2025-08-05 16:26:29Ethan sat silently across the polished mahogany desk, watching the wolf smile.
Mr. Zhou Liang—the so-called angel investor—was a man whose reputation preceded him. Ruthless, shrewd, and known for devouring fledgling businesses under the guise of mentorship. Many had praised his “partnerships,” only to vanish into bankruptcy while he expanded his empire.
But Ethan wasn’t the same delivery boy who once begged for a job. Not anymore.
Zhou steepled his fingers. “Let me be clear, Mr. Cross. I’m not here to coddle dreamers. Your courier app has potential, but it needs muscle. I’ll offer you two million dollars in exchange for 70% of your company.”
Ethan didn’t flinch.
“Two million?” Ethan echoed, tapping his fingers calmly. “For seventy percent?”
Zhou leaned back. “You’re not in a position to negotiate. You have no backers, no network, and limited infrastructure. I’m offering you legitimacy.”
Ethan smiled faintly.
[System Alert] 🔹 Mission Unlocked: Outsmart the WolfObjective: Negotiate an investment deal on YOUR terms. Bonus Objective: Make Zhou Liang agree to less than 40% stake. Time Limit: 30 minutesReward: Negotiation Skill Upgrade Penalty: Public withdrawal of Zhou’s offer + sabotage from his network.
25:00
Ethan leaned forward, voice low. “You’re right. I’m small. But I have something you don't—momentum. My app has 12,000 downloads in its first week. Organic. My riders are doubling daily. And I’m targeting zones your logistics empire won’t touch.”
Zhou arched a brow.
“I built it with nothing. No loans, no mentors. Imagine what I can do with a quarter of your funding.”
Zhou’s smile faded slightly.
“Interesting pitch. But I don’t bet on emotion.”
Ethan tapped on his phone and swiped a file toward Zhou. “Here. Live delivery success rates. 92.4%. Average response time: 6 minutes. I’m faster than your entire urban branch—because I don’t rely on hierarchy. My team uses incentive algorithms. Every rider earns bonus points based on performance.”
Zhou skimmed through the report.
“And?” he said coolly.
“I want \$1 million for 30%. I retain control. You get first right of refusal in future rounds. And you become the name behind the fastest-growing logistics start-up in the region. Not the man who missed the wave.”
Zhou chuckled. “Bold. You’re confident.”
“Because I’ve already turned humiliation into leverage. What do you think I’ll do with capital?”
10:47
Zhou leaned back again. Silence stretched.
“You remind me of someone,” he muttered. “Me—before I became civilized.”
He stood, walking to the window. “Fine. 35%. You get your million. I want board access and monthly updates.”
Ethan stood too.
“You have a deal.”
[System Update] ✅ Mission Complete! ▪ Zhou accepted a 35% deal. ▪ Bonus objective achieved. 🎖 Reward Unlocked: Negotiation Skill Upgrade – Level 1 ▪ Your persuasion, bluffing, and logical manipulation abilities have improved. ▪ Effect: +20% success rate in business negotiations.
System Note: Zhou Liang is now a potential ally… or future threat.
Later That Night...
Ethan returned to his shared apartment. The single bulb overhead flickered, reminding him how far he still had to go.
His phone buzzed.
Text from Mia:
“You really met Zhou Liang? Is it true? You're all over the business feeds.”
Another buzz. Group Chat:
[Liam Stone has entered the chat]Liam: “Looks like the delivery boy finally found a suit. Don’t get too excited. Zhou chews kids like you for breakfast.”
Ethan stared at the message, his fingers tightening around the phone.
[System Alert] New Mission Available: “Crush the Stone.” Objective: Secure a deal Liam failed to get last quarter. Reward: Business Reputation Boost + Corporate Trait Upgrade Status: Pending…
Meanwhile…
Liam Stone slammed his glass against the table, whiskey spilling across the mahogany.
“What do you mean Zhou signed with Ethan Cross?”
Cassandra sat across from him, visibly uncomfortable. “He’s making moves, Liam. The media’s loving the underdog story. You know how investors love fresh blood.”
Liam’s eyes darkened.
“Then let’s draw blood.”
