Chapter 1: The Zero
The neon lights of Las Vegas didn’t look beautiful from the alleyway behind The Osiris Hotel & Casino. They just looked like a headache.
Jason Cole spat blood onto the dirty pavement. He was twenty-six, a college dropout, and until ten minutes ago, a valet parker for the Osiris.
“Stay down, trash,” a voice sneered.
Derek Sterling, the son of the Osirisās owner, wiped the toe of his $2,000 Italian loafer on Jasonās uniform. Derek was drunk, surrounded by two security guards who had just held Jason down while Derek used him as a punching bag.
“I didn’t scratch your car, Derek,” Jason wheezed, clutching his ribs. “It was already there.”
“I said you scratched it,” Derek laughed, lighting a cigar. “And who are they going to believe? The heir to the Sterling empire, or the valet who owes twenty grand to the mob?”
Derek threw a crumpled piece of paper at Jason. It was a termination notice.
“Youāre fired, Cole. And Iāve blacklisted you from every casino on the Strip. Good luck flipping burgers.”
Derek turned to his guards. “Toss him in the dumpster.”
The guards grabbed Jason and heaved him. He crashed into a pile of garbage bags, hitting his head hard against the metal rim of the dumpster.
Crack.
The world exploded into white light.
As Jason lay there, slipping into unconsciousness, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a text from his girlfriend, Sarah.
āI can’t do this anymore, Jason. The debt collectors called my mom today. Itās embarrassing. Iām moving in with my sister. Don’t call me.ā
Jason closed his eyes. No job. No girl. No future. And a concussion to top it off.
I wish I could just see a way out, he thought, the darkness swallowing him. I wish I knew how to win.
Suddenly, a sound pierced his skull. Not a ringing. A digital chime.
[SYSTEM REBOOTING…]
[HOST DETECTED: JASON COLE]
[INSTALLING MODULE: THE GODāS EYE (VERSION 1.0)]
[INSTALLATION COMPLETE.]
Chapter 2: The Glitch in the Matrix
Jason woke up to the sound of a garbage truck beeping. It was morning. The Vegas sun was already baking the alley.
He groaned, sitting up. His head throbbed, but… differently. It felt like a computer processor overheating.
He opened his eyes.
He screamed and scrambled backward.
Floating in the air, right in front of his face, was a translucent blue screen.
[STATUS: CRITICAL]
[HEALTH: 45%]
[WEALTH: -$22,400]
[LUCK: ERROR (MAX)]
“What the hell?” Jason rubbed his eyes. The text didn’t disappear. It followed his gaze like a Heads-Up Display (HUD) in a video game.
He looked at a stray cat sitting on the fence. A small box appeared over the catās head.
[OBJECT: CAT] [VALUE: $0] [MOOD: HUNGRY]
He looked at the discarded termination notice on the ground.
[OBJECT: PAPER] [VALUE: $0]
He looked at the dumpster he had slept in.
[OBJECT: DUMPSTER] [CONTENTS: TRASH, 1x DISCARDED LOTTERY TICKET]
Jason froze. Lottery ticket?
He stood up, ignoring the pain in his ribs. He dug through the bags where the blue marker was pointing. Buried under a bag of coffee grounds, he found a crumpled “Nevada Gold” scratch-off ticket.
He smoothed it out. It looked like a loser. The numbers didn’t match.
But the System overlaid a glowing red text on it:
[STATUS: UNCLAIMED WINNER]
[ERROR IN PRINTING DETECTED. BARCODE IS VALID.]
[PRIZE VALUE: $50,000]
“No way,” Jason whispered.
He stumbled out of the alley and ran to the nearest 7-Eleven. His hands were shaking as he handed the crumpled, coffee-stained ticket to the cashier.
“Scan it,” Jason said.
“Looks like a loser, buddy,” the clerk muttered, bored. “And you look like you got hit by a truck.”
“Just scan it.”
The clerk sighed and ran the barcode under the red laser.
DING-DING-DING!
The register screen flashed: WINNER – CLAIM AT HQ – $50,000.
The clerkās jaw dropped. “Holy… dude. You just won fifty grand.”
