Next morning, Mumbai woke up looking like it had been steamrolled by a hangover. The sky was just this big, sullen bruise overhead, heavy enough to squeeze sweat from the air itself. You could practically taste the humidity—sticky, gross, and totally relentless. Somewhere out there, trains wailed and the traffic buzzed like a swarm of cranky bees, always in the background. Arjun Mehra rolled into the hub way earlier than usual, jacket clinging to his back from some random, annoying drizzle. Even before he set foot inside, his mind was already flipping through Plan A, B, and C.
No Khanna at the door, which… yeah, weird. The delivery boys had this haunted look, huddled together and whispering like kids convinced the boogeyman was real. Their eyes kept darting around—real nervous energy. You didn't need a sixth sense to know something was off.
Javed was parked next to a mountain of crates, muttering so low you had to lean in. "Bro, you saw it yesterday? Khanna saab's accounts—someone's messing with them. Guy's been yelling non-stop since sunrise."
Arjun's eyes sharpened, almost like you could see his brain clicking into gear. He didn't need any fancy software to spot panic—people in crisis always fell into patterns. Predictability? That's basically a cheat code if you know how to play it.
He ducked behind a big concrete pillar, acting like he was fussing with a crate, but really just scoping the place out. The Market Analysis Tool in his vision started throwing up tiny red highlights—missing boxes here, delayed shipments there, staff looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. This wasn't random, not even close. Khanna was poking around, hunting for leaks.
A system ping popped up, all business: "Exposure probability rising. Contain observation." Arjun gave this tiny nod. First rule when you're in the lion's den? Never let the lion know you've figured out his game.
Across the room, Khanna's voice cut through the nervous chatter. "Ravi! South stockroom! Two packages missing! If you can't find them, you'll be scrubbing gutters for a week!"
Arjun's jaw tightened. Those packages weren't missing at all—they'd taken a little detour, thanks to his guy in Dharavi. Every time Khanna lost his temper, Arjun's mental file on him just got thicker.
He tapped his System interface, keeping it subtle. "Preemptive expansion to counter countermeasures. Probability: 62%. Retaliation: moderate." He had to smile at that. Moderate risk? That was practically a green light.
By noon, Arjun had run a whole circuit of deliveries—each step mapped out, every conversation feeding back into the System. The other employees were watching him now, whispering behind their hands. Was he just another courier, or was he something else entirely? Even Javed leaned in close, dropping his voice to a hush. "Yaar, you're… not like the rest of us, are you?"
Arjun shot him a quick look, hiding his smile. "Just careful, man." Careful, sure, but honestly? He was ready for anything.
The System pinged again—like it had a sixth sense for drama. "Opportunity detected: Exploit Khanna's paranoia to gain leverage." Arjun's mind jumped ahead, piecing it together. Khanna's freak-out was basically a gold mine—overpriced shipments, holes in security, unhappy workers. If he played this right, he could mess with Khanna's whole operation without saying a word.
By late afternoon, the hub was crackling with tension. Khanna had stationed himself right by the storage area, his two muscle-bound goons on either side. Every few minutes, he'd start up again, counting boxes, grilling anyone who looked at him funny. Sweat ran down his forehead, and his temper was just… gone.
"Who moved the insulin boxes?!" he roared. "Tell me now!"
People shuffled, eyes on the ground. You could practically smell the fear. Arjun just kept quiet, soaking it all in, pulse steady.
System alert: "Triggering leverage phase." Time to step up. Arjun strolled forward, playing it cool like he was just running a regular delivery. "Sir, maybe the distribution data needs cross-checking?" he suggested, voice polite but with just a hint of "I know what I'm doing" in there.
Khanna spun around, eyes wild. "What did you say?"
"Cross-check the shipments, sir. Some packages got rerouted for efficiency. It saves time, avoids losses," Arjun replied, smooth as butter. Every word was picked on purpose, every pause part of the act.
Khanna glared at his staff, who started mumbling, maybe thinking Arjun's idea wasn't so crazy. Khanna grunted and stomped off, cursing under his breath, to check on things himself.
Arjun stepped back, staying cool as ice. He'd set the trap, and now he was calling the shots. Khanna's paranoia, Arjun's quiet tweaks—he was running the show, and nobody even noticed.
That evening, Arjun made it home with a bag full of groceries and his mom's medicine. She looked up from her bed, managing a tired but genuine smile, the lines of worry softening just a bit.
"You're late today," she said, voice gentle. "Did you get everything?"
"Yeah, Ma. Everything's here." He set the bag down and started unpacking.
She studied his face, like she was trying to read between the lines. "You seem… different. More confident."
Arjun just smiled, keeping the rest to himself. "Just learning how to get by, Ma. That's all."
When the house finally got quiet, he opened up the System again. "Reward Update: Negotiation Aura Level 2 unlocked. New skill: Beginner Strategic Manipulation Module activated." He let the words sink in. The System wasn't just a tool—it was like a mentor, nudging him toward real power. Every upgrade, every new trick was a step forward.
And honestly? He was just getting started.