Chapter 9- THE TRUTH

Stephen raised his hand, halting the old man's declaration. "No, Mr. Harrington. We shouldn't be too hasty. Perhaps Victor should just be suspended for today."

He walked closer to Victor, a glint of determination in his eyes. "I can't let you out of my sight, Victor. I'd like to see you serve me and show me the respect I deserve."

Victor chuckled bitterly, his voice laced with scorn. "Respect? Is that what all this is about, Stephen? If that's what you're looking for, you'll never get it. I'll never show respect to a poor loser like you."

Stephen's expression hardened. "We'll see about that."

Victor stormed out of the room, his jaw clenched in frustration. Marianne hurried after him, her steps quick to catch up.

As they reached the garden, Victor slumped onto a bench, his anger simmering beneath the surface. He chuckled bitterly to himself, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "I'm sure my father would be so proud of me, losing my rightful place to a loser like Stephen."

Marianne approached cautiously, sensing her husband's volatile mood. She searched for something to say that wouldn't further irritate him. "Victor, it's not over. We still have chances to get rid of Stephen."

Victor's frustration boiled over as he turned to Marianne, his eyes narrowed with determination. "What else can we do?"

Marianne smirked, a calculating glint in her eyes. "I know exactly what to do."

Later in the evening, the board of directors emerged from the meeting room, their voices low as they discussed the day's events. Stephen remained alone in the room, a smirk playing on his lips as he reclined in the office chair, spinning himself around playfully. It had been years since he last sat in a position of power like this, and now everything was falling into place.

His thoughts drifted back to the deal he had struck with the family head, the agreement to make him the Head of the Empire in exchange for his expertise in predicting market trends. With his new aquired skill, Tech Control, acquired from the system, he knew he could manipulate the market to his advantage.

Stephen chuckled to himself, recalling the family head's eager agreement and the signed contract that sealed their arrangement. Deep inside, he knew that with his newfound power, he could change the game entirely.

As Stephen relaxed in the office chair, savoring his newfound authority, his phone chimed, prompting him to check it. Upon opening the message, he discovered that $2 million had been deposited into his account, accompanied by a significant increase in his stats.

Intrigued, he tapped on the notification, and suddenly, the system interface materialized before him. A message flashed across the screen: "Mission Accomplished: Acquisition of King's Empire."

His eyes widened in satisfaction as he absorbed the information. Stephen left the mansion behind, the thrill of his victory coursing through his veins as he drove back to the hotel. Parking his car, he made his way up to his room on the top floor. With a flick of his wrist, he removed his coat, pouring himself a generous measure of whiskey before settling onto the bed in his night robe.

Opening the system interface on his phone, Stephen scrolled through its features, his curiosity piqued by a new addition: the Question Room. Intrigued, he tapped on it, posing his query, "What exactly are you, the system?"

The response appeared swiftly, "The 5G Advance Program, designed to assist its host in reaching their full potential."

Stephen furrowed his brow, another question forming in his mind. "Why can I see the system when others can't?"

The system replied, "Only the creator and the host can perceive the system. However, in some instances, individuals who are soon to acquire a system can also perceive it, posing a potential threat to the 5G system and its host. These individuals are referred to as 'Transit Seekers.'"

Stephen took a sip of his whiskey, mulling over the information. "No one else can see the system," he muttered to himself, reassured by the response.

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit bar across town, Victor sat slumped over a table, his mind foggy from the alcohol. Glancing at his phone, he scrolled through his recent G****e search history. His eyes widened in disbelief as he read the words, "What's a system? Is it real?"

Victor couldn't comprehend it. How could Stephen have a system?