[Global News Network - Breaking Broadcast]
Every screen in the city—from Times Square billboards to smartphones—suddenly switched to the same feed.
Alex sat at a simple desk in his new temporary office at the construction site. Behind him, construction cranes were already moving, clearing the rubble of the warehouse.
"Citizens," Alex spoke calmly. "My name is Alex. You know me as the man who donated $10 Billion to your city yesterday."
He held up a tablet. On the screen was a high-definition image of Vincent, taken from the warehouse security feed. It showed the scar on his face clearly.
"This man is a terrorist," Alex lied smoothly. "He attacked my property. He is dangerous. And he is hiding somewhere in this city."
Alex leaned into the camera.
"I am a busy man. I don't like playing hide-and-seek. So I am hiring all of you."
A number flashed on the screen: $1,000,000,000.
"One Billion Dollars," Alex announced. "Cash. Tax-free. To the person who gives me the location of this man. If you capture him alive, I will double it."
The city stopped.
Traffic stopped. Chefs stopped cooking. Thieves stopped stealing.
One billion dollars? That was enough to buy a small island. That was generational wealth.
"There are 8 million people in this city," Alex said. "That means I have 8 million cameras. Start looking."
The broadcast ended.
[The Underground Sewers - Sector 7]
Vincent was limping through the dark tunnels. He was badly injured from Alex's punch. His chest felt like it was caved in.
"That monster," Vincent spat, clutching his side. "I need to recover. I need to find a safe house."
He climbed up a ladder and peeked out of a manhole in a poor neighborhood. He thought he would be safe here.
He saw a homeless man sitting on a cardboard box, looking at a cracked smartphone.
Vincent climbed out, keeping his head down. "Hey, old man. Do you have any water?"
The homeless man looked up. He looked at Vincent's scar. Then he looked at his phone screen. Then back at the scar.
The homeless man's eyes went wide. He didn't see a scary man in a trench coat. He saw a winning lottery ticket.
"IT'S HIM!" The homeless man screamed, pointing a shaking finger. "HE'S HERE! THE BILLION DOLLAR MAN!"
Instantly, windows flew open on the street.
"Where?!" "Get him!" "That money is mine!"
A group of teenagers playing basketball nearby dropped the ball and started sprinting toward Vincent. A grandmother swung her purse. A taxi driver swerved his car onto the sidewalk to block the path.
Vincent's face went pale.
"Are you all crazy?!" Vincent shouted, summoning a weak purple shield.
"I don't care about your magic!" The taxi driver yelled, grabbing a tire iron. "I care about the Billion Dollars!"
Vincent realized the truth. He wasn't fighting Alex anymore. He was fighting the entire human race.
"Damn you, Tycoon!" Vincent screamed, smashing the taxi window and running back into the alleyway.
The mob chased after him.
[Dragon Bay Villa]
Alex watched the chaos on his monitors.
[Ding!] [Target Sighted: Sector 7.] [Source: 15,000 Civilian Reports.]
Alex smiled and sipped his coffee.
"See, Luna?" Alex said. "Why hunt when you can just pay for delivery?"