Mason was walking along Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. He had one last opportunity to use his ability left, and originally planned to go to a garage sale in an upscale neighborhood. But as he passed by "Starlight Jewelry," a thought flashed through his mind: a jewelry store might be the most value-dense place, and gemology was a field he had studied but never practiced. If he could "test" his ability here, there might be unexpected gains.
But he didn't expect to stumble upon a fraud in progress.
At the entrance of the store, a young girl was clutching a jewelry box, tears streaming down her face. She was in her early twenties, with lightly curled blonde hair, porcelain-fair skin, and deep blue eyes brimming with tears. She wore a light pink Chanel suit, her legs wrapped in ultra-sheer nude stockings beneath the skirt.
Sophia Rockefeller, 22. This surname represented one of the most influential wealth dynasties in American history, but Sophia belonged to a peripheral branch of this vast empire—her grandfather was the great-nephew of John D. Rockefeller, holding only a small stake in the family trust. Nevertheless, the surname "Rockefeller" still meant she had lived under privilege and the spotlight since childhood. She had just graduated from Brown University with a degree in art history and was now interning at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Passionate about art but lacking life experience, she often found herself in trouble due to her naivety and gullibility.
At this moment, she was being cornered by the salesman John, holding a suspicious GIA certificate.
Mason bent down to help her pick up the fallen diamond necklace. The moment it touched his hand, he felt the fire of the main diamond was unusually faint—this triggered the gemology knowledge he had learned. At the same time, he saw the store's window displays, counters, and certificate wall all within his line of sight. One last opportunity to use his ability.
He stood at the entrance of the store, scanning the entire area, focusing his last bit of willpower.
*Snap.*
The sound of a snap echoed clearly.
Instantly, a golden halo expanded, covering a ten-meter radius around the store entrance. A stream of information flooded in, activating his gemology knowledge:
The diamond in salesman John's hand emitted a strong red light alarm. Mason's mind flashed with GIA certificate security features, color grading systems, clarity standards, and cut parameters. The information stream confirmed: **[Actual color I-J, clarity SI2, severely inconsistent with D-color FL certificate].**
The sapphire ring on the left side of the display window emitted red light. Mason recalled the identification points for natural Burmese sapphires versus diffusion-treated ones. The information stream confirmed: **[High-temperature diffusion-treated Sri Lankan sapphire].**
The halo dissipated after six seconds.
Mason turned to Sophia, speaking firmly to expose the fraud. After a confrontation, the manager was forced to issue a full refund and apologize.
After leaving the store, Sophia turned to face him, her eyes filled with gratitude and curiosity: "You... how on earth did you do that?"
Mason calmly responded, accepting her business card and party invitation. Before she got into her car, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.
After the car disappeared, Mason touched the kissed cheek. Third use of his ability, zero cost, exposing fraud, rescuing a Rockefeller, and gaining a valuable connection.
The mark on his wrist felt slightly warm, and the ability icon turned gray. Three opportunities, all used.
In the evening, Mason sat in a café in Silver Lake, looking at his bank account balance: $43,270. With the unsold frame and mysterious drawing board, his net worth was already quite substantial.
Now he needed to solve his housing issue. The storage unit cost $600 a month, but the problems went far beyond money—it was dark, damp, lacked privacy and security, and offered no dignity in life. He needed a place that matched his current financial situation and life needs but without extravagance. Prudence was his core principle.
"Safe, private, clean, convenient, reasonably priced." He listed the criteria in his mind. Monthly rent should not exceed 30% of his monthly income. Given his current funds, $1,200–$1,500 was a reasonable range.
He filtered listings on a rental website and finally settled on the "Emerald Lakeview" apartment building. His choice was based on multiple considerations: Silver Lake was a gathering place for the middle class and creative professionals, relatively safe; the building's ten-year age meant reliable facilities without exorbitant rent; the third floor was ideal; and the south-facing balcony was a massive improvement in quality of life for someone moving out of a basement.
He scheduled a viewing. The real estate agent, Isabella, was a Latina woman in her late twenties, wearing a beige knit dress and sheer black stockings, walking in high heels with a natural sway to her hips.
The apartment impressed Mason: a bright living room, hardwood floors, an open kitchen, a clean bathroom, and that small balcony. Everything was new, clean, and practical.
"Rent is $1,350, including cold water and trash disposal," Isabella said.
After carefully inspecting every detail, Mason decided to rent it. He signed the contract, paid $2,700, and received the keys.
In the evening, he returned to the storage unit to move all his belongings. When the last box was loaded into the car, he stood in the empty room, turned off the light, and pulled down the shutter door.
It was over.
In his new apartment, Mason closed the door, locked it, and set the code. An unprecedented sense of peace enveloped him.
He walked to the balcony and opened the glass door. The evening breeze brushed past him, ground lights in the garden below turned on, and the sky was a deep purple.
From a $600 basement to a $1,350 apartment.
From struggling to survive to owning over $40,000 in assets.
From obscurity to gaining the favor of Elena, Vivian, and Sophia.
He walked back inside and made a financial plan: set aside $5,000 in cash, deposit $15,000 into a savings account, and allocate $20,000 for investments. The frame was scheduled for sale next week, and the mysterious drawing board required long-term planning.
Sophia's business card lay on the desk, next to Elena's black card.
In the bathroom, hot water washed away his fatigue. Mason stood in front of the mirror, looking into his eyes, which now seemed to hold a flickering flame.
"This is just the beginning," he whispered.
Outside the window, the lights of Los Angeles sprawled like a galaxy.
What Mason didn't know was that Lily had just finished a meeting with a mysterious figure. She looked at the red dots on the satellite photo—one of them was just three blocks away from "Emerald Lakeview."
She dialed Mason's new number.
"Mason," her voice tense, "we need to meet. Now. There are some things... you have to know."
In the background of the call, the sound of police sirens grew closer and closer.