All Chapters of The Useless Son-in-law Who Became A Crypto Genius : Chapter 11
- Chapter 17
17 chapters
Casting The Net (I)
Neo pulled up a private browser. The kind that didn't keep logs. Didn't remember searches. Didn't leave traces.He'd been thinking about the thugs for days now. The three men who'd stabbed him. Who'd been hired to kill him.'They're still out there. Probably got paid already. Probably think the job's done.'But Neo had their faces. Had screenshots from the security footage. Had run them through facial recognition databases until he found matches.Vincent Torres. The tall one with the gun. Ex-military, dishonorable discharge. Assault charges dropped due to "insufficient evidence."Marcus Webb—no relation to Richard, thankfully. The one with the knife. Criminal record longer than his arm. Robbery, assault, extortion.And James "Jimmy" Park. The quiet one. The one who'd actually stabbed Neo. Drug charges. Gang affiliations. The kind of guy who'd do anything for the right price.'Desperate men. Dangerous men. Perfect.'Neo downloaded an encrypted messaging app. The kind criminals used. Th
Last Updated : 2026-04-09
Casting The Net (II)
At the Carver estate, Douglas slammed his phone down."Well?" Cassandra looked up from her magazine. "What did she say?""Didn't matter what she said. I made it clear we won't tolerate these conspiracy theories.""You think that'll shut her up?"Douglas poured himself a whiskey. Noon on a Tuesday, but whatever. "If it doesn't, the lawyers will."Mark walked in. Laptop under his arm. Circles under his eyes darker than usual."Who are we suing?""That reporter. The Chen woman. She published an article implying we had something to do with Noam's death."Mark's expression flickered. Something Cassandra couldn't quite read."What?" she asked."Nothing. Just—" Mark set his laptop down. "Maybe threatening her wasn't the smartest move.""What's that supposed to mean?""It means journalists don't back down when threatened. They dig deeper."Douglas waved a dismissive hand. "She's a nobody writing for a nobody site. It'll blow over."But Mark didn't look convinced. He pulled up the article on h
Last Updated : 2026-04-09
Hire A Team
He typed out the instructions. Drop location. Pickup location. Timeline. Payment details.[Payment upon completion. Crypto. Untraceable. Don't fuck this up.]Vincent: [We won't.]Neo hoped not. He needed them competent. Needed them reliable.Because if this test run worked—if they proved themselves—then he'd have the muscle for phase four.The revenge phase.–––––––––––In her tiny apartment, Lyra stared at her phone.Douglas Carver's threat echoed in her head. "Our lawyers will be in touch."She should've been scared. Should've been backing down.Instead, she felt energized.'They're rattled. Which means I'm onto something.'She pulled up her conspiracy board. Added new notes. Douglas's call. His specific language. Mark's warning about digging deeper.'What are they hiding? It's not just insurance fraud. There's something else. Something bigger.'Her phone buzzed. Email notification.Subject: "Re: Bellvue Article"Sender: AnonymousLyra's finger hovered over it.'Could be spam. Could
Last Updated : 2026-04-09
String Along
Three weeks into operations, Ames Digital was starting to look real.Neo watched through the security feed as Adam conducted another interview. Some hotshot engineer from a failed startup, portfolio on his laptop, talking about algorithmic trading like he'd invented it.Adam nodded along. Asked decent questions. Nothing that would raise flags.'Good. He's learning.'The office had filled out. Six employees now. Two engineers, a designer, a marketing specialist, and a CFO Adam had poached from some fintech company.All of them thought they were building the next big thing in crypto trading.None of them knew their boss was just a figurehead. A puppet with Neo's hand so far up his ass he could taste it.Neo took a sip of cold coffee. Grimaced. When had he made this? Yesterday?'Doesn't matter. Focus.'He pulled up the company financials. The trading algorithms were actually working—legitimately working. Making small profits off market inefficiencies. High-frequency stuff that added up.
Last Updated : 2026-04-09
The Mystery Player's Threat
Adam knocked on Neo's office door.Well, not Neo's office. The empty office Neo rented two floors above Ames Digital. The one with no name on the door. The one Adam thought belonged to "Mr. Ames, Senior Partner.""Come in," Neo said. Voice modulator app running on his phone. Made him sound older. More authoritative.Adam entered. Nervous energy. Smoothing his tie."Sir, the team's making excellent progress. The trading algorithms are performing above projected returns.""Good. Hiring?""Three more interviews this week. We should be at full staff by month's end."Neo nodded. Kept his face angled away from the light. Hoodie up. Sunglasses on. Adam had never seen his face clearly."What about the building?""Building, sir?""For expansion. When we scale, we'll need dedicated space. I'm looking at the Meridian Tower."Adam's eyes widened. "That's—that's forty-plus million.""Forty-two. My offer's been accepted.""We're—we're buying it?""Phoenix Holdings is buying it. Ames Digital will le
Last Updated : 2026-04-09
Growth!
[Initial trace complete. Found interesting anomaly. Coins moved through wallet registered to A.C. Same initials as Alina Carver. Could be coincidence. Investigating further.]Mark's response came immediately: [Not a coincidence. What else?]'Eager. Suspicious of Alina already. This is going to be easier than I thought.'Neo typed: [Need more time to confirm. But pattern suggests someone with inside access to Noam's accounts. Someone close to him.]Mark: [His wife.][Possibly. I'll have proof within 48 hours. Additional fee applies.]Mark: [Just get me proof.]'Oh, I'll get you proof. Fake proof. But you'll believe it because you want to believe it.'Neo pulled up his fake evidence. Transaction histories showing Alina accessing crypto wallets weeks before Noam's death. IP addresses traced to her phone. Email exchanges with anonymous buyers.All fabricated. All convincing.He'd deliver it to Mark in two days. Watch him confront Alina. Watch the family tear itself apart.'And while they'
Last Updated : 2026-04-09
First Contact... The Interview
"Ames Digital. They just announced a Series A. Fifty million valuation."Mark grabbed the tablet. Read. His jaw tightened."Who the hell are they?""That's what I want to know. They appeared out of nowhere. High-frequency trading. Crypto focus. Sound familiar?""There are dozens of firms doing that.""Not ones that undercut our prices and poach our potential clients." Douglas paced. "Three deals we lost this month. All to Ames Digital. They're either incredibly lucky or—""Or what?""Or they know something we don't."Mark stared at the screen. Neo zoomed in on his expression.Suspicion. Paranoia. The gears turning.'That's right, Mark. Wonder who they are. Wonder how they knew. Wonder if maybe, just maybe, someone's targeting you specifically.'"I'll look into it," Mark said finally. "See who's behind them.""Already tried. Ownership structure's a maze. Shell companies and offshore trusts. Very deliberate.""So they're hiding something.""Or they're smart about tax law." Douglas shrug
Last Updated : 2026-04-09