Chapter 2: The Girl of His Dreams
1501 Words
Chapter 2: The Girl of His Dreams
The car moved smoothly down the main road, heading directly toward Platinum City Central Hospital. Aiyana Holloway sat in the back seat with her arms crossed, her gaze fixed on the unconscious man sprawled across the leather beside her. Marcus Kane’s face was bruised and swollen, and dried blood still clung to the corner of his mouth.
In the front passenger seat, a sharply dressed man turned halfway around. He was Aiyana’s personal aide, a man who had served the Holloway family for years.
“Miss, the mayor of Platinum City and the Platinum City Chamber of Commerce have both extended invitations for a meal this evening,” the aide mentioned.
Instantly, Aiyana reverted to her usual aloof attitude. She replied with a stern look, “Turn them down. Send this man to the hospital first.”
The aide allowed himself a small smirk. “Miss, are you telling me you plan to marry this trash of a human?”
Aiyana shot him a look so sharp it could cut glass.
“Are you trying to teach me what to do?” she remarked, her voice dropping to a dangerous calm.
Color drained from the aide’s face. He mentally kicked himself and said quickly, “My apologies, Miss. I spoke out of turn.”
Aiyana cupped her mouth with her hand and coughed intensely. The fit was deep and rattled her thin frame.
“Miss, it is time to take your medicine,” the aide hurriedly reminded her.
“Continue driving,” Aiyana said, paying no heed to his words and staring straight ahead with an expressionless face.
The car sped off toward the hospital at her command.
At that moment, Marcus Kane felt like he was dreaming while he drifted in a state of unconsciousness. In the dream, everything was pitch-black no matter where he looked. A man stood in the darkness, staring at Marcus with an impassive expression.
He was a man with a gallant stature and a domineering aura. He seemed like a figure from myth. Just the sight of him stirred a powerful urge to bow.
“Where is this place? Who are you?” Marcus stammered, his voice unsteady in the void.
The man turned fully in Marcus’s direction and looked straight into his eyes.
“To think that my son would end up being such an incompetent man,” the man lamented.
Marcus felt a sharp stabbing sensation in his heart when he heard those words. He had never seen his parents, not since his earliest memory. It was only natural that he would long to experience familial love. Although Marcus could not recognize the man standing before him, he could feel an indescribable connection.
“Are you my father?” Marcus asked. His voice cracked. “Dad, I have missed you so much.”
He stretched out his arm, trying to touch his father, but his hand passed right through the man like smoke.
“A man should thrive at age 30. I will now bestow you with all of my knowledge. This is your inheritance,” the man uttered coldly.
Marcus tried to speak but no words came out.
“If you are a good-for-nothing, I believe the Holloway family will take care of you for the rest of your life. But I will never come and see you.”
The words landed like stones on Marcus’s chest.
“If you have a backbone, there is nothing that can stop you in this world. And I am very much looking forward to our meeting.”
After his monologue, the scenery before Marcus began to crumble. The man’s image fractured into shards and dissolved into the blackness.
Marcus shouted like a madman, “Dad! Do not go, Dad!”
Yet nothing he cried could stop the scene from disappearing. Sorrowed, Marcus dropped to his knees and sobbed in agony. Even if it was only a dream, he had hoped to see his parents like other people did, to pour out his hardships to them. But no matter what he did, the sight before him continued to crumble into nothingness.
Soon, the emptiness shifted.
A gentle pulse of warmth spread from the center of Marcus’s chest. It was unlike anything he had ever felt, a hum that resonated inside his bones.
[System boot complete. Host Marcus Kane detected. Scanning current state.]
The voice was crisp and clear, echoing inside his skull. Marcus jolted upright in the void, his tear-streaked face whipping around.
“Who said that? Where are you?” he asked, his voice still raw from crying.
[Relax, host. I am inside you now. Let me finish the scan before you start panicking.]
Marcus turned in every direction, but there was nothing except darkness. ‘Am I losing my mind on top of everything else?’ he thought.
[Multiple contusions detected. Facial lacerations. Three cracked ribs. Internal bruising. Abdominal trauma from blunt force. Honestly, host, you look like you got trampled by a herd of something unpleasant.]
“I was beaten by a rich bastard and thrown out of my own house,” Marcus muttered bitterly. “Who are you?”
[I am the Ultimate Business System, bound to your bloodline for 9 generations. I have been waiting for you to reach the activation threshold. The turquoise pendant served as the key. Your father ensured the Holloway family would deliver it when the time was right.]
Marcus blinked. “My bloodline? Nine generations?”
[Correct. Each generation produces one heir who inherits me. I guide that heir, help them build, and ensure the family legacy never fades. You are the latest. And frankly, host, you are starting from a very low point.]
Before Marcus could respond, a soothing sensation flooded his body. The sharp aches dulled, the swelling around his eye began to recede, and the burning in his ribs softened to a faint throb.
[Initiating low-level healing. I cannot repair everything, but I can get you functional. We have work to do.]
Marcus felt strength returning to his limbs. He looked down at his hands, still suspended in the void. “What kind of system are you?”
[A business system. I provide capital, industry selection, quests, and strategic guidance. I offer insights when you ask, issue sub-missions based on your location and situation, and occasionally tease you when you make a dumb choice. We are going to spend a lot of time together, so get comfortable.]
Marcus took a slow breath. “Then tell me about my father. Tell me about my family. Who am I? Where do I come from?”
[I cannot answer that at your current level.]
“Why not?” Marcus demanded, his frustration rising.
[Because you are not ready. Financially, physically, and mentally, you are too weak. The knowledge would break you or get you killed. Build yourself first. Grow your stats. Raise your level. Then I will tell you everything.]
Marcus clenched his fists. The rejection stung, but deep down he understood. He had nothing. He was nothing. “Fine. Show me what I am working with.”
[Opening host statistics.]
[Host Status Evaluation
Name: Marcus Kane
Level: 1
Title: None
Physical Condition: Healing in progress
Mental Fortitude: 3/10
Business Acumen: 1/10
Charisma: 2/10
Current Funds: 0 Cedis
Inheritance Capital: 10,000,000 Cedis (locked until industry selection)
Available Sub-missions: 0]
Marcus stared at the numbers, the low scores glaring back at him like an indictment of his entire existence.
“What is Mental Fortitude measuring?” he asked.
[Your resilience, decision-making under pressure, and emotional control. Yours is low because you just spent several minutes sobbing over a woman who treated you worse than dirt. No judgment, host. Just data.]
“And Business Acumen?”
[Knowledge of commerce, strategy, negotiation, and financial literacy. You have none. That is where I come in.]
Marcus nodded slowly. “The inheritance capital. How do I unlock it?”
[You must choose your first industry. I will present viable options based on Platinum City’s current market conditions. Once you select, the 10 million cedis becomes active, and your first venture begins. I will guide you through every step.]
“And my father? Will I ever see him again?”
[You will meet him someday. That I can promise. But only if you stop asking questions and start building. Now, host, do you want to select your first industry, or do you need a moment to catch your breath?]
Marcus felt a flicker of something in his chest. It was not quite hope. It was sharper, colder, and it burned like embers catching fire in the dark.
“Show me the industries,” he said.
[A good choice. But that is a conversation for when you are awake. Your body is healed enough to move, and someone is watching you. A certain elegant heiress is staring at you with a very confused expression. Time to open your eyes.]
Marcus’s eyes snapped open.
End of Chapter 2
- Writer
