Marcus had never driven home with so much fear and excitement fighting inside his chest at the same time. As soon as his Tacoma rattled into the parking spot outside his apartment, he shut off the engine and sat there gripping the steering wheel.
He'd done it.
He'd convinced a real business owner—a man twice his age, with decades of experience—to consider selling him a laundromat.
**And all he needed now was a contract.**
A real one.
A legally-binding acquisition agreement.
The kind of thing people spent years in business school learning to draft.
Marcus wasn't a lawyer.
He wasn't even a business major.
He barely understood half the terms he saw in financial news.
But the System wouldn't help.
Not until the contract was signed.
And the clock was ticking.
TIME REMAINING: 33:47:22
He ran a hand through his hair. "Okay… okay, I can do this. I have to."
He grabbed his old laptop, the one with the missing keys and cracked hinge, and climbed the stairs to his apartment.
---
### The Apartment
The door creaked like it always did. The place smelled faintly like microwaved noodles. His rent bill sat on the kitchen counter like an unwanted roommate.
Marcus tossed his keys down and opened the laptop.
The screen flickered, struggled, then came to life.
He opened a blank document.
And stared at it.
It stared back.
"What do I even write?" he whispered. "I'm not a lawyer. I don't know anything about contracts."
He typed a title:
**Business Purchase Agreement**
Then stopped again.
Would that even hold up in court?
Did he need witnesses? Did he need clauses? Did he need a transfer of assets statement? Tax language? Liability clauses? Payment terms?
His brain screamed.
"I can't do this," he muttered.
[INCORRECT.]
The System's voice echoed inside his mind—not guiding, not helping, not offering answers… just correcting.
"This *is* impossible."
[INCORRECT.]
Marcus let out a shaky exhale. "Then give me a hint."
[HINTS UNAVAILABLE UNTIL MISSION COMPLETION.]
"So you're really just going to sit there and judge me?"
[OBSERVATION ONLY.]
"Great. Love that."
He rubbed his face and leaned forward, staring at the blinking cursor.
"This is crazy."
But crazy didn't matter.
He had one day left.
And he had to finish this.
---
### The Research Spiral
Marcus pulled out his phone and searched:
- "how to write a business purchase agreement"
- "sample small business sale contract"
- "laundromat sale contract template"
- "legal clauses for asset purchase"
Page after page after page.
The documents looked terrifying. Glassy-eyed legal language. Words like "indemnification," "contingency," "fiduciary," "escrow."
He didn't know any of this.
He didn't have time to learn.
But he had something else:
Desperation and focus.
So he started copying the structure of real templates, line by line, reading explanations, learning on the fly.
He built:
• A header
• A seller section
• A buyer section
• A list of assets included (machines, building lease rights, signage, etc.)
• A purchase price section
• A payment timeline
• A clause defining "as is" condition
• Transfer of ownership language
• Signatures
At one point he stopped and laughed at himself.
"I'm writing a legal contract from YouTube and Google. This is insane."
[AGAIN: INCORRECT.]
"Yeah? What do you call it then?"
[INITIATIVE.]
Marcus blinked.
He'd expected the System to be harsh. But that word felt different. Not encouraging—just factual. A statement of acknowledgement.
He took a breath and kept going.
For hours.
His eyes burned.
His fingers cramped.
His head pounded.
But he didn't stop.
The contract grew from one page to three, then six, then finally eight.
By the time he finished drafting, the sun had set and risen again.
His body felt numb.
But when he printed the document using his apartment complex's ancient shared printer, and the pages slid out warm into his hands…
It felt real.
It felt like something important.
It felt like the first professional thing he had ever created.
---
### Almost There
He checked the System timer:
TIME REMAINING: 24:06:48
He still had one full day.
Marcus placed the contract neatly into a cheap plastic folder and laid it on his tiny kitchen table.
Then he stared at it for a long time.
"Tomorrow… this is it."
He imagined Ramon signing it.
He imagined completing the mission.
Unlocking Appraisal Mode.
Unlocking Negotiation Level 1.
Getting real startup capital.
Beginning something new.
For the first time in years, he felt something he hadn't let himself feel:
Hope.
He slept for a few hours.
A nap, really.
