The Grandbell Legacy

Ci-ci's eyes widened. Was this really happening?

He didn't need to act or play some role other than his own, he was genuinely drowning in abject shock.

'Is this because I insulted myself?' Ci-ci couldn't help but think. 'No… Frae isn't the type to lose control over her emotions like this. This is for intimidation… But, why?'

Frae began to speak as though Ci-ci's face didn't grow bluer by the second. Her words were slow, deliberate, but most of all, filled with authority.

"The Mortlock family has investigated your background well before this meeting took place. It's a good thing you made the right choice in not lying to me, but you should also know that this exposes you to quite a bit, especially in the face of a family like mine."

Ci-ci's eyes remained wide, but his mind soon calmed to inhuman levels.

The creation of this identity was something that Anabelle, Ci-ci's personal AI assistant, had handled. Considering the amount of time Ci-ci had spent putting into her code and supplying her with what he called 'Adaptive Intellect', he believed that it would be difficult for even powerful families to see through his identity.

It was because of this adaptive ability that Ci-ci was confident in reducing the time necessary to complete the dream VR project. To the world, his greatest invention was Renewable Nitrogen. But, what the world didn't know was that Renewable Nitrogen was not his invention, but Anabelle's.

Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. Ci-ci created Anabelle and gave her a set of problems to work through and corrected her course whenever she took a path he didn't like. She then completed them with an efficiency far surpassing human capabilities.

As long as Ci-ci targeted weaknesses in the system, making full use of Anabelle's ability was as easy as breathing.

For example, it was impossible for him to hack into the school's system because President Kenyatta had staked his reputation on it. It was just as impossible for him to hack into things like the stock market, or the white house. Essentially, things that the pillar families found to be highly important, Anabelle couldn't log into on a whim.

The reason Ci-ci didn't spend the time to hack into the school's system was because it was quite literally a better use of his time to legitimately complete the degree.

However, what didn't the founding families care about? How about the Orphan Federal Record, for example? How about the Public-School records of impoverished regions?

Ci-ci made full use of their high-bridged nose attitudes, making those neglected records his playground. With how poor their security was, forging a new identity was as easy as breathing.

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Just think about it, would the Deans really put their trust in Ci-ci to answer all of those questions honestly? It was obviously a meaningless display of bureaucracy. Of course they would check his claims themselves.

"I'll get right to the point." Frae continued calmly. "In this world, without the support of one of the eight founding families, geniuses like you are more likely to end up dead than successful. If you couple that with your brash and aggressive attitude, it's pretty clear to anyone you wouldn't survive very long even if this wasn't the case.

"The Mortlock family is willing to support you and fund your endeavors. There are only two requirements. That you a) never accept such a deal from another founding family on penalty of death, and b) that should the Mortlock family ever call upon you, you answer. On penalty of death.

"I don't want to waste too much time belittling your intelligence, but I'm sure you can tell that if a small woman like me has so much strength in her body, your likelihood of survival alone is next to nothing.

"I'll come again in one week at this hour to give you your first task. In the meantime, we'll double your asks of Grandbell University."

Frae reached into the pocket of her suit with her free hand, taking out a metal card with a single black bar on one side of it.

"Your money is on this card and will refill every month at 3am on the 1st. Enjoy."

With those final words, Frae dropped Ci-ci, ignoring his gasping breaths to pick up her folders and tablet from the table to leave through the door.

Ci-ci rubbed his throat, coughing violently. "So I'm just some cheap replacement for Ci-ci Bell, huh? I should have known this would happen. It seems I was too naïve."

Frae's steps paused slightly, but in the end, she didn't turn back. It wasn't long before Ci-ci heard the opening and closing of the front doors, leaving him alone, still slumped to the floor.

It wasn't until thirty minutes later that Ci-ci's eyes left the card on the ground before him. He couldn't help but silently chuckle to himself.

Honestly, it had taken everything within him to temper down his instincts and not counter Frae's "attack". It took even more out of him to pretend to be helpless… The flailing legs was almost too embarrassing for him to pull off.

Still, he was quick on his feet. The moment he saw Frae moving at speeds that surpassed the normal human limit, he had guessed what was going to happen and could only be resigned to his fate.

Of course, his comment about Ci-ci Bell at the end was just nonsense. Even with how high-profile he was, none of the eight founding families ever approached him in this way under his Ci-ci Bell alias. However, that only made him more certain that they knew of his identity.

Frae was right… Those as talented as him either joined one of those powerful families or were doomed to die. Who knows, maybe that was what was happening to Dr. Von as he sat here… They would never allow other powerhouses to rise up in their ranks unchecked…

'I had always planned to infiltrate one of those families… But why did it have to be yours?... Why…'