Rebirth of the Forsaken Heir

Chapter Two: The First Move

Ethan Blake sat in the dimly lit internet café, staring at the numbers dancing across his laptop screen. The glow reflected in his dark eyes, not with uncertainty—but with calculation.

[Balance: $301.27]

[Pending Portfolio Value: $437.12 (Forecasted growth in 3 days: +25%)]

The system was right. LuxSol Technologies had already seen a tiny spike. It wasn’t much, but for someone with only $300 and a vengeance that spanned a decade, it was enough to ignite momentum.

He closed the browser and leaned back, mind racing with his next steps.

He needed power.

Influence.

A network.

And for that, he needed people—resources he could control, leverage, and grow with. But not just anyone. He needed people whose lives he could change. People who would never betray him.

He reached for the black notebook—the one filled with details of future rising stars.

Page one: Jayden Cross.

A lanky, introverted tech genius who would one day develop a revolutionary payment security algorithm and sell it for over 120 million dollars to TitanTech.

Back then, Jayden was a broke college dropout drowning in student loans and building code in coffee shops.

Now—ten years earlier—he was just a nobody writing encryption software in a rented studio above a laundromat on 5th Avenue.

Ethan’s lips curved into a smirk. “Time to make my first offer.”

5th Avenue, Midtown

The elevator groaned as it climbed to the third floor. The building was ancient—peeling walls, flickering lights, the faint scent of mold and desperation.

Ethan knocked on door 3B.

No answer.

He knocked again, louder.

Shuffling. A thump. Then the door opened two inches, revealing a sleep-deprived man in his twenties with disheveled hair and thick glasses.

Jayden squinted. “You’re not the delivery guy.”

“No. But I am the guy who’s going to make you rich.”

Jayden blinked. “Are you selling drugs?”

Ethan chuckled. “No. I’m offering you a partnership.”

The door slammed shut.

Ethan sighed and pulled out a USB stick from his pocket.

[System Prompt: Would you like to activate Memory Flashback for Target Jayden Cross?]

[Cost: 100 EXP | Confirm?]

“Confirm.”

A pulse of blue energy shimmered from Ethan’s palm and faded through the door.

Seconds later, the door opened again.

Jayden stared at Ethan like he’d seen a ghost. “How… how do you know about Project Hydra? That file’s not even online…”

“I know more than that,” Ethan said calmly. “I know your bank account’s been frozen since last week. I know the grant you applied for was rejected yesterday. And I know that in eight months, TitanTech is going to offer you a million dollars—after you nearly starve finishing your code in this dump.”

Jayden's lips trembled. “Who the hell are you?”

“Someone who can get you ten times that. But I need you now. Work with me, and I’ll give you the resources to finish your software in three months. You’ll be a millionaire by the end of the year.”

Jayden’s eyes narrowed. “Why should I trust you?”

Ethan stepped forward. “Because in your darkest future, I was the only one who gave a damn. Let’s rewrite both our stories, Jayden.”

Silence.

Then slowly, Jayden extended his hand.

“Alright. I’m in.”

[New Ally Acquired: Jayden Cross – Tech Specialist]

[Passive Bonus: Software Development Speed +50%]

[Bond Level: 1/5]

Later That Day – Ethan’s Apartment

The cramped space now buzzed with activity. Jayden had set up a temporary desk using an old crate and a second-hand monitor Ethan bought for $30. Wires snaked across the floor, and sticky notes cluttered the walls.

Jayden tapped on his keyboard at lightning speed while Ethan stood near the window, reading news articles on his phone.

[News Flash: McClaren Holdings to Buy Majority Shares in Trinity Pharma]

Ethan smiled.

Trinity Pharma. He remembered this deal.

In four days, a whistleblower would leak McClaren’s fraudulent documents, tanking both companies' stocks. Thousands would lose everything.

Unless someone shorted the stock now.

“Jayden,” Ethan said, “we need $500 more—fast.”

Jayden raised a brow. “What are you planning?”

“A stock play. One I guarantee will pay off in less than a week.”

“Where are we getting $500?”

Ethan’s phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number.

Alina Chen: You still owe me an apology. Meet me at Nova Lounge. 7 PM.

Ethan stared at the screen.

Alina Chen.

The girl he loved.

The woman who humiliated him publicly after siding with Marcus.

But ten years ago, she was still unsure, still ambitious, still... human.

“I know where I’m getting it,” Ethan muttered.

Nova Lounge – 7 PM

The air was thick with perfume and polished ambition. Nova Lounge catered to the city’s elite—crystal glasses, leather booths, whispers of deals made under soft jazz.

Alina walked in wearing a navy cocktail dress and stilettos sharp enough to cut glass. Her dark hair was pinned perfectly, her makeup subtle but flawless.

She spotted Ethan and walked over, arms crossed.

“You look like you haven’t slept in days,” she said, sitting across from him.

Ethan smirked. “Missed me?”

“Hardly,” she said, but her gaze lingered longer than she meant it to. “Why did you ask me here?”

“I need a loan.”

She scoffed. “You haven’t changed.”

“Ten percent interest. Paid back in five days. You’ll make $50 on $500.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

He leaned forward. “You once said I lacked ambition. I’m showing you otherwise. This is your chance to get in early.”

Alina hesitated. She still had feelings—buried, conflicted—but real.

She opened her clutch and placed a white envelope on the table.

“Five days,” she said. “Or I want it back—with interest and dignity.”

Ethan took the envelope and nodded. “Deal.”

[Temporary Capital: $500 Acquired]

[Mission Unlocked: “Ruin the Wolves”]

Short McClaren Holdings stock before the fraud leak

Reward: $3,000 + Market Manipulator Skill (Lv.1)

Four Days Later

Jayden burst through the apartment door, waving a printout in his hand.

“They leaked the files! You were right!”

Ethan grinned, already refreshing his trading account.

[Current Portfolio Value: $3,412.78]

Ethan nodded. “And that’s just the beginning.”

Jayden stared at him, awe replacing skepticism. “Who are you?”

Ethan looked out the window at the rising sun.

“The man who's going to take everything back.”

[Mission Complete: “Ruin the Wolves”]

[Reward Claimed: $3,000 + Market Manipulator Skill Lv.1]

[New Skill Unlocked: Investor’s Intuition (Lv.1)]

Final Scene: Blake Tower – Boardroom

Daniel Blake tossed a file onto the long boardroom table.

“LuxSol Technologies,” he said, bored. “Some nobody just bought out 10% of their shares before the company even went public. I want to know who.”

Marcus shrugged. “Probably just another speculator.”

“No. This was precise. Calculated.”

Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “Whoever’s behind this… I want him found.”