First Profit

"Forty-nine... fifty..." Darren Steele grunted through counts, his breath growing heavier.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, landing on the wooden floor beneath him. His arms trembled slightly, muscles burning from the intensity, but he kept going.

Investors had many things about them. One of which was a routine, and since Darren had decided that push ups were going to be a routine, he was hell bent on maintaining that routine.

The room was quiet except for the steady, rhythmic sounds of his breathing and the low grunts that escaped his lips with every push up. His body was a machine, pushing against the floor in powerful, controlled motions.

"Forty-seven... forty-eight..." His teeth clenched. His body was screaming at him to stop, but his mind refused to listen.

"Forty-nine..." A final push. "Fifty."

Once he arrived at that number, he let out a heavy grunt, allowing his body to collapse for a brief moment, chest heaving as he caught his breath.

Then he pushed himself up to his feet and reached for the towel hanging on his desk chair. He dragged it over his damp face and neck before turning toward the mirror.

The reflection staring back at him was a different man from the one he used to know.

He was wearing only a pair of brown cotton shorts and so most of his toned body was fully exposed.

His shoulders were broader now, the muscle definition sharper. His arms that were once lean had taken on a solid, sculpted form, his biceps and forearms carrying more strength than before.

His chest had firmed up, the outline of his abs distinct under his skin. Even his posture had changed. He was less slouched, more upright, carrying the presence of someone with purpose.

He hadn't been doing this for long, but the progress was undeniable.

Darren exhaled, tossing the towel aside. 'The system didn't ask me to do this. It also didn't ask me to clean my room. But being an investor comes with a lot of things, and that includes a sense of responsibility.'

'I never really expected it to happen. All my mind had been focused on was getting money. But being responsible has led me to make better choices and act more mature.'

He looked deeper at his reflection, seeing the tightness of his jaw and smoothness of his face.

'At some point, when I didn't realize it, the responsibility bled into other areas of my life. Keeping a neat environment. Managing my time wisely. Taking care of my body. I had never been like this before — not at twenty-one, and not even at thirty-one.'

'Back then, I rarely exercised, barely bothered with personal grooming beyond the basics. I didn't care about my appearance, as long as I looked fairly presentable, it was fine.'

He stood straight and ran his hand through his hair. 'But now... Now, it's different.'

'Maybe it's because I am technically older than the body I'm inhabiting right now, but I also feel something else. A kind of drive. A sense of discipline I never knew I had.'

Darren knew it was the system's influence. It had reshaped him, molded him into someone he barely recognized, but in the best possible way.

'The system did say I have to keep an image. This is part of it. I'd prefer if that image was genuine, not just a show.'

He let out a deep breath. 'I never expected that my life would be completely in the hands of an omnipotent and omniscient powerful AI, but what can I say?'

It was pointless to care, because the truth was...

He was grateful.

The Investor System had turned him into a completely different man. A driven man. And a...

Buzz!

His phone vibrated against the desk.

...A rich man.

Darren grabbed it, unlocking the screen. The notification bar was flooded with messages and alerts. Most of them were still coming from CryptoTracker, all buzzing about the massive Bitcoin withdrawal that had shaken the market that morning.

He let out a sigh. Guess they're still on a high about that.

Not surprising. A withdrawal that large wasn't something people saw every day. 'Really lucky no one knows it's me,' he thought. 'If they did?'

He scoffed, shaking his head. 'There'd be a swarm of press at my door, people flooding my inbox with messages. And calls too.'

His lips curled slightly. 'I hate texts and calls.'

Setting the phone down, he turned his attention elsewhere.

"System," he muttered, "open the Bitcoin Investment Window."

The translucent purple panel materialized before him, filled with glowing white text.

------------------------------------------

┏Bitcoin Investment Window┛

┏Price Presently: $0.08/BTC┛

┏Price in Future: $50,000/BTC┛

┏Rises:

— January 2011 - Major Rise - $6/BTC

— April 2011 - Minor Rise - $9/BTC

— June 2011 - Major Rise - $31/BTC┛

(Tap to see further rises for more than one year)

┏Crashes:

— March 2011 - Minor Crash - $4.3/BTC

— August 2011 - Major Crash - $2/BTC┛

(Tap to see further crashes for more than one year)

┏Your Investment┛

┏Invested: $82,500┛

┏Profit: $928,125┛

-----------------------------------------

Darren exhaled slowly, staring at the numbers.

'Almost a million dollars,' he thought.

A part of this was somehow difficult to believe, and as the sheer weight of it settled on him, it pressed against his chest.

He was completely ecstatic about it. But he didn't jump or yell or laugh wildly and happily as much as he wanted to. Instead, he simply walked over to the desk, resting his hands on the surface as he lowered his head.

'This is real.'

'I can't believe I have that much money. This... this actually is real. I mean I knew it was real, but seeing this money in my bank account.'

He picked up his phone again and checked his personal wallet account, seeing the money there.

'It's a completely enthralling feeling. I'm a millionaire.'

He then turned around, standing straight and placing a thoughtful finger on his chin. 'Well not yet.'

'But Holloway should be sending the money today for the two cures I gave him two weeks ago.'

'Regardless of Doctor Gerald's persuasion, I finally put mom in Holloway's hospital two weeks ago, and I gave him the cures then. Today is the fixed day for the payment.'

Darren had chosen today because it was the same day of the Bitcoin rise. Meaning, once Dr Holloway sends the money...

Ding!

A notification appeared on the system interface.

[You have received a money transfer of $3,000,000 from Dr. Leonard Holloway.]

Ding!

[You have received a money transfer of $5,700,000 from Dr. Leonard Holloway.]

Darren smiled.

... He could finally start spending.