The night was painted in gold and glass.
Acacia Grand Hotel—Jackim's crown jewel—stood like a monument of wealth in the heart of Sue City. Every chandelier inside glowed like it had its own ego. Every step on the marble floor echoed luxury.
The world had changed for Jackim Ochieng.
He wasn't just the boy from the dusty side of town anymore. He was the man who owned that side of town.
Tonight, the hotel buzzed with international investors, CEOs, movie stars, and political elites. It was the BragTech Global Celebration Gala, and no one dared miss it. Even The Wheel's spies probably bought tickets.
Jackim arrived fashionably late, of course—black tuxedo, sleek haircut, cufflinks shaped like the BragTech logo. The kind of entrance that made the camera lights flicker twice, like even they needed a breath.
Kelvin, his right-hand man, whispered as they entered the ballroom. "You know they've been talking about you for an hour before you even showed up?"
Jackim smirked. "Then I'm already winning."
"Winning?" Kelvin chuckled. "You're the only man who treats life like a bragging contest."
Jackim leaned in with a grin. "And still undefeated."
They both laughed.
But underneath that laughter, the air had a strange weight—like something was about to unfold. The System had been quiet lately, and quiet systems were never a good sign.
***
The orchestra played slow jazz. Champagne flutes clinked. Investors bragged about yachts, cars, and stock numbers they didn't understand. Jackim, however, moved through the crowd like a storm in a tuxedo—confident, calm, untouchable.
He shook hands, smiled for pictures, and endured the same repetitive questions.
"Mr. Ochieng, how does it feel being the youngest global CEO?"
"Jackim, any plans to enter politics?"
"Is it true BragTech is launching its own private jet line?"
He answered each with polite deflection and a measured smile.
"Feels like a beginning."
"No comment—yet."
"Jets? Maybe after breakfast."
Lina stood near the bar, eyes following him with quiet pride. She wore a silver gown that shimmered like a moonbeam. But her expression carried something else too—something between admiration and worry.
He caught her gaze and winked. She smiled, but not for long.
Because that's when Victoria Wu entered the room.
***
Victoria was the kind of woman who could make silence sound expensive.
CEO of the rival WuDynasty Hotels, she'd built her name on beauty, charm, and ruthless business instincts. Rumor said she could make a boardroom surrender with a smile—and destroy a company with a kiss.
She walked toward Jackim, every head turning in slow motion. Even the jazz seemed to hush for her.
"Mr. Ochieng," she said, extending a manicured hand. Her voice had that soft danger—like perfume made of poison. "It's an honor to finally meet the man who made bragging an art form."
Jackim took her hand lightly, smirking. "Careful, Miss Wu. You say that like it's a crime."
"Oh, it might be," she purred, eyes glinting. "But I'm guilty too."
Kelvin coughed quietly beside him, muttering under his breath, "Oh boy… here comes trouble with lipstick."
Victoria leaned closer. "I've been following your expansion. Very bold. Maybe even reckless."
"That's my brand," Jackim said easily. "Calculated recklessness."
"I like that." Her smile deepened. "Perhaps we should discuss a partnership. WuDynasty and BragTech. The world wouldn't survive the combination."
Jackim chuckled. "Or it might kneel."
"Tempting, isn't it?" she whispered.
Her tone carried more than business. Her perfume—sweet, dangerous—brushed against his senses.
That's when the System flickered in his mind.
> [ALERT: Temptation Detected.]
[Possible Emotional Manipulation Attempt.]
[Warning: Resist or Face Reputation Damage.]
Jackim's smile didn't falter, but inside, he chuckled silently. Even the System knows when it's time to behave.
He leaned slightly back, just enough to reclaim space. "Tempting, yes. But I don't mix business with… after-hours business."
She smirked, unbothered. "Maybe you just haven't met the right competitor."
Kelvin interjected quickly, "Miss Wu, we can schedule a formal meeting next week. Mr. Ochieng's calendar is—"
But she interrupted, eyes never leaving Jackim. "I'm not here for business tonight. Just curiosity."
Jackim raised a brow. "Curiosity about what?"
She smiled, turning to walk away. "How it feels to lose control."
