**Arc 2: Chapter 20 – The First Setback**
Jae-min stared at his phone, disbelief written all over his face. The email he'd just received wasn't something he'd anticipated. It came from the owner of the warehouse they had leased for the esports hub.
**Subject: Lease Termination Notification**
*"Due to unforeseen circumstances, we regret to inform you that we must terminate your lease effective immediately. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. For further inquiries, please contact our legal department."*
"What the hell?" he muttered, scrolling through the email again, hoping he'd misread it.
The sound of Elyra materializing broke his focus. She perched on the armrest of the couch, twirling a lock of her hair between her fingers.
"Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise?" she teased, glancing at the email over his shoulder.
"This isn't funny," Jae-min snapped. "We've already started renovations. How can they just terminate the lease like this?"
Elyra shrugged, unconcerned. "Money makes the world go round, Jae-min. If someone waved a bigger check in their face, they probably took it."
His jaw clenched. They had poured time and effort into this project, and now it was all at risk. Worse, Yumi and So-ra didn't know yet.
---
Two hours later, Yumi and So-ra sat across from him in his apartment. The energy in the room was tense as Jae-min explained the situation.
"They terminated the lease?" So-ra's voice was sharp, her frustration palpable. "Just like that?"
Yumi leaned back, her arms crossed, her expression cold and calculating. "I'll call them tomorrow. This has to be a mistake."
"I already tried calling," Jae-min said, his tone weary. "No one's picking up. All I got was an automated message directing me to their legal department."
Yumi's eyes narrowed. "That's suspicious."
So-ra ran a hand through her hair, clearly stressed. "We've already sunk so much money into this. What are we supposed to do now?"
"We don't give up," Jae-min said firmly. He hated seeing the doubt in their eyes, especially after how much effort they'd put into the hub.
Yumi studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Agreed. But we need to figure out who's behind this."
---
The next morning, Jae-min stood outside the warehouse, staring at the padlock that had been placed on the entrance. The sight of it made his blood boil.
A sleek black car pulled up behind him, and Yumi stepped out, looking every bit the corporate shark in her tailored suit.
"I made a few calls," she said, walking up to him. "The owner sold the property yesterday. The new buyer paid nearly double the market value."
"Do we know who bought it?"
She handed him a folder. Inside was a corporate profile for a company called **Lionheart Holdings**.
"They're not in real estate," Yumi explained. "Their main business is event management. My guess? They're planning to use the space to host gaming tournaments and cut us out entirely."
Jae-min felt his fists clench. "So, they're stealing our idea?"
"Looks like it," Yumi said. "And they've got deeper pockets than us."
Jae-min's mind raced. He needed a way to fight back, but Lionheart Holdings was a major player. Going head-to-head with them wasn't going to be easy.
---
Later that day, Jae-min sat in his apartment, staring at the system interface. Elyra appeared, leaning against the wall with a smug expression.
"You look like you're about to make a terrible decision," she said.
"I need a solution," he replied, ignoring her jab. "Lionheart Holdings isn't just going to roll over."
Elyra's grin widened. "Lucky for you, I've got just the thing."
She snapped her fingers, and a new system panel appeared in front of him.
**[New Task: Outmaneuver the Competition]**
- Objective: Sabotage Lionheart Holdings' plans and reclaim your position in the market.
- Reward: 5% boost in personal funds from all system-generated transactions for one month.
Jae-min raised an eyebrow. "Sabotage? That's not exactly subtle."
Elyra shrugged. "Subtlety won't work here. You need to hit them where it hurts."
He hesitated. The task wasn't without risk, but he couldn't let Lionheart Holdings win.
---
The next day, Jae-min, Yumi, and So-ra sat around the table in his apartment, brainstorming their next move.
"We need to know exactly what Lionheart Holdings is planning to do with the warehouse," Yumi said. "If we can expose any weaknesses in their plan, we might have a chance."
So-ra frowned. "How are we supposed to get that kind of information? It's not like we can just walk into their office and ask."
Jae-min smirked. "We don't need to. I have a way."
Yumi raised an eyebrow. "You're being cryptic again. What's your plan?"
"I'll handle it," Jae-min said, his tone firm. "Just trust me."
Yumi looked like she wanted to argue, but she finally sighed and nodded. "Fine. But don't do anything reckless."
---
That night, Jae-min met with a private investigator he'd hired using the system's funds. The man handed him a USB drive containing information on Lionheart Holdings' operations.
"This is everything I could dig up," the investigator said. "Their financial records, internal memos, even some emails. Be careful with this—it's not exactly legal."
Jae-min nodded, slipping the drive into his pocket. "Thanks."
As he walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was stepping into dangerous territory. But he didn't have a choice. If he wanted to save the esports hub, he had to play dirty.
Back at his apartment, he plugged the drive into his laptop. Elyra appeared beside him, watching as he opened the files.
"This is getting interesting," she said, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Let's just hope it works," Jae-min muttered.
As the first file loaded, a plan began forming in his mind. Lionheart Holdings might have more resources, but Jae-min had something they didn't: a system that never lost.
And he wasn't going down without a fight.