Damon Voss froze. The two security guards flanking the door, silent and menacing, also paused, awaiting their boss's command. But the command didn't come.
Alex Carter had just dropped a data-bomb that melted the professional composure off Voss's face. The shark's eyes, usually cold and calculating, were now wide with genuine terror.
"What… what did you say?" Voss demanded, his tone dropping from arrogant sneer to desperate rasp.
Alex inhaled slowly, his chest expanding with the new, effortless confidence the Charisma +10 upgrade provided. He let the silence stretch for a moment, letting Voss's panic simmer.
The System, which had previously warned him to run, now displayed a real-time metric flashing in the corner of his vision:
[NEGOTIATION WINDOW: OPEN]
Opponent Emotional State: High Fear (85%), High Exposure (92%)
Leverage: $10,000,000
Predicted Success Rate (Disengagement): 99%
Predicted Success Rate (Acquisition of Collateral): 78% -> 93% (with optimal dialogue)
The numbers were beautiful. The System had analyzed Voss's vulnerability faster than Voss could feel it. The $10 million line of credit wasn't just corporate leverage; it was a deeply personal, unauthorized liability Damon Voss was using to prop up his own side ventures.
"The $10 million line of credit, Voss. HarringTech collateralized against a short-term, high-risk capital injection last Tuesday, authorized only by your signature," Alex stated, his voice a perfectly calibrated blend of professional concern and lethal threat. "If the collateral—HarringTech—is threatened, the entire line is immediately callable, which bankrupts not just the side project, but also exposes your attempt to bypass Elysium's risk assessment protocols. Ethan Harrington will fire you before you finish saying 'I'm sorry.'"
Voss's face was pale. The idea of physical violence vanished; this was about survival. He pointed a trembling finger at the two guards. "Out! Both of you! Now!"
The guards, sensing the change in atmosphere, quickly backed away, disappearing down the corridor.
Voss was breathing hard, trapped. "How do you know that? No one… no algorithm… that file is encrypted, proprietary to the bank!"
"Proprietary to the bank, yes. But the data streams still exist. And my algorithm is faster," Alex lied effortlessly, using the confidence of his Charisma to sell the performance. He was already executing the System's suggestion for optimal dialogue, maintaining eye contact and keeping his body language open and relaxed.
"Look at me, Voss," Alex said, stepping closer. "I don't care about your side deal. I care about Ethan Harrington. You are currently collateral damage in a private war. But you can be insurance instead."
"Insurance?"
"I just bought five percent of the assets you mortgaged. I have the leverage to kill that credit line tonight. You disappear, your deal dies, and you're ruined. Or… you give me the digital key to that credit line—right now—and I don't touch it for twenty-four hours."
Voss scoffed. "Twenty-four hours? Why?"
"Because in twenty-four hours," Alex replied with a cool smile, "I will use that key to acquire the credit line myself. I'll own the debt. I'll become the creditor. I'll own your leash, not Ethan."
The logic was undeniable. If Alex took the debt, Voss would be beholden to Alex, not exposed to Ethan. It was a Faustian bargain, but the only one that saved his career.
Voss pulled a micro-USB from his suit jacket. His hand shook as he handed it to Alex. "You are completely insane, Carter."
"Just optimized," Alex murmured, pocketing the drive. He turned and walked to the elevator, leaving Voss standing alone amidst the ruin of his personal ambition.
Aex didn't go home. He went to a quiet, anonymous library downtown. He inserted the drive into his burner laptop and initiated the System's acquisition protocol. The process was swift, ruthless, and precise. By midnight, the $10 million line of credit was legally his.
A triumphant chime echoed in his mind.
[MISSION 003: THE LEVERAGE POINT]
STATUS: COMPLETED! Debt Collateral Acquired.
REWARD: SKILL ENHANCEMENT—Negotiation +10.
A wave of intellectual understanding washed over him. The world of human interaction snapped into focus. He suddenly understood the subtle tells in people's voices, the fractional pauses that betrayed a lie, the precise timing required to deploy a counter-argument. He had never been bad at negotiation, but now he felt like a linguistic sniper.
[ALEX CARTER: USER PROFILE UPDATE]
Attributes:
Charisma: 13 (Rising)
**Negotiation: 15 (Enhanced)**
Intuition: 17 (Enhanced)
Endurance: 4 (Low)
Endurance still low, he noted wryly. He was a master negotiator, but still running on two hours of sleep.
He had the collateral. He had the leverage. The next target was obvious: Ethan Harrington's core company.
He pulled up the public filings for Elysium Holdings, feeling the thrill of the hunt. But as his finger hovered over the 'Analyze Vulnerabilities' command, the burner phone Elena Vasquez had given him chimed with an encrypted text message.
ELENA VASQUEZ (ENCRYPTED):Don't move on Elysium yet. Voss is a puppet. Ethan is just a spoiled idiot. The real player is someone higher. Check the audit trail on the $10M line you just acquired. Look for the third signature—the silent partner. I think you'll recognize the name.
Alex paused, his heart rate spiking. He hadn't noticed a third signature. His System was focused on the primary target (Voss) and the objective (the credit line).
He immediately ran a deep audit on the acquired credit line data. The System's analysis was instantaneous:
[SYSTEM ALERT: H-CORE CONFLICT]
Audit Trail: Signature 3 confirmed. Identity: Henry Carter (Grandfather, Deceased).
**WARNING: DATA OVERRIDE DETECTED.**
The third signature was a forged authentication key using an H-CORE precursor program. The original purpose of the $10M credit line was not for Voss's side-venture, but for **System research.**
His grandfather wasn't just an eccentric economist; he was a silent partner in the very corporate shadow world Alex was trying to dismantle. And his name was tied to this debt.
Alex looked down at the coin in his pocket, which now felt less like an inheritance and more like a shackle. The System had steered him toward a revenge mission that was tied directly to his own family's mysterious past.
Was the System leading him toward revenge... or toward a predetermined debt?