In the car, twenty-two-year-old Isabella Clark stared at her flashing phone screen. She tried to formulate a sentence to tell the police later. Of course, she couldn't possibly say that all the information about the robbery came from her Phoenix System.
There had to be a plausible reason, she thought, clutching a small, cream-colored bag.
Upon arriving at the XX City police station, Isabella and three other witnesses took turns giving statements to the officers about the attempted robbery at Bank N. Just as she finished answering the investigator's questions, a distinctive notification sound suddenly echoed in her ears.
[DING!!!]
[New mission]
[Mission: Rescue hostages from strangers who are causing trouble at the XX Police Station]
[Reward: Advanced hacker skills]
[Time: 5 minutes]
[ACCEPT] [REJECT]
Before Isabella could react, a large man burst through the door. With a swift movement, he grabbed a Bank N customer who happened to be standing nearby and held a dagger to the hostage's neck.
"Damn it," Isabella muttered to herself. "The Phoenix System just beeped, the mission has already begun."
Without hesitation, she pressed the [ACCEPT] button on the Phoenix System screen. The atmosphere at the police station instantly turned tense. The officers there panicked at the reckless action and tried to calm the perpetrator.
"If you want this woman to live, release my brother now!" the man shouted loudly, his eyes wild with anger.
Everyone spontaneously took a few steps back, trying to avoid the threat of the knife in the perpetrator's hand.
"Hey, let's talk properly," one of the officers said in a calming tone. "Let's sit down and we'll talk things over."
"You lying police! I don't believe you!" the man retorted, his voice trembling with emotion. "Release my brother quickly! Otherwise, don't blame me for acting recklessly!"
The officer who had been speaking remained calm, trying to find an opening. The seconds seemed to pass by.
[Less than 3 minutes left] – the Phoenix System notification made Isabella even more alert.
She took a deep breath, observing the man's movements. As the perpetrator's hand moved slightly away from the hostage's neck, Isabella moved with lightning speed. Deftly, she grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it with full force.
Krakkk! The sound of bones breaking was clearly audible.
"Arghhh!" the perpetrator screamed in pain.
Bam! His body fell heavily to the floor.
Everyone's eyes widened at the swift action. Their bodies seemed frozen in shock. Fortunately, a police officer quickly regained consciousness and immediately subdued the perpetrator, kicking the dagger out of reach.
"Are you okay, ma'am?" Isabella asked softly, handing the middle-aged woman a bottle of mineral water she had been carrying.
"It's okay, son. Thank you for saving me," the woman said, her lips trembling and her eyes welling with tears.
Isabella smiled reassuringly. "Drink a little, ma'am, to calm down."
After a few sips of water, the woman's complexion began to improve.
[DING!!!]
[Congratulations!] Host gains advanced hacker skills. Install skill now?]
[YES] [NO]
Without hesitation, Isabella pressed the [YES] button. Instantly, a burning sensation shot through her head. She winced at the sharp pain.
"Are you okay, Miss?" a concerned police officer asked.
"Nothing, just a slight headache," Isabella replied calmly, though her brow furrowed.
When the pain subsided, Isabella was about to leave the police station. However, she was stopped by the presence of a man in a black suit who approached her politely.
"Miss Isabella Clark, let me introduce myself. I'm Adam, the Operations Manager of Bank N," he said politely, bowing slightly. "We are very grateful for your assistance in apprehending the robbers before they could act. As a token of our gratitude, would you like to come to our office to receive a reward from the bank?"
Isabella stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay, lead the way."
Adam smiled in relief. He waved, and shortly after, a car with the Bank N logo pulled up in front. The journey to the bank's headquarters took only ten minutes. Along the way, Adam expressed his admiration several times.
"Your courage is extraordinary, Miss Isabella. We are all deeply indebted," he said sincerely.
Isabella smiled faintly. "I just happened to be in the right place."
Upon arrival at Bank N, Isabella was warmly greeted by the employees who had been waiting for her. They bowed respectfully and shook her hand one by one. The respectful atmosphere made Isabella feel a little awkward.
On the second floor, a special room had been prepared. Adam took out a dark blue velvet box and presented it with both hands.
"This may not be much, but we hope Miss Isabella can see our sincerity," Adam said.
"Thank you," Isabella replied politely. When the box was opened, the glint of gold bars made her eyes sparkle. I'm rich, she thought happily, though her face remained calm.
Seeing Isabella's satisfied expression, Adam felt relieved. "We've also prepared a luncheon. Please don't refuse."
Isabella had actually been hungry since morning. "With pleasure," she replied with a smile.
After lunch with the friendly, joking employees of Bank N, Isabella said her goodbyes. She ordered an online taxi back to the guesthouse she was renting for the week. On her way home, her eyes suddenly caught the sight of a two-story shophouse on the side of the road with a large sign that read "FOR SALE."
Swiftly, she took a photo of the marketing phone number listed and called it. Luck was on her side. A marketing representative named Sophia happened to be nearby.
"Turn around, sir. Payment will still be made according to the app," Isabella said to the taxi driver.
Shortly after, they arrived at the shophouse. A white Honda Jazz was parked. A young, professional-looking woman emerged from inside.
"Miss Isabella?" the woman greeted politely, extending her hand. "I'm Sophia, the property agent you contacted."
"Nice to meet you, Sis Sophia," Isabella replied, shaking her hand.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Sophia led Isabella into the building. The two-story, two-hundred-square-meter shophouse looked sturdy and strategically located in a busy office area.
"What do you think?" Sophia asked cautiously.
Isabella examined every corner and smiled with satisfaction. "I like it. Okay, I'll buy this shophouse."
The two then discussed the price. After brief negotiations, they agreed on 1.5 billion rupiah—admittedly expensive for a two-story shophouse, but the strategic location made it worth it.
Isabella immediately signed the deed of sale before a notary and upgraded the ownership status from SHGB to SHM in her own name. She was determined to use her name on every asset to avoid being caught out like in the past.
[DING!!!]
[Congratulations to the Host for spending Rp 1,500,000,000. The Host receives 10x cashback for a total of Rp 15,000,000,000. The funds will be transferred to the Host's account from a legal source.]
Isabella's eyes lit up at the notification. "This is truly a stroke of luck," she whispered happily.
Before parting, Isabella handed Sophia a thick brown envelope. "This is for you. Thank you for helping with the purchase today."
Sophia accepted the envelope with tears in her eyes. "Thank God. I can now pay for my mother's surgery. May Miss Isabella always be blessed with good fortune."
Isabella simply smiled warmly before leaving, satisfied that her mission today had not only brought her substantial profits but also the opportunity to help others.