Morning sunlight crawled across the curtains of the penthouse suite, slicing through glass and gold.
Jackim had fallen asleep on the couch again, surrounded by half-open laptops and paper cups from last night's coding spree. The System had dropped a new notification at 3 a.m., but he'd ignored it, too tired to care. He just wanted five more minutes of peace — five minutes without numbers, missions, or pressure.
His phone buzzed first. Then the tablet. Then the smartwatch. All at once.
> BREAKING NEWS: Mysterious Billionaire Tech Firm BragTech Group Registers Overnight.
He blinked, still half-asleep.
BragTech? He hadn't even filed anything.
Another alert exploded on screen — government corporate registry confirmation, shareholder list, CEO name: Jackim Ochieng.
He sat upright so fast his coffee spilled.
"No way," he muttered, grabbing the tablet. "System, what the hell is this?"
> [SYSTEM NOTICE]: Task completed — 'Brag about owning a billion-dollar company.' Reward materialized. Congratulations, Host.
He froze. That joke. Last night, during a late-night live stream, he'd laughed off a viewer who teased him to brag big. He'd said, "Sure, maybe I'll start my own billion-dollar company tomorrow."
And now — the joke had registered itself into reality.
The notification feed wouldn't stop ringing.
Business journalists were tagging him, bloggers were speculating, and his own classmates had already created a group chat titled "The BragTech Scandal."
Kelvin's call came next.
"Bro! Bro! Turn on Channel 7 right now!"
Jackim fumbled for the remote.
On TV, the news anchor smiled like she'd just won a lottery.
> "This morning, financial markets were stunned by the sudden appearance of BragTech Group, a tech and investment firm valued at 1.2 billion dollars within its first hour. Government documents confirm its CEO is a 22-year-old university student — Jackim Ochieng of Sue City University."
Kelvin's voice cracked through the speaker. "Tell me that's not you. Please tell me you didn't just… accidentally create a billion-dollar company."
Jackim rubbed his temples. "I think I did."
Kelvin screamed. "My guy, do you know what that means? You're the youngest billionaire in the country! People are gonna lose their minds!"
He wasn't wrong. Within minutes, social media exploded.
Photos from Jackim's campus days resurfaced — old images of him wearing faded jeans, carrying cheap notebooks, eating instant noodles outside the library. Captions read:
> From broke student to billionaire overnight — meet the man who made bragging profitable.
By noon, reporters gathered outside the university gate.
Security guards had to hold them back while students craned their necks for a glimpse of the new celebrity.
Lina sat in the cafeteria, phone trembling in her hand. The video feed showed Jackim's press conference outside City Hall — black suit, composed face, subtle smile that carried both calm and danger. He looked nothing like the shy boy she once mocked for not affording a $20 meal.
Her chest ached with regret. "He really did it," she whispered. "He wasn't pretending all along."
Sandra, sitting nearby, forced a laugh that sounded hollow. "It's all fake. Probably bought identity papers. He can't even spell 'shareholder.'"
But the news ticker kept rolling:
> 'Audit confirms authenticity of BragTech Group.'
'Investors rushing to partner with mysterious young genius.'
Even Sandra's forced smirk began to fade.
Meanwhile, inside the penthouse, Jackim stared at the System interface floating above his phone screen.
A new tab had appeared — Corporate Dashboard — showing live stock values, subsidiaries, and something called Reputation Meter.
> [SYSTEM NOTICE]: Public recognition increases System energy. Higher fame = faster upgrades.
He sighed. "So now I'm literally powered by publicity."
> [SYSTEM]: Affirmative. Humans chase validation. You monetize it.
He couldn't help a tired chuckle. "Guess that makes me the king of modern problems."
Kelvin arrived carrying two burgers and a laptop.
"Bro, BragTech is already trending #1 worldwide. There's an interview request from Forbes Africa, and some TV host wants to fly you to Nairobi tomorrow."
Jackim took a bite of the burger, barely tasting it. "You think I should go public or keep low-key?"
Kelvin laughed. "Low-key? You own a billion-dollar company, man. The 'low-key' ship sailed this morning."
Jackim leaned back. "That's what scares me."
The afternoon passed in chaos.
Emails from law firms, venture capitalists, even government agencies poured in. Some wanted to invest; others wanted to investigate.
Then came the university's announcement: Emergency meeting with the Dean.
Inside the Dean's office, tension hung thick.
Professor Ramos, grey-haired and stern, pushed his glasses up. "Jackim, is it true you're the owner of BragTech Group?"
