Marcus didn't drive straight home after leaving the laundromat. He sat in his old Tacoma for several minutes, gripping the steering wheel with both hands, breathing like someone had just told him the world wasn't ending after all.
Twenty-five thousand.
The exact number the System promised as his reward.
The exact amount Ramon agreed to sell for.
It wasn't fate.
It wasn't magic.
It was opportunity finally aligning after years of hitting him in the teeth.
But none of it mattered unless he delivered a proper, clean business contract by tomorrow morning.
And he had absolutely no idea how to write one.
TIME REMAINING: 33:00:49
The countdown drifted silently in the corner of his vision like a reminder that hesitation was a luxury he couldn't afford.
Marcus closed his eyes.
Took one long breath.
Then turned the key.
The engine coughed and wheezed but eventually came to life—like it understood the importance of today.
---
### BACK HOME
His apartment felt smaller than ever.
Quieter.
Sterile.
The kitchen counter held an overdue rent notice and a stack of bills that stared at him like old enemies.
Marcus set Ramon's card on the counter.
Set his keys beside it.
Then opened his old laptop—the one with the flickering hinge and missing F7 key.
It took a full minute to boot up.
He created a new blank document.
And froze.
The empty page was more intimidating than any boss he'd ever had. A contract wasn't just words—it was law. It had to protect Ramon. It had to protect him. It had to actually hold up if someone looked at it.
"What am I doing?" he muttered.
[INITIATIVE REQUIRED.]
The System's voice echoed softly in his head.
"Yeah, yeah," Marcus muttered. "All you do is watch."
[CORRECT.]
He sighed.
He wasn't getting help.
Not until the ink dried on the contract.
He typed a title:
**BUSINESS PURCHASE AGREEMENT**
Then stopped again.
"Okay," he whispered. "Google… please help me not ruin my life."
---
### RESEARCH MODE
Marcus opened twenty tabs. Then thirty. Then more.
• "how to write a business purchase agreement"
• "simple small business contract template"
• "legal clauses for selling a laundromat"
• "asset purchase vs stock purchase differences"
• "contract requirements Texas small business"
The more he learned, the more overwhelming it became.
Indemnification.
Liability transfer.
Asset lists.
Representations and warranties.
Purchase consideration.
Non-assumption clauses.
Payment terms.
He read until his eyes burned.
But then something surprising happened.
The pieces started fitting together.
He built the contract section by section:
### SECTION 1 — IDENTIFICATION OF PARTIES
Seller: *Ramon Diaz*
Buyer: *Marcus Hale*
### SECTION 2 — PURCHASE PRICE
Flat purchase price: **$25,000**
Payment deadline: **within 24 hours of signing**
### SECTION 3 — ASSETS INCLUDED
• All washers and dryers
• Existing signage
• Lease rights
• Maintenance equipment
• Back lot access
• Key to premises
### SECTION 4 — CONDITION OF BUSINESS
Sold *as is*
Buyer accepts responsibility for future repairs
### SECTION 5 — LIABILITY
Ramon remains liable for debts owed before the date of signing
Marcus is responsible only for future operational costs
### SECTION 6 — TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP
Ownership transfers immediately upon signing
### SECTION 7 — SIGNATURES
Seller & buyer lines
Marcus sat back after finishing Section 7 and let out a long, shaky breath.
"This… actually looks real."
He couldn't quite believe it.
He, a broke 23-year-old with no background, had just drafted a contract that looked like something out of a lawyer's office.
---
### THE OVERLOAD
His phone buzzed.
He grabbed it, half expecting the System—even though it didn't communicate through physical devices. But it was a text from his mom.
*Mom: How are you doing today? Everything okay?*
Marcus stared at the message.
He didn't reply.
He couldn't—not yet. He didn't want to scare her, but he didn't want to lie either. Not until tomorrow. Not until the ink dried and the System rewarded him.
Then he WOULD have something to tell her.
Something real.
He put the phone down and continued editing the document. Hours passed. The sun set. The apartment darkened.
He added signature lines.
He fixed formatting.
He checked legal phrasing three times.
He made sure the price was correct—**twenty-five thousand**, nothing more, nothing less.
He reread everything until the words blurred.
Every minute mattered.
TIME REMAINING: 21:58:17
Marcus whispered, "I can't mess this up."
[YOU WILL NOT.]
The System's voice echoed—not warm, not emotional, but certain.
Marcus didn't argue.
He printed the contract on his apartment complex's old shared printer. The machine rattled and groaned with every page, but the paper slid out—clean, crisp, and professional.
He held the stack in his hands, heart pounding.
"This is real," he whispered.
The first real step of adulthood.
The first real chance of his life.
And it had his name on it.
---
### THE NIGHT BEFORE
Marcus laid the contract on the kitchen table and stared at it like it might sprout wings and fly away.
For hours, he rehearsed what he would say.
*"Here's the agreement."*
*"Everything you asked for is inside."*
*"I'm ready to sign when you are."*
He couldn't sleep.
He paced.
He practiced lines out loud.
He googled last-minute contract tips.
He revised minor wording twice more.
By the time he finally collapsed into bed, exhaustion hit him like a wave.
He slept for two hours.
Maybe.
But when he woke, he wasn't groggy.
He wasn't sluggish.
He was focused.
He picked up the contract, placed it neatly into a plastic folder, and stepped outside into the fresh Texas morning.
---
### BACK TO THE LAUNDROMAT — THE FINAL STEP BEFORE COMPLETION
Marcus arrived at 11:15 AM—forty-five minutes early.
Ramon was behind the counter again, sorting some tools. He looked up.
"You're early again," Ramon said. "Good sign."
Marcus offered a small smile. "Didn't want to waste your time."
"You bring the paperwork?"
Marcus handed him the folder with both hands.
Ramon opened it and began reading.
The silence felt heavier than concrete.
Marcus stood there nearly vibrating with anxiety, watching Ramon flip page after page, his eyes narrowing—not with anger, but with concentration.
Finally, Ramon set the contract down.
"Marcus," he said, "this is better than half the contracts I've seen from people with actual lawyers."
Marcus's breath hitched. "So it's… good?"
"It's clean," Ramon said. "Detailed. Fair. You didn't try to slip anything shady in. And you matched the price exactly."
He tapped the "$25,000" section with his finger.
"You sure you can pay this within twenty-four hours?"
Marcus met his eyes.
"Yes."
Ramon held his gaze.
Then nodded.
"Alright, kid," he said softly. "Let's sign."
Marcus felt the world tilt.
"R-really?"
"You earned it."
Ramon grabbed a pen.
Marcus grabbed his.
Together—
They signed their names.
Ramon Diaz — Seller
Marcus Hale — Buyer
The moment both pens lifted from the paper…
Marcus felt something ignite inside him.
A pressure.
A shift.
A rising pulse in his mind—
SYSTEM ACTIVATION COMPLETE
REWARD ISSUED
$25,000 TRANSFERRED
NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED:
— APPRAISAL MODE
— NEGOTIATION LV.1
— BUSINESS DASHBOARD
The world seemed to sharpen around Marcus.
His first mission was complete.
Ramon slid the signed contract back into Marcus's hands.
"Welcome to your new life, kid."
Marcus swallowed, voice rough.
"Thank you."
Then the System spoke again, clear and powerful:
[WELL DONE, MARCUS HALE.]
[YOUR RISE BEGINS NOW.]