Marcus woke up the next morning before the sun even broke the sky. He didn't feel tired. He didn't feel slow. He didn't even feel anxious.
He felt focused.
He'd slept holding a truth in the back of his mind: the System now handled every legal acquisition he would ever earn. His money was invisible to the world. The companies he captured would remain normal on paper. And his enemies wouldn't see him coming until he decided to show them.
He rolled out of bed, grabbed a quick shower, and left his apartment with a single goal:
Push Lone Star Laundry closer to the twenty percent stability mark.
Every percent brought him closer to owning HorizonTech.
---
RETURN TO THE LAUNDROMAT
The building looked the same on the outside—worn sign, faded paint—but Marcus already saw more. Appraisal Mode displayed the current progress as soon as he stepped inside.
[ Lone Star Laundry ]
Current Stability: 11%
Stability Goal for Mission Progress: 20%
Customer Trust: Moderate
Critical Needs: Repairs, cleaning, lighting upgrade
Marcus nodded. "Alright. Let's get to work."
He grabbed tools from behind the counter and moved to the back row of machines.
Four washers still needed parts. Two dryers were running, but barely. The interior lighting flickered. The windows were streaked. The vending machine held only two items.
Small things.
Fixable things.
Exactly the kind of things that raised reputation.
He cracked open Washer #9.
[ Issue: Faulty belt ]
[ Estimated Cost: $14 ]
He replaced the belt. The machine started up smoothly.
Stability increased immediately.
[ Business Stability +2% ]
[Lone Star Laundry: 13% ]
Marcus smiled. "That's what I like to see."
He fixed the other machines one by one until every unit in the row was humming with renewed life. Customers began trickling in, surprised to see so much functionality.
An older woman approached carefully.
"You the new owner?"
"Yes ma'am."
She looked around. "I've been coming here fifteen years. This place… looks alive again."
Marcus felt something warm settle in his chest. "I'm just getting started."
The System chimed.
[ Customer Satisfaction +4 ]
[ Public Reputation +3 ]
[ Stability Increase: +3% ]
[Lone Star Laundry: 16% ]
---
THE CLEANING PUSH
Once repairs were done, Marcus shifted to cleaning. He wiped down every surface, scrubbed corners, organized the detergent shelf, and polished the folding tables.
By noon, the whole laundromat smelled fresh.
A man walked in with two kids and paused at the doorway.
"Whoa… did they remodel or something?"
Marcus laughed. "Not yet. Just cleaning."
"Looks a thousand times better," the man said. "We're definitely coming here instead of the place by the highway."
[ Customer Retention +2 ]
[ Public Reputation +4 ]
[ Stability Increase: +2% ]
[Lone Star Laundry: 18% ]
Marcus checked his progress and exhaled. "Two percent left."
He glanced upward at the flickering, outdated lights.
"Perfect time to fix you."
He dragged over a ladder and replaced the worst bulbs, using Appraisal Mode to identify failing wiring.
Once done, he flipped the switch.
The laundromat lit up like a brand-new space.
A small crowd walking past outside stopped and stared in surprise.
The System responded immediately.
[ High-Impact Improvement Achieved ]
[ Customer Attraction +6 ]
[ Public Reputation +8 ]
[ Stability Increase: +4% ]
[Lone Star Laundry: 22% ]
[ Mission Requirement Completed ]
Marcus stepped off the ladder, dusted off his hands, and smiled.
He had crossed the 20% threshold.
---
SYSTEM UPDATE
The System activated sharply, as if energized.
[ STABILITY THRESHOLD ACHIEVED ]
[ PUBLIC REPUTATION UPWARD TREND CONFIRMED ]
[ HIGH-IMPACT IMPROVEMENT COMPLETE ]
[ MISSION PROGRESS: 4/5 REQUIREMENTS MET ]
The final requirement appeared:
[ Requirement 5: Present Yourself at HorizonTech ]
Approach Goal: Trigger "Acquisition Threshold"
System Note: The Host must confront former coworkers or supervisors
Marcus read it once more.
"So it's time," he whispered.
His heart beat faster—not from fear, but anticipation.
He already pictured their faces. The same people who smirked, laughed, whispered, or recorded him. The same people who thought he would never be anything.
The face-smack was coming.
But before he left, the System displayed something new.
[ Personal Wealth Update ]
Untraceable Account Balance: $27,500
Savings from rewards, growth bonuses, stabilization bonuses
The laundromat profits would appear publicly.
His personal profits were invisible.
Perfect.
Marcus cleaned his hands, grabbed his keys, and closed the store for a short break.
He wasn't driving home.
He was driving to HorizonTech.
---
APPROACHING THE OLD OFFICE
The building loomed ahead as Marcus pulled into the small visitor parking lot. HorizonTech's logo gleamed on the glass front doors.
He remembered walking out with a cardboard box.
He remembered whispers.
He remembered laughter.
"Look at him."
"He really thought he was going to move up?"
"Man can't even afford a real lunch."
"Charity case."
"Dead weight."
Today, he wasn't the broke kid.
He was the hidden owner in the making.
The System chimed lightly.
[ HorizonTech Detected ]
[ Mission Condition Ready to Trigger ]
[ Host presence required inside ]
Marcus stepped out of his truck and walked toward the entrance with calm, steady confidence.
Not rushed.
Not nervous.
Not angry.
Just ready.
Through the glass doors, he saw the front desk worker — Sarah, one of the people who mocked him most.
The moment she looked up and saw him walk in, her expression froze.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Confusion.
Shock.
Marcus didn't smile.
He didn't gloat.
He simply nodded once and walked toward her with the calm of someone holding all the cards.
The System delivered the final message of the chapter:
[ Preparing Acquisition Threshold ]
[ Host confrontation underway ]
[ HorizonTech seizure imminent ]
Marcus stepped up to the front desk.
"Hello, Sarah," he said softly. "Miss me?"