Havencrest City, TigerShark Tower

Lucas Cheng lounged in his augmented reality pod, holographic stock charts reflected in his designer glasses. His assistant Samuel entered cautiously.

"Mr. Cheng, Star Combat Club terminated Ethan Gray's contract. He blocked our latest burner account."

"Persistent cockroach." Lucas nibbled wasabi peas from a gold-plated bowl. "What about Mia Li's uncle?"

"Uncle Jeff got thrown out of her parents' condo." Samuel winced. "The Lis still support their daughter's... questionable choices."

Lucas' VR glasses flashed red alerts – TigerShark stocks plummeted 8% despite clear skies. "Enough games. Double the ad slots for her StreamVerse channel."

Beijing Mountainside Estate

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Vincent Cross devoured a porterhouse steak, grease staining his vintage boxing robe. The 72-year-old combat legend glared at holographic reports of Ethan's predicament.

"Samuel!" The AI assistant materialized. "Get me General Thompson at Defense R&D."

The video call connected to a war room where military brass monitored drone simulations. "Cross? This better involve alien invasions."

"My protege needs your Elite Warrior Initiative slot." Vincent tossed a bone to his rottweiler. "Kid's got better reflexes than your prototype mechs."

General Thompson scowled. "The selection committee requires–"

"Required my signature for your urban combat sims." Vincent's knuckles cracked. "Twenty-nine. Prime age. His marksmanship scores?"

"Top 2% globally," the general conceded. "But the public vote..."

"Rig it." Vincent's smile revealed gold molars. "Or I leak those Vegas footage reels."

National Elite Athlete Program Database

Ethan's profile blinked crimson beside Mia's medical records. Deep in TigerShark servers, KarmaBot 2.0 rerouted voting algorithms. Mia's melody Fractured Light pulsed through code – her final gift before chemotherapy.

Vincent's recommendation letter materialized:

"Subject demonstrates quantum-level spatial awareness. Recommend immediate clearance for Project Valhalla."