The Almighty Garbage Collector: Reclaiming My Throne

The Guest from the Past

The heavy car door clicked shut, echoing loudly across the empty street outside the glittering glass tower. The enforcer stood tall under the bright streetlights, holding the silver briefcase in one hand and the golden invitation card in the other. His lips curved into a sharp, mocking grin that made my fists clench instantly.

"You think you can just walk into Babajide's party and take back your family's empire?" the enforcer asked, tossing the golden invitation card onto the pavement right at my feet. "The Supreme Leader has been watching your every move, Tunde. He knows about the system. He knows about the dragon bloodline."

Ms. Alabi stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she studied the man's face. "Elder Balogun is hiding behind his proxies because he is a coward. If he wants to talk, tell him to step out into the light instead of sending a messenger."

"The Supreme Leader does not deal with failures," the enforcer replied, his smile widening. "And he certainly does not deal with dead people. But he is willing to make an exception tonight because of the guest waiting inside this car."

With a slow, deliberate movement, the enforcer walked around to the back door of the black sports car and pulled the handle. The interior light flickered on, illuminating the dark leather seats.

A figure stepped out onto the sidewalk, dressed in a simple dark coat. The streetlights caught her face, and my breath caught in my throat.

It was Ifeoma.

[System Alert: Anomaly detected in biometric records.]

[Warning: Host heartbeat elevated.]

[Objective Update: Verify identity of secondary subject.]

I stared at her, completely frozen. The last time I saw Ifeoma, she had vanished from the city years ago during the night my parents were murdered. Everyone told me she was gone forever. They told me she was buried in an unmarked grave with the rest of the casualties of that terrible night.

Yet here she stood, alive, her eyes cold and completely unfamiliar as she looked right at me without a single trace of warmth.

"Brother," she said, her voice completely flat. "It has been a long time."

"Ifeoma?" I managed to say, taking a step forward before I caught myself. "How are you... they said you were dead. The family records said you were trapped in the mansion fire."

"Records can be rewritten, Tunde," Ifeoma replied, adjusting the collar of her coat with practiced calm. "Just like history. Just like the truth. You spent twelve years digging through garbage cans and living in the dirt, while I was being trained by the true masters of this city."

Ms. Alabi looked between the two of us, her sharp mind analyzing the sudden twist in front of us. "She is working with Elder Balogun. Look at the crest on her ring. That is the inner council mark of the Black Sun Faction."

"Smart woman," Ifeoma said, turning her cold gaze toward Ms. Alabi. "You always were good at reading the room, Ms. Alabi. Too bad you chose to back a losing horse. Tunde is carrying a broken system, and by midnight, everything he owns will belong to the Supreme Leader."

The enforcer clicked the silver briefcase open, revealing a row of flashing digital detonators and a data drive stamped with my father’s original corporate seal. "The Supreme Leader gave you a choice, Tunde. You can hand over the Scavenger System core right now, or you can watch your long-lost sister walk back into the dark where she belongs."

Commander Okoro raised his rifle, aiming it straight at the enforcer's chest. "Young Master, give the order. This is a trap. We can take them right here."

"Lower your weapon, Okoro," I said, my voice dropping into a quiet, dangerous tone.

I looked at Ifeoma. I could see the resemblance in her face, but the sister I remembered from twelve years ago was gone. The girl who used to laugh in our family living room had been replaced by a cold, calculating soldier of the very syndicate that murdered our parents.

"Is this what you wanted?" I asked, looking straight into her eyes. "Did you help them burn our house down?"

"I helped them survive," Ifeoma answered without a single hint of hesitation. "Unlike you, refusing to let go of the past while dragging everyone around you down into the mud. Babajide is taking over the financial district tonight, and the Black Sun is taking over the city. You have already lost."

She reached down, picked up the golden invitation card from the pavement, and tossed it into the open briefcase.

"The Supreme Leader is waiting on the penthouse floor of this building," Ifeoma said, turning her back to me and walking toward the glass lobby doors. "Come alone, Tunde. If you bring your friends, you will find out what really happened to our parents twelve years ago."

The glass doors slid open automatically, letting her step into the bright lobby where Babajide was still celebrating his fake victory on stage. The enforcer slammed the briefcase shut, gave me a mocking salute, and followed her inside, leaving the heavy glass doors to slide shut behind them.

[System Alert: High-level hostile environment ahead.]

[New Quest Available: Ascend to the Penthouse and confront the Supreme Leader.]

[Reward: Unlock Level 3 Dragon Bloodline and complete ancestral inheritance.]

I stood on the sidewalk, the neon lights of the city reflecting off the wet pavement. Ms. Alabi touched my arm, her expression deeply serious. "Tunde, this is a suicide mission. Ifeoma is being used as bait to draw you into the trap."

"I know," I said, cracking my knuckles as the power of the system surged through my veins, making my muscles burn with raw energy. "That is why I am going up."

I walked forward, pushed the glass doors open, and stepped inside the lobby.