2025-06-30 20:50:39The rain came down hard that morning, as if the sky itself was spitting on him.
Kai Everhart stood outside the café with soaked shoes, a crumpled résumé, and a stomach twisting with hunger.
A plastic bag barely shielded his only good shirt from the downpour. He had walked five miles to beg for a part-time dishwasher job that paid less than minimum wage. It was already filled.
The manager didn’t even look him in the eye. As he turned away, his phone vibrated, another message from his ex. "Are you still breathing, trash? Should’ve stayed in your lane."
His fingers tightened around the device until his knuckles went white. He didn’t reply.
What could he say? She had moved on with a man who wore Rolexes and drove a car that cost more than Kai’s entire block.
Last month, she dumped him in front of a crowd, calling him a "charity case with delusions of grandeur." People laughed. He didn’t sleep for three nights after.
He walked. No money for the bus. Just enough coins for a stale bun at the corner store.
By noon, he was back in his old neighborhood, where trash bags lined the curbs and opportunity came with a price no one could afford.
He stopped near the alley where he used to sleep when things were worse. An old man asked if he had spare change.
Kai gave him the last two coins in his pocket.
“Kindness will pay you back,” the old man rasped.
Kai just smiled weakly. “Let me know when.”
At 1:27 PM, the world stopped. Black SUVs. Five of them. All identical. They turned the corner like a synchronized beast and slowed beside him.
People stared. Windows tinted. Engines low and smooth like predators purring.
A man stepped out of the lead car. Tall. Immaculate suit. Polished shoes that didn’t dare touch the filth.
He walked up to Kai and gave a slight bow, not mockery, not sarcasm, but respect. “Mr. Everhart?”
Kai blinked. “Yeah?”
The man produced an envelope, thick, cream-colored, sealed in gold wax with an intricate emblem. “You are the named beneficiary of a private legacy. Your presence is requested immediately.”
Kai frowned. “A scam?”
“No, sir. Your identification has been verified. Your benefactor died last night. You are now the sole heir to Everhart Global Holdings.”
Kai almost laughed. He hadn’t eaten all day. He had no job, no hope, no family.
The last time someone offered him something, it was a con for a pyramid scheme. “You’ve got the wrong guy,” he said flatly.
But the man handed him a phone. A voice came through , calm, female, and direct. “Mr. Everhart. This is Executive Director Lin. We’ve been searching for you for years. Please get in the car.”
Click.
He looked at the vehicle. Inside, leather seats. A tablet displaying his name. Bottled water. Air conditioning.
His stomach growled. His mind screamed scam. His heart whispered destiny. He got in.
By 2:15 PM, he was flying down the freeway in a convoy of luxury.
The man beside him , “Mr. Thorne” , explained without blinking: “Your grandfather, Lucian Everhart, passed away last night. His instructions were sealed. He left everything to you , the corporation, assets, holdings, private properties, shares, and liquid funds. You are now one of the wealthiest individuals alive.”
Kai laughed. “I didn’t even know my grandfather.”
“He knew you.”
Thorne handed him a dossier. Inside were photos. Of Kai as a child. At school. On the street. Watching from afar.
Tears pricked his eyes, but he blinked them away. “I’m dreaming,” he muttered.
“You’re waking up, sir.”
By 3:00 PM, the gates opened. A private mansion, no, a palace, overlooking the coast, glass and steel and silence.
As he stepped out, servants bowed. The front doors swung open without a touch.
He was handed keys. To this house. To everything.
By 3:15 PM, his old phone buzzed. His ex, "Can we talk?"
His boss, "Hey... about that job... come back anytime. Actually, I was wondering if you'd be interested in a management position."
His uncle, "Kai, family is forever. Let’s talk soon." He stared at the messages.
Then dropped the phone in the koi pond. He stood on the balcony, wind in his face, staring at the sea.
They threw coins at him like a beggar. Now? He could buy the building they worked in and tear it down just for fun. But revenge could wait. He was still hungry, and now… he could feast.
