Morning light spilled into the penthouse like liquid gold, glinting off the glass desk where three phones, two laptops, and one restless mind competed for attention.
Jackim sat cross-legged on the couch, hoodie pulled over his head, reading another flood of headlines about BragTech Group. He'd expected the noise to fade after a few days. It hadn't. If anything, it had grown louder — every podcaster, gossip channel, and finance pundit now wanted a piece of the new billionaire.
He scrolled until his thumb hurt.
> "The Billionaire Student: Genius or Fraud?"
"Bragging Pays Off — Literally!"
"Inside the Rise of BragTech's Phantom Founder."
He sighed and tossed the phone onto the table. "They can't even decide if they love me or hate me."
Kelvin's voice came from the kitchen. "That's fame, bro. People don't know what to do with someone who breaks their rules."
"Maybe I should vanish again," Jackim muttered.
Kelvin poked his head out, chewing toast. "Vanish? When there's ten million dollars waiting to be claimed?"
That got Jackim's attention. "What are you talking about?"
Kelvin grinned, sliding his tablet across the counter. On-screen was a banner flashing NATIONAL LIVESTREAM BOSS COMPETITION – PRIZE $10 MILLION SPONSORSHIP.
"Twenty-five universities. Biggest stream event of the year. Winner gets cash and a corporate partnership. Guess who everyone's betting on?"
Jackim snorted. "Please don't say me."
Kelvin raised an eyebrow. "You, obviously. But there's a catch — you've got to compete under your real name."
"No chance. I've had enough cameras for a lifetime."
Kelvin shrugged. "Then use an alias. Something mysterious. The crowd loves mystery."
Jackim leaned back, thinking. Competing anonymously could be fun.
The System pinged in his mind.
> [NEW TASK]: Participate in the Livestream Boss Competition. Optional Objective – 'Brag about breaking the world donation record.' Reward: $10 Million + Charisma Lv. 3.
He groaned. "System, you really can't let me rest, can you?"
> [SYSTEM]: Rest is regression.
"Fine," he muttered. "Let's give them a show."
That evening, the competition hall at Sue City University pulsed with music and colored lights. Cameras hovered on cranes; hundreds of students filled the seats.
Each participant had their own streaming booth — sleek glass pods where they'd perform live for viewers across the country.
Sandra's team was already there, all dressed in matching pink jackets with "Team Sandra Elite" printed on the back. She saw Jackim enter wearing a black hoodie and dark shades, and sneered.
"Look who crawled out of his penthouse. Here to donate a few pity views?"
He didn't answer, just smiled faintly and scanned his booth — number 13.
The irony wasn't lost on him.
Kelvin whispered, "What's the alias?"
Jackim typed quickly into the registration console: PHANTOM B.
"Nice," Kelvin said. "Sounds like a rapper and a ghost had a baby."
The competition began. Hosts shouted, cameras flashed, and the online viewership counter climbed past a million within minutes.
Each participant had to stream live for an hour — singing, gaming, or simply entertaining viewers. Donations converted to points. The one with the highest total would win.
Sandra's group went first. Their stream looked like a music video — expensive lights, backup dancers, over-the-top laughter.
"Let's show that broke clown how real influencers work," she whispered to her mic.
Meanwhile, Jackim sat alone in his booth, screens reflecting in his shades. He didn't prepare songs or comedy sketches. Instead, he opened the chat and typed:
> "Let's talk about dreams — and the cost of chasing them."
Viewers poured in instantly. Tens of thousands. His voice, calm yet magnetic, carried across the stream.
"I used to think bragging was bad," he said. "That confidence was arrogance. But sometimes, the only way to survive is to believe you already have what you want — even before you get it."
The comment feed exploded.
> 'This guy's voice hits different.'
'Is this motivation or hypnosis?'
'Who is Phantom B?'
Sandra, watching from her booth, scoffed. "Pretentious."
But viewers stayed — more and more of them. Within twenty minutes, his chat surpassed hers. Then came the moment the System had been waiting for.
> [TASK UPDATE]: Objective Unlocked – Brag about breaking the world donation record.
