8:12 AM.
Ethan's phone exploded with notifications.
Messages.
Missed calls.
News alerts.
His name was trending locally.
He opened the first article.
"Young Entrepreneur Accused of Insider Trading."
His expression didn't change.
Daniel moved faster than expected.
Good.
That meant he was scared.
Another article:
"Sources Claim Ethan Cole Used Private Information to Manipulate Crypto Market."
Anonymous sources.
Classic tactic.
Destroy reputation early.Force defensive posture.Control narrative.
Five years ago, Ethan would have panicked.
He would have called Daniel.
Asked what was happening.
Trusted him.
This time—
He opened the system.
[Reputation Risk: Moderate]Public Sentiment Shift: -18%Source Probability: Daniel Hayes – 74%
Only seventy-four percent?
Interesting.
So Daniel had help.
His phone rang.
Ryan.
"What the hell did you do?!" Ryan shouted immediately. "Regulators might look into this!"
"Relax," Ethan said calmly.
"Relax?! They're saying you had advance knowledge!"
Ethan walked to his desk and opened his laptop.
"Did I?"
Silence.
"No… but—"
"Then let them investigate."
Confidence.
Not arrogance.
Calculated stability.
Ryan's breathing slowed slightly.
"You're not worried?"
"I expected resistance."
Ethan hung up before more panic could spill through the line.
Next call.
Victoria Laurent.
Of course.
"You're trending," she said coolly.
"I noticed."
"Is it true?"
"If it were, would I answer honestly?"
A faint pause.
Then—
"I like that answer," she replied.
Interesting.
She wasn't distancing herself.
She was testing him.
"This was Daniel," Ethan said calmly. "Or someone he paid."
"Most likely," she agreed. "He contacted two media outlets last night."
So Nova Capital had surveillance.
Good.
"Does this change your offer?" Ethan asked.
"Not yet."
Click.
Short conversation.
Efficient.
Powerful players didn't overtalk.
Ethan opened his email.
There it was.
An official inquiry request.
Preliminary financial clarification.
Perfect.
He had nothing illegal.
Memory wasn't insider information.
But perception?
That was dangerous.
The system flickered again.
[Mission Update]Crush Future Threat: 26%Sub-Objective Generated:Expose Daniel Hayes' Financial Irregularities.Reward: Social Analyzer Activation.
Finally.
Offense.
Ethan leaned back in his chair.
Daniel wanted to paint him as reckless and unethical.
Fine.
Then Ethan would expose what Daniel truly was.
But carefully.
Not emotional.
Strategic.
He opened old archived folders.
Five years ago, after the betrayal, he had obsessively analyzed every transaction Daniel ever touched.
He memorized patterns.
Small skims.
Shell accounts.
Delayed invoices.
Nothing huge individually.
But together?
A mosaic of corruption.
The problem back then—
He had no proof.
Now?
The timeline had reset.
Daniel hadn't completed the structure yet.
Which meant—
He would make mistakes again.
Because ego doesn't change.
Ethan sent a single message to Daniel.
We need to talk.
Daniel replied instantly.
About what?
The articles.
Three minutes passed.
Then:
Not sure what you mean. Media exaggerates things.
Predictable.
Ethan typed:
I hope you're not behind it. That would complicate things.
Read.
No reply.
Pressure applied.
System notification.
[Influence Point Available for Use: Digital Trace Enhancement]Cost: 2 Points.
Ethan paused.
Digital Trace Enhancement?
He selected it.
Two points deducted.
Suddenly—
New data streams appeared in his vision.
IP routing overlays.
Transaction link probabilities.
Encrypted wallet patterns.
It wasn't hacking.
It was analysis beyond normal speed.
Within minutes—
He saw it.
A payment.
Small.
But traceable.
From a marketing shell company.
Connected indirectly to one of Daniel's private contacts.
Probability link: 68%.
Not perfect.
But enough to push.
Ethan saved the data quietly.
He wouldn't release it publicly yet.
He would corner Daniel first.
Force confession.
Force mistake.
Another system flicker.
Stronger this time.
Screen distortion.
Static.
Then—
A new message appeared.
[Unknown Observer Interaction Detected.]
A line of text typed itself slowly.
You're progressing faster than expected.
Ethan froze.
This wasn't system format.
This was… manual.
Someone else was inside.
He responded mentally.
"Who are you?"
A pause.
Then:
Another host.
The room felt colder.
Another host?
Meaning—
Another person with a system.
Heartbeat steady.
Mind sharp.
"When did you start watching me?" Ethan asked internally.
Since you deviated 5%.
So they monitor deviations.
Interesting.
"Friend or enemy?"
Long pause.
Then—
Depends on how ambitious you are.
The message vanished.
System restored to normal interface.
No trace.
Ethan exhaled slowly.
So this wasn't just revenge.
It was competition.
He wasn't the only one reborn into advantage.
Which meant—
The game was much larger than Daniel.
Much larger than the city.
His phone buzzed again.
Breaking news alert:
"Regulatory Office to Review Ethan Cole's Recent Trades."
War officially started.
Ethan looked out at the skyline.
Let them review.
Let Daniel push.
Let the other host watch.
He would rise anyway.
Because this time—
He understood the board.
And now—
He knew there were other players on it.
He smiled slightly.
"Good," he whispered.
"I was getting bored."