For a while, he sat there in silence, the weight of the this new project was heaving on his chest with anxiety, but not the unhealthy kind, it was the kind that came with excitement.
The mobile kitchen business was thriving, his employees were happy, and he felt like he was in control of his life once again. The system hadn't let him down yet. Ti-ring! ~Investment Confirmed~ ~Transaction Complete: $80,000~ A map appeared, highlighting several properties in the designated neighborhood. ~Next Step:~ ~Visit the properties and assess their condition.~ ~Begin renovations with system approved contractions.~ ~Prepare for tenant applications~ It was official. He was now a real estate investor. “Who would've thought…” he murmured to himself as he leaned back into his beddings, staring at the ceiling. »»»««« Maximus stood in front of the building he had invested in, the early morning sun casting long shadows over the cracked pavement. His hands were tucked deep into his hoodie pockets, partly to hold his own against the morning chill. The building was not the worst he had ever seen, but it certainly wasn’t the best or luxurious either. The paints were peeling off in long strips like scabs on a healing wound, a couple windows were broken and their was no electricity and water supply to the building. Even the heating mechanism wasn’t functioning. Still, it was his property. The system made sure of that overnight, completing all the online paperwork, and transferring ownership into his name. “Quite the fixer upper, huh?” A voice snapped Maximus out of his thoughts. He spun around to see a man in his late forties approaching his direction, his tie slightly loosened and a clipboard in his hand. The agent assigned by the mayor had introduced himself earlier as George, and Maximus couldn’t help but think the guy looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. “Its got potential,” Maximus replied with a shrug of his shoullders. George smiled, flipping through the pages on his clipboard. “That’s one way to put it. The city’s been sitting on this property for years, waiting for someone with enough optimism to take it on.” “I guess that makes me the crazy one…” They started walking around the perimeter of the building, George pointing out structural issues, city codes that needed addressing, and other details that flew over Maximus’s head. “The foundation is solid, but you'll need to redo the plumbing and electrical supplies. Windows are a huge mess too, and don’t even get me started on the roof…” Maximus nodded along. “Good new is,” George added, “The location is decent. Its close enough to public transport, and there's a park nearby. Once you get this place up and running, you could attract decent tenants…” Maximus nodded again, “Good to know…” Just as George was finishing his inspection notes, the rumble of engine caught their attention from behind. Maximus turned to see a truck pulling up, followed by a couple vans. It was the renovation squad, they had arrived. A stud man in a protective vest exited the truck with a clipboard in his hand. He looked around, sizing up the building before approaching Maximus. “You the owner?” The man asked with an incredibly husky voice. “That’s me,” Maximus replied, trying to sound as confident as he could. The man extended a hand telling him that they would be handling the renovation of his new building. They three men proceeded to enter into the building for further inspection. The interior of the building was just as rough as the exterior, if not worse. Dust rode the air like waves and the faint smell of mildew hung around the corners. The floor creaked under the weight of their feet and every step kicked up a small cloud of dirt. The renovation team moveed into the building with practiced efficiency, jotting down notes and thaking photos on their phones. The renovation officer detailed the full details of the rebuilding and how long itll take for each section to be completed. Not long later, the crew sprang into action, unloading tools and equipment from the trucks. Maximus stepped outside to give them space, leaning against the side of the building as he watched them work. Everything was set now, blueprints spread out on a workbench, new toilets and sink bowls, new roofing sheets and the rest of the equipments needed to change the condition of the building. This building was his now, and he was going to make it something worth being proud of. »»»««« The evening wind was cool as it brushed against Maximus’s face as he made his way back home. His steps were jagged and his mind still occupied with the days events. Overseeing the crew at the renovation site had been more exhausting than he'd anticipated, but seeing progress made it worth it. The city was alive around him, as it was always, but Maximus tuned down the noise around him with