2026-09-04 10:56:01Chapter 4 — The Secret Room
The ballroom erupted into confusion.
Guests rushed away from the entrance as the men in black suits moved through the crowd.
Ethan remained still.
His eyes were fixed on Adrian.
“The people who took my father?”
Adrian grabbed his arm.
“Not here.”
Ethan pulled away.
“I've spent three years looking for him. You're going to explain everything.”
“I don't have time.”
“You have ten seconds.”
Adrian stared at him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then the system appeared.
[Emergency Mission Active.]
[Objective: Escape the Cross International Gala.]
[Reward: $1,000,000.]
[Additional Objective: Preserve the Unknown Key.]
Ethan slipped the silver key into his pocket.
Adrian noticed.
“You still have it?”
“Yes.”
“Then stay close to me.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“You shouldn't.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
Adrian glanced toward the entrance.
“But right now, I'm the only person in this room who knows where they're going.”
Ethan hesitated.
Then followed him.
They moved through a side corridor.
Adrian pushed open a door and led Ethan into a private hallway.
“Where are we going?”
“Underground parking.”
Ethan stopped.
“No.”
Adrian turned.
“What?”
“I didn't come here to run.”
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
Adrian looked at him for several seconds.
“Three years ago, your father discovered that someone inside Cross International was secretly moving company funds through shell companies.”
Ethan's expression changed.
“V-Prime Holdings?”
Adrian's eyes widened.
“How do you know that name?”
“I saw a transaction.”
Adrian looked impressed despite himself.
“Then you've already found part of the trail.”
“Who was behind it?”
“I don't know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I was twenty-two when it happened. My father kept me away from most of the company's internal affairs.”
“Yet you know my father was taken.”
Adrian looked away.
“Because I saw him that night.”
Ethan froze.
“You saw my father?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Outside the old Cross research facility.”
“Three years ago?”
Adrian nodded.
“He was arguing with my father.”
“What were they arguing about?”
“I couldn't hear everything.”
“Try.”
Adrian took a breath.
“Your father kept saying that someone had betrayed him.”
Ethan's mind raced.
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Then why did you warn me?”
Adrian looked at him.
“Because after your father disappeared, I asked questions.”
“And?”
“My father told me to forget everything.”
Ethan's jaw tightened.
That wasn't an answer.
It was confirmation.
Someone had been hiding something.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Adrian's expression changed.
“They're coming.”
He opened another door.
“Inside.”
Ethan entered.
It was a small storage room.
Adrian shut the door behind them.
The footsteps passed.
Ethan looked around.
“This isn't the way to the parking lot.”
“I know.”
“Then why are we here?”
Adrian walked toward a large painting hanging on the wall.
He moved it aside.
Behind it was a keypad.
Ethan stared.
“You have a secret room?”
“Every important building has one.”
Adrian entered a code.
The wall clicked.
A hidden door opened.
Ethan looked at him.
“You're full of surprises.”
“You have no idea.”
They entered.
The door closed behind them.
Inside was a narrow room filled with monitors, documents, and old storage boxes.
Ethan immediately noticed a familiar name on one of the files.
DANIEL VALE
His heart skipped.
He rushed toward it.
Adrian tried to stop him.
“Wait.”
Ethan opened the file.
Most of the pages had been removed.
Only three remained.
One contained financial records.
Another contained a photograph.
The final page had only a handwritten sentence.
IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME, THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE IS NOT VICTOR CROSS.
Ethan stared at the words.
Not Victor.
Then who?
He turned toward Adrian.
“Who else had access to your father's private accounts?”
Adrian shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“Think.”
“There were four senior executives.”
“Names.”
“Marcus Hale. Jonathan Reed. Robert Kane…”
He paused.
“And Evelyn Cross.”
Ethan looked up.
“Evelyn?”
“My father's younger sister.”
“Your aunt?”
“Yes.”
“Where is she now?”
Adrian's face became serious.
“She disappeared shortly after your father.”
Ethan looked back at the document.
Two people had disappeared around the same time.
His father.
And Evelyn Cross.
That couldn't be a coincidence.
The system appeared.
[New clue discovered.]
[Mystery Progress: 18%.]
[Possible connection detected between Daniel Vale and Evelyn Cross.]
Ethan clenched his fists.
For the first time, he felt like he was getting somewhere.
Then another notification appeared.
[Hidden Feature Unlocked.]
[Truth Scan.]