"Yes, sir. Sort of. It… happened overnight."
"Overnight?" Ramos scoffed. "Do you expect me to believe that?"
Jackim smiled politely. "Sir, technology moves fast."
The Dean sighed, unable to read him. "The Board wants you to postpone classes. The attention could disrupt campus order."
Jackim nodded. "I understand."
He stood to leave, then added quietly, "But I'm not ashamed of where I came from, sir. I just learned to turn mockery into motivation."
Even the old man looked momentarily humbled.
Outside, students swarmed him with cameras.
"Jackim! How does it feel to be a billionaire?"
"Are the rumors true that you're dating Lina?"
"Is BragTech hiring?"
He smiled, waved, and kept walking, ignoring the noise.
The System chimed softly in his mind.
> [New Side Task]: Maintain composure under pressure — Reward: Charisma Lv.2
He chuckled inwardly. "Bring it on."
That night, the city looked different. Every billboard glowed with BragTech's new logo — a sleek silver "B" that shimmered like a mirror. The company had become the talk of every business café, every podcast, every living room.
At a rooftop bar downtown, Bryan, Sandra's ex-boyfriend and son of the real-estate mogul, slammed his drink down. "How the hell did that loser beat us all? He was supposed to stay broke!"
His friend smirked. "Maybe he sold his soul."
Bryan sneered. "Then I'll buy it back — and crush him."
He didn't notice the quiet man in the corner taking notes — a representative of The Wheel.
Midnight.
Jackim stood alone on his balcony overlooking the sleeping city. Neon lights painted his face in shades of blue and red.
For the first time in years, he wasn't worried about tomorrow's rent or next semester's fees. Yet he felt strangely empty.
He whispered, "System, what's the price of all this?"
> [SYSTEM]: Success is never free. Keep bragging, keep growing. Stop bragging — disappear.
He let out a dry laugh. "So I'm chained to my own mouth now."
> [SYSTEM]: You were always chained to fear. This is better.
The wind carried the city's hum below — traffic, laughter, distant music. It felt alive, vibrant, yet faintly threatening.
Kelvin stepped onto the balcony holding two glasses of juice.
"You know, bro, I used to think bragging was arrogance. Now I realize it's fuel. You proved everyone wrong."
Jackim clinked his glass gently against his friend's. "To proving people wrong."
Kelvin grinned. "To bragging responsibly."
They laughed — genuine, loud, unfiltered. For a fleeting second, life felt light again.
By morning, Jackim's phone rang nonstop.
Reporters wanted interviews; investors wanted meetings; women wanted "friendship."
Even his estranged relatives called, pretending affection they hadn't shown in years.
He ignored most of them — until one message caught his eye.
A video clip from Lina.
She sat at her piano, eyes red but smiling faintly. "Congratulations, Jackim," she said softly. "I was wrong about you. Maybe… maybe you were always right to believe in yourself."
The message ended there. No begging, no drama — just sincerity.
For a moment, he forgot to breathe.
The System chimed again.
> [Emotional Trigger Detected]: Love Interest Tier Upgrade +1
He rolled his eyes. "Even feelings have tiers now? You're ridiculous."
> [SYSTEM]: Efficient categorization improves emotional performance.
"Yeah, whatever."
He closed the notification but couldn't hide the faint smile that crept up his face.
Afternoon brought a call from a stranger.
"Mr Jackim, this is Serena Ling, chairwoman of Ling Conglomerate. My daughter has been following your work with admiration. We'd like to invite you to a private gala tomorrow."
He hesitated. "I'll think about it."
After hanging up, he muttered, "What now, System? Another test?"
> [SYSTEM]: Every invitation hides a challenge. Choose wisely.
He sighed. "Then tomorrow, we'll see what kind of challenge comes wrapped in a gown."
That night, as the city pulsed outside, he stood before the mirror adjusting his black tie.
The reflection staring back wasn't the boy from Victoria Texas High School anymore.
It was a man with steady eyes, a half-smile, and a billion-dollar empire at his fingertips.
Yet somewhere inside, the same quiet voice whispered, Don't forget where you started.
He looked out the window, whispered back, "I never will."
The System hummed approvingly.
> [MISSION COMPLETE]: Public Impact +100 points — New Skill Unlocked: Media Presence Lv.1
And so, while the world outside chanted his name and news anchors called him the Bragging Billionaire, Jackim simply closed his eyes for a moment of peace, knowing tomorrow would demand another brag — and another price.