Jason stared at the screen. Then he looked at his own hands.
[SYSTEM ALERT: INITIAL CAPITAL ACQUIRED.]
[NEXT OBJECTIVE: THE OSIRIS CASINO.]
Jason smiled. It wasn’t a smile of happiness. It was the smile of a wolf that just realized the sheep had no fences.
Chapter 3: The Upgrade
Jason didn’t go to the casino immediately. The System was giving him advice.
[ADVICE: IMPROVE APPEARANCE. SOCIAL STANDING AFFECTS LUCK MULTIPLIER.]
He cashed the ticket at the lottery office. After taxes, he walked out with $35,000 in cash.
He went to a high-end men’s store in Caesarās Palace. He bought a dark navy suit, a crisp white shirt, and leather shoes. He got a haircut. He cleaned the blood off his face.
When he looked in the mirror, the System flashed:
[CHARISMA: +50]
[INTIMIDATION: +20]
He had $30,000 left. To most people, that was a lot. In a high-stakes casino, it was one hand of blackjack.
“System,” Jason thought. “How do I turn thirty grand into thirty million?”
[LOCATION MARKED: THE ANTIQUE ROW.]
The System guided him away from the Strip to a dusty antique shop on the outskirts of town. The sign read: Old World Curiosities.
Jason walked in. It smelled of mothballs. An old man was sleeping behind the counter.
Jason walked through the aisles. The System scanned everything rapidly.
[JUNK] [JUNK] [FAKE] [JUNK] [REPLICA]
Then, it stopped.
Jason looked at a dirty, tarnished silver bowl sitting on a bottom shelf, filled with old buttons. It had a price tag: $15.
[OBJECT: MING DYNASTY BRUSH WASHER]
[CONDITION: DIRTY BUT PERFECT]
[REAL VALUE: $2,400,000]
Jasonās heart skipped a beat. He picked up the bowl.
“Hey,” Jason called out. “Iāll take this. For the buttons.”
The old man woke up. “Fifteen bucks. Cash only.”
Jason threw a twenty on the counter. “Keep the change.”
He walked out, holding a two-million-dollar bowl in a plastic grocery bag.
[ROUTE CALCULATED: SOTHEBYāS PRIVATE AUCTION HOUSE – LAS VEGAS BRANCH.]
Two hours later, Jason walked out of the auction house office with a certified check. He had sold the piece to a private collector on the spot for $1.8 millionāa “quick sale” discount, but he needed the liquid cash now.
He deposited the check and withdrew $1,000,000 in chips at the cashier cage of The Osiris.
It was time to go to work.
Chapter 4: The House Always Wins (Until It Doesn’t)
It was Friday night. The Osiris was packed.
Jason walked onto the floor. He wasn’t wearing the red valet vest anymore. He looked like a young tech CEO.
He headed straight for the High Limit Roulette room.
The minimum bet was $10,000.
Derek Sterling was there, as expected. He was holding court at a private table, surrounded by sycophants and beautiful women. He was laughing, drinking champagne, throwing chips around like confetti.
Jason walked up to the table.
“Room for one more?” Jason asked.
Derek looked up, annoyed. “Private table, pal. Go play the slots with the tourisā”
Derek stopped. He squinted. “Cole? Is that you?”
He burst out laughing. “Look at this! The valet stole a suit! Who did you rob, Cole? Or did you sell a kidney?”
“Iām here to play, Derek,” Jason said calmly. He dropped a heavy brick of $10,000 chips onto the felt. “Unless you’re scared of the help.”
The table went quiet. Derekās smile vanished. His ego was his weak point, and Jason knew it.
[OPPONENT: DEREK STERLING]
[EMOTIONAL STATE: ARROGANT / INSECURE]
[WIN PROBABILITY: 48%]
“Scared?” Derek scoffed. “Let him play. I want to see him cry when he loses his life savings in one spin.”
The croupier spun the wheel. The ivory ball clattered around the track.
Click-clack-click-clack.
Jason looked at the wheel. The System interface changed. Time seemed to slow down. He saw a trajectory line, a red arc calculating physics, friction, and speed.
