The desire for immortality is something so distant for humans that it could only be imagined in dreams. But what if it could become reality? In that case, no matter the price, everyone would seek to be part of that idea—an idea with solid foundations capable of changing the course of history.
Jimmy didn't need money. What he required was the power these people possessed—the power to expand his empire without borders. It didn't matter which field he wanted to enter; as long as he held the keys to every door he wished to cross, nothing else mattered.
Any billionaire, at the end of their life, would give even their soul for a few more days. So then, what wouldn't these people do for immortality?
All Jimmy had to do was bring them into his association, make them members of an organization of the highest level.
"Alright, gentlemen, let's begin."
"One million dollars!"
"I offer fifteen million dollars!"
"One hundred million!"
"Two hundred million dollars!"
In no time, the bidding war for shares in Jimmy's company began, and within just a few minutes, it surpassed one billion dollars.
Of course, Jimmy, who had already lost interest in the auction for such a small fraction of his company, was ready to leave. Only one buyer would receive a tiny version of his artificial intelligence, so everything else to come would be for those who wanted to join the Network and experience all its wonders.
"Take control," Jimmy said, and instead of going down, he headed up to the rooftop, where a helicopter was waiting for him.
His bodyguards followed him—men hired specifically for this purpose, fully committed to their jobs.
"That was quick, boss."
"Well, yeah. I have to go to class." Under everyone's astonished gaze, Jimmy began reading a fantasy novel.
…
When Jimmy returned home, he saw George Jr. setting up tables, chairs, and benches in the yard.
Seeing Jimmy walk by, George Jr. dropped what he was doing and ran to the gate.
"Jimmy, have you been making millions of dollars?"
"What's that question about?" Jimmy stopped and asked.
George Jr. thought for a moment and said, "You said you'd consider me as someone who could be part of your work, so I just wanted to tell you I'm right here."
Logically speaking, George Jr. was the most ambitious dreamer among the Coopers and, in Jimmy's eyes, the one who would eventually make more money. But the time hadn't come yet—Jimmy knew that very well.
"Yes, I'll keep that in mind. I'll send you an envelope with some money so you can use it for whatever you need right now."
"I'm your man." George Jr. was so excited he couldn't hide his smile. Then he went on gossiping: "So… what's going on with you and Ally?"
George Jr. had casually seen Jimmy talking a few times with a charming girl, later finding out her name was Ally. Being the good friend he was, he wanted to give Jimmy some advice in case he had any girl problems.
But for Jimmy, "the one" still hadn't appeared.
"Don't ask about what you shouldn't ask." Jimmy made it clear he didn't want to talk about his private life, but then flipped the conversation: "How are things going between you and that cheerleader?"
"Don't even mention it." George Jr. looked dejected.
It turned out that the only reason the cheerleader was willing to talk to George was to get news about Jimmy. As for what she wanted from George Jr., she had treated him entirely as a tool.
Hearing this, Jimmy didn't know how to console him. He simply observed three seconds of silence for the wounded George Jr., who, in truth, seemed like someone he could trust.
"Get back to your work—I'm going to rest." Jimmy was drenched in sweat and desperately needed to change his clothes. His body, though no longer showing outward changes, was developing to perfection.
"Alright, and don't forget to come to the family gathering later," George Jr. said, treating Jimmy as part of the family.
To celebrate the football team's victory, Mary had planned a family picnic in her garden. Jimmy gave a nod of approval and headed straight inside.
In the living room, his mother Judy was preparing corned beef. Seeing Jimmy come in, her eyes lit up and she went to greet him.
"You smell awful—straight to the shower."
"It's just waste from my body. I'll stop smelling bad soon…" Jimmy still didn't know how to tell his parents that he was completely altering his body through genetic evolutions.
"Will you be eating here?"
"I've been invited to the Coopers' for dinner, so you and Dad can go to that appointment you've been talking about so much."
"Alright, call us if you need anything."
…
It didn't take Jimmy long to shower and put on a loose, long-sleeved black shirt.
Then, he sat in the living room, bored, watching his mother continue marinating the meat for dinner.
A few days earlier, George had mentioned that Connie's barbecue was the best—she had a unique recipe, and the preparation process was quite complicated.
