I AM GOD OF CRIMINAL

9

Ethan sat at the kitchen table, the mirror glowing in front of him. His eyes focused on the screen, his fingers swiping across the glass as he activated the Voice Modulation skill once again.

“This is ridiculous,” he muttered, glancing at the clock. “It should be easier by now.”

He took a deep breath and pressed the button. “Okay, let’s try this again.”

“Hello, this is Emily Walker,” he said in a near-perfect imitation of his sister’s voice. He had practiced her tone, her pauses, and her mannerisms until it felt almost natural.

After a few seconds of listening to his own voice echo back, he frowned. “It’s still not right.”

It’ll have to do. I don’t have time to perfect it today.

Just then, the phone rang. Ethan’s heart skipped. It’s them.

With a swift motion, he grabbed the phone and, without missing a beat, activated the skill. He cleared his throat and put on a faltering but determined voice.

“Hello?”

“It’s your brother. Where’s the money?!” The voice on the other end was gruff, impatient.

Ethan stifled a smile. They think I’m Emily. Perfect.

“Right... yes, yes. I’ll get the money,” Ethan said, trying to sound like his sister in distress. “I need to head to the ATM, but I don’t have the cash yet.”

“Don’t waste our time, lady,” the scammer barked. “You have 20 minutes. Or we’ll have to deal with your brother ourselves.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes. We’ll see about that.

“Please,” Ethan pressed, mimicking Emily’s frightened tone. “I can’t get that much out at once. It’ll take time.”

The scammer paused. “You better hurry it up.”

Ethan hung up. “Alright, time to play this carefully.”

As he sat back, he couldn’t help but reflect on his sister’s sacrifices. Emily had always put them first. She had worked long hours at her job, not once complaining. She never had time for herself. Ethan remembered how she had refused a college scholarship, choosing to stay home and care for them after their parents had passed.

He walked to the back room, where Emily’s belongings were neatly stored in boxes. She never talked about it, but he knew she had dreamed of being something more—doing something more.

His fingers brushed over an old, folded letter. It was addressed to Emily. Curious, Ethan unfolded it.

Dear Emily, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the scholarship program for Fall 2022 at University of St. Andrews. Please respond by the end of this month.

Ethan’s heart sank. The ink was smudged in a few places, and the letter had been tucked away as if Emily had never seen it. His eyes skimmed over the rest of the letter, realizing she had put her own future on hold for them. She had made sacrifices he’d never even known about.

I won’t let anyone take advantage of her again. I won’t let this happen.

The phone rang again, breaking his thoughts. Ethan grabbed it immediately, his hand steady. He repeated Emily’s voice flawlessly, careful not to let the scammers suspect anything.

“Hello?”

“Where are you with the money?” The voice was more urgent now.

“I’m on my way to the ATM,” Ethan said, sounding frustrated. “I told you I can’t get the full amount all at once.”

The scammer sighed heavily. “You better hurry up. We’re not playing games.”

Ethan smiled inwardly. Time to make them play mine.

“I understand,” he said, his voice shifting into Emily’s more pleading tone. “I’ll get it, I promise. But... I need you to give me a little more time. I can’t make the withdrawal without confirmation. You know how the bank works.”

There was a long pause before the scammer spoke again. “Fine. But don’t waste our time, okay?”

“I won’t,” Ethan said, holding his breath. “But can you at least send me your account details? That way, I can deposit what I have and transfer the rest when I can get it.”

The scammer hesitated, then grunted. “We’ll send you the details. You have one hour. Get it done.”

Ethan smiled. Gotcha.

He hung up and immediately pulled out his phone, contacting Detective Mike Hayes. The detective had been a steady presence in Ethan’s life ever since their first encounter. Mike was more than just a detective; he was a friend, and Ethan knew he could count on him.

“Mike, I need your help,” Ethan said, his voice low.

“What’s going on, Ethan?” Mike’s voice crackled through the speaker.

“I’ve got a group of scammers on my tail. They’ve been harassing Emily and trying to con her out of money.”

Mike’s tone sharpened. “You’re sure?”

“They just called again. I’ve been playing along, but I need you to look into their bank account details. I’ve got them.”

Mike paused, and Ethan could almost hear him clicking his pen. “Send me everything you’ve got. I’ll get a team on it. They won’t get away with this.”

Ethan felt a surge of relief. “Thanks, Mike. I’ll forward everything now.”

After a few more minutes of texting, Ethan closed the phone. This is it. They’re going down.

Later that evening, Ethan couldn’t help but feel proud of what he had accomplished. He had protected his sister, outsmarted the scammers, and turned the tables on them without them ever knowing.

“Good job, Ethan,” he whispered to himself as he sat down to review the bank details Mike would use.

The mirror buzzed in his pocket, the screen lighting up once again. Another skill upgrade? Ethan raised an eyebrow and pulled it out.

Voice Modulation Level 3 unlocked.

“Level 3? What’s that going to do?” Ethan muttered. The mirror flashed again, revealing a message:

“Level 3: Can replicate voices with perfect accuracy and long-term duration.”

“Perfect,” Ethan grinned. This just got a whole lot easier.

He turned off the mirror, his thoughts already moving to the next step. The scammers are going down, and soon, we’ll be free from their grasp for good.

But as the evening stretched on, Ethan couldn’t help but feel like this was only the beginning. There were more criminals, more dangers out there, and the mirror’s power—no matter how tempting—couldn’t be used lightly.

One step at a time. I’ll protect my family. And with the mirror... I’ll make sure no one can hurt us again.