Jake stared at his phone screen.
**NEW TASK: DESTROY VICTOR STEELE'S COMPANY**
**TIMELINE: 90 DAYS**
**REWARD: $100,000,000 + ADVANCED BUSINESS INSIGHT**
Ninety days to tear down an entire company. A company worth hundreds of millions. With employees, contracts, infrastructure.
The System wanted him to destroy all of it.
Jake slipped the phone into his pocket and walked to his Bentley. The parking lot had emptied. Everyone back to their lives. Their normal Friday routines.
His life wasn't normal anymore.
He climbed into the car. The leather seats were soft. The dashboard gleamed. A week ago, he couldn't have afforded the floor mats.
Now he was planning corporate warfare.
Jake pulled out of the lot and drove. No destination in mind. Just driving. Thinking.
Victor Steele. CEO of Steele Industries.
Jake didn't know much about the company. Elena had worked there as a marketing manager. Talked about it sometimes. Big deals. Important clients. Victor's office had a view of the whole city.
That was it. That was all Jake knew.
Not enough to destroy anything.
He needed information.
Jake pulled over at a coffee shop. Ordered something expensive he couldn't pronounce. Sat at a corner table with his phone.
First search: Steele Industries.
The company website loaded. Professional. Sleek. Photos of glass towers and smiling executives.
Steele Industries. Commercial Real Estate Development. Founded 1998 by Richard Steele. Current CEO: Victor Steele (son of founder, took over 2019).
Jake scrolled through project listings. Office complexes. Retail centers. Mixed-use developments. Properties across the city and three neighboring states.
Revenue last year: $340 million.
Employees: 847.
Victor wasn't just rich. He was running an empire.
Jake's coffee arrived. He sipped it. Tasted like burned dirt. Cost eight dollars.
He kept reading.
Business news articles. Press releases. Investor reports.
Then something strange happened.
The words on the screen started to... shift. Not literally. But Jake's perception of them changed. Like his brain was highlighting certain phrases. Making connections he wouldn't normally see.
**BUSINESS INSIGHT LEVEL 1: ACTIVE**
The System message appeared briefly in the corner of his vision. Then faded.
But the effect remained.
Jake read an article about Steele Industries' latest acquisition. A shopping center in the suburbs. $45 million purchase price.
The article praised the deal. Called it ambitious. Strategic.
But Jake saw something else.
The financing structure. Steele Industries had borrowed $40 million against existing properties to fund the purchase. Leveraged buyout. High risk if property values dropped or rental income decreased.
He pulled up another article. Office tower development. $120 million project. Financed through a combination of investor capital and loans secured against Steele Industries' entire property portfolio.
Another deal. Another loan. More leverage.
A pattern emerged.
Victor was borrowing against his existing properties to fund new acquisitions. Constantly expanding. Always using debt.
It was aggressive. It worked when property values went up and tenants paid rent on time.
But if anything went wrong...
The whole structure could collapse.
Jake's phone buzzed. A news alert.
"Victor Steele, CEO of Steele Industries, released on bail following assault charge. Steele posted $50,000 bond and was released from custody this afternoon. A court date has been set for next month."
So Victor was out already. Probably back at his office. Planning his next move.
Good.
Jake wanted him watching when everything fell apart.
He opened a new search. Legal services. Business formation.
Twenty minutes later, he was on the phone with a lawyer.
"I need to form a limited liability company," Jake said. "Today if possible."
The lawyer, a woman named Rebecca Torres, sounded surprised. "Today? That's... possible, but there are fees for expedited processing."
"Not a problem. How much?"
"Five thousand for same-day filing."
"Done. The company name is Phantom Holdings LLC."
Rebecca paused. "Phantom Holdings. Interesting choice. May I ask what business you'll be conducting?"
"Real estate investment."
"I see. And you'll be the sole member?"
"Yes."
"Alright, Mr. Morrison. I'll need some information from you. Social security number, address, initial capital investment..."
Jake provided everything. Used the hotel as his address. Said he was investing five million dollars as initial capital.
Rebecca's tone changed. Became more attentive. "Five million. Understood. I'll have the paperwork ready by end of business today. You can sign electronically or come to my office."
"I'll come in person."
"Excellent. I'll text you the address."
Jake ended the call. Took another sip of terrible coffee.
Five million dollars to start a shell company. A company that existed only on paper. No office. No employees. Just a legal entity that could buy and sell property without anyone knowing Jake Morrison was behind it.
Phantom Holdings.
It was perfect.
His phone buzzed again. Rebecca's text with her office address.
Jake stood. Left the coffee half-finished. Drove to a building downtown. Fortieth floor. Law offices with a view almost as good as Victor's.
Rebecca was younger than he'd expected. Early thirties. Sharp suit. Sharper eyes.
She had the paperwork ready.
"Mr. Morrison." She shook his hand. "Everything is here. Articles of organization. Operating agreement. EIN application. I just need your signature and payment."
Jake signed. Transferred the filing fees from his phone.
Rebecca watched the payment confirm. Five thousand dollars appearing in her business account.
"That's done," she said. "Phantom Holdings LLC is officially registered as of..." She checked her computer. "Four-seventeen PM. Congratulations. You're now a business owner."
"What about the five million capital investment?"
"You'll need to transfer that to the company's business account. I can help you set that up through our partner bank if you'd like."
"How long?"
"A few hours. Maybe until Monday for full access."
"Do it."
Rebecca made some calls. Typed on her computer. Printed forms.
By six PM, Phantom Holdings had a business bank account with five million dollars in it.
Jake was officially in the real estate business.
He drove back to his hotel. Ordered room service. Ate while reading more about Steele Industries on his laptop.
The Business Insight skill kept activating. Showing him things. Patterns. Weaknesses.
Victor's company was strong on paper. But it was built on debt. On constant growth. On the assumption that nothing would go wrong.
Jake just needed to find the right pressure point.
He pulled up a commercial real estate listing site. Searched for upcoming auctions. Properties for sale.
Most were small. Single buildings. Nothing that would impact a company the size of Steele Industries.
Then he found it.
Warehouse District Redevelopment Opportunity.
The listing was buried three pages deep. Jake almost missed it.
Fifteen acres. Prime location near downtown. Currently zoned industrial but eligible for mixed-use rezoning. Five old warehouses. Mostly abandoned.
Asking price: Starting bid $20 million.
Auction date: Tomorrow. Saturday. 10 AM.
Jake's Business Insight flared. Strong. Stronger than before.
This property was special.
He clicked through to the full listing. Read the details.
Then he saw it.
At the bottom of the page. A note from the listing agent.
"Pre-qualified bidders include Steele Industries, Morrison Capital, and Westfield Development Group."
Victor was bidding on this property.
Tomorrow.
Jake's heart started racing.
If Victor won this auction, he'd have another asset. Another piece of his empire. More leverage for future deals.
But if someone outbid him...
If Victor lost...
Jake pulled out his phone. Checked his Phantom Holdings account balance.
Five million dollars.
The starting bid was twenty million.
He'd need to call Rebecca again. Move more money. Fast.
Jake looked at the laptop screen. At the warehouse district listing. At Victor's name on the pre-qualified bidders list.
A smile spread across his face.
"Time to outbid him."