"Henry! Glad you made it!" Michael called out with energy, which would have best been described as over-the-top enthusiasm. His face was like the sun, full of pride, as he hastened to give Henry a firm handshake, which later turned into a casual dap. It was that kind of greeting which showed Michael was ready to show him whatever he had prepared.
Henry couldn't help but give a slight smile despite being the conservative type. He knew his friend was proud, which alone made him feel obliged to appreciate it. Michael was one of those people who flourished on positive affirmation, and Henry enjoyed the over-confidence that Michael carried.
"Let show you around. I bet you'll like it," Michael said, his voice full of eagerness, telling much about this particular mont, which was apparently important to him. He was inviting Henry over, but it was a showcase, really; he had to prove his point.
Henry was observant enough to tell that Michael was already expecting praise. With a smothered grin, Henry leaned forward a little, his eyebrow rising. "Is this your house? Or are you renting?"
It was said with just that touch of pretended curiosity. Michael's face lit up imdiately, and his eyes sparkled as if Henry had just set up the stage for his big reveal.
"Why, yes, I did buy it. How did you know?" Michael returned, his voice with that ring of a showman who is revealing his masterpiece. His chest puffed out in mock surprise, and he gave a dramatic pause, trying his best to stifle that smirk that ca crawling onto his face. He looked just like a proud father showing off the pictures a child had drawn, only this ti it was his handiwork on display.
Henry did his best not to explode in laughter; really, he was entertained. Michael was just so over-the-top that it almost felt like a parody of himself. He looked like so kind of Olympic dal winner in showing off.
Suppressing his laughter, Henry said, "I Figured. You're beaming like a father whose kid just ca ho with an A report card."
Michael froze for a second, his chest still puffed out, before he finally let his arms drop and gave Henry a cold, deadpan stare. "Okay, okay, I get it. Co on, and let give you the tour."
The instant Henry stepped through the front door, he was struck by the scale of the place. The whole space seed designed to impress-to make a statent about success. Michael led him through the entry hall, the polished hardwood floors glowing richly under the soft light from the recessed fixtures. The air was redolent of a new house, intermingled with the unmistakable scent of high-dollar furniture and freshly painted walls.
Michael seed to grow more enthusiastic with every room, each having its own character with clean lines, minimalist furniture, and tastefully chosen artwork that spoke a great deal about soone not only with wealth but with a certain type of style. The kitchen alone could swallow Henry's apartnt whole. It was huge, and imposing, with gleaming marble countertops beneath the lights and state-of-the-art appliances which rivaled those found in professional chefs' kitchens.
Henry's eyes landed on the living room, which had high ceilings and oversized windows. The furniture, though modern and sleek, seed to exude a sort of elegance. Henry wasn't new to the trappings of luxury, but this was another league altogether. Everything scread success attributed directly to Michael.
They toured the house at a snail's pace, with Michael pointing out each feature as if he were a tour guide in an art museum: a ho theater system that could most likely rival any cinema, a fully fitted gym that seed to belong to a private training quarter, and several bedrooms that Henry thought must be bigger than his current apartnt.
But the real shock was the backyard. As they walked out through the back door, Henry's jaw almost dropped. It was a huge open space with well-manicured grass and a pool that was simply sothing else. It was huge, more of a lagoon than a pool, and Henry could instantly imagine Michael hosting parties with everyone lying on the side as the sunset. The pool was edged with stone tiling and heavy landscaping, resort-style. It was the sort of thing anyone would have seen in the magazines but never really witnessed in real life.
Michael, now all but glowing with pride, turned to Henry. "So, what do you think?" His voice was all but self-satisfied, the way soone asks a question knowing the answer is going to be a positive one.
Henry rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. "You've asked that so many tis. I already told you I'm interested," he said, his tone teasing. Michael didn't take the hint, though, and went on to beam as though he'd just won a major prize.
"I know, I know," Michael said, his voice softer now, a playful sheepishness replacing his earlier bravado. "But I still need to hear it. You're going to live here. It's important to that you're happy with the place."
Henry chuckled, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "Alright, Michael. It's great. I like it."
"Great!" Michael's grin returned, even wider than before. "Now, how will you pay?" he added, his words laced with a mischievous gleam in his eye.
Henry couldn't help but smirk. Michael was impossible to take seriously sotis. "You're shaless, you know that?"
Michael's reply was imdiate, "What? It's a valid question! You want to buy the place or not?"
Henry burst out laughing and pulled out his phone, opening his banking app. "I'll wire it to you. Done deal."
Michael's eyebrow shot up, and he really looked quite surprised. "You're just going to send it? Like that? No contract? No official agreent?"
Henry's eyebrow rose in turn, the barest flicker of confusion crossing his face. "Shouldn't I?"
Michael blinked, his eyes almost scandalized. "Of course not! That's how people get scamd! You haven't seen a contract or made any legal agreents. You can't just wire money like that."
Henry burst into laughter, a light, airy chuckle escaping. "Don't worry. It's you. Are you to scam ?"
Michael shook his head, but his smile betrayed the affection he felt for his friend. "Of course not! But seriously, you need to wait for the contract. Don't rush it. I don't mind letting you move in early, but you need to make sure everything's on the up and up first."
"That's great. I have a lot on soon, so let's get this wrapped up," Henry said, letting out a sigh of relief. Finally, he wouldn't have to think about this house anymore and could move on to other things.
"Right. I will send you the contract when it's ready," Michael said as he headed back toward the front door.
Back in his apartnt, Henry let out a sigh as he stepped inside. It was small, cluttered-a complete contrast to the house he had just been in. The bed filled the room, barely leaving space for his desk and wardrobe. This apartnt had served its purpose, but now it was ti to move on.
He looked around at the amount of stuff he didn't need. Packing up made him feel calm. There was little to take with him: so clothes, a few personal items, and, of course, his computer. He could get rid of everything else. There was no room for sentintality.
He took a deep breath and said, "Status."
A see-through panel materialized before him, flickering for a mont before finally coming into place:
[Na - Henry Miller]
[Age - 20]
[Strength - 10]
[Agility - 10]
[Stamina - 10]
[Intelligence - 20]
[Skills - Ga Hacking 101, Epiphanies, Universal Compiler (C), Thought Visualization Stylizer (C), Basic AI]
[Points - 3112]
Henry stared at the screen for a mont, considering the numbers. He was improving, but man, there seed to be so much more to do. He needed a break.
His initial plan had been to invest in the major fields that would really launch his work forward.
[Neurocomputronics]: 70 000 points
[Quantum Energetics]: 12 000 points
[chano-Architectonics]: 50 000 points
Reality had sunk in, though. Barely a chink off any of these targets. With only 5,000 points gathered, one thing had beco clear: the direction he had chosen was nothing but one big impossible task. He needed sothing closer to reality and far more effective-sothing independent of luck and the inexplicable market.
His current project, Phantma, had a free version, which, although popular, was cutting into his revenues. The system points he'd gotten in from it barely scratched his grander sche. He needed to think of sothing exclusive-sothing for which people would actually pay.
Henry's mind began to wander as he went through his other ventures in his mind. Of course, the money coming in from the ga cheats was nice, but small-ti now. The Discord he'd set up, with 5,000 mbers registered, had grown large and more than he needed. Dockky, one of the first takers, ran the operation, allowing Henry to lean back and watch the profits roll in.
That was no longer exciting. This was about the real challenge, the real great potential of new beginnings-about sothing that could change everything.
It was almost ti, Ti for a new strategy; ti to do sothing truly transformational.
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