The Police Chief flinched and gave Vance a hateful look. He knew Ethan was right; the fallout from this unsanctioned raid would be career-ending.

Ethan watched the fear spread across the Chief's face, then turned his attention back to the red-faced Congressman Vance, who was still trying to look intimidating despite the obvious failure of his plan.

"Now that your little show is over, Congressman," Ethan said, his voice smooth and lethally polite. "Let's talk about the damage. My custom-made gate is ruined, my peace has been shattered, and I've suffered considerable stress."

He set his wine glass down on the porch railing with a decisive clink. "I believe that $25 million will cover my damages. It's the cost of doing business, after all."

Vance's jaw dropped. "Twenty-five million dollars?! Are you insane, Blake? That's extortion!"

"Extortion?" Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "No, Congressman. Extortion is demanding $5 million and my security guard's head for a broken arm. This is a settlement offer. You pay me the $25 million for the damages and the promise that I will forget all about the abuse of state force, the press conference I could hold about your mayoral run, and the civil lawsuit I could file."

Ethan looked pointedly at the sweating Police Chief. "Or, we can skip the check and head straight to the courthouse. I'm sure the judge will be fascinated by the Chief's explanation for using SWAT tactics without a warrant."

The Police Chief's eyes pleaded with Vance. His career, and likely his commander's, was hanging by a thread.

Vance was trapped. Twenty-five million dollars was an extreme amount—a brutal hit to his finances and his campaign war chest—but a public scandal involving police corruption would guarantee the end of his political career.

[He's cornered! He's cornered! Champion, this is why money is better than bullets! Watch him squirm! Now you're taking his money and his dignity!] The System screamed with digital glee.

Vance took a shuddering breath, his face a mask of impotent rage. "You little bastard. You won't get away with this."

"I believe I already have," Ethan countered, his smile widening. "So, Congressman? Check or courthouse? My lawyer is standing by."

Vance spat a curse under his breath. "Fine! You win. Where do I send the money?"

Ethan nodded, satisfied. He pulled out his phone and quickly typed a message, forwarding the contact details. "You'll transfer the funds to this account immediately. My financial agent, Lena Rossi, will handle the paperwork and the settlement agreement. You'll sign an NDA stating that this incident never happened, and I won't mention your name to any reporter."

"Do it fast, Congressman. The clock is ticking on my patience."

Vance glared at the Police Chief one last time, then turned and stomped back toward his armored vehicle. The Chief, visibly relieved, immediately began barking orders for his men to clear out, eager to erase every sign of their disastrous raid.

Ethan watched the last of the police cruisers retreat down the long drive.

"Jason," Ethan called out, looking at the mangled black iron of his custom-made gate.

"I'll fix the gate, Boss," Jason said immediately, "It's simple, Boss. Welding is pretty basic, and they only blew out a small section of the hinges. It will be fast."

Ethan smirked, celebrating his victory internally. "Just when I was short on cash, this idiot comes along and gives me a gift."

[If you want money, you know where to find it! I haven't seen anyone complain about getting paid to fuck!] The System quipped, always steering the conversation back to its core missions.

"It's not about fucking," Ethan laughed mentally. "It's that you want me to commit suicide for your amusement."

Just then, Cassandra approached from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You were amazing, Ethan. Truly," she whispered.

"We now have money for the renovations," Ethan told her, turning in her embrace. "You and Jason handle the budget and the development firm details first thing in the morning." He gave her a kiss and then retired to his room.

He lay down on the massive bed and mentally addressed the System again. "Hey, System, where is all the money I get being sent from? I'm worried that they might trace it somehow, especially now that I'm fighting the government. I don't want to leave any evidence they can use against me."

The System chuckled. [Don't worry, Champion. The money is completely legal and comes from reliable sources. The source of the money will not have a problem.]

Ethan caught the subtle hint. The System said "The source" wouldn't have a problem, but it said nothing about him. A chilling inspiration struck him: The IRS.

[Hahaha! You hit the nail on the head! I expected you to suffer through your first audit, but it seems you're smarter than I thought!] The System admitted, its digital laughter echoing in his mind.

Ethan felt a sudden wave of panic. He quickly checked his assets in the interface: $29.75 million and 50 Lux Points. If he were audited right now, he couldn't prove the origin of the nearly $30 million or the $150 million house. Proving the legitimacy of that income would be an immense headache, one that could easily lead to jail time for tax evasion.

"Shit," Ethan muttered to himself. "I need a legitimate business, urgently."

Even if he spent all the money, the flow and movements wouldn't simply disappear. Establishing a company should be his absolute top priority—one that had the facility to earn assets as large as a world-class corporation.

He immediately turned his attention to the System. "Hey, you said there were hundreds of software programs more powerful than my father's in your store, right? Can you show me one based on Artificial Intelligence?"

The System responded instantly. [Of course I do! I have everything from a basic level up to one similar to myself, depending on what you want to spend.] It then displayed a small list of available Artificial Intelligence software packages:

​[Evolutionary Embryo AI - 100 Lux Points]

​[Specialized Financial AI - 250 Lux Points]

​[Humanized Interactive AI - 500 Lux Points]

​[Independent Reasoning AI - 1000 Lux Points]

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