, though my mind was racing. "I was wondering if you had a list of all the first-year students enrolled in the advanced academic track this year? We're looking into some potential new competitors in the tutoring business."

Ms. Carter raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "A competitor, you say? You always did have an eye for the business side of things, Mr. Grey."

I offered a tight smile. "I like to keep an eye on the trends, you know. Just want to see who's emerging as a new player."

Ms. Carter hesitated, then pulled up a file from her desk. "I can give you a list of students who were recommended for the advanced track. But I have to warn you—this school's not exactly known for producing prodigies at that age. If you're looking for someone who's really breaking the mold, I'd be surprised."

I nodded, thankful for the lead. "I appreciate it, Ms. Carter. Thank you."

She handed me the list, and I quickly scanned through it. The name I was looking for wasn't there—until I reached the last name on the page. Samuel Kingston. A first-year student who had earned a scholarship to the advanced academic track. His grades were exceptional, but what stood out to William was the fact that this student had been recommended for the track even before attending the school. A scholarship offer based on his high school performance in a completely different district.

It was odd. Too odd.

"Samuel Kingston," I murmured under his breath. "This kid doesn't belong here…"

Back at the academy, John was walking down the corridor with the report in hand. He had just finished writing the document based on William's meticulous instructions. It was detailed but vague enough to keep the teachers from suspecting anything, a perfect balance of truth and fiction. The report made it seem like he had inside knowledge, but no hard evidence. The teachers would chew on it, discuss it, but ultimately, they'd be left with no real leads.

He reached the teacher's office and approached the front desk. A middle-aged woman with short, red hair looked up from her computer, clearly bored from a slow afternoon.

"Can I help you, young man?" she asked.

"I'm here to submit a report," John said, his voice steady. "It's about some suspicious activity I've noticed around the school. I thought it might be worth investigating."

The secretary's eyes flickered with mild interest. "Oh? What kind of suspicious activity?"

John handed her the neatly folded report. "Just some unusual tutoring operations I've come across. It might be related to some of the kids here, and I thought you should have a look."

The secretary glanced down at the paper, scanning it for a few moments before nodding. "I'll make sure this gets to the right people. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

John gave her a polite smile and a quick nod before turning to leave. As he stepped into the hallway, he allowed himself a brief moment to breathe. He'd done his part—now it was up to William to handle the investigation. All John had to do was keep his head down and play his part.

Back in the teacher's lounge, I was pacing, the list of students clutched in his hand. Something about Samuel Kingston was bothering him. I didn't remember anyone by that name from his previous life. There was no mention of a kid this talented in the first year. Could he have been a new addition brought about by the Butterfly Effect?

My thoughts were interrupted by a quick message from Todd.

Todd: "Got some new intel. One of the first-years, a kid named Samuel Kingston, has been offering tutoring services at half the price of our study guides. I did some digging, and it turns out this kid is a whiz at pretty much everything, from math to chemistry. He's even been helping some of the jocks with their grades."

I frowned. This was exactly the person I had been thinking about. The same name from the list. It wasn't a coincidence. "This Samuel Kingston is trouble," I muttered to myself . "I can already see it."

I quickly dialed Todd's number. "Get me everything you can on him. I need to know where he came from, who recommended him, and if anyone else knows about him. This kid wasn't in our timeline. He wasn't supposed to be here. But now he's offering the same thing we are… at half the price. Something isn't right."

Todd's voice came through the phone, sounding both excited and concerned. "On it. But I gotta say, Will, if this kid's been under the radar this long, there's no telling what he's capable of. Are you sure we can take him down without stirring up too much trouble?"

My mind was working overtime. "We have to. If we let him keep doing what he's doing, we risk losing everything we've built."

After the school day ended, I made his way to the campus library. Samuel Kingston's name had led him to an unexpected discovery. The kid was listed as a recipient of an accelerated scholarship, a direct recommendation from a professor at a prestigious college he had never heard of.

Was Samuel really that smart, or was there something else going on?

William couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Samuel's sudden rise than just sheer talent.

As he left the library, he passed a familiar figure. It was John, walking down the path toward the school gates. The two exchanged a brief nod before I continued my investigation.

Meanwhile, John was deep in thought as he walked home that evening. His mind kept drifting back to the strange girl he had seen earlier, the one who resembled Bella. The sight of her had left him with an unsettling sense of déjà vu. Could it be that his encounter with her earlier was somehow tied to the changes in the timeline?

As he reached the end of the street, he paused, the wind gently rustling his hair. Was he going to meet her earlier than expected? Would their meeting alter the course of their relationship forever?

He shook his head, as if to rid himself of the thought. There was too much at stake. Too many unknowns.

For now, all he could do was wait and see what the Butterfly Effect would bring next.