2026-05-21 23:36:59The caller ID showed his father’s name:
Dad
Julian swallowed hard and pressed answer.
"D-Dad..."
"You worthless, arrogant idiot!" Thomas Vance’s voice screamed through the speaker so loudly that even the surrounding socialites could hear it. "What did you do at the Central Luxury Plaza?! The video of you being dragged out like a stray dog is everywhere! The board of directors is panicking!"
Julian’s blood turned to liquid ice. "Dad, I can explain..."
"There is nothing to explain!" Thomas roared, his voice trembling with terrifying anger. "Because of your public disgrace, the Vance Group’s public stock has just plummeted by twelve percent in fifteen minutes! We have lost four hundred million dollars in market value before the closing bell! Our investors think our family is losing control of the city!"
"Four... four hundred million?" Julian muttered, his phone slipping slightly from his fingers.
"Get your pathetic ass back to the estate right now!" Thomas barked. "If you don't fix this reputation crisis, I will personally strip you of your inheritance and throw you out!"
[Click.]
The line went dead.
Julian stood frozen in the middle of the pavement, the mockery of the live-streamers echoing in his ears.
In a single afternoon, his untouchable status, pride, and entire family's financial stability had been pushed to the edge of a cliff.
And it was all because of one man.
Chloe crawled over, grabbing the edge of Julian's dusty trousers. "Julian... please, we have to do something. Caleb can't do this to us. He's just garbage from the slums!"
"Shut up!" Julian screamed, violently kicking his leg back to break free from her grip.
He turned his head slowly, glaring up at the master office windows of the Central Luxury Plaza. His eyes were wide, bloodshot and completely consumed by a dark, psychotic madness.
He dug his fingernails into his palms until the skin split, drawing fresh crimson blood that dripped onto the concrete.
"Caleb..." Julian whispered, his voice shaking with a deadly, poisonous malice. "You think your money makes you a king in this city? You think you can ruin my family and walk away?"
He took a deep breath, raising his bloody fist toward the building, swearing an absolute blood oath before the entire recording crowd.
"I swear upon the Vance bloodline... I don't care how many billions you have. I will hire the darkest underground syndicates in this country. I will tear that suit off your body, break every single bone in your legs and make you watch as I take back everything you stole from me. I will destroy you completely, Caleb! Even if it's the last thing I ever do!"
High above the plaza, behind the tinted glass of the master office, Caleb looked down at the screaming heir.
His perfect memory recorded every movement of Julian's frantic rage, and his advanced negotiation skills easily read the absolute desperation in the billionaire's posture.
Caleb didn't flinch nor worry. He simply reached into his pocket, pulled out the Black Card and let out a cold, amused chuckle.
"A blood oath?" Caleb whispered, turning away from the window as the clock ticked closer to evening. "Good. Let's see if your underground friends have enough spite to pay for my next upgrade."
...
The heavy, soundproofed doors of the Mingle Club glided open, releasing a thick cloud of aromatic cigar smoke and the faint, haunting melody of a music.
This was not a normal nightclub.
Located four floors beneath the city's central financial district, it was a sprawling, subterranean palace of dark mahogany, velvet curtains and dim golden lighting.
There were no flashing neon lights here—only the quiet, terrifying aura of absolute authority.
"Keep your eyes straight ahead," a smooth, seductive voice whispered beside Caleb.
It was the mysterious woman who had sent the encrypted message.
She called herself Victoria.
She wore a backless crimson silk dress that contrasted sharply with her porcelain skin, and her dark eyes held a dangerous, calculating intelligence.
"The people in this room do not exist on public tax registries, Caleb," Victoria murmured, casually swirling a glass of dark amber liquor. "You are looking at the hidden puppet masters of this city. Ruthless crime lords who control the shipping docks, tech tycoons who manipulate the public algorithms and corrupt politicians who sign the laws in the dark."
Caleb, dressed in his flawless new custom suit, walked with a slow, heavy stride.
Thanks to his Peak Human Physique, he stood a head taller than most men in the room, his posture radiating the natural dominance of a predator.
As they walked toward a grand, circular table at the center of the room, Victoria leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a barely audible breath.
"They have been watching your sudden, erratic rise. They think you are a chaotic wildcard. But to understand how to survive tonight, you must understand the ultimate truth of this city. It is secretly controlled by five ancient, elite families."
Caleb’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Five families?"
"Yes," Victoria nodded, pointing a manicured finger toward the various VIP lounges. "The Graysons control the real estate. The Blackwoods control the underground syndicates. The Sterlings control the media. Thefield [Hale] family controls the shipping lines. And at the absolute bottom of the food chain... the newest and weakest family among them... the Vance family."
Caleb froze for a fraction of a second, a dark, incredibly amused smile spreading across his sharp face.
"The Vance family is the weakest?" Caleb chuckled softly, his voice rich with dark irony.
"By far," Victoria whispered, misinterpreting his smile. "Julian Vance’s father has been desperately trying to buy up local commercial properties like Central Luxury Plaza just to prove they belong at the table. Your little stunt this afternoon didn't just humiliate Julian—it dealt a crippling blow to the Vance family's corporate face. The other four families are secretly laughing at them, but they are also in deeply wary of you."
Before Caleb could reply, the clock on the wall chimed.
[Midnight.]
[BZZZ!]
Caleb felt a familiar, deep vibration inside his pocket. He discreetly glanced down at his phone screen.
[System Notification: Daily Allowance Refresh.]
[Deposit: $100,000,000.00.]
[Current Balance: $120,000,014.23.]
The remaining twenty million from yesterday had rolled over perfectly, stacking with his fresh daily allowance.
