"I hate how bad I am at interpreting this stuff and being so non-assertive," Ethan muttered to himself. "Do you have some kind of miraculous trick?"
[Did you actually check the System Shop list yet?]
I guess not. I just glanced at it.
[I'll guide you.]
The System immediately took over his HUD, pulling up a menu. The options scrolled by: Weapons, Armor, Blueprints, Items, Abilities.
Ethan's eyes snagged on the 'Blueprints' tab. He couldn't resist.
[Quantum Computer Blueprint.]
[Autonomous Robot Blueprint.]
[Automated Assembly Machine Blueprint.]
Hundreds of blueprints flashed by, each more impressive than the last. What is all this? Ethan mentally asked, stunned.
[What do you think it is?] the System replied dismissively.
Ethan focused on the Quantum Computer Blueprint. He saw the list of materials and a detailed assembly plan. Does this actually work? he asked incredulously.
[You're far too small to grasp everything available in the shop. Take it easy and discover it little by little. But let's not waste time. Check the Abilities tab.]
Ethan opened the Abilities menu, and the list scrolled itself down to: [EroMeter Vision], which flashed pink and white.
What is this? he thought.
[Read the description.]
Ethan focused, and a detailed description appeared.
[EroMeter Vision: Enhanced Erotic Vision. Allows the user to view the target's current sensual state, including their current Affection Level towards the user, their current Excitement Level, their Fetishes, and their Erogenous Zones.]
[Pretty sweet deal, huh?] the System asked.
Ethan saw the price and his eyes widened. This has to be a joke, right?
The price was 1,000 Lux Points.
[Hey, that's a steal! Do you have any idea how effective you'd become with that? It would be like cheating!]
You're talking about cheating, and you yourself are a cheat, Ethan thought, a wry smile finally breaking through.
POV Shift: Victoria Sterling
The call was answered immediately by a voice that was both husky and commanding, even through the speaker.
"Hello, my sweet disaster. Did you miss me already?"
Victoria felt a familiar warmth spread through her chest. "Hi, Alex. It's me. And, mm, maybe I did. Are you telling me I need to have a reason to call you now?"
Alexandria's laugh was low, a throaty sound that Victoria recognized instantly. "We know each other too well for that, darling. You're calling from the field, and that means you need something, or someone is causing trouble. Spit it out."
Victoria relaxed slightly, leaning her head against the cool stone wall. "I have a situation with a client. A very important one. He hasn't taken the entrance exam for your little institution, and I need you to help him get admitted."
There was a pause on the line. "Who is he? And is he important enough for me to personally do a favor for you? You usually ask for much more interesting things."
"I don't know his exact pedigree, honestly," Victoria admitted, keeping her voice low. "But he bought House eighty-nine. The one I told you about."
Alexandria chuckled, the sound now edged with curiosity. "How strange. You're asking me for a favor as if he were a standard applicant, but he's the kind of person who can drop a hundred and fifty million dollars on a house. So, spill. Who is this mystery buyer?"
"He's young, Alex. He looks like he just hit legal age. He's practically a kid."
"A kid who bought that house? Now that is interesting. How do you know the house is actually his?"
"I checked the payment contract. Everything is in his name. There are no corporate entities, no family trusts listed anywhere else," Victoria stressed.
"That means nothing. His parents could have bought it in his name. It happens all the time," Alexandria countered, her professional edge returning.
"I know, but my boss was reviewing the transaction, and he couldn't find anything unusual. No flags, no strange accounts. The payment was real, immediate, and the house is fully liquidated. It was... odd, how clean the money was for a property in this development. Too clean."
Alexandria was silent for a long moment. Victoria pushed the point.
"Trust my instincts, Alex. They've never failed you. This could be a good thing. We either keep this big fish close, or we use him to lure the Great White Shark swimming behind him."
Alexandria let out a low, amused sigh. "You always know how to make things interesting, Vicki. A hundred and fifty million on the table, and you want to use a fresh-faced college kid as bait. Tell me more about this 'big fish.' Besides his money, what's his deal? Is he cute? Does he know how to handle things?"
Victoria smiled, glancing back at Ethan, who was now staring intensely at his phone in the corner. "He's gorgeous, Alex. And he has a strange confidence about him—he looked me dead in the eyes and said, 'Nothing is problematic, Ms. Sterling, as long as the desire is strong enough.'"
Alexandria went completely silent this time, but Victoria could hear the sharp intake of breath on the other end.
"Did he now? That's an old-school line, Vicki. Sounds like someone is teaching him well." Alexandria's tone was now less playful and more strategic. "A hundred and fifty million is a serious gift, and the fact that you can't trace the source is even more serious. The last time a client showed up with 'clean' money like that, it was the Saudi Royal family's silent investment manager."
"Exactly," Victoria confirmed. "So, can you get him in? He missed the exam, but he's already here, talking about his personal issues. The timing is perfect."
"The MIT admissions committee is currently comprised of rigid, moralizing old fossils who hate exceptions," Alexandria scoffed. "But the Dean has certain discretionary powers... especially when a certain seven-figure donation could be secured for a new research chair. Let me check the enrollment capacity. You know my tuition fees are expensive, darling. We can't let our standards slip just for a handsome face."
Victoria rolled her eyes, but a grin touched her lips. "Oh, I know your fees, Alex. Just get it done. And when you do, perhaps we can celebrate this successful collaboration over a bottle of the '59 Lafite? My place. I can tell you all about his 'desire'."
"That sounds like a much better deal than dealing with the admissions board," Alexandria purred. "Give me thirty minutes. And keep him distracted. I need time to find the right loophole to bypass the moralizing old fools. But tell your Mr. Blake that he has a meeting scheduled with me tomorrow morning. That should set the hook."
"Thirty minutes. Done. I'll call you back with his full name when I'm walking him out," Victoria confirmed, ending the call.
Victoria looked at her phone, then at Ethan. Seven and a half million dollars, and I get to play with Alexandria. This kid is already paying dividends. She smoothed her skirt and walked back toward Ethan, her hips swaying slightly more than necessary.