When he woke, he dressed in the same clean shirt, grabbed the folder, and stepped outside.
The Texas morning air felt sharper today—brighter, somehow. His heart pounded as he climbed into his Tacoma.
"Please don't break down," he whispered.
The truck wheezed, coughed… and started.
Marcus let out a grateful breath.
He checked the time:
10:03 AM.
He needed to be at the laundromat by noon.
He wanted to be early.
---
### The Unexpected Delay
Marcus hadn't expected traffic at this hour.
He hadn't expected roadwork.
He hadn't expected two lanes to be shut down.
Every minute felt like a punch to the gut.
TIME REMAINING: 22:12:11
He gripped the wheel so tight his knuckles turned white.
"Come on… come ON…"
The Tacoma rolled forward two car lengths.
Then stopped again.
Marcus closed his eyes.
If he was late—if Ramon thought he wasn't serious—everything could collapse. All his work. All his effort. All the progress he'd clawed for.
The System chimed, but not with advice. Just data.
[HEART RATE ELEVATED.]
[SYMPTOMS: ANXIETY.]
[RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE.]
Marcus groaned. "Thanks. Super helpful."
Five minutes later, the traffic finally loosened and he took the next exit.
He didn't speed. His truck couldn't speed even if he begged it.
But he drove with purpose.
---
### The Meeting
Marcus arrived at Lone Star Laundry at 11:32 AM.
Early.
Good.
He parked, grabbed the folder, and took a deep breath before heading inside.
The bell above the door chimed.
Ramon looked up from behind the counter, surprise flickering across his face.
"You're early again," he said.
Marcus shrugged. "Didn't want to waste your time."
Ramon eyed the folder in his hand. "Is that the contract?"
Marcus nodded and stepped forward slowly, like he was carrying something sacred.
"I drafted it last night," he said. "It covers the sale price, asset transfer, liability protections, and a 24-hour payment window."
Ramon took the folder.
He looked at Marcus for a long moment, then opened it carefully.
And began to read.
Each turn of the page felt like a century.
Marcus stood silently, hands sweating, knees stiff.
Ramon's expression didn't shift much—but it also didn't tighten with confusion, frustration, or disbelief.
He wasn't confused by the contract.
He wasn't annoyed.
He was… impressed?
After several minutes, Ramon closed the folder.
"Well," he said. "I'll say this."
Marcus's heart stopped.
"This isn't perfect," Ramon continued. "But it's damn good. Especially for someone who's never written a contract before."
Marcus blinked. "…Really?"
Ramon nodded. "You put in effort. Real effort. More effort than I've seen from buyers who actually had money."
Marcus felt something warm spread across his chest.
"So…?" he asked, afraid of the answer.
Ramon exhaled heavily.
"Kid," he said. "Let's sign it."
Marcus almost fell backward.
"W–wait, are you serious?"
"Yeah," Ramon said. "You want the place. You showed up twice. You didn't lie. You didn't bluff. You worked for this."
He tapped the contract.
"And this… proves you're not a joke."
Marcus swallowed hard. "Thank you. Seriously."
Ramon chuckled. "Don't thank me yet. You've got 24 hours to pay me, remember?"
Marcus nodded quickly. "I will."
"You'd better," Ramon said with a smirk. "I'm trusting you."
He reached for a pen.
Marcus reached for his own.
Together—
They signed.
---
### System Activation
The moment Ramon's pen lifted from the page, the world around Marcus shifted—not visibly, not dramatically…
But internally.
Deep inside his consciousness, the System flared awake like a light bursting on.
MISSION COMPLETE.
QUALIFICATION VERIFIED.
REWARD ISSUED.
A flood of information filled his vision.
+ $25,000 STARTING CAPITAL
+ APPRAISAL MODE ACTIVATED
+ NEGOTIATION LEVEL 1 UNLOCKED
+ BUSINESS ACQUISITION RIGHTS CONFIRMED
Marcus inhaled sharply, clutching the edge of the counter.
This time, the System's voice wasn't cold.
It was firm.
[WELL DONE, MARCUS HALE.]
[YOUR RISE BEGINS NOW.]
Marcus looked down at the signed contract in his hands.
His first business.
His first step.
His first real chance.
And now… he finally had the tools to change everything.