2025-11-23 20:50:42Click. Click. Click.
The shutters began.
Reporters, at least a dozen of them, had gathered near the entrance. Their flashes pierced through the rain.
“Rafe Miller!” One shouted. “Do you have any comments on the embezzlement scandal?!”
“Did you really steal from Li Holdings?”
“Your wife just declared she’s filing a divorce. How do you feel?”
He didn’t respond to a single question.
The reporters kept shoving microphones toward him.
“Such a pity, Rafe,” Jacob said mockingly in the midst of all the chaos, his voice smooth and loud enough for the cameras. “You had everything – a powerful and beautiful wife, a rich family, and you blew it.”
Rafe stared, his fits tightening. “Did you plan this?”
Jacob tilted his head, amused. “Oh? You think you’re that important?” He stepped closer, lowering his voice just enough for Rafe to hear. “You were always a stain on the Li family, and now you’re gone. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to slip in.” He patted Rafe’s shoulder.
Rafe’s jaw clenched.
Jacob handed the reporters the ‘evidence’ and said, “these documents prove that the embezzlement is true. I think the people deserve to know the truth.”
The reporters’ flashes intensified.
Rafe’s image, drenched, bruised, and humiliated, was now the story of the hour.
But something shifted in him then.
The pain…. It started to turn into fire.
Was this the help of the system?
He straightened, rain dripping down his face. “You think this is the end for me?”
Jacob smirked. “It’s already over Miller. Now go back to the gutter you crawled out from.”
Rafe’s lips curved into a faint dangerous smile. “I don’t crawl anymore.”
The reporters froze. Waiting to hear his next statement.
Rafe stepped closer, his voice steady. “You all wanted a story? Fine. Write this down, the next time you see me, I won’t be the man you think I am.
Jacob frowned, slightly surprised by the sudden steel in Rafe’s eyes.
Rafe brushed past the microphones, past the crowd and into the pouring rain.
He didn’t even look back once.
——-
Rain soaked through Rafe’s clothes as he walked down the dimly lit streets of Mayfair.
Every step he took echoed in the puddles, every reflection of passing cars painted his shame across the wet asphalt.
His mind replayed the events of the night over and over like a broken record.
The embezzlement scandal, the slap Clara gave him, her openly wanting to file a divorce, Jacob’s smirk.
He had given everything he had to that family.
And they decided to treat him like garbage.
But even through all the humiliation, one thing pulsed in his mind.
>>[MISSION COMPLETE: £3,000,000 REWARDED]
That single message, that single transfer, that single blue flicker of light had changed everything.
He ducked into a narrow ally behind a café, away from the rain, and leaned against the wall.
His phone buzzed again.
Another blue light flickered before his eyes.
[SYSTEM UPDATE:]
Welcome, Rafe Miller.
You have entered the revenge protocol.
•current level: initiate
•total balance: £3,025,000
•completed missions: 2
Then another pop up:
{congratulations, mission, prove your worth 1; stand your ground, completed.}
~Reward: business negotiation skill upgrade + £25,000
>current level: +2
Rafe exhaled slowly, his breath fogging in the cold air.
“Where did you come from?”
He tried to ask the system.
But of course, he didn’t get a response.
As he stared at the balance a wave of doubt flowed through him.
He needed to know if it’s real.
He slipped his card into the nearest ATM.
Typed his PIN.
Selected ‘withdraw £500.’
To this greatest surprise the machine whirred, then spat out crisp new notes.
He froze. The weight of the cash in his hands made his pulse quicken.
Real. Tangible. His.
The system buzzed softly before his eyes.
[system Tutorial unlocked]
Tip #1: Wealth breeds attention. Attention breeds visibility. Visibility attracts enemies.
He swallowed hard, sliding the money into his pocket.
“Visibility attracts danger,” He murmured.
“Guess that means I’m not the only one with this system?”
The thought lingered like some.
If others actually existed, were they enemies…..or players in the same game?
He walked through the rain slick street of Mayfair, searching for something cheap but private.
He stopped at a derelict block of flats on the corner of harrow street.
