The 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.
Latest Chapter
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By nightfall, the city of Aetheria shone like a gem under the starry sky.The high-rise glass towers cast warm golden light across the green parks and clean avenues below. The magnetic sky-trains moved gracefully through the air, carrying families to evening concerts, rooftop dinners and celebrations.Caleb stood on the private terrace of his penthouse suite on the 150th floor of CAL Global Headquarters.He held a glass of dark sparkling mineral water, his charcoal jacket unbuttoned, looking out at the endless glowing city.Thomas walked out onto the terrace, holding two cigar boxes... with a deep, relaxed smile on his face."Boss," Thomas said softly, leaning against the railing beside Caleb. "Every news network on the continent is broadcasting the Charter signing. Regional governors from the western coast are already sending trade envoys to sign on."Caleb took a slow sip of his drink, looking out at the peaceful skyline."The world is changing. Thomas," Caleb said smoothly."Than
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"Under the old Syndicate system," Valerie continued, her voice sharp and precise, "middlemen and corrupt inspectors skimmed up to forty percent of municipal funds through hidden tariffs and fake shipping documents. Under the CAL Data Network, every dollar spent on materials, wages and public works is tracked instantly. Bribes, embezzlement and shadow accounts are mathematically impossible."Caleb looked at the global data streams with a cold, sharp smile. "Total transparency. If an official attempts to steal from the public fund, what happens?""Their access key is automatically revoked by the system," Valerie answered smoothly. "Their account is frozen, and they are reassigned to basic community service. Corruption has been reduced to zero percent across all six sectors."By early afternoon, Caleb, Thomas, Valerie, Jurl and Nora arrived at the industrial district of Block Six to inspect the transformed workplace standards.The old Block Six Iron Sinks had once been a dark, soot-choke
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"Let's see the facilities, Nora," Caleb said, stepping up the marble stairs alongside her.They walked through the grand double glass doors into the main atrium. The room was vast, filled with natural sunlight streaming through the high arched glass ceiling. Potted indoor trees, quiet water features, and comfortable leather seating areas gave the space the feeling of a peaceful sanctuary rather than a cold hospital.Nora led Caleb and Thomas down the main corridor toward the first diagnostic wing."We have completely eliminated the old paper check-in systems," Nora explained, gesturing toward a row of sleek, white metallic pods lining the wall. "These are our automated diagnostic pods, designed by Leo's team."A seventy-year-old former coal miner from Block Eight named Samuel was sitting inside one of the pods. A soft, non-invasive blue light scanned his body from head to toe in five seconds.[BEEP!]A clear holographic screen appeared above the pod, displaying a full 3D breakdown
207
He wore his tailored suit jacket over his arm, his white shirt collar open at the neck, holding a warm cup of barley tea in his hand.Standing beside him on the balcony were his trusted core team:Thomas (wearing a sharp wool suit, holding an executive portfolio)High Auditor Valerie (looking elegant in her midnight-blue silk suit)Leo (wearing his clean engineering tunic, holding his digital tablet)Jurl (resting his arms on the glass balcony railing)Nora (standing close to Caleb, her green dress rustling softly in the cool evening wind)Below them, the glittering modern metropolis of Aetheria stretched for miles in every direction—a soaring monument of self-healing glass towers, magnetic sky-lanes, clean energy, and thriving joy.Thomas took a slow sip of his own tea, looking out at the glowing skyline with a look of pure, satisfied wonder."Look at that Boss," Thomas said softly... a dry, proud smile on his face. "Three months ago, we were sleeping on wooden cots in a rotted shac
206
A young paper clerk from Sector Four—looked down at the black digital card placed into his hand by a Guild officer.He pressed the side button and a small, glowing blue LED screen on the card illuminated instantly:========================================= CAL SOVEREIGN DIGITAL ACCOUNT[HOLDER]: Ryan's Sector Four Department Division[CURRENT BALANCE]: $500.00 CAL Notes[STATUS]: GUARANTEED MONTHLY DIVIDEND (ACTIVE)[DEBT STATUS]: $0.00 (PERMANENTLY ZERO)=========================================The young clerk looked at the five hundred dollar balance on his card.Tears streamed down his dust-stained cheeks. He clutched the digital card against his chest, falling to his knees on the stone floor, weeping tears happiness."No more debt..." he sobbed, his voice trembling with emotion. "No more interest... no more starving in the dark..."Beside him, thousands of rescued clerks, mothers, sawyers and miners were crying, laughing and hugging each other as they received their new keycards
205
"CHAIRMAN CALEB IS HERE!""LONG LIVE THE CHAIRMAN!"The rear door of the lead SUV opened. Caleb stepped out onto the red carpet, his leather coat catching the light breeze, his charcoal three-piece suit looking impeccable under the midday sun.Thomas, Valerie, Jurl, and Nora joined him, walking up the steps to the main podium.Nora wore an elegant, tailored emerald-green silk dress with a dark coat, her hair pinned up gracefully. Little Lily stood beside her in a small navy dress, waving excitedly at the crowd. When Lily saw Caleb, her face lit up, and she gave him a bright, happy thumbs-up. Caleb offered her a warm, subtle nod before stepping up to the microphone stand.The fifty thousand citizens, workers, and rescued Citadel clerks went dead silent.Caleb placed his hands flat on the podium. He looked out over the vast crowd—at the faces of the miners from Block Eight, the sawyers from Block Seven, the foundry workers from Block Six, and the forty-two thousand freed clerks who
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