The café was too clean, too polished for Ethan's comfort. He sat at a corner table, fiddling with the sleeve of his jacket, the system lens dimmed so it wouldn't flicker in public. Every sound—the hiss of the espresso machine, the shuffle of polished shoes—set his nerves on edge.
He shouldn't have come. But the quest timer ticking in the corner of his vision—47:12:36—gave him no choice.
The door opened, and in walked the gray-suited man. Not tall, but sharp—like every edge of him had been filed to a point. His smile was practiced, his handshake firm.
"Mr. Cole." He sat opposite Ethan, steepling his fingers. "I'm Derek Harland. And I must say, your patent submission is… intriguing."
Ethan forced a polite smile. "It's just a filter cartridge."
Harland's eyes glinted. "Perhaps. But innovation is rarely 'just' anything. The details—the energy efficiency, the modular design—they don't read like tinkering. They read like foresight."
Ethan's throat went dry. "I just like to fix things."
Harland leaned back, studying him. "I represent a group of investors. We look for minds like yours—minds that see what others miss. We could help you turn that cartridge into a business. Not just a patent collecting dust."
The system lens pulsed.
> [Opportunity Detected: Harland Investment Group.]
> Potential Resource Unlock: Capital Access.]
Ethan swallowed. The system was pushing him to say yes. But every instinct screamed danger.
"Tell me," Harland continued, "what else are you working on?"
Ethan forced a laugh. "I barely finished the cartridge. I'm not some genius with a lab."
But Harland didn't buy it. Ethan saw it in his eyes. The man smelled secrets.
---
The boy was lying. Derek Harland had built his career reading people, and Ethan Cole's eyes betrayed him. The stammer, the avoidance—classic signs of someone hiding *something bigger.*
Derek's instincts tingled. This wasn't about the filter. That patent was just the tip of something vast. No one that young stumbled onto efficiency curves that perfect without a deeper pool of knowledge.
He sipped his coffee slowly, masking his thoughts. *If I can corner him early, guide him into the right partnerships, we could own whatever's fueling his ideas.*
But another thought lingered—*what if someone else is already backing him?* The way Ethan avoided questions, the fear in his voice—it smelled of pressure. Derek had seen that look before in men squeezed by powerful hands.
He leaned forward. "Think about my offer, Mr. Cole. Resources. Legal teams. Manufacturing contacts. All yours, if you're willing to trust me."
Ethan gave a tight nod, but Derek caught the hesitation. Good, he thought. 'Hesitation means he's weighing his options. And sooner or later, he'll realize he can't do it alone.'
---
Back in his apartment, Ethan dropped into his chair, trembling. The system chimed:
> \[Quest Completed: Attend Investor Meeting.]
> Reward: 100 System Points.]
> Total: 295.]
Another message followed:
> \[New Quest Available.]
> Objective: Establish a legal entity to hold your patent rights.]
> Reward: 120 Points + Resource Unlock.]
> Time Limit: 7 Days.]
A company. The word alone was overwhelming. He could barely keep up with repairs and quests. Running a business? Filing taxes? Hiring staff?
He stared at the glowing prompt. *I can't do this alone.*
For the first time, he understood. The system wasn't just shaping him into an inventor. It was shaping him into a leader.
And if he failed…
He clenched his fists. *Not an option.*
---
Lily sat by her window, sketchbook forgotten in her lap, staring across the courtyard at Ethan's lit window. His silhouette moved back and forth, restless. Always restless.
She hugged her knees to her chest. Ethan had always been quiet, thoughtful—but lately, he was different. A man carrying something too heavy for one pair of shoulders.
Part of her wanted to knock on his door, force the truth out of him. But part of her was afraid. Afraid of what she'd find.
Still, one thought anchored her: *Whatever he's carrying, he shouldn't carry it alone.*
She set her sketchbook aside, resolving that next time he stumbled, she'd be there—not just as a neighbor, but as someone who refused to let him drown in secrets.
---
Ethan's lens flickered with a new notice.
> \[Warning: External Interest Escalating.]
> Tracking Detected: You are being monitored.]
And he knew—Harland wasn't just offering help. He was already pulling strings.