Eli let out a long breath, rubbing his temples as the faint glow of the System interface faded from his vision.
Thirty thousand yuan.
The number echoed in his mind like a stone dropped into deep water.
Outside, the low rumble of another delivery truck passed along the street. Not theirs.
Never theirs anymore.
Mr. Duan stood slowly, walking to the back window where the blinds were half-open. Across the street, workers in bright orange vests were installing another massive banner over the entrance of SuperMartX.
Grand Opening Week 50% Off Essentials
Free Membership Gifts
Free lottery tickets
Mr. Duan chuckled bitterly.
"They're not even pretending anymore."
Eli followed his gaze. The banner hung like a challenge.
"They want a war," Eli said quietly.
Mr. Duan turned back toward him."No," he said. "They want surrender."
For a moment neither man spoke.
Then Eli stood.
"If they want surrender," he said slowly, "they should've picked a different neighborhood."
Mr. Duan raised an eyebrow.
Eli picked up his phone and walked toward the door of the office.
"Where are you going?" Mr. Duan asked.
"To start a fire."
That Afternoon
The community center in Briggon was full again.
But this time, Eli wasn't sitting in the back row quietly observing.
This time, he was standing at the front.
The "Local Mart for Local People" banner hung behind the stage exactly like before. The same fake smiles. The same neatly printed slogans.
About forty people sat in folding chairs.
Some were real residents.
Some were clearly hired.
And some were curious.
The moderator cleared his throat into the microphone.
"Welcome back everyone. Today we'll continue discussing how our neighborhood can preserve its values"
"Perfect," Eli said.
The word cut through the room like a blade.
Heads turned.
The moderator blinked. "Sir, this is a structured"
Eli walked straight to the projector laptop connected to the screen.
"Then let's structure things properly."
Click.
The screen lit up.
A website page appeared.
Gasps murmured through the room.
It was the "Local Mart for Local People" website.
But not the public version.
The backend admin page.
Hosting data.
Ownership.
Corporate registry.
Right at the top in clean black letters:
SMX Digital Holdings Ltd.
The moderator's smile collapsed.
Eli turned toward the audience.
"This site," he said calmly, "is owned by the same parent company that owns SuperMartX."
The room exploded into whispers.
Someone stood.
"Wait, what?"
Eli continued.
"You've been told this campaign is grassroots."
Click.
A second slide appeared.
Photos.
Screenshots.
Fake accounts posting identical comments.
Scripted talking points.
A payment contract.
The crowd grew louder.
A woman near the front whispered, "Are you serious?"
Eli didn't raise his voice.
He didn't need to.
"Yesterday," he said, "I attended this meeting and overheard someone discussing payment for reading prepared statements."
Click.
The video began playing.
The man outside the building, on the phone.
"Yeah, the gig's easy. Just nod and read the script. They said we get a bonus if we stir things up enough for a petition."
The room erupted.
People started standing.
One elderly shopkeeper shouted, "They're lying to us!"
Another man yelled, "This whole thing is fake?!"
The moderator rushed forward.
"This is misinformation! This is slander!"
Eli looked at him calmly.
"Great," Eli said. "Then you won't mind if we ask a journalist to verify it."
Right on cue, the back doors opened.
A woman stepped inside with a camera crew.
Microphone in hand.
Dragon City Times.
The room went silent.
Eli hadn't invited them.
But someone clearly had.
Behind the reporter stood Jin.
Backpack still slung over one shoulder.
He gave Eli a tiny shrug.
Eli almost laughed.
The reporter stepped forward.
"Is it true this campaign is funded by SuperMartX?"
The moderator stammered.
"I—I—this is an internal—"
Another voice cut in from the crowd.
Old Uncle Gen.
"You tried to trick our neighborhood," he barked.
More voices joined.
"You lied!"
"You said it was community!"
"You said Corner Pocket sold out!"
The room was no longer calm.
It was angry.
Eli stepped aside.
He didn't need to lead anymore.
The truth was doing the work.
That Evening
Briggon moved fast.
By sunset the story had already spread through neighborhood chat groups.
By nightfall the Dragon City Times article went live.
"SuperMartX Linked to Fake Grassroots Campaign Targeting Local Store."
At The Corner Pocket, the atmosphere felt different.
Not relaxed.
Not safe.
But electric.
Customers came in talking loudly about the news.
Some bought small items.
Some just came to show support.
Mr. Duan stood behind the register looking like he might cry and laugh at the same time.
"You blew up a corporation today," he muttered.
Eli leaned on the counter.
"They'll recover."
Mr. Duan shook his head.
"Maybe."
Then he nodded toward the window.
"Look."
Outside, people had gathered near Jin's mural again.
Phones out.
Taking photos.
Posting them.
The dragon glowed beneath the streetlights.
Its long body curling protectively around the painted market stalls.
Lanterns.
Food.
People.
Community.
Someone had written new chalk words on the sidewalk beneath it.
"Briggon Protects Its Own."
Jin stood nearby pretending he wasn't watching people admire it.
Eli stepped outside and leaned against the wall beside him.
"You started a revolution," Eli said.
Jin snorted.
"I painted a dragon."
Eli looked at the mural again.
"Same thing sometimes."
For the first time in weeks, the tension in his chest loosened slightly.
Across the street, the lights of SuperMartX still burned bright.
But tonight they didn't look invincible.
They looked… challenged.
And Eli had a feeling the real battle for Briggon was only just beginning.