Ethan lay on his massive bed, the weight of the potential IRS audit crushing the satisfaction of his $25 million score. He stared at the list of AI options displayed in his mind.

* [Evolutionary Embryo AI - 100 Lux Points]

* [Specialized Financial AI - 250 Lux Points]

* [Humanized Interactive AI - 500 Lux Points]

* [Independent Reasoning AI - 1000 Lux Points]

"What exactly do these do, and why the huge difference in price?" Ethan asked the System mentally, frowning at the low supply of Lux Points he currently possessed.

The System responded with its usual detached efficiency. [A very good question, Champion. The Evolutionary Embryo AI and the Independent Reasoning AI are fundamentally similar in their final structure—they both have the highest growth potential, theoretically surpassing my own processing power, given infinite resources.]

[However, the difference is the starting point. The Embryo is exactly that: an embryo. It knows nothing. You would have to feed it everything from scratch. It has the highest potential but will be slow and tedious to bring to its maximum potential.]

[The Independent Reasoning AI, on the other hand, is the fully grown version. It comes pre-loaded with everything, including the Specialized Financial AI module and the Humanized Interactive version. It possesses complete human-level reasoning and massive data sets right out of the box.]

"So, the Embryo is an empty shell that I have to raise, and the Independent one is basically an off-the-shelf genius," Ethan summarized mentally.

[Precisely. The Embryo is a marathon; the Independent is a supersonic sprint.]

Ethan stared at his current balance: 50 Lux Points. Neither the sprint nor the marathon was currently affordable. He sighed.

"I need money, and I need it legitimized. Lena Rossi is the key, but then... which of the AIs will give me the quickest and safest return?" While weighing the urgency of calling Lena Rossi, the need to acquire more Lux Points, and the imminent appointment at MIT, fatigue overcame him. He fell deeply asleep.

The next morning, close to 5:00 AM, a piercing, shrill siren resonated directly in his mind.

[BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Up, Champion! The sun doesn't wait!]

Ethan groaned, trying to shut off the sound, but realized there was no physical button. The System had seized control of his internal auditory sense.

"Shut up, System!" Ethan muttered.

[Hahaha. I can't! My sole mission is to help you reach your maximum potential, and that starts at 5:00 AM, just as you requested yesterday!] The System sounded amused, its mocking tone not helping. [A sleepy millionaire! What a disgrace! Wake up, lazy bum!]

Frustrated, Ethan jumped out of bed, put on his sportswear, and headed straight for the mansion's outdoor running track. There was no time to complain; if he wanted the rewards, he had to earn them.

He began his grueling workout routine:

* 10 km run

* 100 squats

* 100 abs

* 100 push-ups

* 100 burpees

Every muscle burned by the end, but the training was fast and efficient. As he finished the last burpee, the System announced:

[Morning training routine completed. Reward: $5,000 USD and 1 Lux Point.]

With 51 Lux Points in his balance, Ethan felt slightly better, but still far from the AI options.

After swimming for a while to cool off and getting dressed, Ethan left his suite. Cassandra was already downstairs with a carefully prepared breakfast, and Jason, wearing a discreet suit, was ready to leave.

"I'll be out all day," Ethan said, taking a sip of coffee. "I trust you both to keep everything in order."

Cassandra came over smiling, congratulated him, and hugged him. "Congratulations, Ethan! You did it."

"Thank you," he replied. "I wasn't referring to that, haha, but fine, we can have a celebration another day," he told her, recalling her previous night's joke.

He then turned to Jason. "Jason, you and the security team need to move in an SUV. I need you to acquire one for yourselves, preferably armored in case of emergency. I want to use my vehicle at the university and I don't want to bring an escort on campus, so yours must be discreet."

Jason nodded seriously. "Understood, Boss. I'll take care of it immediately. I have a contact for that. It won't be brand new, but it will be recent and level 5 armored."

"I trust you," Ethan said, smiling. "Talk to Rossi if you need more money. You have the extra card, and it has $5 million for you."

"I will do the impossible not to fail you, sir," Jason replied.

Ethan grabbed the keys to his sleek BMW and headed out of the house, setting his course for MIT. He drove carefully, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to his already conspicuous car.

As he exited the property, he noticed a group of men loitering nearby—the Congressman's security detail. They glared at him with pure hatred. Ethan simply gave them a casual, almost mocking wave and accelerated smoothly away.

When he reached the security booth at the main gate of Celestial Garden, Agent Alpha stepped out. He approached Ethan's window, his expression returning to its cold professionalism.

"Good morning, Mr. Blake," Agent Alpha said. "I hear you managed to sort out the unfortunate situation with Congressman Vance last night. Congratulations."

"Yes, I did," Ethan replied, giving him a tight, polite smile. "Fortunately, everything worked out well for me. But unfortunately, your security leaves much to be desired."

Ethan leaned closer to the open window. "Letting police enter a private condominium without a judicial warrant is completely disappointing, Agent Alpha. It makes me wonder how Celestial Garden can't even protect its residents from a petty political dispute."

Agent Alpha's face subtly tightened with fury. He knew the accusation was true and the embarrassment was significant, but hearing it delivered directly by Ethan was highly aggravating. He swallowed his pride. "I assure you, measures are being taken to prevent such a lapse in the future, Mr. Blake."

"I certainly hope so," Ethan said simply, then gave a brief nod. "Have a good day, Agent Alpha."

Ethan drove past the gate, leaving the Agent simmering in his own humiliation.

The moment Ethan's BMW disappeared down the road, Agent Alpha pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number.

"He just left the compound, sir. No escort," Agent Alpha reported curtly. "It's time to pay a visit."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.