New Opportunity

The charges had been cleared and though his life couldn't return to the way it used to be, he was happy it was like this and that he had left that company while he still had the chance, if not he might have still been a man slaving away for an average salary. This was much better than any job could offer.

The anger that was built up inside of him was replaced by something calmer.

Relief.

No one could use those accusations against him anymore, his name was officially cleared.

Still, he had no cause to celebrate.

He grabbed the remote and turned off the television, "Too little too late…" he said to no one in particular.

He got up, pulling on his tracksuit, and tied the strings tight around his waist. If there was one thing that could help him shake off the remnants of his anger, it was a good run.

When he finally stepped outside, the cool morning breeze greeted him. The sun was still low, the neighborhood was quiet except for the barking of a dog or the faint hum of a car in the distance.

Maximus slid his earbuds in, he put his phone on silent and tapped play on his playlist and began jogging down the street.

By the time he was back from his jog, he came to see that his phone had been bormbarded with missed calls and unread messages.

He stared at the numbers in disbelief, the caller ID was filled with names he hadn't seen in months, or in some cases... years.

People he had thought forgotten about him entirely. Old coworkers, college friends, even a few of his neighbours from his apartment complex.

And then there was the more personal ones. His mother, father, and one he had been in a confrotation with recently- his sister.

He let out a heavy sigh, tossing the phone back onto the table. It vibrated again, buzzing with another incoming text. But the notifications stopped as he put it on silent mode.

"Blast from the past…tch!" he muttered to himself.

He rolled his eyes and stared into blank space.

"Onto more inportant things…"

"Come Forth…"

Tti-ring!

The Investment God System jumped to life.

But for a few moments, there was nothing. Just the usual interface, clean and straightfoward, showing him a summary of his current investments and progress.

No notifications.

He leaned back against the headborad, exhaling slowly.

The silence of the system was unusual, it always had something for him. Just as he was about to dismiss the interface, a new notification popped up.

Ti-ring!

~New Notification~

~Apartment Complex Offer~

~A potential buyer has expressed interest in pruchaing your property. Pending further discussion.~

Maximus's eyes widend. He sat upright, gooing through the message all over again.

He had worked tirelessly on the renovation of that apartment complex, turning it from a near derelict structure into a livable building.

And while he had initially planned to keep it as a rental property, the system had guided him to list it with a real estate company.

He didn't expect interest to roll in so soon.

If the buyer was serious and the offer was good, this could be his first big step into the real estate market.

But before he could focus on the opportunity, his phone buzzed again. Maximus groaned, grabbing it and flipping off the silent mode.

The screen immediately flushed with a flood of notifications, and then a call came through instantly.

The number wasn't saved and it looked unfamiliar, but something told him it was important. He hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Hello?" he said cautiosly.

"Mr. Maximus Prime?" a polite voice asked form the other end of the line.

"Thats me…"

"This is Keith Hall, from Hall & Sons Real Estate state. I've been trying to get through to you regarding your apartment complex. I understand youre the owner.?"

Maximus sat up straight. "Yes, that is correct. I am the owner…"

"ggod," Keith said, relief very much evident in his tone. "I'm calling on behalf of a client who's very much interested in the property. He's eager to meet and discuss the details. Are you available today?"

Maximus glanced at the clock. It was just past 11am. He had no major plans for the day, and this was an oppurtunity he couldn't pass up.

"Yes, I'm available," he said.

"Excellent. Lets meet at Gardenia Bistro at noon. It's not far from downtown. Does that work for you?"

"Sounds good."

"Perfect. I'll inform my client. See you then…"

As the calll ended, maximus found himself staring at his phoine, a mix of emotions swirling in his chest.

This was it. The kind of moment hed been working towards. Yet there was also a lingering apprehension.

What if the offer wasn't as good as he hoped?

What if this deal wasn't the setepping stone he thought it would be?

"Time to get up, lying down here wont get me the answers that I desperately need…"