Chapter 189: The Student Union Trip

Immediately after Maya left, Lucas couldn’t wait any longer.

He opened the system interface and selected Claim Reward.

The familiar mechanical voice echoed inside his mind.

[Ding!]

Congratulations, Host!

Additional Reward Acquired: Lanai Island (Locked).

Lucas froze.

"...Lanai Island?"

For a moment, he wondered if he had misheard.

The system had always been generous...

But this was on an entirely different level.

An entire island?

His heartbeat quickened.

Not long ago, while mindlessly scrolling through TikTok, he had come across a travel documentary introducing Lanai Island.

The video had gone viral almost overnight.

Originally...

Lanai Island had been nothing more than an uninhabited island located off the coast near Silvermont.

For decades, it had remained untouched.

No residents.

No development.

Nothing but pristine beaches, dense forests, and untouched wilderness.

Then...

A mysterious billionaire appeared.

Without revealing his identity, he purchased the island outright and invested billions of dollars transforming it into one of the world’s most luxurious private vacation destinations.

After years of development...

The island had expanded through extensive land reclamation and modern engineering.

It eventually became a paradise unlike anywhere else.

The name Lanai represented escape.

A place where people could leave behind the pressure of everyday life, forget their worries, and indulge in complete freedom.

The promotional videos showcased breathtaking scenery.

Miles of crystal-clear beaches stretched beneath endless blue skies.

Ancient rainforests covered the island’s interior, hiding waterfalls, mountain trails, and natural lakes untouched by civilization.

Luxury resorts blended seamlessly into the landscape.

Private villas overlooked the ocean.

Five-star hotels.

World-class restaurants.

Beach clubs.

Casinos.

Bars.

Water parks.

Golf courses.

Yacht marinas.

Every entertainment facility imaginable had been built there.

To manage the enormous project, the billionaire had established the Lanai Group.

Every hotel, restaurant, shopping center, transportation service, and entertainment venue across the island operated under the Lanai Group’s management.

Earlier this month...

Lanai Island had quietly entered its trial operation phase.

According to the news...

Its official grand opening would take place on the very first day of the upcoming seven-day national holiday.

It was already being hailed online as the world’s next luxury tourist hotspot.

Lucas couldn’t help smiling.

This reward...

Was incredible.

Owning an island like Lanai wasn’t just about wealth.

It represented status.

Power.

Influence.

However...

As Lucas continued reading...

His smile gradually faded.

Beneath the reward notification...

One word remained displayed.

[Locked]

"...Locked?"

Lucas frowned.

"What does that mean?"

He immediately asked the system,

"System."

"What are the unlocking requirements?"

The blue interface flickered.

A second later...

Another notification appeared.

[Ding!]

Unlock Requirement Detected.

Lanai Island Unlock Condition: Host must personally arrive at Lanai Island.

Upon arrival... ownership will automatically transfer to the Host.

Lucas blinked several times.

"...That’s it?"

He had expected something complicated.

Instead...

The only requirement was to physically step onto the island.

That sounded almost too easy.

A grin slowly spread across his face.

Perfect.

He had already been thinking about taking a vacation recently.

Now...

He had the perfect destination.

And if he was going...

Why not invite all the girls around him as well?

Maya.

Mia.

Daisy.

The others.

After all...

What better place to strengthen relationships than an island that already belonged to him?

By the time they arrived...

The entire paradise would already be his private property.

Lucas leaned back comfortably against the headboard, clasped his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling with a satisfied smile.

White beaches.

Luxury villas.

Beautiful women.

Unlimited wealth.

Now the life he had once believed existed only in fantasies no longer felt distant.

It was waiting for him.

Meanwhile...

Maya arrived at school still carrying the frustration from the morning.

Ever since waking up beside Lucas...

Her mood had actually been wonderful.

But the message Bryce had sent had ruined everything.

The thought of seeing him again was already enough to give her a headache.

Letting out a quiet sigh, she made her way toward the Student Union office.

As Student Union President, skipping today’s meeting wasn’t an option.

She had responsibilities.

No matter how annoying the organizer was.

The moment she reached the office...

A loud burst of laughter drifted through the half-open door.

Pushing it open, Maya immediately saw nearly every core member of the Student Union gathered inside.

The atmosphere was unusually lively.

Several officers had crowded around Bryce, their voices filled with excitement as they bombarded him with questions.

"Bryce, is it true?"

"I heard Lanai Island doesn’t officially open until tomorrow!"

"Doesn’t that mean we’ll be among the very first tourists allowed onto the island?"

Another student chimed in excitedly.

"And I heard tickets are almost impossible to get!"

"They only allow a limited number of visitors every day."

"People online have been fighting over reservations for weeks."

Someone else looked at Bryce with obvious admiration.

"Seriously, Bryce, you’re incredible."

"Not only did you manage to get yourself in..."

"You even arranged spots for all of us."

Another voice immediately followed.

"Well, of course."

"Do you even know who Bryce’s father is?"

"I’m sure Lanai Group personally reserved these invitations because they wanted to stay on good terms with Principal Malcolm."

"Otherwise, how could ordinary people ever get access before the official opening?"

The surrounding students nodded repeatedly.

Some looked genuinely impressed.

Others were clearly hoping to stay on Bryce’s good side.

After all...

A free vacation to one of the country’s most luxurious new resorts wasn’t something anyone would refuse.

Listening to the endless compliments...

Bryce leaned comfortably against his chair, unable to hide the smug smile spreading across his face.

He enjoyed every second of it.

Truthfully...

Getting these invitations hadn’t been easy.

The previous night, he had practically begged his father to help him pull some strings.

Fortunately...

Malcolm wasn’t just the principal of Ashford University.

He also happened to own one of the largest construction materials companies in the province.

During Lanai Island’s massive development project...

A considerable portion of the building materials had been supplied by Malcolm’s company.

Because of that business relationship...

The Malcolm family maintained a fairly good connection with the Lanai Group.

After calling in several favors...

Malcolm had finally managed to secure a number of invitation passes before the island’s grand opening.

Bryce immediately claimed them for himself.

On the surface...

He told everyone it was a reward for the Student Union’s hard work.

But in reality...

That wasn’t his true purpose at all.

The real reason sat quietly inside his heart.

Maya.

The night before...

He had heard a piece of gossip that instantly reignited his confidence.

Rumor had it...

Maya had officially rejected the marriage arrangement with the Reid family.

The moment Bryce heard that...

He felt as though fate had given him another chance.

He had pursued Maya for years.

Patiently.

Persistently.

Despite being rejected countless times...

He had never truly given up.

Now that the Reid family was out of the picture...

He believed his opportunity had finally arrived.

This trip to Lanai Island...

Was the perfect excuse.

Beautiful beaches.

Luxury hotels.

Private villas.

Sunsets over the ocean.

If romance couldn’t bloom in a place like that...

Where else could it?

To make sure Maya couldn’t simply refuse...

Bryce had deliberately invited every important member of the Student Union.

As president...

Maya couldn’t possibly skip an official group activity without attracting criticism.

Everything...

Had gone exactly according to his plan.

Just then...

The office door slowly opened.

Conversations gradually died down.

Every pair of eyes instinctively turned toward the entrance.

Maya stepped inside with a calm expression.

But anyone who knew her well could immediately tell...

The coldness in her eyes made it obvious she was already in a very bad mood.