{Mission reloading, 25%, 45%, 65%, 75%, 100%. New mission unlocked: Feed the Nation. Reward: 50 trillion.}
"What!" he screams.
{Every single necessary person.}
"Who are necessary people?"
{Everyone that needs it.}
"Oh, but how will I do that? How? How?" he wonders aloud in his room.
Then he calls Sandra, his new secretary, his new interest.
"Hello, I've got a new mission for you, the system's new mission," he says.
"What's that, and Mr. Davis is greeting you".
"My regards to him. The mission is to feed the nation."
"What!" she exclaims so loudly that he shifts the phone away from his ear.
"What did he say?" Mr. Davis asks from the background.
"How is that possible!" he yells.
"And if it is possible, you know it will damage the economy," Sandra asks.
"I know, but I have to do it. It seems impossible but somehow possible. I want you to calculate the nation's population, then calculate how much will each person collect if 10 trillion is to be shared," he requests.
"See, you want to make history, and I don't think it's something good. The government could have you sued and investigated," Sandra says.
"It's what the system demanded, and the reward is high. The system always has a genuine reason behind every mission, and I am sure there's a reason in this."
"Ethan!" Mr. Nock calls for him.
"Grrr, this old hag," he groans before answering.
****
They have just finished the meeting about the Mighty-E, about him. What are they cooking? What is the meeting about? And does the recent mission have any connection with it?
"Drive him home," he orders him.
"I'd rather drive myself. Who knows what he has in his mind," Mr. Ben says, and they both laugh.
"I dare not do so. I don't want to spend my days in jail," he mutters.
"That's good of you with that thinking," he says and hands him the car keys.
They board the car and drive away. As he drives him home, he thinks of the olden days, how he drove him to meet his parents.
Then something strikes his mind when his uncle claimed that his parents were not his real parents. He didn't even think of investigating it. Who knows if he is lying, a scheme of both him and Mr. Desmond.
"You slow down," Uncle Ben says.
He realizes that he is pressing on the gas pedal too hard. "I am sorry."
"You better be, rag boy," he spits at him.
They arrive at the destination, once upon a time his home.
"Thanks," he smirks and is about to exit the car.
"Uncle, why did you do that?" he says.
He settles back.
"I thought you had come back to your right senses, but I can see you still have some grudge in you. Let me tell you, I have nothing to explain to you," he says, then exits the car.
"Soon, you will over-explain," he mutters to himself.
His phone rings, and it is from Sandra.
"I have done the research. The approximate population in the country is three hundred and thirty-one millions, if we have to feed all with Ten trillion that will be something like thirty-three thousand dollars per person. Do you even have that amount?"
"You are underestimating my crazy system. I have more than that."
"Wow! That's great. Now how will we proceed?" she inquires.
"The system said the necessary people, so here's what we'll do. We'll create a publicity campaign and a platform. We'll ask that every necessary person who needs thirty-three thousand dollars should subscribe and leave their bank details."
"Huh," Sandra scoffs and adds, "They won't believe it. They'll think it's just some scam."
"Then what will we do? That is the only solution I can think of".
"What if we don't put the amount that we'll give them? This may not end in just one day, but people who get paid will make others believe," she says.
Ethan nods and sees good sense in it.
"Okay, create the platform today and launch it tonight, then spread the word."
"Okay, I can't wait to see how this operation 'Feed the Country' turns out."
"Hope it turns out good," Ethan says.
"What will we name the system?" she...
"The fund raiser?," she suggests.
"Wow, I love that. Off we go!" he says, cuts off the call, and accelerates away.
****
Today's meal is apple pie with caramel sauce. something Ethan is very good at. He serves them as usual, leaving Ariana to serve herself.
He stands as he was told.
Mr. Desmond then receives a call, then suddenly bursts out in loud, prolonged laughter. The family stares at him, wondering what's wrong.
He ends the call, "I can't believe that bastard," he says, still laughing.
"What's that?" Mrs. Desmond inquires.
"You won't believe it. The Mighty-E created a platform to feed all the people that subscribe to it."
They are at first silent, then burst into laughter.
"It's highly impossible. He's simply saying he wants to feed the nation. I swear no one has that money to do that," Nick says.
"Don't you find that ridiculous, Ethan?" Max asks, facing him.
He shrugs, "Who knows, he might acquire that kind of wealth."
"Are you numb? No one acquires that kind of wealth," Mrs. Desmond remarks
Ethan smiles, "We shall see."
