The high-rise suite, booked under an alias via an aggressive wire transfer, felt like a fortress. David stood before the vast glass window, the cityscape a glittering tapestry of lights and commerce—a game board he was now ready to conquer.
He was done with street-level revenge. He had the money to silence his past, but now, thanks to the system, he had the power to control his future.
"System, use the Perfect Recall Serum."
[DING! Perfect Recall Serum application initiated. Estimated time: 60 seconds.]
The small, glass vial materialized, sitting starkly against the polished wood of the bedside table. The liquid within shimmered with a barely perceptible electric blue. David grasped the item; its cold reality was a sharp contrast to the chaotic morning. He didn't hesitate. He needed this edge.
As he drank the serum, the world briefly blurred into a complex matrix of information. A sharp pressure flared behind his eyes, as if his brain was suddenly rewiring its entire architecture. When the sensation subsided, David felt a profound, almost terrifying clarity.
He picked up the hotel's legal disclosure agreement—a dense, fifty-page document filled with jargon and small print. With a casual flick of his eyes, he scanned the pages. Every clause, every comma, every potential loophole was instantly cataloged and filed.
It's not just memory, he realized, walking to the desk and grabbing a stack of financial journals. It's total processing power. I can absorb the entire history of global finance in an hour. I've gone from being a nobody to a walking supercomputer.
He spent the next hour devouring information, reading corporate histories, legal precedents, and the financial reports of the energy sector he planned to dominate. There was no fatigue, no information overload. His understanding of the world instantly accelerated by decades.
The Final Push
David knew this power, combined with his initial $\$240$ million, was useless if he couldn't acquire the Tier 2 technology. The next milestone was the key.
"System, current spending status."
[Next Spending Milestone: Total accumulated spending of $5,000,000. Current total accumulated spending: $4,850,000.]
[Only $150,000 remaining to unlock Tier 2 Technology.]
He needed one more significant purchase, a quick transaction to force the system's hand. He bypassed the high-end jewelers; they were too slow. He logged onto a specialized vintage timepiece auction house that dealt exclusively in rare Rolex and Omega collector pieces.
He wasn't interested in the aesthetics. He was interested in speed.
He filtered the results to "Instant Purchase" and found a small collection of ten high-demand vintage pieces.
This will do nicely, he thought. A little bit of art liquidation.
He completed the wire transfer for the entire lot—$250,000—in a single click.
[DING! Congratulations! You spent $250,000. Cashback Multiplier Triggered: 15x. You received $3,750,000.00 cash back.]
The notification was ignored. David's focus was on the next message, the one he had worked for.
[DING! Spending Milestone Reached! Total accumulated spending of over $5,000,000!]
[Level Up! Host is now a Level 3 Global Player.]
[Milestone Reward Unlocked: [Quantum-Aero Battery Blueprint]]
The Blueprint of the Future
A compact, metallic data chip materialized silently next to his pillow. David didn't need to touch it; the information instantly downloaded into his enhanced brain via the system interface.
The sheer scope of the technology nearly took his breath away.
The Quantum-Aero Battery.
The blueprints detailed a zero-emission energy storage system that offered one thousand times the energy density of the best current lithium-ion models. It recharged in less than a minute. It was the end of the petroleum industry, the end of clumsy electric cars, and the beginning of a genuine clean energy future.
This isn't a patent, David realized, standing up and gazing at the city below. This is a global reset button. If this blueprint falls into the wrong hands, it's a weapon. If I control it, I am the new energy king.
The value was no longer in the hundreds of millions; it was in the trillions. Every single technology company, every automotive manufacturer, every government—they would all kneel to him for this blueprint.
The path was clear: he had to secure a manufacturing base immediately. He needed a facility capable of scaling this technology without drawing undue attention.
Using his perfect recall, David quickly pulled up the financial records and public listings of recent industrial failures. An image solidified in his mind: the massive Phoenix Energy factory complex, recently bankrupted due to corporate fraud, was listed for sale at a fire-sale price. It was a perfect, high-tech shell.
He picked up the secure suite phone, his voice carrying the authority of a man who knew the precise value of every second.
"I need to speak to the chief property manager of the defunct Phoenix Energy site. This is urgent."
When the nervous property manager, Mr. Harris, finally got on the line, David didn't waste time with formalities.
"I am acquiring the Phoenix Energy complex immediately. The asking price is fifty million dollars. I will wire seventy-five million dollars right now. In return, I want the deed signed and transferred to my corporate holdings before midnight tonight. Is this possible, Mr. Harris?"
"Seventy-five... sir, that's double the reserve price! We can start paperwork, but tonight is impossible—"
"Impossible is poverty, Mr. Harris. I will add an additional two million dollars to your personal bank account if I receive the final transfer confirmation by 11:59 PM. Is the paperwork impossible now?"
The line went silent for a moment. Then, Harris's voice returned, shaky but determined.
"Sir, consider it done. We'll find a notary. Welcome to Phoenix Energy."
David hung up, a cold, focused excitement replacing the rage from the night before. Revenge was settling a score. Dominance was rewriting the rules.
He looked at the city lights. He was no longer David, the poor loser. He was the architect of the future.