Chapter 3: White Gold
Alexander sat alone in his rented flat, the city's noise muted behind thick curtains. A single lamp burned on the table beside him, its glow dancing across the tattoos crawling his skin. His tommy gun rested against the chair, cigar smoke curling lazily upward.
Then—
> [System Evolution Detected.]
[Congratulations, Host. New Black Market Functions Unlocked.]
[Item Available: Pure White Gold (Cocaine) — £1,000 per kilogram.]
[Estimated Market Value: £20,000 – £50,000 per kilogram.]
Alexander's eyes narrowed. He leaned back, fingers drumming the armrest.
"White gold," he muttered.
The System chuckled in his head, cheeky as always.
> [Yes, Host. The kind of thing empires are built on… or destroyed by.]
He pulled a ledger closer, scribbling numbers with neat precision. At cost, he could flood the streets. With the purity of his product, every rival gang would burn their coffers just to keep up. The Shelbys already controlled betting shops, pubs, protection rackets. Add white gold into the mix, and their family could eclipse every rival in England.
But it wouldn't be theirs. It would be his.
---
The next day at the Garrison, Thomisia watched him from across the smoky room. He was calm as always, cigar between his teeth, whiskey in hand, eyes unreadable. Yet something had changed. His silence wasn't just silence anymore—it was weight.
Arthur leaned in, muttering, "He's plannin' somethin'. You see it in his eyes."
John nodded. "Looks like a man who knows the outcome before the dice even roll."
Thomisia's lips curled into a cold smile. "Then maybe we should test him again."
When she finally approached, Alexander only raised his glass in greeting.
"You've been busy," she said softly, her voice equal parts challenge and curiosity.
He exhaled smoke, silent.
> [Auto-Line Activated.]
Alexander: "Busy men build empires. Quiet men keep them."
Her brows lifted. A cryptic riddle again, one that could mean a dozen things. It gnawed at her more than any direct answer would have.
---
That night, in the rooftop's shadows, the System reported again:
> [Host Balance: £25,000.]
[Available Stock: 5kg White Gold (unsold).]
[Projected Value: £250,000.]
Alexander smirked as he dangled his legs over the city, whiskey bottle in hand.
"White gold," he murmured, staring into the lights of Birmingham.
Already, he could taste it—the monopoly. Not through violence, not yet. Through patience. Through purity. Through control.
As the mc is walking trough Birmingham he quickly spotted thomisia approaching him in the streets he stops
Thomisia walks towards him ciggaret in hand
"You've made quite a move in Birmingham haven't you"
Alexander silent only drinking his whiskey
Turns and walked away
---
✅ This chapter gives readers:
The system evolution reveal → cocaine monopoly option.
The first taste of economic world-building (ledgers, cost vs. value, monopoly idea).
Thomisia's suspicion and fascination growing stronger.
Arthur and John sensing he's more than he seems.
Closing hook → "the storm on the horizon."
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