Chapter 4: First Taste
The drizzle had turned into a light mist by the time I stepped out onto Ocean Drive. Streetlights reflected off wet pavement like broken glass, and the neon signs still buzzed overhead, pink and electric blue bleeding into each other. My clothes were heavy with rain, but I felt lighter than I had in years.
Sixty thousand dollars. Real money. Sitting in my account right now.
I pulled out my phone again, just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. The banking app refreshed. Balance: $60,047.32. The system had even backdated it so it looked like a legitimate transfer from some "consulting payout." No flags. No questions. Clean.
I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.
The interface was still there, floating in the corner of my vision now, like it had decided to stick around permanently.
[Daily Sign-In Available]
[Claim rewards: 100 Neon Points + Random Item / Skill Boost]
I tapped it mentally. A soft chime rang in my head.
[Sign-In Successful!]
[Reward: 100 Neon Points + Basic Luxury Watch (Rolex Submariner Replica – Instant Materialization)]
A faint glow shimmered around my left wrist. Suddenly there was weight there. A heavy stainless steel watch, black face, date window ticking forward. Looked real enough to fool anyone who didn't know better.
I turned my wrist. It caught the neon light perfectly.
Damn.
I started walking south along the strip, no real plan, just moving. My old scooter was parked a few blocks away near the club, but I wasn't ready to go home yet. Not while this high was still running through me.
People passed by—tourists in flip-flops, couples holding hands, groups laughing too loud. A few glanced at me, probably because I looked like I'd been through a war. Wet hoodie, split lip, bruised jaw. But the watch gleamed. And something about the way I carried myself now made them look twice.
The Charm boost. It wasn't just words anymore. It was presence.
My phone buzzed. Not the system this time. A text from my mom.
Mami: Mijo, you okay? It's late. Call me when you get home.
Guilt hit me quick. I'd been gone longer than I planned. She probably thought I was dead in a ditch somewhere.
I typed back fast.
Me: I'm good, Ma. Long night. Home soon. Love you.
Three dots appeared. Then:
Mami: Be safe. We need you.
I stared at the message until the screen dimmed.
Yeah. We needed money more. Bills piling up. Mom's meds. My sister's school fees. Rent due in two weeks.
I had sixty grand now. Enough to change everything.
But the system wasn't done.
A new notification slid into view.
[New Main Mission: Build Your First Asset]
[Objective: Acquire or establish a tangible business / property / income source worth at least $100,000 within 72 hours.]
[Reward: $200,000 cash infusion + Intelligence +15 (permanent) + 1,000 Neon Points + Empire Map Unlock (Level 1)]
[Failure Penalty: Neon Points reset to 0. Charm boost halved for 30 days.]
Seventy-two hours.
To turn sixty grand into something worth six figures.
My head spun. I stopped under a palm tree, leaned against the trunk, and thought.
Real estate? Miami prices were insane. Even a small condo in Overtown would eat most of what I had.
A business? Like what, buy a food truck? A bar? I didn't know the first thing about running anything.
Crypto? Stocks? Too risky, and I wasn't sure the system would let me gamble it away.
I opened the shop interface for the first time.
A grid appeared in my vision, holographic but only I could see it.
Basic Skills:
Street Fighting Mastery (Lv. 1) – 300 NP
Business Insight (Lv. 1) – 400 NP
Charisma Aura (Lv. 1) – 500 NP
Crypto Prediction (Lv. 1) – 600 NP
Instant Appraisal – 200 NP (one-time use)
Items:
Luxury Suit Set – 800 NP
Private Driver (24h) – 150 NP
Fake ID Package – 250 NP
I had 600 Neon Points now after the sign-in and bonuses.
Business Insight looked tempting. If I bought that, maybe I'd know exactly what to flip.
But I needed more points fast.
Another notification popped.
[Side Mission Chain Unlocked: Neon Flex Series]
[Task 1: Post a high-value flex online (luxury item, cash proof, etc.) to gain 50+ likes/followers.]
[Reward: 150 Neon Points + Social Influence Boost (temporary)]
Easy enough.
I lifted my wrist, snapped a quick pic of the watch against the neon background, raindrops still glistening on the steel.
Caption: Just another night in Miami. 💎🌴 #NewBeginnings #MiamiKing
I posted it to my Instagram—barely 200 followers, mostly family and old high school people.
Hit send.
Then I started walking again.
By the time I reached my scooter, the post had 12 likes. Then 25. Then 40.
Comments rolling in.
Whoa, is that real?
Bro leveled up fr
Where you get that watch? 👀
I smiled. Small, but real.
The system chimed.
[Side Mission Task 1: Complete.]
[Reward: 150 Neon Points + Social Influence Boost (12 hours)]
Total points: 750.
I straddled the scooter, kicked it to life. The engine sputtered, then caught.
As I pulled out onto the street, another notification appeared.
[Incoming Opportunity: Nearby distressed property listed for quick sale. Current value: $120,000. Asking price: $85,000 (motivated seller). Distance: 1.2 miles.]
The Empire Map must have partially unlocked early.
A faint glowing overlay appeared on my vision—arrows directing me north toward Overtown.
I twisted the throttle.
Heart pounding harder than when Marcus stood up to me.
This was it.
First real move.
First piece of the empire.
I leaned into the wind, rain stinging my face again.
But this time it felt good.
Like the city was finally waking up to me.