The Skyline Towers penthouse took up the entire twentieth floor—floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, 3,500 square feet of open-concept luxury, and three bedrooms plus a den. The realtor's heels clicked on the hardwood as she gestured enthusiastically.
"As you can see, Mr. Schols, this unit offers unparalleled views and privacy. The building has twenty-four-hour security, a private elevator to the penthouse level, and—"
"I'll take it," Aiden said.
The realtor blinked. "Don't you want to see the master suite? The kitchen has imported Italian—"
"How much?"
"For purchase? 2.1 million. For rent, $8,000 monthly."
"I'll pay cash. Close in two weeks."
Her professional composure cracked slightly. "Cash? Mr. Schols, are you certain? Most buyers at this level use financing to—"
"I'm certain." He pulled out his phone and showed her his bank statement: $1,456,000. TechNova had climbed another 15%, and his other investments were performing exactly as the system predicted. "My banker can wire the funds once we have contracts."
An hour later, Aiden sat in the empty penthouse's living room, the city sprawling below him. His phone rang. Marcus.
"Dude, you actually bought it? The penthouse?"
"I'm sitting in it right now."
"That's insane. That's—holy shit, Aiden, two months ago we were splitting ramen."
"I remember. Listen, I want you to move in with me."
Silence. Then: "What?"
"I need someone I can trust. Someone who knew me before all this." Aiden walked to the windows. "I'm offering you a job. Personal assistant, operations manager, whatever we want to call it. Fifty thousand a year to start. You handle my schedule, help me stay organized, keep me grounded."
"Aiden, that's—I'm still in school. I can't—"
"You can take classes part-time. I'll cover your tuition. Marcus, you're my best friend. I'm building something, and I don't want to do it alone."
He heard Marcus's breathing on the other end, processing. "You're serious."
"Completely."
"What happened to you? And don't say investment luck. Nobody changes this much this fast on luck alone."
Aiden considered telling him about the system, but Jade's warnings echoed. Visibility was dangerous. Even with people you trusted.
"I got tired of being powerless. Of watching people like Jessica decide my worth based on my bank account. So I changed the game." He paused. "Come see the place. Decide then."
Marcus showed up an hour later, jaw dropping as he walked through the door. "This is... Aiden, this is incredible."
"Your room would be the second bedroom. Office space in the den. Shared kitchen and living areas."
"I can't believe this is real." Marcus walked to the windows. "Two months ago, you couldn't afford to take your girlfriend to Applebee's. Now you're buying penthouses and offering me fifty grand."
"The world changed. I'm just adapting." Aiden joined him at the window. "So? You in?"
Marcus turned to face him. "On one condition. You tell me the truth. About where the money really came from. About what you're building. No more deflections."
"I made smart investments with good timing."
"Bullshit. I've known you since freshman year. You're smart, but you're not 'turn 50K into a million in a month' smart. Nobody is. So either tell me the truth, or I walk away."
Aiden felt the weight of the decision. Marcus was right—their friendship deserved honesty. But the system had warned about exposure. Jade had warned about visibility.
"What if I told you I have access to information other people don't? That I can predict market movements with unusual accuracy?"
"I'd ask how."
"What if I couldn't tell you how?"
Marcus studied him carefully. "Then I'd say you're in over your head with something dangerous, and you need someone watching your back even more than I thought." He extended his hand. "I'm in. Not for the money. Because you're my friend, and whatever this is, you shouldn't face it alone."
They shook, and Aiden felt relief wash over him. "Thank you."
"But Aiden? When this inevitably gets complicated—and it will—you tell me the truth. All of it. Deal?"
"Deal."
As they walked through the penthouse, making plans for furniture and office setup, the system pinged:
MILESTONE ACHIEVED: Established Base of OperationsReward: +5 Leadership, +2 Trust (Marcus loyalty secured)
PROGRESS UPDATE:Net Worth: $1.4MAllies: 3 (Marcus, Sophia - 65% trust, Victoria - pending)Threats: 2 (Malcolm Zhang - investigating, Jade Wu - monitoring)Time Since System Activation: 6 weeks
Warning: Rapid growth attracts attention. Recommend strategic patience and network building.
But Aiden barely noticed the warning. He was watching Marcus measure the den for a desk setup, talking about organization systems and scheduling apps, already thinking like an operations manager.
Six weeks ago, Aiden had been publicly humiliated for being too poor.
Now he stood in a 2.1 million dollar penthouse with his best friend, preparing to build an empire.
The system had given him the tools.
But the people around him—Marcus's loyalty, Sophia's brilliance, Victoria's experience—they were what would make it real.
Aiden pulled out his phone and texted Sophia: "Want to see my new place? Warning: it has an entire room I'm turning into a private server space for your lab work."
Her response came immediately: "You're ridiculous. Obviously I want to see it."
Then Victoria: "Partnership offer expires Wednesday. Make a decision."
Then, unexpectedly, Jade: "Nice penthouse. Security cameras have blind spots on the 19th floor stairwell. Just FYI. - J"
Aiden stared at that last message. How did she know he'd bought it? How did she know about security vulnerabilities?
He typed: "Are you watching me?"
"Watching over you. There's a difference. Malcolm Zhang just hired a private investigator to dig into your background. Thought you should know."
The game was changing. Corporate sharks, mysterious hackers, partnerships and threats.
But standing in his penthouse, watching the sunset paint the city gold, Aiden felt ready.
The kid who'd been too poor to matter was gone.
In his place stood someone building something bigger than money.
And with Marcus at his side, Sophia in his corner, and even enigmatic Jade watching his back, he was starting to believe he could actually pull it off.
The awakening was over.
The empire building was just beginning.