Strides and Strategies

The weekend passed in a blur for Wesley Barnes, each moment ticking closer to the pivotal meeting with Epic Games. On Monday morning, his father, Andrew, met him at the airport, and together they embarked on their flight to North Carolina. The promise of what lay ahead was both exhilarating and daunting.

Upon landing, they were greeted by a driver sent by Epic, who escorted them to the company's headquarters. The building was an impressive edifice of modern architecture, sleek and imposing. Walking through the main lobby towards the elevator, Wesley felt a cocktail of emotions stirring within him. "Follow me, gentlemen," the assistant said, leading them to the conference room.

Inside, they were greeted by several lawyers and, to Wesley's surprise, Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games himself. 'Damn, hope this goes well. Surprised the CEO is here,' Wesley thought, his nerves tingling with anticipation. Andrew, unfazed by the high-powered gathering, exuded the calm confidence of someone accustomed to dealing with global corporations and legal intricacies.

As they took their seats, the CEO began, "Well, Mr. Barnes, we were very impressed with your snippet of upgrades and were eager to meet you."

"Thank you," Wesley replied, steadying his voice. "I would love to give you the rest, but I would like to know what you have to offer?"

The CEO, poised and direct, responded with an offer that took Wesley's breath away: "Based on our estimates, considering a full overhaul and the time it would've normally taken us to achieve such advancements, we are prepared to offer you 167 million dollars."

Andrew's eyes narrowed at this. He quickly calculated the true worth, considering not just the upgrade and development time but also the potential profits from companies using the new overhaul. Thus began a strategic back-and-forth negotiation, the lawyers delving into details and clauses.

Finally, a deal was struck. "With this, the total deal will come to 378 million dollars, to be paid over the course of four years, interest-free." The agreement was monumental, and as they signed the contract, Wesley and Andrew managed to maintain their composure, though smug grins threatened to break through their calm facades.

Leaving the Epic headquarters, the relief and excitement were palpable. Once they were at the airport, away from the formalities and scrutinizing eyes, they shared a victorious look. "Dad, HAHAH looks like you're getting that Porsche," Wesley chuckled.

"HAHAH, I'm proud of you, bud. Honestly, this is beyond my wildest dreams," Andrew replied, his voice filled with pride.

Back in Dallas, Wesley called Kohen to share the news. "Hey, fucker, you there?"

"Yeah, what's up?" Kohen replied.

"I made it," Wesley announced triumphantly.

"Huh?" Kohen sounded confused.

"I just closed a 378 million dollar deal with Epic Games."

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Kohen's voice spiked with disbelief and excitement.

"Yeah, and I'm taking everyone out to celebrate. Meet at my house tomorrow at 6 pm," Wesley said, the smile evident in his voice.

"Sweet! See you then," Kohen responded, still in shock.

Wesley returned home to find Ashlin preparing her healthy lunch. "Hey, Ashlin, got some good news," he announced.

"Oh?" Ashlin looked up, curious.

"Just closed a deal with Epic Games. I'm going to be more than fine financially," Wesley said, a hint of understatement in his tone.

"That's great! Also, what's Epic Games?" Ashlin asked, her knowledge of the gaming industry limited.

"They're a gaming company. I sold some coding upgrades to them, and they paid me a hefty sum," Wesley explained.

"Awesome!" Ashlin congratulated him, genuinely happy for his success.

Retreating to his room, Wesley sat down to process the whirlwind of events. The rush of emotions and the influx of information from the system were overwhelming, and he knew he needed to stay grounded. "I don't trust the government. I love the US, but I'm not naive about corruption," he thought. "I need to be careful."

He opened the system, his KP balance now reading a staggering 65,000. "Time to open the shop," he murmured, his mind racing with possibilities. Scrolling through the options, two caught his eye: [Quantum Computing] and [Advanced Artificial General Intelligence], each priced at 30,000 KP.

"These could be game-changers," Wesley thought. "The AI could help me develop further and serve a variety of purposes. Quantum computing could revolutionize my capabilities in the tech industry."

Without hesitation, Wesley added both to his cart and made the purchase. As the information flooded his mind, he felt a surge of power and potential. 

"Time to begin," he said, a determined look in his eye.