The next morning—
Jared Alonzo didn't go to class immediately.
He went somewhere else.
The blood bank.
He stood across the street, hands in his pockets, eyes calm.
Third donation.
Too soon.
Dangerous.
Unstable.
"…but necessary."
His mind had already calculated the risk.
Body condition: unstable but functional.
Previous side effects: manageable.
Expected gain: significantly higher.
"…worth it."
But—
He didn't move.
Not yet.
Timing matters.
If he kept forcing growth without stabilizing his body—
He might collapse before reaching anything.
A rare pause.
"…not today."
He turned away.
Optimization before acceleration.
At school—
Jared entered the classroom late.
Everyone noticed.
Whispers followed.
But he ignored all of it.
Until—
"Hey."
Iris.
She looked slightly annoyed.
"You skipped the first class."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"…thinking."
She sighed.
"You're getting worse."
"More efficient," he corrected.
"More reckless," she replied.
Jared didn't argue.
Because—
She wasn't wrong.
Later that day—
Jared sat in the computer lab again.
This time—
Faster.
Sharper.
More precise.
Charts opened.
Data loaded.
Patterns analyzed.
Market behavior: predictable under stress.
He noticed something.
A drop.
Sudden.
Panic-driven.
"…overreaction."
Opportunity.
Jared moved instantly.
Invested everything.
Seconds passed.
Then—
The market corrected.
Shot up.
₱487 → ₱820
Jared's eyes narrowed slightly.
Confirmed.
No excitement.
No shock.
Just calculation.
Again.
Another trade.
Another pattern.
Another prediction.
₱820 → ₱1,340
Iris, sitting beside him, froze.
"…what?"
She stared at the screen.
"You just… doubled it again?"
Jared didn't look at her.
"Pattern recognition."
"That's not normal!"
"It is," he replied calmly, "if you understand the system."
Iris leaned closer.
"…or if you're cheating."
Jared finally glanced at her.
"…I don't need to."
Silence.
Iris leaned back slowly.
"…this is insane."
Jared didn't respond.
Because his focus shifted.
More capital → exponential growth.
"…I need more."
Meanwhile—
Mark stood outside the school gate.
Not alone.
Two unfamiliar men stood beside him.
Older.
Rough.
Not students.
"You sure it's this guy?" one asked.
Mark nodded.
"Yeah. Jared Alonzo."
The other man smirked.
"Just a student?"
Mark's expression darkened.
"…he won't be after today."
Back inside—
Jared packed his things.
₱1,340.
Still small.
But growing.
Fast.
"Hey," Iris said.
He paused.
"…what?"
She looked at him seriously.
"…be careful."
Jared tilted his head slightly.
"…about what?"
"I don't know yet," she admitted.
"…but something feels off."
A pause.
Jared studied her expression.
Intuition-based warning.
Low data, but not ignorable.
"…noted."
As he walked out of school—
Something felt different.
Not emotion.
Not fear.
Instinct.
Jared's eyes shifted slightly.
Scanning.
Observing.
Three figures.
Near the gate.
Watching him.
Unknown variables.
He kept walking.
Calm.
Steady.
"Jared Alonzo."
A voice called out.
He stopped.
Turned slowly.
Mark stepped forward.
With the two men behind him.
"…you're causing trouble."
Jared looked at him.
Then at the others.
Non-students.
Body language: aggressive.
Intent: confrontation.
"…define trouble," Jared said calmly.
One of the men cracked his knuckles.
"Smart mouth."
Mark smirked.
"Let's see if you're still confident now."
Silence.
Jared stood there.
Still.
Unshaken.
His mind moved rapidly.
Three opponents.
Body condition: not optimal.
Environment: public.
Conclusion: avoid direct conflict.
"…you're making a mistake," Jared said.
The man stepped closer.
"Yeah? And why's that?"
Jared's eyes sharpened.
"Because this doesn't end well for you."
A beat.
Then—
The man laughed.
"Kid…"
He grabbed Jared's collar.
"…you don't decide that."
For the first time—
Jared's body tensed.
Not from fear.
But from calculation.
No more room for theory.
Time for execution.