"Excuse me for interrupting," he said.
"I'm Kenta Yamada. We specialize in expanding Asian cultural products. I came across your brand through an influencer's post. Now that I've seen it, I'm convinced."
Alaric smiled politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kenta."
"I want to seriously discuss international collaboration," Kenta continued, handing over a business card.
"If you're ready, I can help you enter three markets: Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. From licensing and distribution to brand promotion."
Alaric swallowed slowly. This was a huge opportunity.
"And I'm not just offering help," Kenta added. "I want to invest. I see not just strong products, but powerful stories behind them."
Alaric smiled, though a hint of tension lingered.
"I'll need to discuss it with my team and prepare a strategic presentation," he said cautiously.
"Of course," Kenta replied. "But if you say yes now, we can begin test exports next week."
Inside, Alaric trembled. But he was happy.
For the first time, what he had built from scratch in the cold, with shame and trembling hands—was now reaching the world.
Evening approached.
On his apartment balcony, Alaric gazed at the Jakarta skyline turning gold. The breeze ruffled his hair.
System notifications appeared:
[System Progress: 37%]
[Congratulations! You've entered Brand Maturation stage]
[An opportunity to upgrade your system will appear soon.]
Then, a faint message appeared below:
[You're not just a crafter. You're a meaning maker.]
He gripped Kenta's business card in one hand and looked at the first charm he ever made in the other.
It was still simple, the paint already faded. But that was the beginning of it all.
"If this really grows big... it's not just about money," he whispered. "It's about legacy, meaning... and opportunity for many others."
And this time, he felt more than ready.
-
Fragments of afternoon light slipped through the long glass window in Alaric's workspace. The sun crept downward, piercing through the slats of the blinds, casting long shadows over a desk cluttered with blueprints, keychain sketches, and proposal files.
Alaric leaned back in his chair, rotating his stiff neck joints. Across from him, a middle-aged woman with wavy hair smiled warmly.
She introduced herself as Fujimoto Reina, an investor and owner of an international brand from Japan, interested in forming an official collaboration.
She was also one of the long-time partners associated with Kenta Yamada—the first investor who entrusted Alaric with funds in Indonesia.
"We've been tracking your social media growth," she said. Her English was fluent and politely intonated. "Your sales statistics are impressive. For a new brand of handcrafted products, you've moved very quickly... and accurately."
Alaric returned the smile with a slight nod. "Thank you, Ms. Fujimoto. But I'm sure there's still a lot I can learn."
"Humble, are you?" Fujimoto chuckled. "That's an important quality for cross-country collaboration. If you're ready, we'll help your products enter our network. Korea, Taiwan, even some of our outlets in Europe."
Right at that moment, the system screen in his mind appeared.
[Progress: 100%]
[Reward Available: 1 OP Skill — Please Select]
[Note: Progress completed five hours ago. The system waited for the most optimal moment to display it.]
Alaric blinked once. Five hours ago?
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" he muttered inwardly.
The system answered, as usual, flat and emotionless:
[A moment lacking full awareness would result in a rushed decision.]
Three skill panels appeared:
[
[
[
Alaric paused. Golden Pitch was perfect for investor presentations. Unlimited Draft would clearly accelerate growth. But his eyes kept returning to the second skill—Mindshield.
"This skill... it feels like a warning," he murmured softly.
Alaric began to reflect, recalling how many times his father had almost been subtly deceived in the past. From deals with small partners who seemed too kind to fake product reviews in the early days of the business.
"Does this system... know there'll be people like that again?"
He stared at the screen, considering. There was a worry he couldn't quite explain, and an unusual gut feeling. Finally, he took a deep breath and tapped the second option.
[Mindshield acquired]
[Active Ability: Trap & Manipulation Detection]
[Additional Effect: Business Intuition +17%]
The system praised him:
["A decision that doesn't seek the greatest strength, but the greatest resilience. Fitting for a leader."]
Alaric gave a faint smile. "Sometimes, surviving is far more important than standing out."
..
A few days passed.