Paint peeling, windows fogged, rent cheap enough not to raise questions.
The landlord. Who was a stout man in his fifties with nicotine stained fingers barely looked up when Rafe placed a thick envelope on the desk.
“Cash?”
“Cash,” Rafe said simply.
The man flipped through it, shrugged, and slid over a rusted set of keys. “Second floor, room 2B. Don’t complain about the boiler, that thing is older than me.”
Rafe nodded, put the keys in his pocket and climbed the narrow staircase.
The apartment smelled of dust and old clothes. Bare walls, cracked ceiling, a single flickering light bulb.
It wasn’t much, but it was a place to start.
Like the system said, he shouldn’t be gaining attention or visibility.
He stood in the center of the room, looking out the window toward the skyline, the towering silhouette of the Li Holdings building gleamed faintly in the distance.
“Enjoy your empire while it lasts," he muttered. “I’ll build one twice as strong – and burn yours to the ground.”
———-
That night, he sat at the small desk with his laptop open.
He began sketching his new plan – his new life.
*step one: foundation
He’s registered a small trading company under a new identity. Something clean, simple. He’d invest in undervalued tech startups using system funds. Nothing that drew headlines.
Step two: leverage
He’d find out who framed him in Li holdings and how they were able to access his personal files and used his name to wire those funds off shore.
Step three: exposure
If he had proof, he’d leak it. Not under his own name but through an anonymous channel that would make every major outlet cover
Step four: revenge
Simply put: destroying the Li’s and everyone who had a hand in his downfall.
Revenge wasn’t about shouting. It was about timing.
And as it is now, he had all the time in the world.
He leaned back, the glow of the laptop reflecting in his eyes.
He had money.
He had growing knowledge.
He had a powerful system.
And something about that combination made him dangerous.
[system Notification]
Time check: 23:59 – Daily analysis in progress…..
Analyzing player behavior…..
Result: hurt, angered, calculated and somewhat controlled.
{system commentary}
You adapt quickly, Rafe. But remember — the system rewards balance. Too much emotion invites chaos.
Too much logic invites stagnation.
And the system is against those setbacks.
Rafe stared at the glowing words.
“So now you talk to me? And instead of an answer to all this craziness, you’re judging me.”
[correction: Guiding you.]
He smirked faintly and sat up. “Fine, guide me then.”
The screen shimmered again and a new message appeared.
[system stop #002: Not all enemies are visible.]
He frowned.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The system message appeared again, but this time instead of a reply he got:
[system notification: New mission.]
Mission title: prove your worth 2:
Objective: Earn £10k profit in 48 hours without using system money.
Time starts now.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Goodbye, Rafe Miller
Rafe finally stood up and dragged himself toward the sink and splashed cold water on his face, watching the pink-tinted drops fall into the basin. His reflection stared back, hollow eyes, bruised lip, jaw tight with exhaustion.He had almost died a few minutes ago.He pushed away from the mirror, pacing.It wasn’t just humiliation anymore. They actually wanted him gone.Then, a faint chime.The air in the room seemed to hum. Rafe froze. The reflection in the window flickered, then the System appeared again, lettering glowing faint blue across the glass.[SYSTEM ALERT: USER EXPOSED TOO EARLY] Threat Level: Critical. Observation Detected – Multiple Entities.Recommendation: Relocation Required.Rafe blinked hard, his breath catching. “What do you mean exposed?” he muttered. “You’re saying people know… about you?”The text pulsed.System: “Attention has been drawn to your sudden rise, Rafe Miller. Visibility threatens continuity.”Rafe rubbed his temples, forcing himself to think. His
Run Or Die
London had a strange way of going quiet after midnight.The rain had stopped hours ago, but the streets still glistened under the orange lamplight, slick and reflective like sheets of glass.Rafe crossed the bridge toward South Bank, the faint hum of the Thames beneath him.His new suit hung perfectly, the expensive fabric hugging his shoulders, a small, quiet reminder that the man walking home tonight was not the same one who once bowed to the Li family’s insults.He felt lighter somehow.Not happy, just… focused.Every step brought him closer to something he couldn’t yet name.His phone buzzed in his pocket.[Sub-Alert: Unusual Movement Detected.]Rafe frowned. “Unusual movement?” he murmured.He stopped at the end of the bridge and glanced behind him. The street was mostly empty, a delivery van passing in the distance, a couple huddled under an umbrella, a lone cyclist gliding past.Everything looked normal.He shrugged it off and kept walking.By the time he reached the narrow str