With over a hundred and twenty million dollars in cash burning in his account, Caleb stepped into the grand circle of the table.
An older man with sharp, graying hair and an immaculate charcoal suit looked up, his eyes cold as ice.
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112
[BANG]The wooden panels shuddered, and the old iron latch snapped instantly. But the door didn't fly open. It smashed hard against the iron bed frame Caleb had just wedged there, holding the frame solid."Open the door, you bastard!" a rough voice shouted from the hallway.Caleb stood in the dark, his breath coming in quick gasps. He didn't answer... he looked through the small crack in the broken wood.Standing in the dim hallway was Ronald, a thick cloth wrapped around his bleeding jaw where Caleb had broken it with the lantern. But Ronald wasn't alone. He had brought two large broad-shouldered dock workers with him. Both of them carried thick iron rods, their faces dark with anger."Push it!" Ronald lisped through his broken teeth, pointing his finger at the wood. "Break it down! I want to break his arms!"The two big men slammed their shoulders against the door together. The wood groaned, and the iron bed frame began to slide back an inch at a time against Caleb's boots. Hi
111
Caleb stood perfectly still while his mind went blank. His body was completely exhausted from the twelve-hour shovel shift, and he had no strength to fight a man of Ronald's size.[PING!][NEW MISSION GENERATED: HALLWAY JUSTICE][Task: Refuse to hand over your money and slam the iron lantern into Ronald's face the moment he reaches for your pocket.][Current Progress: 0 / 1][Reward: $5.00]Caleb didn't say a single word. He didn't run neither did he beg. He just stood there, his face... an unreadable mask.Ronald took his silence as utter fear. He laughed, stepping close and reaching his thick hand straight for Caleb's coat pocket. "Smart choice beggar. Let me take that cash."The moment Ronald's fingers touched his coat, Caleb moved. He didn't hesitate. He swung the old iron lantern he was carrying right into Ronald's jaw.[CRACK]The solid metal smashed hard against Ronald's teeth. Blood sprayed onto the wall as Ronald let out a sharp shriek, stumbling backward down the hallwa
110
Caleb gripped the rough handle of the shovel. The wood splintered against his palms, but he drove the iron blade deep into the heavy pile of coal. He hoisted the first load, his collarbone screaming in protest as he swung the weight over the side into the high iron cart.The work was brutal. Every scoop required him to bend his torso, making his wrapped ribs grind painfully against his chest. Sweat poured down his face, turning the black dust on his skin into dark streaks.The other laborers worked quickly, shouting and cursing at each other to keep the pace up. But Caleb remained a complete ghost. He didn't speak a single word to anyone. He just kept his eyes locked on the coal, moving his arms rhythmically, scoop after scoop.Around noon, a large thick-necked laborer named Flint stepped directly into Caleb's path and intentionally slammed his empty shovel against Caleb's blade, stopping him from working.Flint leaned his weight against his shovel, looking at Caleb's clean gray sh
109
Caleb forced his jaw to stay locked. He didn't come this far to fail a system task. He grabbed the iron spokes again, put every single ounce of his remaining strength into his grip and threw his entire body weight to the left.[SCREECH]With a loud metallic crack, the hardened slag inside broke apart. The iron wheel spun quickly to the left, releasing a massive rush of white steam through the pipes.Caleb fell backward onto the concrete floor, gasping for air as his chest heaved painfully against the tight cloth.From deep inside the walls, a low steady thrumming sound began to echo. The cold metal pipes grew warm to the touch as the restored heat started flowing up to the rooms above.[Progress: 1 / 1][PING!][Mission Success. 1/1 slag cleared.][Reward Disbursed: $4.00 cash generated.][Total Balance: $13.00][Current Health Status: 21%. Warning: Extreme physical exertion has caused minor tissue regression. Rest mandatory.]Four bills slid into his pocket, bringing his total to
108
"Let's go," Mike muttered, turning away quickly. "We have other blocks to check on."The three men hurried down the muddy alley, their heavy boots splashing through the water until they vanished into the fog.Caleb stood alone in the dark road. He reached into his pocket and counted what was left. One five-dollar bill. Three single ones.Eight dollars. He was completely broke again.[Progress: 1 / 1][PING!][Mission Success. 1/1 revenue delivered.][Reward Disbursed: $1.00 cash generated.][Total Balance: $9.00][Current Health Status: 25%.]A single paper dollar bill slid into his pocket, making his total nine dollars. The system is ruthlessly keeping him on the absolute edge of poverty.On the porch, Nora was still on her knees, holding Lily tightly. She looked up at Caleb through her tears, her face filled with complete shock. Nobody in the lower sector ever gave up their own money for a stranger."Why... why did you do that?" Nora whispered, her voice shaking as she stood up. "
107
They weren't gang members; they wore polished brass badges pinned to their lapels—the crest of the Vane Estate Debt Collectors.One of them, a man with a brutal scarred jaw and a heavy iron truncheon swinging from his belt, slammed his boot against Nora’s wooden porch rail, shattering the old pine board into splinters."Nora!" the lead collector roared, his voice cutting through the foggy alley. "Come out here! We know you're inside!"Caleb froze in the shadow of a rusted shipping container, his hand tightening around his new clothes. His heart gave a sickening thud against his bound ribs.Nora pushed the front door open, her face completely bloodless as she stepped onto the porch. She looked tiny and fragile against the three massive men towering over her. Lily was hiding behind her skirt, her small hands clutching her mother’s apron in terror."Mr. Fredrick, please," Nora begged, her voice trembling violently. "I paid the housing tax last week. I gave your runner the ten silver p
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