At her home, Connie seemed to be in a good mood today and truly enjoyed preparing this delicious dish.
"Well, I'm off to the Coopers'."
When he arrived, he saw the barbecue grill ready in the Coopers' small yard.
On the simple table beside it, there were various snacks prepared by Mary.
Since today was a special day, Mary allowed her husband to have a little beer.
George, who was drinking beer at the table, quickly got up when he saw the corned beef that his mother-in-law Connie was bringing.
"Let me— I'll take care of it." George took the meat and happily began grilling it himself.
True Texans have three passions: Christianity, football, and barbecue—and, if necessary, the order of those three can be rearranged.
George had fallen in love with the taste of roast beef after trying his mother-in-law's secret recipe fifteen years ago. After working alone for an hour, George cut a small piece of meat from the baking tray, tasted it, and said blissfully, "This is the same taste as last time—it's perfect."
"Alright, George, don't overdo it—sit down." Mary knew her husband's health wasn't great, so she warned him and asked her son George to help.
Soon, the secret barbecue was served at the outdoor table.
The freshly grilled beef released a unique aroma.
Sheldon looked at Jimmy and asked, "Would you help me with my research?"
"I can check it later, but we should read the new comics I found—they're limited editions."
"Right."
"Thank God for giving us food! Amen!"
After the prayer, everyone raised their beers or juice glasses, clinking them to celebrate the football team's victory.
Then they all began enjoying the delicious barbecue.
George finished his portion quickly. Content, he said to Connie, "Connie, can you give me the secret barbecue recipe? I'll make it for you next time."
"Well, I'm not too old to die just yet, so I'll keep doing this myself for a while longer." Connie rejected her son-in-law's suggestion—she greatly enjoyed preparing barbecue for her family.
"Oh, come on. I'm your son-in-law…" George played the emotional card, recounting all the hard work he'd done over the years and his contributions to the family.
Seeing George's enthusiasm, Grandma Connie seemed to relent. "Alright, bring me a pen and paper, and I'll write down the secret recipe."
"Great!" George jumped up excitedly, ran into the house, and soon returned with paper and pen.
Grandma Connie smiled, wrote a few words on the paper, and handed it to the eager George.
"Keep dreaming, fatty!!!"
As George read the note, his smile slowly froze.
"Why? I'm your son-in-law—sooner or later you'll pass this heritage down to me…" George felt angry and wronged.
Although he wanted the secret recipe, more than that, he wanted his mother-in-law's acknowledgment.
But Grandma Connie didn't see it that way—she still held a grudge over the fact that George had gotten Mary pregnant before marriage.
Apparently, Grandma Connie had a double standard when it came to her family.
So she deliberately teased George, saying, "That's not certain. Maybe I'll give the secret recipe to someone else in the end."
"This…" George was furious. He slumped on his stool, dejected, and drank alone.
Mary felt bad for her husband and said, "Mom, stop teasing George and give him the recipe. Please…"
"Alright, alright…" Connie looked at her family with an expression that said, I can't deny you this, and picked up the pen and paper again.
Once more, under George's expectant gaze, Connie wrote a long list of ingredients on the sheet.
"You're not lying to me this time, are you?" George asked cautiously, holding the densely written page.
"Don't be ridiculous—how could I lie to you?" Connie replied with a smile.
"Thank you so much." George carefully examined the recipe and saw that many of the ingredients weren't available locally and would have to be bought elsewhere.
Still, his enthusiasm didn't fade. He simply muttered, "I can go buy some of these ingredients this weekend and make you a great barbecue."
At that moment, George felt his mother-in-law valued him, and he was filled with excitement.
"Do your best." Connie encouraged him, stood up, and said, "I'm done eating."
With that, she quickly left the Coopers' small yard. In truth, the recipe Grandma Connie had given George was still a fake—she feared that if she stayed any longer, she'd burst out laughing at George's silly face.
Jimmy sensed something, and after Grandma Connie left, he asked Mr. George, "Can you show me the secret recipe?"
George thought for a moment and finally handed over the precious paper.
"Hmm… coffee powder… the witch's sacred root…" Jimmy read the outrageous formula and asked, "Don't you find anything wrong with this?"
"No way!" George's smug mood quickly vanished, replaced by a deep sense of having been wronged.