Chapter 123: The 1.2 Million Dollar Investment!
"Luca, do you play video games?"
On the drive to the Ashford Auto Mall, Lucy Smith turned around from the passenger seat and asked the question with obvious curiosity.
Luca Hale thought for a moment before giving a small shrug. "They’re okay. I just haven’t had the time to sit down and play anything in years."
He wasn’t sure why she had suddenly brought up gaming, but the hopeful look on her face told him she was leading somewhere.
As expected, Lucy soon began explaining.
She and Johnathan Chris had attended the same university. Even back then, Johnathan had stood out as an exceptionally gifted programmer with a genuine passion for game development.
During their college years, he and several roommates had spent countless nights building an indie game together, pouring nearly every spare hour into the project.
After graduation, the group founded their own independent studio, determined to keep creating games on their own terms.
Before long, their latest project caught the attention of Apex Gaming, one of the biggest publishers in the industry.
Unfortunately, the company wasn’t interested in a publishing partnership.
They wanted to buy the game outright.
To Johnathan and his team, the project was more than just software. It represented years of sleepless nights, sacrifices, and shared dreams. Selling away the intellectual property meant giving up everything they had worked for.
They refused.
Apex Gaming didn’t take the rejection well.
Using its influence throughout the industry, the company quietly squeezed the studio from every direction. Smaller publishers who had previously shown interest suddenly backed away, unwilling to risk offending such a powerful corporation. Distribution opportunities disappeared one after another, and before long, the studio found itself struggling just to stay alive.
Now they desperately needed fresh capital to keep paying employees and continue development.
Lucy never directly asked Luca for money.
She didn’t have to.
By telling him the whole story, she had already revealed what she was hoping for.
She wanted him to invest.
"How much would you need to stabilize the company?" Luca asked calmly.
The question alone made both Lucy and Johnathan brighten.
The fact that Luca hadn’t rejected the idea outright meant there was still hope.
"About 1.2 million dollars," Lucy answered quietly. "That would give us enough runway to keep operating properly."
Even saying the number aloud made her cheeks burn. Her fingers tightened around her seatbelt while Johnathan, who kept both hands firmly on the steering wheel, silently held his breath.
Luca didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he looked out the window as the city drifted by, carefully weighing everything he’d just heard.
Finally, he spoke.
"Here’s what we’ll do. Let me investigate everything first. I’ll give you a definite answer within three days."
Although 1.2 million dollars was no longer a significant amount for him, Luca had no intention of handing money over blindly.
’The most unpredictable thing in the world is the human heart.’
If Lucy had told him the truth, then even if the game never became a huge commercial success, he would gladly support people who were sincerely chasing their dream.
But if the entire story turned out to be nothing more than an elaborate scheme to obtain investment...
Then Lucy Smith would disappear from his list of trusted friends forever.
Still, hearing that Luca was seriously considering the proposal filled both Lucy and Johnathan with excitement.
The fact that he could casually evaluate an investment worth over a million dollars meant he truly possessed that level of wealth.
For a studio standing on the edge of collapse, it felt as though someone had finally switched on a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.
---
The group soon arrived at the Ashford Auto Mall.
Luca walked through the luxury dealerships hand in hand with Sophie Kennedy, patiently letting her browse at her own pace.
After visiting several showrooms, Sophie’s eyes eventually settled on a sleek BMW M2 priced at just under sixty thousand dollars.
Truthfully, that hadn’t been her first choice.
She had originally fallen in love with a practical Ford Focus that cost only around ten thousand dollars.
But Luca had refused almost immediately.
"A cheaper car isn’t the problem," he’d said with a smile. "Your safety is."
No matter how much Sophie protested, he insisted she drive something with higher safety ratings and modern protection features.
In the end, she reluctantly accepted.
[DING!]
[The host has successfully spent $59,800 on Sophie Kennedy.]
[Critical multiplier activated!]
[Reward: Full ownership and transfer rights to Apex Legal Group in San Fierro.]
Luca’s eyes lit up.
Another critical reward.
And this time, it was an elite law firm.
Owning Apex Legal Group would save him enormous trouble as his business empire continued expanding. Whether it involved contracts, acquisitions, lawsuits, or future corporate disputes, having one of the city’s strongest legal teams under his direct control would give him tremendous confidence.
As for the BMW...
He had never intended to buy it simply as a gift.
He wanted Sophie to have the freedom to travel safely on her own. He couldn’t be her chauffeur every day.
Besides...
The image of Sophie confidently driving while he sat beside her somehow carried a uniquely charming appeal.
---
After settling into the passenger seat of the newly purchased BMW, Luca took out his phone and sent Vivienne a message.
> Luca: Angel, how familiar are you with the gaming industry and game publishers?
> Vivienne: Not very. But Austin Silva probably knows a lot more than I do.
Luca raised an eyebrow.
> Luca: Wasn’t Austin’s family always in construction materials? Since when did they get involved with gaming?
> Vivienne: His family didn’t. About two years ago, Austin used part of the startup money his father gave him to launch an internet company. He didn’t make a fortune, but he managed to break even without losing any money.
Luca blinked in surprise.
He honestly hadn’t expected Austin Silva, the flashy second-generation rich kid who always seemed surrounded by sports cars, luxury watches, and beautiful women, to have genuine business experience.
Then again...
’Maybe I’ve been underestimating him.’
Most heirs born into wealthy families weren’t incompetent. On the contrary, they usually received the best education money could buy. Their exposure, resources, and business knowledge were often years ahead of ordinary people.
Perhaps Austin’s carefree personality had simply hidden that side of him.
Taking Vivienne’s advice, Luca dialed Austin’s number.
The call connected almost immediately.
"LUCA, MY MAN!"
Austin’s booming voice nearly blasted through the speaker.
Behind him came deafening electronic music, splashing water, and the bright laughter of several women.
"You picked the perfect time! I’m throwing a huge pool party at the mansion right now. Get over here! The place is packed with gorgeous girls in bikinis!"
Austin was shouting so loudly that Luca could barely make out half his words over the music.
Several black lines seemed to appear across Luca’s forehead.
Just moments ago, he’d been quietly admiring Austin’s hidden business ability.
Now the man’s first sentence involved a mansion pool party filled with swimsuit models.
Luca rubbed his forehead and let out a helpless laugh.
’Austin... you really know how to destroy a good impression in record time.’