[CALCULATING…]
[PREDICTED LANDING ZONE: 17 – 32 – 20]
[HIGHEST PROBABILITY: BLACK 20]
“Place your bets,” the croupier said.
“All of it,” Jason said.
He pushed his entire stackā$100,000āonto Black 20.
“Youāre an idiot,” Derek laughed. “A single number? You have a better chance of getting struck by lightning.”
“I feel electric tonight,” Jason said.
The ball slowed. It bounced. It hit Red 5… bounced to Black 17… rattled… and dropped.
Into Black 20.
The croupier gasped. “Winner. Black 20.”
The payout was 35 to 1.
Derek choked on his drink.
Jasonās stack of $100,000 just became $3.5 million.
“Beginner’s luck,” Derek snarled. “Do it again.”
“Okay,” Jason said.
He looked at the wheel.
[CALCULATING…]
[PREDICTED LANDING: RED 9]
Jason pushed $1 million onto Red 9.
“He’s crazy,” a woman whispered. “Heās going to lose it all.”
The ball spun. It dropped.
Red 9.
The table erupted. Jason had just won $35 million.
Derek stood up, his face purple. “Youāre cheating! Heās cheating! Security! Check the wheel! Check him!”
Two security guardsāthe same ones who beat Jason upārushed over.
“Sir,” the lead guard said, reaching for Jason. “You need to come with us.”
Jason didn’t move. He looked at the guard.
[TARGET: HEAD OF SECURITY]
[WEAKNESS: LEFT KNEE (OLD INJURY)]
“I don’t think so,” Jason said. “Iām a patron. Iām winning. If you touch me, the Gaming Commission will revoke this casinoās license by morning.”
He tossed a $10,000 chip to the guard. “For the laundry bill. You got blood on my uniform last night.”
The guard froze, confused and intimidated by Jasonās sudden aura of power.
“Let him play,” Derek hissed. “Iāll take it all back myself. Poker. VIP Room. Now. Heads up.”
Jason smiled. “I thought youād never ask.”
Chapter 5: All In
The VIP Poker Room was soundproof. It was just Jason, Derek, and a dealer.
Derek had $50 million in front of himāhouse money.
Jason had his $38.5 million winnings.
They played Texas Hold’em.
For an hour, they traded blows. But Jason wasn’t just playing cards. He was playing the System.
Every time Derek looked at his cards, a box appeared over his head.
[HEART RATE: 120 BPM]
[MICRO-EXPRESSION: PUPIL DILATION]
[HAND STRENGTH: WEAK (PAIR OF 4s)]
[ACTION: BLUFF DETECTED]
Jason folded when Derek was strong. He raised when Derek was weak. He bled Derek dry, chip by chip.
Derek was sweating. He had lost $20 million. He was unraveling.
“Deal the cards!” Derek screamed at the dealer.
The final hand.
Jason looked at his hole cards: Ace of Spades, King of Spades.
The flop came: 10 of Spades, Jack of Spades, 2 of Hearts.
Jason had a flush draw and a straight draw.
Derek smirked. For the first time in an hour, his heart rate steadied.
[HEART RATE: 80 BPM (CALM)]
[HAND STRENGTH: IMMENSE (FULL HOUSE – 10s over 2s)]
Derek shoved all his remaining chips into the center. “All in. Thirty million.”
Jason looked at the pot. It was a monster.
“System,” Jason thought. “What are my odds?”
[CURRENT HAND: HIGH CARD]
[WIN PROBABILITY: 18%]
[RIVER PREDICTION: QUEEN OF SPADES]
[FINAL HAND: ROYAL FLUSH]
The System was predicting the future. It wasn’t just probability anymore. It was certainty.
“I call,” Jason said, pushing his chips forward.
Derek slammed his cards down. “Full House! Read ’em and weep, janitor! Tens full of Deuces!”
He stood up, cheering. “I told you! The house always wins! Youāre broke! Youāre nothing!”
“Turn the cards,” Jason said to the dealer.
The Turn card: 5 of Diamonds. Useless.
Derek laughed. “One card left. Youāre dead.”
“Turn the River,” Jason commanded.
The dealer burned a card and flipped the River.
The Queen of Spades.
