The Mumbai morning just couldn't get itself together—sunlight struggling to break through all that heavy smog and those stubborn, gray clouds. In Arjun Mehra's cramped room, it was quiet except for the lazy whirring of the ceiling fan and the familiar, rough coughs from his mother next door. He was sitting there, cross-legged on his rickety old bed, jade shard and System interface glowing at his side like he was in some kind of video game. This wasn't going to be one of those chill, watch-and-wait days. Nah, today was for making moves.
The System's Market Analysis Tool was basically throwing the city's delivery routes right in his face—highlighting all the choke points, the weird flow of stock, the glaring holes in Khanna's operation. Honestly, it was like someone had drawn a neon web over Mumbai, every little oddity Arjun had spotted over the last week now weaving together into this wild, tangled map. If you knew what to look for, it was basically a cheat sheet for taking Khanna down a peg.
System Prompt: Suggested Action – Strategic Disruption of Khanna Operations. Probability of success: 68%. Risk level: Moderate.
Arjun just grinned—couldn't help himself—and tapped through the interface. "Let's keep it subtle. No need to get in anyone's face. Just use what I know, shake things up from the inside," he muttered, talking to himself or maybe to the System. Who knows.
By late morning, Arjun rolled up at the delivery hub, blending in like always. Khanna was already stomping around, barking at the guys like his head was about to pop off. You could feel the tension, thick as monsoon humidity. Every time Khanna snapped, the workers flinched—nobody wanted to be in his line of fire.
Arjun moved through the chaos, looking cool and unbothered. His eyes danced over the inventory logs, lining them up with the System's projections. The mistakes basically leapt off the page—extra packages here, missing stuff there, deliveries sent halfway across town for no reason. And the best bit? It was all so predictable. Khanna's own paranoia was like this self-fulfilling prophecy, making things worse than they had to be.
As he passed Javed, Arjun leaned in just enough to whisper, "Stick to my instructions today, yeah? Take the routes I give you. Trust me on this one." Javed's eyes went wide—he'd seen enough to know Arjun's hunches were never just hunches.
The System's Strategic Manipulation Module kicked in, kind of like a low hum in Arjun's mind, guiding his little tweaks: a delayed shipment here, a rerouted delivery there, a half-truth in the reporting. Nothing too showy. Just enough to get things wobbling, to make Khanna's control start to crack.
By afternoon, the whispers started. Packages missing, stuff showing up late. Khanna looked like he was about to blow a gasket—eyes darting, veins pulsing at his temple. "Who's messing with my deliveries?!" he roared, slamming his fist on the table so hard the whole thing rattled.
Arjun played it cool, carrying over a crate like it was just another day. "Sir, I noticed a couple routes could run smoother. I can handle them, if you want," he said, keeping his voice casual but confident. There was just something different about him today—like he knew a secret nobody else did—and even Khanna hesitated for a second.
Khanna glared, "You think I don't know how to run my own business?"
Arjun shrugged, still polite. "Not at all, sir. Just figured efficiency means better profits." Like, hey, I'm just trying to help.
The enforcers nearby shifted around, sensing the tension and probably hoping they wouldn't get dragged into it. Khanna grumbled, "Fine. Do it your way. But screw up, and you're out."
Arjun's mind snapped into focus. The System mapped out everything—unhappy workers, exploitable routes, supplier weak spots. This wasn't just a delivery change. He was setting off the first domino.
When the shift ended, Arjun hung back, watching Khanna scramble to fix the mess. All around him, employees whispered, totally clueless that Arjun was the puppet master behind all the chaos.
The System's interface pulsed: Reward unlocked. Beginner Healing Technique acquired. For fatigue and minor injuries—not exactly a miracle, but hey, every upgrade helped. Arjun couldn't help a tiny smile. Each skill, small as it was, was another step toward something bigger.
He thought about his mom. All those nights she'd coughed and struggled because the meds were too expensive or just plain missing thanks to some greedy supplier. This wasn't about revenge or getting rich anymore. He wanted to build something stable, make sure people like her didn't get left behind.
Tapping the Market Analysis again, Arjun saw it clear as day: medicine shortages everywhere, monopolies squeezing neighborhoods dry. The System flagged the places where a little nudge could break the whole thing open. But he wasn't going to rush it—one bad move and the plan could blow up in his face.
Night rolled in and Mumbai changed gears—streetlights buzzing on, vendors packing up, traffic slowing to a crawl. Arjun dragged himself home, exhausted but still buzzing with adrenaline. His mom's cough greeted him as soon as he stepped in. He handed her the meds, guilt and determination mixing in his gut.
"Did you get everything?" she asked, worry in her eyes.
"Yeah, Ma. Got it all," he said quietly. But his mind was already working through the next steps.
Once she was asleep, he fired up the System again. The interface expanded, new prompt lighting up his vision:
System Notification: Potential allies detected among