a pair of headphones. Vendors shouted from street corners, kids laughed as they chased each other down the sidewalks. But, none of it mattered right now. He just wanted to get home, take off his aching shoes and collapse onto his couch. Maximus reached his building and climbed the stairs two at a time, as he unlocked his door, a wave of relief washed over him. The small, rickety apartment was just as he had left it. Dimly lit and cluttered with papers, reciepts and notebooks. He tossed his coat aside and sat down with a huge sigh of relief. But, just as he leaned back and closed his eyes, his phone buzzed on the table. Maximus groaned, reaching for it with reluctancy. He didn’t recognise the number, but something told him to pick up the call. Beep! “Hello?” The voice on the other end was all too familiar. “Max? It Marcus. We need to talk.” Maximus sat up immediately, his jaw tightened instinctively. Marcus was the CEO of the company he used to work for, the man who had stood by and let him take the fall for crimes he didn’t commit. “What a pleasant surprise...” maximus said with a cold, sacarstic tone. Maximus could hear him clear his throat over the phone, sounding nervous. “Look, Maximus, I'll get straight to the point. The board's been reconsidering your situation. Were willing to drop all the charges against you and bring you back into the company…” Kpim! Maximus’s heart skipped a beat, “You're joking right?” “I'm serious,” Marcus said. “We know that things got… complicated, but we can make this right. All you have to do is sign a few documents absolving the company of any wrong doing in the mismanagement case. In return, well clear your name and reinstate your position. You'll even get a big fat bonus.” Maximus scoffed, “hold on my dude… let me get this straight, you want me to take the blame for something I didn’t do, just so you and your board members can save face? Is that it?” “It's a fair deal, I suggest you take it.” Marcus insisted, though his voice seemed to be shaky. “Think about your future, Maximus. You're talented, you don’t want to throw all that away over pride…” Maximus stood up, pacing to and fro the room as anger built up under his skin, but he remained calm and collected. “You know what Marcus?” he said finally. “I don’t need your deal. I don’t need anything from you. And as for the debt you slapped me with? Consider it gone.” “What do you mean?” Marcus asked, a hint of panic creeping into his voice. Maximus walked over to his table, opened his laptop and with just a few taps of the keyboards keys and swipe of the mouse pad, he pulled up his banking app and transfered the $500,000 he owed to the company’s account. “There,” he said, his voice steady. “debt cleared. You don’t own me anymore…” Marcus stammered, but Maximus didn’t give him a chance to even respond. “Lose my number, Marcus. And tell your board they can find someone else to pin their mess on.” With that, he hung up the phone and blocked the number. For a moment, Maximus just stood there, staring at his phone. A wave of emotions crashed over him like a tsunami. But, just when he was about to crash out, the systems familiar chime pulled him from his thoughts and a notification spread across his field of view. Ti-ring! ~Congratulations! You have cleared all outstanding debt in your name. Your Reputation Points have increased significantly.~ Maximus stared at the notification for a few seconds before a huge smile spread across his face. Laughing. “Well, that’s one less thing to worry about…” "This time I own everything, especially my life..."Latest Chapter
Chapter 83
Maximus barely acknowledged her, waving a hand dismissively. "Kinda have to. Unless you wanna help?"Dressa scoffed. "Yeah, no thanks. I'm not a masochist."Maximus smirked but didn't respond, his eyes fixed on the screen.Dressa lingered for a moment longer, then stretched her arms over her head and stood up. "Alright, I'm leaving you to your nerd stuff.""Not nerd stuff," Maximus muttered absentmindedly."Totally nerd stuff," she countered, walking off toward the kitchen.Maximus didn't argue. He didn't even have the mental bandwidth for it right now.His entire focus was on processing the flood of information on his screen.He worked tirelessly for hours, his only breaks consisting of grabbing a drink or stretching his arms before diving back in.The numbers continued to climb, and while that was great for business, it was a logistical nightmare.He needed to make sure their systems didn't crash under the weight of it all.At one point, his vision started to blur. Maximus leaned ba
Chapter 82