The room went silent.
“Royal Flush,” the dealer whispered, his voice trembling.
Derek stopped cheering. He looked at the table. Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten. All Spades. The invincible hand.
“No,” Derek whispered. “Thatās impossible. You cheated. You… YOU CHEATED!”
Derek lunged across the table, grabbing Jason by the lapels of his suit. “Give me my money! Thatās my money!”
[THREAT DETECTED]
[COMBAT MODE ACTIVATED]
[TARGET: DEREK VANCE]
[WEAKNESS: UNBALANCED STANCE / RIGHT JAW]
[TRAJECTORY: UPPERCUT]
Jason didn’t panic. He saw the red line appear in his vision. He followed it.
He drove his fist upward, connecting cleanly with Derekās jaw.
CRACK.
Derek flew backward, crashing into the drink cart. He lay there, unconscious, drool pooling on the carpet.
The door burst open. The Casino Owner, Mr. Sterling Sr., rushed in with a team of armed guards.
“What is the meaning of this?!” Sterling Sr. roared. He looked at his son on the floor, then at Jason. “You. Youāre the valet. Youāre dead, kid. You don’t assault a Sterling in Vegas and live.”
Jason straightened his tie. He picked up a chip worth $100,000 and tapped it on the table.
“Actually, Mr. Sterling,” Jason said calmly. “Iām not the valet anymore.”
He pulled out his phone.
“System,” he thought. “Display financial leverage.”
[SCANNING STERLING ENTERPRISES…]
[ALERT: OSIRIS CASINO IS OVER-LEVERAGED.]
[DEBT HOLDER: VINCENT ‘THE SHARK’ MORETTI.]
[DEBT VALUE: $40 MILLION.]
[STATUS: DEFAULT IMMINENT.]
Jason smiled. “I know you owe Vinnie Moretti forty million dollars by midnight tonight, Mr. Sterling. Or you lose the casino.”
Sterling Sr. went pale. “How… how do you know that?”
“I know a lot of things,” Jason said. He pointed to the pile of chips on the table. “Thereās roughly seventy million dollars there. Iām willing to make a deal.”
“A deal?” Sterling asked, sweating.
“Iāll buy the debt,” Jason said. “Right now. I pay off Moretti. I save your legs from being broken.”
“And in exchange?”
“In exchange,” Jason stepped over Derekās unconscious body. “I want 51% controlling interest in The Osiris. And I want him,” he pointed at Derek, “banned from the property. Forever.”
Sterling looked at the money. He looked at the clock. It was 11:00 PM. He had no choice.
“Deal,” Sterling whispered, defeated.
Chapter 6: The New God
One Week Later.
Jason Cole stood on the balcony of the Penthouse Suite at The Osiris. He was wearing a bathrobe made of Egyptian cotton.
Below him, the Las Vegas Strip glittered. It looked different now. It didn’t look like a headache. It looked like a playground.
His phone buzzed.
It was a text from Sarah.
āHey Jason! I heard you got promoted? Thatās amazing! I miss you. Can we talk? Maybe dinner?ā
[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: SARAH]
[INTENT: FINANCIAL GAIN]
[SINCERITY: 0%]
Jason didn’t feel anger. He just felt bored. He deleted the text and blocked the number.
He looked out at the city.
[STATUS UPDATE]
[HEALTH: 100%]
[WEALTH: $450,000,000 (ASSETS INCLUDED)]
[TITLE: KING OF LAS VEGAS]
He took a sip of his espresso. A knock came at the door.
“Come in,” Jason said.
The new Head of Security walked ināit was the guard from before, the one with the bad knee. Jason had paid for his surgery. Now, the man was loyal to the death.
“Sir,” the guard said. “Thereās a group of investors from Dubai downstairs. They want to challenge you to a game of Baccarat. High stakes.”
Jason smiled. His eyes flashed with a faint blue light that only he could see.
[CHALLENGE DETECTED]
[WIN PROBABILITY: 100%]
“Send them up,” Jason said. “Letās see if they have anything worth taking.”
He turned back to the view. He used to be the zero. Now, he was the One. And in this city, the One controlled everything.
[THE END]
