The fortune's deadline

chapter 6: strategic resolve

The rain followed him home, whispering like an echo that refused to die.

Jason walked with his hood up, every step heavy, every breath tight. The city still looked the same — neon lights, tired streets — but he wasn’t the same anymore.

The system had changed him. Money had changed him. Pain had carved new steel into his bones.

And yet, beneath all that, a quiet ember still glowed — a memory of what he once was.

He reached his apartment, dripping on the floorboards, and pulled out the glowing cross.

“Grandpa,” he whispered, “you said faith marks blood. Maybe this… this is my mark.”

The holographic screen flickered awake.

> System Notice:

Stability restored: 78 %. New potential detected.

Generate long-term task?

Jason exhaled. “Yes. Something that matters.”

> Task Generated – ‘Build Meaning From Pain’

Objective: Create a self-sustaining platform that helps at least one hundred orphans within thirty days.

Reward: +10 days life, Wealth multiplier unlocked.

He stared at the glowing words. For the first time in weeks, a purpose that didn’t reek of greed filled him.

Helping orphans — kids like him. Kids who went to bed cold and woke up hungry for love.

He whispered, “Alright. Let’s begin.”

---

The Spark

Jason spent the next forty-eight hours buried in code, coffee, and memories.

He used every dime he had left to rent a cheap server and a name — HomeLight.

The logo was simple: two hands holding a small flame.

He didn’t need fancy design; he needed hope.

He wrote the site’s first line of text himself:

> “For every child left behind, there’s someone who once was.”

It felt raw and real. Maybe too real. But when he looked at it, he felt something stir — a faint warmth cutting through the emotional frost the system had left behind.

He reached out to small orphanages online, offering free tutoring sessions, fundraising drives, and story contests for kids. He poured his business intuition into making it work — structuring the donations, writing posts that touched hearts, predicting which ads would draw sponsors.

Within a week, the first donor came. Then another. Then ten more.

Every ping of the notification bell felt like a heartbeat returning.

---

A Growing Flame

By the second week, HomeLight had a hundred users and real donations.

Jason began hiring volunteers — college students, part-time teachers, even a few social-media influencers who saw his sincerity.

They didn’t know about the countdown in his chest, or the system whispering in his mind.

They only saw a young man who refused to give up on broken children.

News spread fast. “Anonymous young founder helps orphans rise through education.”

Articles appeared. Videos shared. Hope rippled quietly across the net.

The holographic screen pulsed every night, feeding him updates:

> Task Progress – 48 %.

Wealth Generated – $100 000.

Time Bonus Pending.

For the first time since his diagnosis, Jason smiled without forcing it.

---

The Threat Returns

But peace never lasted long.

One night, as he reviewed donation reports, his screen glitched — static lines, system tremors.

Then a message flashed across:

> Surveillance Alert – External Breach Detected.

Origin: Victor Kane Holdings.

Jason’s blood ran cold.

“Of course,” he muttered. “He found me again.”

Moments later, an unknown number called. He didn’t answer, but a message appeared anyway.

Victor: Nice project, kid. Saving orphans? How poetic. Pity it won’t last when investors hear about your “hidden funds.”

Jason gritted his teeth. “He’s trying to ruin this too.”

He knew Victor could smear him easily. The man owned media channels, legal contacts, fake donors.

One rumor could sink everything Jason built.

He opened the system panel. “Is there a way to defend myself?”

> Defense Protocol Unlocked:

You may channel earned wealth into “Integrity Projects.” Public trust amplifies survival days.

Jason smiled faintly. “Then I’ll make this public. Loud.”

---

Fight in the Light

The next morning, he streamed live on HomeLight’s page.

“Good morning,” he said softly, voice steady but eyes sharp. “I started this project not for fame, not for money, but because I know what it’s like to grow up invisible. I was an orphan once. And now, I just want to give what I never had.”

Thousands tuned in.

He showed real records, live testimonies from orphanage directors, messages from kids whose lives had already changed.

The comments poured in:

> “This guy’s legit.”

“Finally, someone who helps for real.”

“Victor Kane tried to ruin him but failed!”

That last line made Jason pause. So the public already smelled Victor’s corruption.

He leaned closer to the camera. “No one ruins hope,” he said quietly. “Not while I’m breathing.”

The system pulsed.

> Integrity Boost Achieved.

Task Complete – 100 orphans reached.

Reward: +10 days (84 total). Wealth Tracker Unlocked.

A faint smile broke across his tired face. For once, the blue light on his skin felt warm, not cold.

---

Echoes of Hope

Later that evening, Jason visited one of the partner orphanages — a small brick building by the river.

Children ran around, laughing, some wearing donated clothes from HomeLight sponsors.

A little boy tugged at his sleeve.

“Sir, are you the one who made the school?”

Jason nodded. “Kind of.”

The boy smiled shyly. “Thank you. My sister says you’re like a hero.”

Jason chuckled. “I’m not a hero. Just someone who remembers.”

The boy handed him a paper drawing — a man holding hands with two kids beneath a bright sun.

“For you,” he said.

Jason stared at it. For the first time in so long, he felt something burn behind his eyes.

He blinked fast, but a single tear escaped — proof he wasn’t completely gone yet.

---

The Shadow Behind the Flame

Back home, the glow of hope still lingered. Donations kept climbing.

But as midnight neared, the cross on his neck warmed again. The screen appeared unprompted.

> New Chain Initiated – Legacy Task.

Condition: Secure HomeLight’s future beyond your lifespan.

Reward: Unknown.

He frowned. “Beyond my lifespan?”

Then another message appeared, faint and static-filled:

> Source Proximity – Parents File 3 %. Suppressed Data Locked Behind Legacy Completion.

So it was connected — his parents, Victor, the system, everything.

If he wanted answers, he’d have to keep building, keep helping, keep surviving.

He looked out the window at the sleeping city, whispering to himself:

“I’ll do it. Not just to live… but to make them proud.”

The cross glowed faintly, like it understood.

Outside, hidden across the street, Victor’s car waited again.

Inside, a woman sat beside him — the same woman from Jason’s orphanage photo files, long thought dead.

She whispered, “He’s stronger than you said.”

Victor’s eyes narrowed. “Then it’s time he learns what strength costs.”

As their car disappeared into the fog, Jason’s screen blinked one final time that night.

> Incoming Event – “Betrayer Ally Detected.”

Countdown: 72 hours.

Jason stared at the glow, unaware that one of his new volunteers — the girl who handled donor emails — was forwarding every HomeLight report straight to Victor.