Chapter 3: The Black-Glove Architect
The meeting with Elena Thorne didn't happen in a high-rise office; it happened in a cramped, neon-lit noodle bar on the border of Sector 3.
Elena was thirty-two, with a sharp, angular face and hair pulled into a ponytail so tight it looked painful. She had been the "star" of the Thorne family before a corporate espionage case—one she was framed for—stripped her of her legal license. Now, she spent her days processing boring data for a logistics firm.
She sat across from Leo, her eyes squinting through the steam of her bowl. She didn't see a nephew. She saw a stranger.
"You've grown," Elena said, her voice like sandpaper. "And Sarah says you've developed a 'hobby' that pays four-digit figures in a single night. Care to explain, Leo? Because the last time someone in this family got 'creative' with data, I lost my career."
Leo didn't flinch. He pushed a small data-chip across the table. "I'm not hacking, Elena. I'm designing. That chip contains the registration for a shell company. I want you to be the CEO on paper."
Elena picked up the chip, her thumb tracing the edge. "Monopoly Gaming? It's a bit arrogant, don't you think? And why me?"
"Because you know how the corporations think," Leo said, leaning forward. His new presence was magnetic, forcing Elena to pay attention. "And because you're angry. You want a way back into the Upper Tiers. I'm giving you the keys to the elevator."
Elena laughed, a short, dry sound. "With a mobile game about a bird? It's a fad, Leo."
"The bird was the seed capital," Leo replied calmly. "This is the harvest."
He tapped his Slate, projecting a holographic wireframe of his next project: "THE SILENT WARD."
"This world's VR experiences are 'Safe,'" Leo explained. "No jump-scares, no adrenaline, no psychological tension. I've built a survival-horror engine that bypasses the standard 'Logic-Safety' filters of the VR-bands. It simulates a flight-or-fight response. It's the first time anyone in this world will feel true fear."
Elena looked at the wireframe, her legal mind already calculating the risks. "The Board of Ethics will flag this in an hour. It's too intense."
"Not if we label it as 'Stress-Endurance Training' for security personnel," Leo smirked. "And we won't host it on the Main Net. We'll use a peer-to-peer 'Dark-Node' distribution. By the time they realize it's a game, we'll have the capital to buy the regulators."
Elena stared at him for a long time. She saw the ambition in his eyes—a cold, burning fire that reminded her of the sharks she used to represent. "Fifty-fifty split on the management side," she negotiated.
"Eighty-twenty," Leo countered. "I am the engine. You are just the steering wheel."
Elena's lips curled into a genuine smile for the first time in years. "Deal."
The Silent Launch
For the next two weeks, the Thorne household lived in a state of suspended animation. Leo worked twenty hours a day, his [Cognition] allowing him to code at a speed that would have required a team of twenty on Earth.
[叮! Advanced Coding Interface Unlocked]
[Project "The Silent Ward" Completion: 100%]
He didn't release the game globally. He "leaked" it into the underground VR-Gaming forums of Sector 2—the middle-class kids who were bored to death by their educational sims.
The reaction was a digital explosion.
[Forum: VR-Underside]
User_X: I just tried 'The Silent Ward'. I actually screamed. I haven't screamed in ten years. Is this legal? My heart is still pounding.
V-Seeker: It's not a sim. It's... an experience. I felt like I was actually being hunted. Who is 'Monopoly'?
[叮! Revenue Update: $18,400... $22,900... $35,000...]
The money was flowing through Elena's laundered accounts. By the end of the second week, the "Ghost Identity" of Monopoly was established.
The Threshold of Change
Leo stood in the small living room of their Sector 4 apartment. He looked at Sarah, who was sewing a tear in Maya's school uniform, and Maya, who was trying to beat her brother's high score on her Slate.
"Pack your things," Leo said.
Sarah looked up, confused. "What? Leo, the rent is paid—"
"We aren't staying here," Leo said, tossing a new set of high-tier ID cards onto the table. "I've secured a lease on a three-bedroom unit in Sector 2. Near the park. There's a private school for Maya and a medical center for your back, Mom."
Maya jumped up, her eyes wide. "Sector 2? That's where the corporate managers live! We can't afford that!"
"We can," Leo said.
As he spoke, he felt another surge of energy from the System.
[叮! Mission "Building the Ghost" Complete.]
[Current Revenue: $62,000]
[Initiating Physique Optimization V.2: 'Metabolic Peak'...]
Leo's vision blurred for a second. His muscles didn't grow larger, but they became incredibly refined, like a panther's. His height increased another inch, and his jawline sharpened into a lethal edge.
Sarah stood up, her hand trembling as she touched Leo's arm. "You're growing so fast... I feel like if I blink, you'll be a different person."
Leo covered her hand with his. His touch was warm and incredibly firm. "I'm still your son, Mom. I'm just the son who's finally taking care of you."
Sarah looked into his eyes and felt a strange, fluttering sensation in her chest. The "Son" she knew was disappearing, replaced by a man who radiated a magnetic, protective power. She quickly pulled her hand away, her face flushing. "I... I'll go get the boxes."
Maya, however, didn't look away. She stared at Leo's back as he walked toward his room. The brother she used to bully was gone. In his place was a mystery she was becoming obsessed with solving.
[SYSTEM STATUS UPDATE]
Attribute New Value Change
Physique 1.8 (Athlete) +0.6
Current Capital $54,000 (Liquid) Net of Expenses
Relationship Favorability Sarah: 45 Elena: 30
[New Mission: The Battle Royale Protocol]
Objective: Develop the first VR Multiplayer Arena Game.
Task: Reach 100,000 Concurrent Players.
Reward: [Neuro-Adrenaline Sync] + [Massive Server Farm Access].
Leo sat in his empty room, looking at the city skyline. Sector 4 was behind him. But ahead lay the true challenge: Turning a world of bored sheep into a world of competitive wolves.