Reincarnated With the Ultimate Son-in-law System

Chapter 4

Michael paced the length of his home office, glancing occasionally at the wall clock. 11:48 PM. The house was quiet, Katherine having retired to bed hours ago.

"Twelve minutes," he thought, fingers drumming against his thigh. "Twelve minutes until I've officially survived my first day back in this timeline without arousing suspicion."

The day had been exhausting—performing the role of naive Michael while monitoring every reaction from those who would eventually betray him. Every conversation with Eric felt like walking through a minefield. Every touch from Katherine made his skin crawl. Yet he'd maintained the facade flawlessly.

His notebook lay open on the desk, filled with careful notes and diagrams—ideas that hadn't existed in this timeline until he'd brought them back from the future. Technological concepts that wouldn't emerge for years, market predictions based on trends that hadn't yet begun.

"Knowledge truly is power," he thought, running his fingers over a particularly detailed sketch. "Five years of future insight crammed into my head. The ultimate insider trading."

11:55 PM. Michael sat in his desk chair, watching the second hand tick around the clock face. His pulse quickened as midnight approached.

"Will the System actually deliver? Or is this all some elaborate hallucination before I die in that grave?"

The seconds counted down. 11:59. The minute hand jerked toward the twelve.

Midnight.

[Task completed successfully. Reward unlocked: Advanced Smartphone Blueprint.]

The blue text appeared before him, followed by a detailed three-dimensional projection that hovered in the air. Michael's breath caught in his throat as the holographic display rotated slowly, revealing a smartphone design unlike anything currently on the market.

"My God," he whispered, reaching out to touch the projection. His fingers passed through it, but the image responded, expanding to show internal components.

[Blueprint features: Graphene-enhanced battery technology. Neural response interface. Quantum-secured communications. Advanced AI integration. Proprietary operating system architecture.]

Michael stood, walking around the floating blueprint in awe. This wasn't just ahead of current technology—it was revolutionary, combining innovations that wouldn't emerge for a decade or more.

"This isn't just a smartphone," he realized, studying the detailed schematics. "It's a paradigm shift. Whoever brings this to market first would dominate the industry overnight. Such a design doesn’t even come to life in the next five years."

The obvious path was clear—take this to Crawford Enterprises, use it to cement his position in the company, accelerate his rise to power. It would be the triumph his father had always hoped for, proving once and for all that Michael was worthy of the Crawford legacy.

His fingers hovered over the projection, tracing the elegant design.

"No," he decided, his jaw setting firmly. "Crawford Enterprises is compromised. Eric has too many allies embedded throughout the company. If I introduce this there, he'll find a way to steal it, just like he stole everything else."

A new determination settled over Michael as he studied the blueprint. This technology was too valuable, too revolutionary to risk.

"I need to build this myself, from the ground up. A new company, outside Crawford's shadow. Something entirely mine that they can't touch."

The idea was both terrifying and exhilarating. In his previous life, he'd never considered striking out on his own—always seeking approval within the family business, always playing by rules established by others.

"I'll need funding, manufacturing capabilities, a development team I can trust absolutely." He began pacing again, mind racing through possibilities. "Most importantly, I'll need someone with expertise in authentication and digital security to protect the intellectual property."

Michael paused mid-step as realization struck him.

"Olivia," he whispered. "Her artistic and authentic protocols could be adapted to digital security. And she owes me a favor after the Ming vase warning."

The pieces began falling into place in his mind. Olivia Wagner's expertise in verification and authentication. Megan Chen's brilliant software user interface designs. His own knowledge of future market trends.

"The perfect founding team," he thought, a smile spreading across his face. "Megan's talent, Olivia's security protocols, and my blueprint. We could change everything."

[New task available: Establish independent development team within 14 days. Reward: Enhanced Physical Capabilities.]

"Fourteen days to build my team," Michael nodded, accepting the challenge. "While maintaining my cover at Crawford and keeping Katherine in the dark. No pressure."

He took one last look at the blueprint before the projection faded, committing the details to memory. Tomorrow he would return to Crawford Enterprises, continue the performance as the dutiful son and unsuspecting husband. But tonight, for the first time since his rebirth, Michael felt truly alive.

"They think they're watching a tragedy unfold," he thought, closing his notebook with a decisive snap. "They have no idea they're actually witnessing my origin story."

Michael opened his desk drawer and removed a burner phone he'd purchased during lunch—one Katherine and Eric knew nothing about. He typed a message to the number Olivia had given him at the gallery:

Available for that consultation discussion tomorrow evening? I have a proposition that might interest you. -MC

The response came almost immediately:

The Edison downtown. Professional meeting only.

Michael smiled. "Perfect."

As he prepared for bed in the guest room, he could feel the momentum building—the first steps toward a future that not even his betrayers could imagine.