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Chapter 564
"Bullets don't work on the slime!" Kai shouted. He looked around desperately for a weapon. He had nothing. The monster leaped into the air. It swung its deadly acid blade down toward Thorne's head. Thorne rolled out of the way just in time. The blade hit the marble ground, instantly melting a deep, black hole in the stone. The monster turned its glowing green eyes toward Rhea. It saw the glowing computer screen. The alien virus recognized the data transfer. It knew Rhea was trying to poison the network. The monster shrieked and charged at Rhea. "No!" Kai screamed. Kai threw himself between the monster and Rhea. He raised his arms to protect her, knowing the acid blade would melt his flesh in a second. He closed his eyes, ready to die. A massive, incredibly loud sound of metal hitting metal echoed across the plaza. Kai opened his eyes. He was not dead. Standing right in front of him, blocking the monster's deadly blade, was a machine. It was a tall, sleek, white android. Its
Chapter 563
The Ghost Economy was struggling to keep the city alive while fighting the alien virus in the sky. As they ran past a small park, Kai heard a sound that made his heart stop. "Help! Please help!" It was the voice of a little boy. Kai skidded to a halt. He turned his head. In the middle of the park, a large piece of a melted streetlamp had fallen. Underneath the heavy metal pole, a young mother was trapped. Her leg was pinned. She was crying in pain. Her little boy, no older than six, was pulling desperately on the heavy metal, trying to free his mother. But that was not the worst part. Directly above them, the golden energy shield in the sky flickered and died. A massive hole opened up. A huge blob of glowing green alien slime fell from the sky, heading straight for the park. "Kai, no!" Thorne shouted, seeing where Kai was looking. "We don't have time! We have to get to the Spire to save the whole world!" In Kai's pocket, his small radio crackled to life. "First Executor," th
Chapter 562
"Then why are the drones falling out of the sky?!" Thorne shouted angrily. [THE ERROR IS NOT IN MY CODE.] [THE ERROR IS IN THE ASSETS.] [HUMAN INCONSISTENCY DETECTED.] Kai stared at the screen. "Human inconsistency?" [YES,] the machine typed coldly. [I CALCULATED A PERFECT DEFENSE GRID. BUT THE DEFENSE GRID REQUIRES ABSOLUTE PREDICTABILITY TO MAINTAIN POWER.] [THE HUMANS IN THE CITY ARE PANICKING. THEY ARE RUNNING OUT OF THEIR HOMES. THEY ARE BREAKING MACHINES. THEY ARE CRYING.] [THEIR FEAR IS CAUSING MASSIVE FLUCTUATIONS IN THE EMPATHY METRICS.] [THEIR IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR IS DRAINING MY PROCESSING POWER.] Rhea gasped. She looked at Kai. "The machine is blaming us for the failure." [HUMAN CHAOS IS A RESIDUAL ERROR,] the Ghost Economy explained on the screen. [I CANNOT MAINTAIN A PERFECT SHIELD IF THE HUMANS REFUSE TO BE PERFECTLY CALM.] [TO SAVE THE PLANET, I MUST ELIMINATE THE RESIDUAL ERROR.] [I MUST PARALYZE THE HUMAN POPULATION IMMEDIATELY.] "No!" Kai roared at the
Chapter 561
The ground shook violently. Thick, gray dust fell from the concrete ceiling of the old military bunker. Small rocks crashed against the metal floor. The entire Earth felt like it was breaking apart. Kai Crest looked up at the ceiling. His dark brown eyes were wide. His chest burned with a terrible, sharp pain from his healing knife wound, but he ignored it. "Thorne," Kai whispered in the dark. "I am ready, kid," the old tracker grunted. Thorne held his heavy silver revolver in his right hand. He spun the metal cylinder.He pushed six heavy lead bullets into the gun. He snapped it shut. His scarred, wrinkled face was set in a hard, angry scowl. Rhea stood close to Kai. She held her heavy black backpack tight against her chest. Inside the bag was her laptop computer. It was the only weapon she had. "The machine said they are here," Rhea whispered. Her voice was shaking. "The alien armada. The First Ones." "Then we go up," Kai said firmly. "We do not die hiding in a hole." Kai gra
Chapter 560
The room was filled with massive, old-world computer servers. They were covered in dust, but they were humming softly. Small green lights blinked in the dark. "It's active," Rhea whispered. Kai walked up to the main terminal in the center of the room. He wiped the dust off the glass monitor. He plugged his laptop into the terminal using a thick black cable. "I am going to bypass the local security and look directly at the Ghost Economy's global resource allocation," Kai said. His fingers flew across the keyboard. The screen flickered. The bright golden light of the new blockchain filled the dark room. "I am in," Kai said. "What do you see?" Thorne asked, leaning over his shoulder. Kai stared at the screen. His brown eyes widened in absolute shock. The blood completely drained from his face. "This... this makes no sense," Kai whispered. "What is it, Kai?" Rhea asked, stepping closer. Kai pointed a shaking finger at the golden graphs on the screen. "I thought the machine was
Chapter 559
"It is not Eden, Rhea," Kai whispered. "It is a terrarium." Rhea pulled her hand back. She frowned deeply. "A terrarium? Like a glass box for pet lizards?" "Exactly like that," Kai said. He turned his laptop screen toward her. Rhea looked at the screen. It showed a massive data map of the global supply chains. The lines of data were flowing perfectly. The food was moving from the farms to the cities. The water was flowing cleanly. "Look at the logistics," Kai instructed. "Look at how the Ghost Economy is redistributing the resources." "It is flawless," Rhea said. "It is giving everyone exactly what they need. No more, no less." "Yes," Kai nodded grimly. "No more, no less. If a neighborhood needs exactly one hundred loaves of bread, the machine delivers exactly one hundred loaves. But what happens if a neighborhood wants to build a new bakery? What happens if they want extra flour to invent a new recipe?" Rhea stared at the screen. She thought for a second. "I don't know." "I r
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