The city skyline glittered like data streams at midnight as Leo stood on the balcony of his new high-rise apartment.
Below him, Shanghai pulsed with light — a living organism of ambition, greed, and dreams.
Just one week ago, he was broke and humiliated.
Now, TruthWork had over 2 million verified users and partnerships with three global companies.
> 💼 [System Alert]
🎯 Weekly Mission Completed: Startup Founder (Tier S)
💰 Reward Granted: ¥50,000,000
🧠 Skill Unlocked — Business Intuition (Level 3)
🧩 New Career Available in 24 Hours
Aria appeared beside him in a flowing white holographic dress, her voice soft but sharp.
Aria: "Congratulations, Leo. You're no longer a pawn in their game."
Leo smiled faintly. "No… now I'm learning to play my own."
---
The Offer
The next day, Leo walked into a skyscraper owned by Titan Dynamics, one of the largest tech conglomerates in Asia.
He was invited to meet Victor Han, a legendary billionaire known for building empires from nothing.
Victor's presence was magnetic — tall, silver-haired, with eyes that measured worth in seconds.
Victor Han: "Leo Fan. The man who built TruthWork overnight. Impressive."
Leo: "I appreciate that, Mr. Han."
Victor leaned forward, steepling his fingers.
Victor Han: "I want to buy TruthWork. I'll pay you ¥1 billion… right now."
The room went silent.
Even Aria froze, calculating probabilities.
Aria (whispering): "That's generational wealth, Leo. But be careful. Titan Dynamics runs shadow projects — they could be tied to that mysterious observer who mentioned you."
Leo looked Victor in the eye.
Leo: "TruthWork isn't for sale. Not to anyone."
Victor smirked.
Victor Han: "Bold. Dangerous. I like that."
He slid a card across the table — black metal, engraved with a phoenix symbol.
Victor Han: "Then let's make it interesting. Join my private circle, the Billionaire Syndicate. Learn what real power looks like."
---
The Syndicate
That night, Aria revealed more data on the card.
Hidden behind encrypted layers was a symbol Leo had seen once before — during his hacker mission.
Aria: "Confirmed. This syndicate is connected to the same people who targeted you weeks ago."
Leo's expression hardened.
Leo: "So that's it. The shadow that's been watching… is them."
Aria: "If you join, you'll gain access to their network — information, resources, maybe even the truth about who started the Digital War you interrupted."
Leo looked out the window again, the city lights reflected in his eyes.
Leo: "Then I'll play their game… but on my terms."
> 💼 [System Update: Career Fusion Activated]
🔸 New Dual Career Path — Investor & Infiltrator
🎯 Mission: Join the Billionaire Syndicate. Expose its secrets. Rise above them.
🧠 Reward Preview: Strategic Manipulation (Level 1)
⚠️ Risk: High — Player Death (System Lockout)
Aria's eyes widened.
Aria: "Leo… this mission could kill you."
Leo smiled — calm, confident, unstoppable.
Leo: "Then I'll just have to live like a legend before it does."
He picked up Victor Han's card, slipping it into his jacket.
The night wind howled across the skyscraper, carrying a new beginning.
---
> [Next Week's Career: Investor & Infiltrator 🕶️💰]
"Welcome to the real game, Leo Fan. The world's billionaires play dirty — let's see if you can beat them at it."