Ethan blinked.
“What is Truth Scan?”
[The ability allows the host to analyze inconsistencies in statements and documents.]
Ethan looked at Adrian.
“Interesting.”
Adrian frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Ethan activated the ability.
A faint blue outline appeared around Adrian.
[Statement Analysis.]
Adrian Cross:
Truth probability: 82%.
Ethan's eyes widened.
So Adrian wasn't telling the whole truth.
“You said you don't know who took my father.”
“I don't.”
[Statement probability: 61%.]
Ethan stared at him.
“You're hiding something.”
Adrian's expression hardened.
“I told you what I know.”
“No. You told me what you're willing to tell me.”
Before Adrian could respond, an alarm suddenly sounded.
The hidden room shook slightly.
Adrian looked toward the door.
“They found the entrance.”
Ethan calmly closed the file.
“Then we leave.”
“There's another exit.”
Adrian opened a second panel.
A staircase appeared.
They hurried down.
At the bottom was an underground tunnel leading toward an old service building behind the hotel.
When they finally emerged outside, the rain had returned.
Ethan took a deep breath.
The gala was behind them.
But the mystery had only become bigger.
An hour later, Ethan sat inside his penthouse.
The silver key rested on the table.
He studied it carefully.
There were no markings except a tiny number engraved near the edge.
317.
Ethan opened his laptop.
He searched through every document he had about his father.
Nothing.
Then he remembered the file from the gala.
One of the documents contained an old warehouse address.
He entered it into the system.
[Location recognized.]
[Warehouse 317.]
Ethan's eyes widened.
The key.
The number.
The warehouse.
They matched.
A new mission appeared.
[Main Mystery Mission Updated.]
Objective: Visit Warehouse 317.
Reward: $5,000,000.
Warning: This location may contain evidence related to Daniel Vale.
Ethan leaned back.
Five million dollars.
He almost laughed.
After everything that had happened tonight, the money no longer mattered as much as the answer.
His father was alive somewhere.
Or at least, there had been evidence of him.
Ethan stood.
“I'll find you.”
Across the city, inside a quiet office, Victor Cross sat behind his desk.
A man stood before him.
“Sir, Ethan Vale escaped.”
Victor's expression remained calm.
“Where is Adrian?”
“We lost track of him.”
Victor slowly looked up.
“And the key?”
The man hesitated.
“We believe Ethan has it.”
For the first time, Victor's calm expression disappeared.
“You were told to make sure that key never left the building.”
“Yes, sir.”
Victor stood.
“Find Ethan Vale.”
“Should we bring him back?”
Victor stared through the window.
“No.”
He paused.
“Find out what the system has given him.”
The man's face changed.
“The system?”
Victor said nothing.
But his silence was answer enough.
Three years ago, Daniel Vale had discovered a secret that could destroy powerful people.
Tonight, his son had inherited something far more dangerous.
And Victor Cross knew one thing Ethan didn't.
The Ultimate Wealth System had appeared before.
And the last person who possessed it had disappeared without a trace.
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THE VALE FAMILY ARCHIVE
Chapter 10 — The Vale Family ArchiveRain hammered against the windows of Ethan Vale’s penthouse.He stood before the glass, staring at the city below.Millions of lights illuminated the streets, but Ethan barely noticed them.His mind was somewhere else.Eighteen years ago.The system had identified him as a potential host when he was only seven.That meant his father had known.Perhaps even before Ethan understood what his family truly was.His phone vibrated.Adrian.Ethan answered.“Did you find anything?”“I found the location of the archive.”Ethan straightened.“Where?”“The old Vale estate.”Ethan frowned.“That place was sold years ago.”“Officially.”A pause followed.“Unofficially, the property was never transferred.”Ethan's eyes narrowed.“Who owns it?”“Your family.”Ethan immediately grabbed his jacket.“Send me the address.”“I already did.”His phone vibrated again.Ethan checked the message.VALE ESTATE — NORTH RIDGEHe stared at the address.He remembered the place.