***
Later, in the VIP lounge overlooking the city skyline, Jackim sat alone, watching the party continue through the glass. The city lights glittered below like a thousand stories begging to be told.
The System pinged again softly.
> [New Side Mission Completed: Temptation Resisted.]
[Reward: +5 Mental Strength, +$3 Million Integrity Bonus.]
He laughed under his breath. "Integrity pays better than I thought."
"Talking to yourself again?"
It was Lina. She stood in the doorway, arms crossed, half amused, half concerned. "Or is it your invisible assistant again?"
"Something like that," he said, sipping his drink.
She walked over, sitting beside him. "You handled Victoria well."
He chuckled. "You mean I didn't end up in tomorrow's headlines?"
"I mean you didn't end up being one of her trophies."
He looked at her. "You jealous?"
She hesitated, then smiled faintly. "Should I be?"
He paused. Her eyes met his—warm, uncertain, but honest. The kind of gaze that could unmake empires.
But before he could reply, a group of reporters burst in, escorted by security.
"Mr. Ochieng! One picture, please!"
"Jackim! Is it true you're partnering with WuDynasty?"
Kelvin's voice crackled through his earpiece, panicked. "Boss, someone leaked your private contract drafts online! It's trending!"
Jackim stood up instantly. "What?"
"Yeah, and they're saying Victoria has insider connections with BragTech!"
Jackim's jaw clenched. "Of course she does. I let her shake my hand."
***
Within minutes, the entire ballroom turned chaotic. Phones buzzed, reporters whispered, investors eyed him suspiciously.
Jackim walked straight toward Victoria, who was laughing softly with two politicians near the bar.
"Miss Wu," he said, voice calm but sharp enough to cut glass. "You've had your fun. Now call off your people."
She smiled sweetly. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You leaked false partnership documents. Smart move. Desperate, though."
Her expression didn't change. "Jackim, not everything revolves around you."
He leaned closer, his voice low and lethal. "In this city, it does."
The look in his eyes made even her confidence tremble for a second.
Then she laughed quietly. "You're dangerous when angry."
"I'm dangerous when polite," he said, stepping back. "Angry is a different department."
***
He walked out before she could reply. Security teams were already working. Kelvin's voice updated him in real time: "Boss, we've contained the leak. BLACK ACE is tracing the IP—it's a proxy server in Singapore. Probably Wheel's side branch."
"Good," Jackim said. "Burn it."
"Consider it ash."
Jackim entered the elevator, loosening his tie. His reflection stared back—tired, brilliant, unstoppable.
When he reached his penthouse floor, Lina was waiting by the door. She didn't speak—she just walked up and hugged him tightly.
He froze for a moment, then slowly hugged her back.
"You scared me," she whispered. "When I saw that news, I thought you'd lose everything."
He smiled softly against her hair. "Lina… I don't lose. I just collect lessons."
She laughed weakly. "You sound like your own motivational quote."
"Maybe I should sell them," he teased. "BragQuotes—Limited Edition."
She hit his chest lightly. "Idiot."
"Beautiful idiot, at least."
She blushed, trying not to smile. "Go sleep, before you start bragging about sleeping."
***
Later, after she left, the penthouse grew quiet again. The city lights blinked below. The System hummed softly.
> [Integrity Path Strengthened.]
[Reputation Stabilized: +15 Global Influence.]
[Temptation Event Neutralized.]
Jackim stood by the window, watching the night fade into dawn. Somewhere in the distance, fireworks still sparkled from the afterparty.
He whispered to himself, "Temptation… always comes wrapped in perfume and promises."
A faint smile touched his lips. "But I already fell once—for ambition. That's enough addiction for one lifetime."
He picked up his glass, stared at his reflection, and raised it slightly.
"To the ones who try to break me," he said softly, "thank you for reminding me I can't be bought."
He drank slowly, the burn of the liquor grounding him back into the man he'd become—not just the system's prodigy, but his own legend.
And somewhere across the city, in her penthouse suite, Victoria Wu watched the news feed showing his calm public statement.
Her lips curved into a faint smile.
"He's stronger than I thought," she murmured. "No wonder The Wheel fears him."
Then she turned off the TV and whispered into her phone.
"Tell the chairman—the test is complete."