Alaric returned to his workspace in Jakarta. A minimalist room on the second floor of a small building he rented specifically for his creative and marketplace operations team. Papers were stacked on his desk. Several laptops were on, and one shelf displayed the best-selling products.
That morning, he sat alone, sipping coffee while scrolling through financial reports on his tablet. His team was still downstairs preparing for the weekly meeting.
Alaric gently swiped the screen. One by one, files opened. Expenses, sales recaps, supply costs, and... the family inheritance stock folder.
He paused.
Strange, this isn't a file I usually open. But why today... did I tap it?
The folder contained documents of the Helix Group's family shares, his father's company that once symbolized dominance in Southeast Asia's logistics distribution. His hand moved on its own, opening file after file. One of them titled:
Joint-Share Agreement: Partner – Harry Satria
Alaric frowned. "Mr. Harry? Dad's still working with him?"
Alaric dug into the report's details. He found suspicious data, small but consistent ownership transfers marked as partner contribution adjustments. The numbers weren't flashy, but too consistent... and suspicious.
Suddenly, the system spoke:
[Anomaly detected: potential share transfer without internal consensus.]
Alaric froze.
"Dad..."
He swiped through more financial reports. The data showed that the Helix family's stock value in the parent company had dropped 0.7% every two months over the last three years. Subtle, almost undetectable unless deeply reviewed.
"Why didn't Dad ever say anything about this...? Or anything, really."
Alaric stood from his chair, stepping slowly toward the window. Jakarta was still as busy as ever. But his mind wasn't.
"If this continues. Ten years from now..."
He didn't dare finish the sentence.
"Does Dad not know? Or... is he staying quiet because he trusts too much?"
Alaric closed his eyes, trying to steady his breath. A discomfort crept from his stomach to his chest. This wasn't about money, but about dangerous negligence.
His father was a good man, perhaps too good. Loyal to those who had helped him once, even if they no longer deserved that trust.
"If Dad saw this," he whispered,
"Would he believe me... or keep denying everything for the sake of friendship?"
The system interrupted his thoughts.
[Detected business manipulation within your family is at Level 2. Proactive action recommended.]
"Level two? So not critical yet, but not minor either."
Alaric took a deep breath. His gaze sharpened. Maybe, it was burning.
"I have to step in now, before it's too late."
..
As usual, Alaric had already been in his office since early morning, long before most people even woke up. In the room's dim light, Alaric sat silently, staring at the ever-scrolling data on his screen.
But it wasn't the numbers that made his chest burn—it was the pattern. A pattern that had shown up time and again.
Too often.
Too many times.
His father, Niel Greg. Too trusting of others.
Alaric exhaled slowly, his shoulders slightly tense.
"This isn't the first time. Dad's always like this... trusting people who plant thorns from within," he murmured softly, barely audible.
Alaric gripped the edge of the desk.
"Even when I—your own son told you something was suspicious, you wouldn't believe it unless it was proven. But by then, it would already be too late!"
Frustration weighed on his chest. He slowly closed the laptop, stood from his chair, and walked to the window. Outside, Jakarta bustled in its usual chaos. But to Alaric, everything felt too cramped.
He didn't want to be the young man who just sat back and watched his family crumble due to his father's negligence.
"I'm sorry, Dad. But I won't wait for everything to fall apart before I act."
Without further thought, he opened the system panel and typed a full name. Harry Satria.
He began tracing. Collaboration reports. Funding documents. Digital footprints. Signatures. Informal agreements. Even tax papers from the affiliated companies.
Each click brought a small shock.
Harry Satria wasn't only connected to one business line. He had influence in three different divisions. One as a minority investor, another as a cross-border logistics consultant.
And most suspicious—he was a procurement partner in last year's troubled project.
Alaric clenched his fists. His eyes narrowed. "Too reckless. And too unchecked."
Without delay, Alaric picked up his phone and called Rafael, one of the more senior operations managers at headquarters.
"Raf, I need you to terminate all active cooperation with Harry Satria immediately. Including affiliates and any add-on contracts. Today."
Rafael's voice came through, hesitant. "Young master... this—this is kind of sudden. I mean, usually a decision like this—"