THE FIRST CLUE
Chapter 9 — The First ClueThe screen went black.For several seconds, Ethan Vale stood frozen in the underground chamber.Daniel’s face was gone.His father’s final words kept replaying in his mind.Ethan… I’m sorry.Sorry for what?For disappearing?For leaving him alone?Or for something Ethan had not yet discovered?“Ethan.”Adrian’s voice pulled him back.“What?” Ethan asked.Adrian pointed toward the wall.A thin blue light had appeared beneath the dead screen.Ethan stepped closer.Words slowly appeared.HOST 04 IDENTIFIED.His breathing stopped.Then another line appeared.HOST 05 ACTIVATION: SUCCESSFUL.Ethan stared.“Host Five?”Adrian looked equally confused.“But Daniel was Host Four.”“I know.”“Then who was Host Five?”Ethan’s system activated.[SYSTEM ALERT]Previous Host Data Detected.Host 05: UNKNOWNCurrent Status: ACTIVEEthan's eyes narrowed.“Active?”Adrian moved closer.“Does that mean someone else has the system?”“I don't know.”Before Ethan could investigate
THE MAN IN THE SHADOWS
Chapter 8 — The Man in the ShadowsEthan didn't move.The voice from the darkness echoed through the underground corridor.“Welcome back, Daniel's son.”Adrian immediately stepped in front of him.“Who are you?”No answer came.The lights along the corridor flickered on one after another.At the far end stood a man in a dark coat.His face remained partially hidden by the shadows.Ethan activated Truth Scan.[Unknown Individual detected.][Identity: Unable to determine.][Threat Level: Extremely High.]Ethan's eyes narrowed.“Where is my father?”The man smiled.“You've asked the wrong question.”“That seems to be everyone's favorite answer.”“The right question is why your father chose you.”Ethan's expression hardened.“You knew Daniel?”“I knew him better than anyone.”“Then tell me where he is.”The man stepped forward.“Not yet.”Adrian looked furious.“Enough games.”The stranger glanced at him.“Adrian Cross.”Adrian froze.“You know me?”“I know your entire family.”The man lo
THE ABANDONED FACILITY
Chapter 7 — The Abandoned FacilityThe old Cross Research Facility stood at the edge of the city like a forgotten monument.It had been abandoned for three years.No lights.No employees.No security guards.Just a massive concrete building surrounded by overgrown grass and rusting fences.Ethan parked his car several hundred meters away.He looked at the building through the windshield.The system appeared.[Target location confirmed.][Cross Research Facility.][Mission: Discover records belonging to previous system host.][Reward: $10,000,000.]Ethan stepped out of the car.“Let's find out what Dad was hiding.”He approached the entrance.The main door was locked.But the silver key in his pocket suddenly became warm.Ethan pulled it out.A small blue light appeared on its surface.The system responded.[Compatible access key detected.]The lock clicked.Ethan stared at the door.“This key was made for this place.”He pushed the door open.Darkness greeted him.He switched on his p
THE WOMAN BEHIND THE MYSTERY
Chapter 6 — The Woman Behind the MysteryEthan drove back to the city with one thought running through his mind.Evelyn Cross knows about the system.That was impossible.At least, it should have been.The system had appeared only after the accident. Nobody had been there when it activated.Nobody except...Ethan suddenly remembered the black car.The person watching him after the accident.His hands tightened around the steering wheel.Could Evelyn Cross have arranged the accident?His phone suddenly vibrated.[Danger Alert.][Host is being monitored.]Ethan looked at the rearview mirror.A black sedan was following him.The same model as the car he had seen the night before.“Of course.”He didn't panic.Instead, he took an unexpected turn.The sedan followed.Ethan turned again.Still following.He smiled.“So they really are interested in me.”The system appeared.[Suggested action: Proceed to the nearest secure location.]“Not yet.”Ethan wasn't ready to run.He wanted to know wh
WAREHOUSE 317
Chapter 5 — Warehouse 317Ethan barely slept.The final words from the system kept replaying in his mind.The Ultimate Wealth System had appeared before.Who had possessed it before him?And what had happened to that person?By six in the morning, Ethan was already dressed.The silver key sat safely in his pocket.He opened the system.[Main Mystery Mission]Locate Warehouse 317.[Mission Reward: $5,000,000][Danger Level: High]Ethan stared at the warning.“High?”[Correct.]“What happens if I fail?”[The system does not guarantee the host's safety.]Ethan smiled faintly.“So basically, you're telling me to be careful.”[Correct.]He grabbed his jacket.“Fine.”Before leaving, Ethan received another notification.[New Ability Available.][Physical Enhancement — Level 1.][Host may temporarily increase physical ability.]Ethan raised an eyebrow.“Temporarily?”[Duration: 10 minutes.]“That could be useful.”He closed the system and left the penthouse.Warehouse 317 was located in an a
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