Chapter 81: Up My Game

Confirmed.

[ REBATE SYSTEM ]

Transaction Detected: $450,000 spent on Meridian Street Property Acquisition

Base Multiplier (Tier 2): 2x

Total Return: $900,000

[ Net Balance: $1,504,002.00 → $2,404,002.00 ]

[Rebate Cap : $475,000/$500,000 ]

Asset Rebound — Activated

3x Investment Return pending

[ Credited in: 72 hours ]

[ Rebound Return: $1,350,000 ]

[ Investment Portfolio: $730,000 / $3,000,000 ]

$2,404,002, Xavier thought.

Past two million, he noted. From a single afternoon transaction. First time in a while almost crossing the rebate cap having a backup sure ease the way you spend.

He pocketed his phone and looked at Vincent across the desk.

"Done," he said.

Vincent looked at his own phone where the transfer notification had presumably landed through Patricia’s system. He looked at Xavier with the expression he sometimes wore. The one that said he was still recalibrating what exactly he was dealing with and had been doing so since the first Tuesday meeting.

"We have a third opportunity for you when you’re ready," Vincent said.

"What is it," Xavier said.

"It’s a food distribution company," Vincent said. "Located South district. Undervalued relative to its actual operational reach."

Third on the USB list, Xavier thought. Rated A. $380,000.

"Send me the overview," he said. "I’ll review tonight."

"Tonight," Vincent repeated.

"Is that a problem?," Xavier asked.

"No," Vincent said. He closed the folder. "No problem at all."

They stood. Shook hands across the clean desk.

Xavier was heading for the door when Vincent said something that made him pause.

Not loudly. Quietly. The tone of someone passing along information they considered useful rather than making a performance of it.

"Xavier."

He turned.

Vincent was still standing at his desk with the particular expression of a man who noticed things professionally and occasionally chose to share what he noticed.

"Selene," Vincent said. Equally quietly. "I’ve noticed you looking."

Xavier said nothing.

"She’s good at her job," Vincent said. "Sharp. Particular about who she gives her time to. Has turned down three people from this building alone in the past year." He paused. "You being able to walk into this office at your age and move the way you move is already an advantage most men twice your age don’t have." Another pause. "But you’ll need to actually up your game if you want her attention. She doesn’t respond to the standard approach."

Xavier held his gaze for a moment.

He noticed, he thought. Of course he noticed. The man reads financial patterns for a living. Reading people is presumably easier.

"Noted," Xavier said. He didn’t want someone advising him on how to get women.

Vincent nodded once. Back to himself being professional, measured, already moving to whatever was next on his Monday afternoon.

Xavier walked out.

Selene was at the standing desk when he came through the door.

She looked up.

Their eyes met for the standard two seconds.

Standard procedure, Xavier thought. She looks up. Registers. Looks back down.

Then he did something he hadn’t done in any of the previous interactions.

He stopped.

"Selene," he said.

She looked up again. Fully this time. With the particular attention of someone who had been addressed directly and was responding accordingly.

"The Gerald Obi acquisition," he said. "You said good acquisition if the accounts hold." He held her gaze. "They held."

She looked at him for a moment.

"I know," she said. "I processed the ownership transfer this morning."

"Then you were right," he said simply.

She held his gaze for exactly one second longer than the previous interactions had produced.

"I usually am," she said.

"Okay see you around" Xavier walked to the lift.

2%, he checked.

Still 2%, he noted. But that last second was different from anything before it.

Different, he thought. Not movement. Just different.

That’s enough for today.

The lift arrived. He stepped in.

Up my game, he thought. Vincent’s words.

Challenge accepted.

[ REBATE SYSTEM ]

Transaction Detected: $22 spent on cab fare

Base Multiplier (Tier 2): 2x

Total Return: $44

[ Net Balance: $2,403,980.00 → $2,404,024.00 ]

$2,404,024, he noted in the back of the cab. Two acquisitions. $730,000 deployed. $1,350,000 Asset Rebound incoming Wednesday from the property.

He opened the USB document and looked at the remaining six targets.

Food distribution company next, he thought. $380,000. Vincent’s sending the overview tonight.

The chain keeps moving, he thought.

And apparently so does something else.

He almost smiled and looked out the window at the city.

Up my game, he thought.

Let’s see what that looks like.

_ _

Xavier woke up at 8AM on Tuesday with Vincent’s words still sitting in the back of his mind.

You’ll need to actually up your game if you want her attention.

He lay there for a moment looking at the ceiling.

Up my game, he thought. In an environment where everyone drives something serious and wears something tailored and the building itself communicates a level before you open your mouth. He sat up. I’ve been walking into Hale & Associates in clean casual clothes and moving money that most of the people in that building will never see in their lifetime. The presentation doesn’t match the substance.

That changes today.

He picked up his phone and opened his browser.

Two searches.

Luxury vehicles in Kenvale. And tailors.

He spent an hour on the car research before he’d finished his coffee.

Not browsing casually. Actually researching. Specs, reviews, dealer availability, current market pricing. His previous life had given him six years of driving experience in vehicles that were the complete opposite of what he was now looking at. Pizza delivery cars. Functional, cheap, maintained just enough to keep running.

Different life, he thought. Different vehicles.

He narrowed it down quickly. He wasn’t looking for flashy. Flashy was for people who needed others to know they’d arrived. What he wanted was the kind of car that people in Vincent’s world drove. Understated. Expensive. The kind that cost enough that the people who recognised it knew exactly what it cost and everyone else just saw a very clean car.

Porsche Panamera, he decided. Midnight blue. Current model.

He checked the Kenvale dealer’s stock.

One available. $145,000. I think this will do for a start.

He called the dealership at 9AM.

"I’d like to come in this morning," he said when the sales manager answered. "I’m looking at the Panamera you have in stock. Midnight blue."

A brief pause on the line. The particular pause of a sales manager recalibrating when a voice that sounded younger than expected used a specific model name with specific colour detail and no hesitation.