Just as he reached for a towel, the door creaked open.Dressa stepped in, her eyes still heavy with sleep, her oversized hoodie hanging loosely off one shoulder as she shuffled forward."Morning," she mumbled, rubbing one eye as she walked up to the sink beside him.Maximus arched a brow. "Did you sleep okay?"She nodded lazily, turning on the faucet and cupping water in her hands. "Yeah. Unlike someone who had to be carried to bed like a sack of potatoes."Maximus smirked, leaning against the counter. "Hey, I was exhausted. Workaholics don't just stop because their body tells them to."Dressa rolled her eyes, splashing water on her face. "More like your body stopped for you."Maximus chuckled, watching as she reached for a towel.There was something oddly domestic about the moment — the two of them, standing side by side, groggy from sleep, sharing a quiet morning routine. It felt… nice.Without thinking much about it, Maximus leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.Dressa
Chapter 81
Maximus barely made it back home in one piece.His limbs felt like lead as he rolled into the driveway, parking his bike in the garage with all the precision of a sleep-deprived zombie.He swung his leg off the bike, nearly tripping in the process, and let out a long sigh.His body was practically begging for sleep, but his mind? His mind was still stuck in work mode.He trudged inside, kicking the door shut behind him.The Mansion was quiet, save for the faint hum of the refrigerator. He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it aside — whether it landed on a chair, the floor, or some parallel dimension, he didn't care.Collapsing onto the couch, he let out a deep exhale, his head sinking into the cushions.'Just five minutes,' he told himself. 'Then back to work.'Before he could fully close his eyes, his phone vibrated on the armrest.He groaned but answered it anyway, barely lifting the device to his ear."Yeah?" His voice was thick with exhaustion."Finally!" Zack's voice came throug
Chapter 80
"Yeah, yeah," Zack said, still chuckling. "Go meet your date before another man hits her up."Maximus ignored him, already rushing upstairs.Once he reached his room, he yanked open his closet, grabbed a jacket, and threw it over his shoulder.He had no time to shower or even properly fix his hair.He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror — tired, slightly messy, but passable. Good enough.As he rushed back out into the hallway, he stopped by Dressa's room.Without much thought, he swung the door open.Dressa, who had been lying on her bed scrolling through her phone, sat up in surprise. "Uh — ?""I'm heading out," Maximus said quickly. "Keep yourself together."She blinked at him. "What does that even mean?"But before she could get an answer, he shut the door and ran downstairs.It was already dark outside, and a cool breeze hit his face as he stepped onto the porch.He pulled out his phone, quickly calling Lily.She picked up almost immediately. "Hey!""Hey, sorry I'm late," Ma
Chapter 79
Maximus pinched the bridge of his nose, staring at the numbers on his screen like they personally offended him.190,300 registrations.He refreshed.190,892.Another refresh.196,215.His stomach dropped. "Oh, come on," he muttered.His phone vibrated on the table, and he snatched it up, answering without looking."You seeing this?" Zack's voice crackled through the speaker.He sounded just as exhausted as Maximus felt."Yeah," Maximus groaned, rubbing his temple. "We're screwed, man. How the hell are we supposed to process over 190,000 people?"Zack let out a tired laugh. "You think that's bad? I checked the analytics. We've got another 40,000 people sitting on the payment screen."Maximus exhaled sharply. "Bro, this site's about to go up in flames."Zack sighed on the other end. "Yeah. If this keeps up, it might actually crash."Maximus leaned back into his chair, staring at the ceiling. "Explain to me again why we didn't hire an IT team for this?"Zack snorted. "Because someone sai
Chapter 78
Maximus narrowed his eyes. "Uh-huh."She groaned internally.'Great. Now he was suspicious.'To distract him, she grabbed a drink from the mini fridge, cracked it open, and took a long sip.But instead of cooling her down, it only made her more restless.Maybe she should just… say it.Rip off the bandage, throw caution to the wind, stop being a coward for once in her life.She had already kissed him, how hard would asking him out be?She took a deep breath. "Hey, Maximus?"He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"Dressa opened her mouth… then immediately panicked."I — uh — think I left my charger in my car."Maximus blinked. "Your… charger.""Y-yeah," she stammered. "I should go get it."Maximus tilted his head, clearly unconvinced. "Dressa, you drive a sports car. Where the hell would you even plug in a charger?"Dressa froze.'Crap.'"I— uh—have a power bank?" she tried.Maximus gave her a deadpan look. "Right. And I'm the King of Englxnd."Dressa groaned, internally screaming at herself. "Fo
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