2026-09-04 10:56:58Chapter 5 — Warehouse 317
Ethan 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 abandoned industrial district on the outskirts of the city.
The place looked forgotten.
Old factories surrounded the area, their windows broken and walls covered with faded signs.
Ethan parked several streets away.
He didn't want anyone tracking his car.
As he approached the warehouse, his phone vibrated.
[Location confirmed.]
[Warehouse 317.]
Ethan looked at the massive building.
The front entrance was locked.
He took out the silver key.
The moment he inserted it into the lock, a green light appeared.
Click.
The door opened.
Ethan froze.
Someone had maintained the lock.
Which meant the warehouse wasn't abandoned.
He stepped inside.
Dust covered the floor, but the place was strangely organized.
There were several wooden crates.
A desk.
Two old computers.
And a security camera pointed directly at the entrance.
Ethan looked up.
“Someone has been here recently.”
The system appeared.
[Correct.]
Ethan moved deeper into the building.
He noticed a metal cabinet.
The cabinet had a small number printed on it.
317.
His heartbeat quickened.
He opened it.
Inside were dozens of files.
Most were financial records.
But one folder immediately caught his attention.
DANIEL VALE
Ethan grabbed it.
The first page contained a photograph of his father.
The second showed Daniel standing beside Victor Cross.
The third contained several company transactions.
Ethan scanned the numbers.
Millions of dollars had been transferred through different companies.
At the bottom of the document was one name.
Marcus Hale.
Ethan remembered Adrian mentioning him.
One of Cross International's senior executives.
Ethan activated Truth Scan.
The system analyzed the documents.
[Financial records: Authentic.]
[Evidence of unauthorized transfers detected.]
[Primary account linked to Marcus Hale.]
Ethan's eyes widened.
“So Marcus was involved.”
A sound suddenly came from behind him.
Ethan turned.
Nothing.
He slowly reached for his phone.
Then the warehouse lights switched on.
A man's voice echoed through the building.
“You shouldn't have come here.”
Ethan's eyes moved across the room.
Three men stepped from behind the crates.
They were dressed in dark clothing.
One carried a metal baton.
Another locked the warehouse door.
Ethan remained calm.
“Who sent you?”
The tallest man laughed.
“You ask too many questions.”
Ethan activated the system.
[Threat detected.]
[Physical Enhancement available.]
Activate?
“Yes.”
A strange rush of energy moved through Ethan's body.
The world seemed sharper.
The footsteps.
The movement of the men's hands.
Even the sound of their breathing.
The first man charged.
Ethan moved aside and pushed him away.
The man stumbled backward.
His companions froze.
They clearly hadn't expected resistance.
The second man rushed forward.
Ethan ducked and moved out of his way.
The fight lasted only a few minutes.
Ethan managed to escape their reach and get toward the emergency exit.
But before he could leave, the tallest man grabbed the folder.
“You're not taking this.”
Ethan stared at him.
“That folder belongs to my father.”
The man smiled.
“Your father is exactly why we're here.”
Ethan's expression hardened.
“What happened to him?”
The man's smile disappeared.
“You really don't know?”
“Tell me.”
“Your father trusted the wrong person.”
“Who?”
The man hesitated.
Then someone shouted from outside.
“Move!”
The men immediately ran toward another exit.
Ethan followed.
But they were gone.
He looked around.
A black SUV disappeared down the road.
Ethan returned to the warehouse.
The folder was gone.
But something remained on the floor.
A small flash drive.
He picked it up.
The system appeared.
[Unknown Storage Device detected.]
[Contains encrypted information.]
Decrypt?
“Yes.”
[Decryption requires 30 seconds.]
Ethan waited.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Twenty.
Then—
[Decryption complete.]
A video appeared on his phone.
Ethan's heart nearly stopped.
His father appeared on the screen.
Daniel Vale looked tired.
But he was alive.
He was sitting inside what appeared to be a small room.
He looked directly into the camera.
“Ethan.”
Ethan's eyes widened.
“If you're watching this, it means they failed to stop you.”
Daniel paused.
“I don't know how much time I have.”
Ethan stepped closer to the screen.
“Dad…”
Daniel continued.
“Listen carefully. The people who accused me of stealing from Cross International were not acting alone.”
He looked toward the door.
“There is someone inside our family who betrayed me.”
Ethan froze.
“Someone you trust.”
The video suddenly distorted.
Daniel's voice became faint.
“Whatever happens, don't trust—”
The screen went black.
Ethan stared at the phone.
The message had been cut off.
Don't trust who?
His mind raced through every person he knew.
Then another notification appeared.
[Major Mystery Clue discovered.]
[Daniel Vale confirmed alive at the time of recording.]
[Estimated recording date: 3 years ago.]
Ethan clenched his fists.
His father had been alive after his disappearance.
That changed everything.
He wasn't investigating a dead man.
He was searching for someone who had been deliberately hidden.
Ethan left the warehouse and returned to his car.
Before starting the engine, his phone rang.
Adrian Cross.
Ethan answered.
“Where are you?”
“Why?”
“Because Marcus Hale knows you're investigating him.”
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
“How do you know?”
“I received a warning.”
“From who?”
“I don't know.”
Ethan was silent.
Then Adrian said,
“Ethan, listen to me. You need to stay away from Marcus.”
“Why?”
“Because he isn't the most dangerous person involved.”
Ethan's grip tightened around the steering wheel.
“Who is?”
Adrian didn't answer immediately.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low.
“My aunt.”
“Evelyn Cross?”
“Yes.”
“She disappeared three years ago.”
“She disappeared publicly.”
Ethan frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Adrian took a breath.
“She has been watching you.”
The call ended.
Ethan stared through the windshield.
Another piece had fallen into place.
Evelyn Cross.
Marcus Hale.
Victor Cross.
Daniel Vale.
All connected.
But there was one thing Ethan still didn't understand.
Why was the system involved?
He opened the system.
[Mystery Progress: 31%.]
Then a new notification appeared.
[Warning.]
[The host's identity has been exposed to a high-level enemy.]
Ethan's expression became serious.
“Who?”
The answer appeared.
[Evelyn Cross.]
A second notification followed.
[She knows you possess the Ultimate Wealth System.]
Ethan's blood ran cold.
Across the city, inside a quiet room, a woman watched a live image of Ethan on a monitor.
She had elegant features and cold eyes.
Evelyn Cross.
She smiled.
“So Daniel's son finally inherited it.”
A man standing behind her asked,
“Should we eliminate him?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at the screen.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
Her smile widened.
“Because the system will eventually lead him to his father.”
She turned away from the monitor.
“And when it does…”
Her voice became cold.
“We'll finally know where Daniel Vale is hiding.”
Back inside his car, Ethan looked at the city ahead.
He didn't know where his father was.
He didn't know who he could trust.
But he knew one thing.
He was getting closer.
And this time, nobody was going to stop him.
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