The morning air was thick with unease.
Messages flooded Darren's phone: sudden price hikes at his partner stores, deliveries delayed, and whispers of sabotage.
A text came from Mrs. Keller:
"Someone vandalized my laundromat last night. No injuries, but the message is clear."
The system flashed a stern alert:
[Rival faction retaliation confirmed.]
[Suggested Action: Increase security measures and gather counterintelligence.]
Darren tightened his grip.
He coordinated with his trusted allies, deploying surveillance and hiring more trusted guards.
Using the system's intelligence feature, he tracked suspicious patterns and identified a likely rival contact.
[Mission Update: Intercept rival communications to uncover plans.]
At night, Darren stayed up hacking through encrypted channels, piecing together the rival faction's next move.
Meanwhile, home was his sanctuary.
He cooked dinner with his mother and helped Aria with schoolwork — a reminder of what he was fighting for.
The system rewarded his perseverance:
[Expenditure Multiplier Activated: 275x]
[Bonus Credit: +£550,000]
But Darren knew this was far from over.
The city's game had just escalated.