Chapter 10: The First Transfer

  The "AK Digital Solutions" registration felt like a suit of armor. Arjun sat in the back of the storage room, the red glow of his laptop keyboard reflecting in his eyes. On the screen, the new business bank account interface blinked—a clean, professional portal that was a world away from the dusty ledgers of the Baridih kirana shop.

  The Silent Miracle

  The request from Lapung was a heavy weight. ?55,000. To his father, that was a year of savings. To the System, it was a 100x multiplier on a ?550 bet.

  Arjun didn't hesitate. He initiated the transfer from his Premium Current Account to the account number Kamala Bua had provided.

  "[TRANSACTION INITIALIZED: ?55,000.00]"

  "[REMARK: CONSTRUCTION ADVANCE]"

  "[STATUS: SUCCESSFUL]"

  He stared at the confirmation screen. He had just changed the fate of a house 60 kilometers away without standing up from his stool. This was the "Returner" power he had read about in manhwas—the ability to tilt the world's axis from the shadows.

  "Done," he whispered.

  He then pulled out a small box from his bag. Inside was a pair of high-end wireless earbuds. Not a Samsung S24 Ultra, but a ?3,000 "thank you" to the brother who was keeping his secrets.

  The Ghost in the Village

  Amit walked into the storage room, his heart in his throat. Every time he entered this room, he felt like he was stepping into a different dimension. The smell of the village—cow dung and woodsmoke—ended at the door, replaced by the humming fan of the laptop.

  "Bhaiya, the wholesaler from Itki is outside. Papa is looking for the delivery receipts," Amit said.

  Arjun didn't look up. He tossed the small box to Amit. "For you. Hide them. Don't let Papa see the blinking lights."

  Amit opened the box, his eyes wide. "Bhaiya... you shouldn't. This is too much."

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "It's nothing," Arjun said, his voice cold and focused. "I just sent the money to Lapung. Tell Bua to check her phone in an hour. But tell her the money came from a 'Government Rebate' for the scheme. If she thinks it’s from us, the questions will never end."

  Amit looked at his brother. Arjun looked older. The "Priya-obsession" that used to haunt his eyes had been replaced by a calculating stillness. "You're playing a dangerous game, Bhaiya. You're building a house on a foundation of secrets."

  The Lapung Revelation

  The sun was setting over the Lapung construction site when Kamala’s old phone vibrated. She was sitting on a pile of bricks, her head in her hands, wondering how she would face the contractor tomorrow.

  "Ping."

  "[Bank of India: Your A/c XX4220 is credited with ?55,000.00 on 04-Jan-2026. Ref: AK Digital Solutions.]"

  Kamala stood up so fast she knocked over her water mug. "Sughar! Sughar, come look at this!"

  Sughar Singh ran over, his face pale. "What? Did the contractor call?"

  "The money... it’s here. More than fifty thousand." She showed him the screen.

  Sughar squinted at the name. "AK Digital Solutions? What is this? This isn't the government's name. And who is 'AK'?"

  Kamala’s mind raced. "Arjun Kumar?" No, she dismissed the thought instantly. Arjun was a boy who couldn't even pass his science papers. He was probably sitting in the Baridih shop right now, daydreaming.

  "Maybe it's the agency the government uses," she said, though her voice lacked conviction. "Or maybe Sanjay in Gujarat finally got his bonus and used a friend's company to send it."

  "Whoever it is," Sughar said, a dark look crossing his face, "this kind of money doesn't fall from the sky without a string attached. We’ll use it to pour the slab, but I'm going to Baridih next week. I need to see Ramesh's face."

  The Digital Reflection

  Priya was sitting in the Marwari College library, her eyes burning from studying the "Banking & Finance" module. She was trying to understand the different types of corporate entities for her upcoming interview.

  She opened a business registration portal to look for examples of "Sole Proprietorships" in the Ranchi district. She typed in the search bar: "Digital Solutions Ranchi."

  A list of recently registered firms appeared.

  "[Registration ID: JH-RNC-2026-00412]"

  "[Firm Name: AK Digital Solutions]"

  "[Director: Arjun Kumar]"

  "[Location: Itki/Baridih]"

  Priya froze. The air in the library suddenly felt too thin.

  "Arjun Kumar. Baridih."

  "No," she whispered, her hand trembling as she scrolled. "It's a common name. There must be a hundred Arjun Kumars in the Ranchi district."

  But the location was too specific. "Itki C.D. Block."

  She remembered how she had blocked him to "protect her future." She remembered how she looked down on the "village dust." If this was him—the boy she had ghosted—how was he registering a digital firm while she was struggling to pay for a bus pass?

  She pulled out her phone and looked at his profile. It was still "User Not Found." She had blocked him so thoroughly she couldn't even see his shadow.

  "It can't be him," she muttered, closing the laptop lid with a sharp "clack". "He's a shopkeeper. He's probably just a front for someone else. A dummy director."

  But the seeds of unrest were sown. For the first time, Priya didn't feel like the one who was "winning."

  The Next Level

  Back in the storage room, Arjun was looking at a new notification on the S24 Ultra. The System was evolving.

  "[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: THE PROVIDER]"

  "[REWARD: ENHANCED WITHDRAWAL DECRYPTOR]"

  "[NEW FEATURE: MULTI-WALLET AGGREGATOR]"

  "Fifty-five thousand down," Arjun muttered, looking at the 41 days left on his calendar. "Nine lakh forty-five thousand to go."

  The Lapung house was just the beginning. He needed to build something that even Priya couldn't ignore. But as he heard his father's footsteps approaching the door, he quickly closed the laptop.

  The ghost was still hiding, but the house he was building was becoming visible to the world.