Ethan wakes up earlier than usual. He quietly tends to the house and prepares breakfast. He glances at the clock and realizes he has an hour before the others will awaken. As he plates the food, he can't help but enjoy this clandestine role. He observes people's true selves by pretending to be nothing more than a humble servant. He hums a tune while setting the table. Contemplating what it would be like if he reveals his true identity as the mighty-E from the very beginning. They might beg for forgiveness, claiming they don't mean any harm, while they are wolves in sheep's clothing. Just as he is lost in thought, he hears hurried footsteps descending the stairs. Startled, he turns to see Mr. Desmond. "Good morning," Ethan greets with a bow. "Keep it," Mr. Desmond replies curtly, snatching the remote control and turning on the TV. The screen displays a news headline that reads, "Generous Benefactor anonymous mighty-E Gifts $30,000 to Every Citizen, Inspiring Unity and Hope
The loud banging on the door jolts Ethan awake, and his bleary eyes land on the clock – already past nine.He knows he's in for some scolding as he opens the door, and there stands Ariana."Hope nothing's wrong; you woke up late," she says, her eyes filled with concern."I'm okay, just tired," Ethan replies, and Ariana nods.She turns to leave but abruptly halts, casting an assessing glance up and down Ethan before turning back, leaving him puzzled.Realizing he is late, Ethan rushes to the kitchen to prepare breakfast."What! Where is Ethan?" Mrs. Desmond's voice echoes through the house, reaching the kitchen. The impending facepalm moment has arrived. He hurriedly approaches her."I'm sorry, I woke up late," he mumbles, bowing his head.Then, Mr. Desmond enters, and his wife envelops him in a hug."Where were you all night?" she asks while helping him with his suit."Just had an urgent and serious meeting," he replies, moving further into the room."Good morning, sir," Ethan greets
As the old counts, "1...2...".Ethan finds himself on his knees, desperation in his voice, "Please, I'm just curious. I see them carrying something out of a van," he explains anxiously.The old man can't help but laugh."And you want me to believe that? You're here as a driver, yet you won't stay in your place," he scoffs."Anyway, you've seen what you shouldn't have, and for that, you'll have to pay with your life," he declares, signaling to the armed man to proceed with the grim task.But Ethan pleads earnestly, "Please, I'll do anything. Anything you want."His sincerity is evident.The old man leans forward, a wicked grin on his face."You'll do anything?" he inquires, raising an eyebrow.Ethan nods vigorously, desperation in his eyes. "Yes, yes, I will," he affirms.The old man exchanges whispers with the person beside him, their eyes locked in a sinister understanding."Alright, I'll give you a chance," he relents.Ethan sniffs in relief, "Thank you. I'll do anything," he repea
Ethan sits back in startled disbelief. "Master?" he wonders.Money certainly has the power to change situations dramatically.He decides, "I'm going to add more for you if you put away all the guns and return the people's belongings.""We will do that, Master!" they eagerly agree. They immediately return the stolen items to the passengers, who are bewildered by the man dressed in rags with such influence.Ethan continues, "I'll make another transfer to you, but... I'm sorry, I can't be your master."They drop back to their knees, pleading, "Please, we'll serve you."The leader speaks up, revealing their desperate circumstances, "It's not that we're doing this because we want to. We have to survive. We're just a group of thugs with no leader and nowhere to sleep. You see that gun? We borrowed it.""Oh, I understand. Get up," Ethan says, and they rise to their feet."I can't be your master, but you can work for me from time to time. Give me your contact information," he offers, and they
Ethan's heavy eyelids reluctantly open, a dull ringing in his head. His surroundings slowly come into focus as he blinks away the blur. He finds himself bound to a steel chair, his hands securely tied behind his back. Sandra and the bar-lady are similarly restrained nearby. "You're awake. Your little plan isn't quite working out this time," Sandra remarks, disappointment etched on her face. Ethan nods, realizing that his strategy is failing miserably. They're in an unfamiliar place, far from help. As the three captors come into view, one of them brandishes a phone, gesturing for the bar-lady to translate. She relays their message, "They're asking for the phone's password. They say they'll let us go if you give it to them." Ethan scoffs, knowing that revealing the password isn't an option. They converse again, and the translator relays, "They're giving us a chance before the guns arrive." Ethan, defiant, responds firmly, "Tell them to go to hell." The woman gazes at him incred
As the auction concludes and guests begin to depart, Lord Chua, a tall Chinese man with a sharply defined face, maintains an intense gaze on Ethan. Sandra breaks the silence, asking, "What will we do now?". The others have already left, with Ethan promising to contact them later. He decides to take action, saying, "I will go meet him." Approaching Lord Chua, Ethan extends his hand for a handshake, acknowledging, "Hello, Lord Chua. I know you understand English well. Congratulations." Lord Chua's bodyguards are ready to intervene, but he motions for them to stand down, aware of the onlookers. When he takes Ethan's hand, he unexpectedly squeezes it firmly, causing Ethan to grimace quietly. Leaning in closer to Ethan's ear, he whispers ominously, "I am going to kill you for that," before releasing his grip and heading to his car. Ethan moves swiftly, stopping the closing windshield and making an unexpected offer. "I will buy the girl from you for one trillion." The driver, the bo
Ethan, accustomed to his daily routine, rises early in the morning, takes charge of cooking, and meticulously tidies up the house. On this particular morning, an unusual hush fills the room as they sit down for breakfast. The sole sounds are the clinking of silverware against plates until Mr. Desmond finally breaks the silence."Why the somber atmosphere, everyone?" he inquires. "Well, I have an announcement to make. I'm passing the reins of Des Technology and Engineering to my son, Nick," he declares, causing everyone to straighten up in their seats. Mr. Desmond is the owner of three distinct companies—Des Technology and Engineering, Des Financial Management, and Des Welfare and Growth. The primary one being technology, and he's entrusting it to Nick."Thank you, Father. I promise to take it to new heights, higher than the where the mightiest eagle flies!" Nick proclaims, eliciting laughter from nearly everyone. Ethan, however, can't help but scoff as he stands beside them."Con
"What are you doing there?" he asks the boy, apparently named Derek.Derek, a young adult in his early 20s, sniffs, "We... we are being trafficked.""To where and for what?" he curiously inquires."I... I don't know. We were put in this van, and we don't know where we are going. When the van is about to return, I sneak out and manage to escape.""Where are the others?" he probes further."I told you, I don't know," Derek replies.Something big is clearly happening. He returns to the secret house but doesn't drive the van along to maintain the ruse."Where's the van?" Mr. Rex asks.He bows down, "I'm hijacked by some gunmen, I'm sorry."They burst into laughter, each one of them."Good job. Good thing they don't kill you. There is nothing in the van. We just use it as a distraction.""You use me as a distraction?" he points out, his voice shifting."Yes, and so?" Mr. Desmond responds.He faces Mr. Desmond, determination in his eyes. "I'm not working for you again. I'd rather sleep on t