The First Real Trail
The bell above the door chimed softly as Rafe turned toward the voice.Jacob Levi stood near the entrance of the luxury store, grinning like he owned the place. His navy suit was crisp, his tie knotted perfectly, and his eyes carried that same glint of entitlement Rafe remembered too well.“Rafe Miller,” Jacob drawled, walking closer with that slow, confident stride of someone who never once doubted the ground beneath him. “Didn’t expect to see you here. Lost, are we?”Rafe didn’t respond. He simply adjusted the jacket he was holding, his fingers brushing the fine wool fabric.Jacob laughed, shaking his head. “You always were full of surprises. From begging your wife for lunch money to browsing Hartmann suits? What’s next, a yacht?”Rafe exhaled through his nose, calm. The insults didn’t sting anymore. They just sounded small.“I heard about you,” Jacob continued, stepping closer until their reflections shared the same mirror. “The disgrace of the Li family. Raising a small dying cafe
Risk: Accepted
Rain returned the following morning.It always did in London, falling in slow, apologetic sheets that blurred everything into grey.Rafe sat by the window of his modest South Bank flat, the glow of his laptop screen reflecting off the mug of black coffee beside him. The city outside hummed faintly, buses growling, footsteps splashing through puddles, a siren in the distance.On his screen, a spreadsheet blinked back at him.Company names. Stock prices. Notes scribbled like scattered thoughts.Finance for beginners, the title of the tab read.He leaned back and rubbed his eyes. Two weeks ago, he wouldn’t have cared about the importance of a portfolio. Now, he was consuming everything he could, equity, valuation, market trends, leverage ratios.Not because he suddenly adored numbers.But because numbers were the language of those who had ridiculed him. Those he wanted to crush.Clara’s father had once scoffed across their dinner table, his voice dripping with disdain.“You wouldn’t last
The Loading Screen
Rafe cursed under his breath, “Who the hell are you?” and chased after him.The rain hit the pavement in silver sheets as he burst through the cafe door.“Rafe? Where are you going?!”He ignored Amara’s calls, his attention drilled to one person. The system user.“Hey!” Rafe called out. The man didn’t stop.He moved fast, dancing through the crowd like smoke, slipping between pedestrians and puddles with so much precision.Rafe followed, shoving past people, ignoring their protests. His shoes splashed through puddles, breath clouding in the cold air.The man turned down a narrow side street, glancing back once, his eyes glowing faintly blue.Rafe’s pulse spiked. He really is a System user too.“Stop!” Rafe shouted. “You— you know about it, don’t you?”The man didn’t respond. Instead, he darted across the street as a car honked, brakes screeching inches away.Rafe barely cleared the next lane, his jacket sleeve brushing against a side mirror. His lungs burned, but adrenaline drowned mo
Signature: USER-02
The rain had stopped by morning, leaving London wrapped in a grey haze.The streets glistened, buses hissed through puddles, and Rafe moved quietly among the crowd, just another face in the city that had already forgotten him.He stopped by a lamppost to check his phone.A faint blue flicker appeared in his vision.[SYSTEM MISSION #2: PROVE YOUR WORTH]Objective: Earn £10,000 profit in 48 hours without using System money.Reward: unknown.Penalty: Balance deduction – £1,000,000.He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “No pressure, huh?”Two days. No System funds.Just him, and his brain.And honestly comparing it to what he faced in the Li’s house, it was nothing.By afternoon, he wandered through South Bank’s quieter streets, the ones where old shops clung to life between shiny glass towers. Thaat’s when he saw it: “CLOSING DOWN SALE – 3 DAYS LEFT”, printed across the dusty window of a small café.He paused. The place looked dead — lights dimmed, furniture stacked near t
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