SWNOVELXO Chapter 21: Strategic Moves
Riku stood silently by the narrow window of his apartment, the soft hum of city lights pulsing in the background. The buzz of the day had not yet faded. The conference room, Kenji's challenge, counted, Fuyumi, still burned in his memory like coals under his skin.
He could still hear Kenji's voice, arrogant and sharp, commanding attention in that boardroom battle.
That man was dangerous, both in ambition and in influence. Riku knew it wasn't just about business anymore. It was personal. And personal vendettas, often cloud judgment.
But not his. Not now. He was past that.
He sat down heavily on the edge of his bed. His coat slipped off his shoulders, revealing the bruised ego of a man pushed and played.
And then there was her.
Fuyumi.
That damned temptress of a woman who'd just flipped his entire perception of power and composure.
He shifted in his seat, jaw tightening without meaning to. The memory of her, moaning, gasping, kept pressing against his ribs, making his breath hitch when he wasn't looking.
Her boldness wasn't just provocative....it was dangerous. It was tempting. It was chaotic.
And if that wasn't enough, Yua had been watching.
He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped as he stared at the carpet.
He knew Yua had seen everything...through the hidden camera in his cabin, though he wasn't sure if it had always been there or if it was installed specifically for him.
Fuyuma kept glancing toward it during their session, and that hadn't been subtle.
This wasn't just her acting on impulse, she had backup. And that backup was Yua.
Without Yua's silent approval, Fuyuma would've never dared to take a leap that bold.
Their bond clearly ran deeper than just professional respect, there was trust there, something personal, something tight-knit.
And now, Yua knew. She had seen it all...the expressions, the sounds, the flush across his skin. That wasn't a coincidence.
She had watched.
And watching meant something.
It meant interest.
It meant permission.
It meant temptation..
But temptation was a blade....double-edged.
If he pushed her too hard, too fast, she'd pull away. She was strong-headed. Controlled. Intelligent.
He'd need to play this slow.
Let her come to him.
Let her convince herself it was her own idea.
Fuyumi was the key.
She had already opened a door. And Riku could walk through it...not with force, but with strategy. Use her recklessness to unsettle Yua's control. Let the fire of one woman ignite the buried desire in the other. He wouldn't make a move until the timing was right. Yua needed to believe she was still the one in control.
A small smirk tugged at his lips. Yes, let them both think they were leading the dance. Meanwhile, he would be the rhythm.
He decided to set that aside for now and start checking him earnings.
[You have earned 700 Emotion Capital]
He blinked. That was more than he expected.
[Total MP: 14.2]
"Hmm," he muttered. "Let's think this through."
The temptation to convert all those points directly into cash was strong, money meant movement. Money meant independence. But Riku was no fool. The point-to-currency exchange rate in the system was brutal.
A banner pulsed at the top.
[Convert 1 MP = 100,000 yen]
Note: High cost. Direct cash exchange is inefficient for long-term sustainability.
He hissed under his breath. "Still the same bloodsucking rate."
He leaned back and brought up the system dashboard. Swiping through options, Skills, Enhancements,
Then something caught his eye, a new tab he hadn't noticed earlier.
[Investment & External Ventures]
He tapped it.
The interface shimmered and shifted, revealing a clean, minimal screen. Only one item was listed, pulsing faintly with a blue glow like it was waiting for him.
[New Opportunity: High Return Crypto Asset]
[Cost: 2 MP – One-Time Access Only]
[Projected Return: ×10 in 7 Days]
[Status: Volatile. Risk: High]
He stared.
Cheap. Just 2 MP. Lower than most skills. One time only....but potentially a goldmine. Ten times return in a week? That was insane.
Which probably meant it was real.
He tapped for more information. The system expanded the screen:
[Crypto Asset: "RADEX: Tokyo Fork Chain (RTX-TF)"
Current Price: 11.6 yen/unit
Market Sentiment: Negative
News Buzz: Recent drop after tech failure; internal reports suggest silent acquisition by conglomerates.
System Forecast: Bullish reversal likely within 5–7 days. Probability: 86%]
So that's why the world didn't know yet. The media was still choking on the fall, but the smart ones, those on the inside were already picking it back up behind the scenes.
He clicked again. A full investment walkthrough was laid out.
Target platform. Wallet setup. Even a system-synced broker interface that automatically channeled his funds into the purchase.
Still, it was a gamble. One slip and the money would disappear.
But when had anything in his life been safe?
He nodded.
"Let's do it."
Without hesitating, he clicked.
[Purchase Access - 2 MP]
[2 MP deducted. Remaining: 12.2 MP]
The crypto tab unlocked fully, complete with detailed portfolio mapping and automatic sync to his identity.
He exhaled.
Now for the funds.
Back in the main menu, he navigated to the [Exchange] again. No reason to hesitate now.
[Convert 12 MP to Cash?]
[Expected Amount: ¥1,200,000]
He clicked Confirm.
[Conversion Successful. 12 MP deducted.]
[Funds deposited: ¥1,200,000]
[Remaining MP: 0.2]
Riku's breath caught in his throat as he watched the digital wallet tick up.
One point two million yen.
The number didn't feel real. It wasn't life-changing, not in the long-term, but it was breathing room. It was leverage.
It was enough to move.
He tapped over to the now-unlocked investment portal and clicked the "Deploy All Funds" button.
[Confirm investment of ¥1,200,000 into RTX-TF?]
[Warning: Market is volatile. Funds will be locked for 7 days.]
[Projected Value at Peak: ~¥12,000,000]
He hovered for a second.
Then pressed YES.
[Investment Confirmed. Tracking Enabled. Updates Available Every 24 Hours.]
Riku sat back. The room was still. No music. No notification ding. Just the quiet shift of gears in his life.
He had just bet everything. Every single system point. Every yen he had. But it wasn't a blind bet, it was a calculated risk. One chosen with eyes open.
He stared out the window.
If this worked, he wouldn't just survive.
He'd build something permanent.
And if it didn't?
Well... he still had the system. And himself.
For now, that was enough.
The notification blinked at him. He pressed down a bitter laugh. Of course...psychological warfare.
Perfect timing.
He bookmarked it. Not yet. But soon.
Let Kenji believe he'd won this round.
Let Fuyumi think she still held power through sex.
Let Yua wonder why she's the only one left untouched.
Riku was done playing checkers.
He was building a chessboard no one saw coming.
And every move now counted.