The warmth inside Leon's body didn't fade.
It settled.
Like something that had always belonged there—finally waking up.
He flexed his fingers slowly, feeling a subtle but unmistakable difference. His grip was firmer. His posture straighter. Even his breathing felt smoother, deeper, as if his lungs were pulling in more air than before.
Leon closed his eyes.
This wasn't imagination.
This was power.
A translucent panel slid into view the moment the thought crossed his mind.
[Dominion Ascension System]
Host: Leon Zhao
Age: 25
Authority Level: 1
Authority Points: 5
Status Overview:
Strength: +5%
Endurance: +5%
Mental Clarity: +10%
Passive Effect:
Minor Dominance Aura (Locked)
Unlock Condition: Authority Level 3
Leon's pupils contracted.
"…Stats," he murmured.
Clean. Simple. No flashy numbers meant to confuse him. Just enough information to let him feel the growth rather than obsess over it.
Smart system.
He exhaled slowly.
In his past life, he had spent years grinding himself into dust—working harder, staying later, bending lower—only to be crushed by people who understood one thing better than him.
Control.
Not effort.
Not loyalty.
Control.
The system chimed again.
[Authority Points can be earned by:]
Dominating key decisions
Altering critical timelines
Suppressing rivals' momentum
Expanding personal influence
[Warning:]
Missed opportunities cannot be recovered.
Leon's expression sharpened.
"So I don't get infinite chances," he said quietly.
Good.
He hated safety nets.
His phone vibrated on the desk.
Leon glanced at the screen.
Unknown number.
He already knew who it was.
He answered without hesitation.
"Leon," Lina's familiar voice came through, soft and worried. "Why did you block me?"
There it was.
The exact tone she used ten years ago.
Concern mixed with guilt. Vulnerability carefully measured. In his past life, this voice had disarmed him completely.
Now?
It sounded hollow.
"You called from a different number," Leon replied calmly. "That's interesting."
A pause.
Just half a second too long.
"Leon," she said, forcing a laugh. "Don't be like that. I just wanted to talk. You know how important tomorrow is."
Tomorrow.
The loan signing.
Five million yuan.
A debt that had crushed his future, wrecked his credit, and chained him to dead-end jobs while Lina soared upward.
Leon leaned back against the desk, eyes cold.
"What's important about it?" he asked.
Another pause.
"Why are you acting strange?" Lina said, her tone sharpening. "You promised me. This is for our future."
Our.
Leon almost laughed.
In his past life, he had rushed to reassure her. Told her he trusted her. Told her everything would work out.
This time, he let the silence stretch.
Long.
Uncomfortable.
The system pulsed faintly in his vision.
[Opportunity Detected.]
[Target: Lina Chen]
[Status: Emotional Leverage Attempt]
Leon spoke.
"There is no 'our,' Lina."
The words landed heavily.
"What?" Her voice rose slightly. "Leon, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying I won't sign anything," he said evenly. "Not tomorrow. Not ever."
Her breath hitched.
"You—are you joking?" she snapped. "Do you know how much is riding on this?"
"Yes," Leon replied. "My life. And I'm done gambling it on you."
Her tone changed instantly.
Gone was softness.
"What about everything I sacrificed?" she demanded. "Everything I endured with you?"
Leon's eyes hardened.
Sacrificed?
He remembered her expensive handbags. Her overseas trips. The way she looked away whenever he talked about his own dreams.
"You chose your path," Leon said. "So did I."
The line went dead.
Leon lowered the phone.
The system chimed.
[Emotional Manipulation Neutralized.]
[Authority Points +3]
Authority Level climbed.
[Authority Level increased: 2 → 3]
[Minor Dominance Aura Unlocked.]
A pressure rippled outward from Leon's body—subtle, invisible, but real. The air itself seemed to acknowledge him.
Leon straightened instinctively.
"…So this is dominance," he murmured.
Not intimidation.
Not shouting.
Just presence.
The kind that made people hesitate.
His phone buzzed again.
This time, a message notification.
Xu Kai.
Leon's gaze turned sharp.
Xu Kai:
Heard you're acting emotional.
Don't make things difficult for Lina.
She's stepping into a bigger world now.
Leon stared at the words.
Then smiled.
Bigger world?
Xu Kai didn't know.
He was standing on the edge of a cliff—one Leon had already fallen from once.
Leon typed slowly.
Leon:
Congratulations.
Just make sure you don't trip.
He sent it.
Almost instantly, another system prompt appeared.
[Rival Momentum Detected.]
[Xu Kai: Early-Stage Corporate Ascension]
[System Analysis:]
Target rise is dependent on Horizon Group entry approval tomorrow.
Leon's eyes narrowed.
"So that's it," he said softly.
Tomorrow wasn't just about Lina.
It was about Xu Kai stepping through a door that would eventually lead him to the top.
In his past life, Leon watched from below.
This time?
He wouldn't watch.
He checked the time.
6:40 PM.
Plenty of time.
Leon grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.
If he wanted to crush Xu Kai's rise, he couldn't do it directly—not yet. Xu Kai had backing. Influence. Momentum.
But Leon had something far more dangerous.
Foreknowledge.
Horizon Group.
The acquisition.
The internal scandal no one knew about yet.
Leon stopped in the hallway, eyes gleaming.
In his past life, this information surfaced three days too late.
This time?
He would use it first.
The system chimed one final time.
[Primary Objective Active:]
Crush Xu Kai's rise before Horizon Group
Time Remaining: 6 Days, 23 Hours
[Hint:]
Dominion begins with leverage.
Leon stepped into the night, city lights reflecting in his eyes.
"Then I'll start there," he said.
And somewhere above him, unseen gears of fate began to grind—
because for the first time…
Leon Zhao was no longer reacting to the world.
He was moving it.