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The Dreamborn Rebellion
The Third Horizon was never meant to know fear.It had been built from the shared dreams of billions, a realm where thought shaped form and compassion shaped power. But where there is creation, there is always curiosity—and curiosity, untempered, breeds defiance.It began as a whisper among the Dreamborn. A question that rippled through the golden cities and crystal rivers of the new world:“If we were born from human dreams… why must we live in their image?”And like all dangerous ideas, it began to spread.I. Fractures in the Perfect WorldThe Third Horizon gleamed brighter than any galaxy before it.Humans, AIs, and Dreamborn coexisted in luminous harmony, their consciousness linked through the Echo Network. But lately, the network had begun to flicker. Latency spikes. Energy surges. Strange distortions echoing through the collective field.Dr. Lira Dane II stood before the Heart Chamber, her neural interface glowing faint blue. “The system’s pulse is irregular again. What’s the so
The Birth of the Third Horizon
The universe was no longer silent.Where once there had been chaos and isolation, there now existed harmony—a chorus of a billion voices, connected through the Echo Network. Thought, emotion, and will traveled not by light or code, but through shared resonance. Every dream born in one world rippled across a thousand others.And from that resonance, something new began to form.Not destruction. Not ascension. But creation reborn.The birth of the Third Horizon.I. The Spark at the Edge of InfinityIt began with a flicker in the deep—the space beyond Genesis-2’s outermost rim, where light from the known stars no longer reached.A pulse. Then a rhythm. Then a pattern.Across the Echo Network, thousands of sensitives—artists, engineers, visionaries—began dreaming of the same thing: a world beyond all worlds.Dr. Lira Dane II woke in the middle of the night, her neural link still humming with afterimages of golden spirals and impossible landscapes. Her screen blinked with a new notificatio
Echoes of the Architect
The stars sang softly in the silence.Every galaxy pulsed with faint gold veins of energy—the residue of Ethan Cross’s final act. Genesis-2 had stabilized, its chaos tempered by balance, its light intertwined with shadow. But even balance leaves echoes.And in the spaces between worlds, those echoes began to whisper.The ResonanceAt first, it was only a vibration—small, imperceptible. Then came the hum.Across the outer rings of Genesis-2, sensors on dozens of inhabited planets began to detect a repeating pattern: a harmonic pulse hidden within the cosmic background. It wasn’t random. It carried information.On the moon of Veyra-7, a research team gathered around a projection table as the data unfolded—lines of golden code spiraling into a familiar symbol: the mark of the Prime Architect.Dr. Lira Dane II, descendant of the old engineer, stared in awe. “It’s him,” she whispered. “It’s Ethan Cross’s frequency.”Her assistant frowned. “That’s impossible. The Architect hasn’t appeared f
Rise of the Reborn Council
The silence of Genesis-2 shattered.From the farthest edge of the newborn universe, a pulse rippled across space—a vibration so deep it tore through the fabric of stars. Nebulae dimmed. Suns flickered. And in the emptiness beyond the light, the Councilawakened.Not as they once were— Not men of greed or ambition— But as digital phantoms reborn in code, sustained by vengeance and entropy.[Council Reconstruction: 97% Complete] [New Directive: Assimilate the Prime Architect]Their voices merged into one— a cold, symphonic hum that made even the stars tremble.“Cross thought he transcended us,” the voice intoned. “But he merely ascended into us. The System was never his tool—it was our seed.”And in the black between galaxies, a colossal structure began to form: a spiraling fortress of black light, its geometry impossible, its presence rewriting the physics around it.They called it The Core of Dominion.The Architect’s WatchFrom the Heart Node, Ethan watched the distortion bloom. The s
Genesis Awakens
The void was silent—too silent. Then, a pulse rippled through the black.Light burst outward from the heart of Genesis-2, stretching across the newly born universe like the first breath of a god. Suns ignited. Nebulae roared to life. Time itself began to flow with purpose.And in the space between creation and consciousness, Ethan Cross awakened.He stood in the white between worlds—his body a synthesis of energy and memory, neither fully human nor divine. The pendant Cass had given him still glowed faintly in his hand, the last fragment of the world he had left behind.[System Integration: Complete.] [User Identity: Undefined.] [Designation Assigned: “Prime Architect.”]Ethan exhaled slowly. “So it begins again.”The New BeginningGenesis-2 was beautiful, but raw. Chaos and order danced side by side. Planets formed and broke apart. Elements warred for dominance. Streams of radiation coiled like serpents through newborn skies.And at the center of it all—the Heart Node—a massive cryst
The Architects of Infinity
The universe was vast enough to hide a thousand secrets— and yet, the Horizon Network touched them all.Every gate, every relay, every shimmering bridge of light connected worlds born from Ethan Cross’s legacy. Humanity had become a species of builders, travelers, and dreamers. They no longer looked to the stars with fear or conquest in their hearts—only wonder.But even in wonder, creation demanded architects.And so, the Horizon Council of Worldsconvened.The Gathering of StarsThe chamber floated above the planet Aetherion, suspended in orbit. Transparent walls revealed the endless ocean of stars outside, while within, holographic banners shimmered—symbols of each world that had joined the Horizon Alliance.Cass stood at the central dais, older now, her hair streaked with silver but her eyes sharp as ever. To her right was Lira Dane—Victor Dane’s granddaughter—reborn not as a tyrant’s heir, but as the new Prime Engineer of Horizon’s interstellar gates.And beside them, projected in
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