The days following my refusal to pay the gang were filled with unease. I hadn't heard from them directly, but the silence was just as suffocating as the threats. I kept my head down and focused on expanding the business, believing that if I could grow quickly enough, I would be untouchable. The Hundred Times Income Multiplier was working wonders—my profits shot up faster than I ever expected, and before long, I could afford better inventory, more space, and more employees. But no matter how much I grew, there was still the looming shadow of Inchoate's underworld, watching, waiting for a moment of weakness.
My store became a more prominent fixture in the city. It wasn't much in the grand scheme of things, but it was mine, and in a city like Inchoate, that counted for something. I began to see patterns in the city's economic undercurrents—the businesses that survived weren't necessarily the ones that had the best products or services, but the ones that knew how to navigate the dangers and politics.
One afternoon, as I was organizing the new stock I had received, a man walked into the store. He was tall, sharply dressed, and carried himself with an air of authority. Unlike the ragtag gang members I had encountered, this man wasn't here to intimidate or threaten. He simply walked up to the counter and smiled.
"You're the new guy, right?" he asked, his tone casual but sharp.
I didn't trust him immediately. The city had taught me that the sharper you looked, the more dangerous you probably were. "What's it to you?" I asked, trying to sound confident despite the nerves running through me.
He chuckled, unbothered by my attitude. "Just wanted to see the place. It's growing fast. I like that."
He wasn't the first person to compliment my business, but there was something different in his voice—something that made me think he wasn't just being polite. This man was a player in this city, and his interest in my business was more than just a passing curiosity.
"Name's Victor Stone," he said, offering his hand. "I run a few things around here, and I think we could help each other."
I shook his hand cautiously. I had heard rumors of Victor Stone. He was a well-connected figure in Inchoate, controlling everything from the trade routes to the local businesses. But I had never met him before, and I wasn't sure what to make of his sudden interest in me. I'd spent most of my life learning to avoid people like him, but now I had a business—something real—and I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers.
"You run a business yourself?" I asked, trying to gauge his intentions.
Stone smiled, leaning back against the counter. "I don't run businesses. I run people. I make sure they succeed. Or I make sure they fail. But you? You've got something. I can see it. You've got the drive, and I respect that. What I'm offering is simple: I'll give you access to my resources, my connections. You'll have the protection you need, and in return, you help me with some... investments."
It didn't take long for me to realize what he was offering. It wasn't just a business partnership—it was an offer to join the very system I had been avoiding. Stone was a kingpin in this city, and for all his charisma, his words were more of a command than a request. He was offering me a chance to climb higher, but at a price.
"Why me?" I asked, still skeptical. "There's a lot of businesses in this city."
Stone's smile widened, and for the first time, I saw a hint of menace in his eyes. "Because you're the one who stood up to the gangs. You've got guts. That's what this city respects. But you're going to need more than guts if you want to stay ahead of them."
I knew it was a dangerous offer, but as I looked around my store—at the shelves that were no longer empty, at the growing crowd of loyal customers—I knew that I couldn't keep going at this pace without help. I needed allies if I wanted to survive in this city. And Victor Stone, for all his ruthlessness, was the kind of ally that would get me what I wanted.
"I'm listening," I said.
Later that night, I found myself sitting at a table in a private restaurant that Stone had invited me to. It was a place where the walls were thick with the smell of cigar smoke and the air was charged with quiet tension. The moment I walked in, I could feel the weight of the power that hung in the room. Stone wasn't alone. Several of his associates, people who seemed like they belonged in a different world than mine, sat around the table, watching me closely.
Stone leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving mine. "You've got potential, Jack. You've got something the other businesses in this city don't have. Ambition. You've proven that with your store. But ambition alone won't keep you alive here."
"I know," I said. I wasn't naive. I had already learned that ambition without the right protection could get you killed in Inchoate.
Stone's eyes flickered to the men around the table. "The city is full of people who want what you have—power, success, control. If you want to keep yours, you need to start thinking bigger. You need to learn how to make the right people work for you, how to make deals that benefit you. I can show you how to do that."
I nodded slowly. "What's the catch?"
Stone smiled again. "The catch is simple. You work with me, and you get to be at the top. But you'll also make enemies. Powerful ones. So you better be ready to fight. And if you fail? Well, let's just say you won't make it out of here in one piece."
The weight of his words hung in the air, but something in me—something that had been dormant for years—stirred. The promise of power, of a future where I controlled my destiny, was too tempting to resist. I had fought my whole life just to survive. Now, I had a chance to thrive.
"I'm in," I said, my voice steady.
This chapter marks a major turning point for Jack as he steps deeper into the world of power and politics in Inchoate City. His first real opportunity to expand his reach comes through Victor Stone, a man who represents both the promise and danger of this new world. The stakes are high, and Jack's decision to align himself with such a powerful figure will lead him down a darker, more complicated path.