He smiled faintly, leaned toward the mic, and said quietly, "Let's make history tonight."
At first, nothing happened. Then the notifications started: small donations, hearts, emojis. A thousand dollars. Ten thousand. Fifty.
Kelvin's jaw dropped as the counter shot upward.
"Bro… that's half a million already!"
Sandra's team froze. Her own numbers were collapsing as viewers jumped ship to Phantom B's feed.
"Who is this guy?" one of her teammates hissed.
Within minutes, Jackim's stream became a phenomenon. Stream bosses — wealthy patrons watching from around the world — began competing to out-donate each other.
"$100,000 from user SkyKing."
"$250,000 from QueenBeeVIP."
"$400,000 from The Investor."
Chat went insane.
> 'He's breaking the record!'
'This dude's unstoppable!'
'Phantom B for President!'
Inside the booth, the System glowed crimson.
> [TASK COMPLETE – World Donation Record Broken]
Reward Unlocked: $10 Million + Charisma Lv. 3.
The booth lights flickered as the funds transferred. His screen now showed total gifts exceeding $5 Million — the highest in livestream history.
Jackim took a breath, looked into the camera, and smiled. "Never doubt what your words can build. Sometimes, all it takes is one brag — and a little faith."
The crowd erupted in cheers. Even the judges stood, clapping.
After the show, reporters flooded backstage, desperate for an interview.
"Who are you, Phantom B?"
"Are you affiliated with BragTech Group?"
"Will you reveal your face?"
He removed his shades just long enough to look into one camera.
"I'm just someone who stopped apologizing for dreaming."
Then he walked away.
Outside, under the cool night air, Kelvin caught up, eyes wide. "You just broke the global record, bro. Five million in gifts! You're a legend."
Jackim laughed. "I didn't break it — we did. The crowd wanted hope. I gave it to them."
A group of students nearby whispered excitedly. "Phantom B looks like Jackim, doesn't he?"
"Don't be stupid. Jackim's a billionaire, not a streamer."
He smirked. The disguise worked — for now.
Meanwhile, across town, in a dimly lit office filled with monitors, a woman in a crimson dress watched his stream replay. Her lips curved slightly.
"So the boy's grown teeth," she murmured. "Interesting."
The Wheel's insignia glowed faintly on the screen beside her. She picked up her phone.
"Find out everything about this Phantom B. If it's who I think it is… we may have found our problem."
At midnight, back in the penthouse, Jackim and Kelvin celebrated with cheap pizza and orange soda — a throwback to their broke days.
Kelvin raised a slice. "To the world's richest streamer."
Jackim grinned. "To the world's luckiest friend."
The laughter filled the room until both of them nearly choked on pizza.
Then, as the city lights blinked outside, a notification appeared across his laptop:
> FORBES LIVE INTERVIEW REQUEST – CONFIRM SCHEDULE TOMORROW 10 A.M.
Kelvin read it and whistled. "They're not giving you a break."
Jackim leaned back, gaze distant. "You ever feel like life's moving faster than you can breathe?"
Kelvin nodded slowly. "Then breathe slower, bro. You earned it."
Later that night, Jackim stood by the window, phone in hand, reading the final chat logs of his stream. One comment caught his eye:
> "When he talks, you believe him. It's like he's lived every word." — User Lina 1998
He smiled softly. "You still watching, huh?"
The System chimed again.
> [Emotional Signal Detected – Love Interest Progress + 2 Points]
He chuckled. "You're keeping score of my heart now?"
> [SYSTEM]: Data is data.
"Then make sure it's worth collecting," he said, closing the window.
The next morning, news channels blared across the nation:
> "Phantom B Smashes World Donation Record!"
"Sue City Student Becomes Legend Overnight!"
And by noon, a new nickname trended everywhere — THE PHANTOM STREAMER.
For the first time, Jackim realized he wasn't just surviving the system anymore.
He was the system — unpredictable, unstoppable, and rewriting every rule that once caged him.
He slipped on his black jacket, looked at his reflection, and smiled. "Alright, Phantom B. Let's see what brag comes next."