Lex Grey sat hunched at his desk, eyes glued to his computer screen. The clock read 9:57 PM. Almost twelve hours since he’d first arrived at the office that morning, and still, the blinking cursor taunted him, refusing to yield to the solution he needed. He sighed, rolling his chair back, the wheels squeaking against the cheap carpeting.

“Lex, you still here?” came a voice from the doorway. Lex turned to see Tessa, his best friend and the closest thing he had to an ally at work. She was holding two coffee cups, her hair slightly disheveled from a long day of investigating whatever corruption she was chasing this week.

“Yeah, just trying to get this patch sorted before tomorrow's launch,” he said, giving her a tired smile. She handed him one of the cups and raised an eyebrow.

“Do you always need to play the martyr?” she asked. “You know Damien should be doing that patch. It’s his code, his screw-up.”

Lex shrugged. Damien, his boss, wasn’t one for accountability. He loved taking the credit, but when things went wrong, it was always Lex who had to clean up the mess.

“Someone’s gotta do it, Tess,” he replied. “And if I don’t, then I’m just giving them more ammunition to keep me where I am.”

Tessa shook her head, leaning against the desk. “You deserve better, Lex. You’re wasting your time here. These guys are never going to give you what you’re worth.”

Lex looked away, taking a sip of the coffee. The bitterness matched the knot in his stomach. He knew she was right. He’d spent years working himself to exhaustion, hoping for a promotion that never came, and watching as others—louder, more charismatic, but certainly not smarter—got ahead. It was exhausting, and each passing day made him feel more like a cog in someone else’s machine.

He watched as Tessa waved a goodbye and left the office, her words echoing in his head. Wasting your time. Lex glanced back at his screen, the patch finally running smoothly. He sighed, clicking save and standing up to stretch. His body ached from sitting too long, and he rubbed his neck as he walked to the windows overlooking the city.

The lights of the metropolis spread out before him, a grid of ambition and energy that seemed almost mocking now. Skyscrapers glowed, each representing power, wealth, and a promise that always seemed just out of reach. His phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking his reverie. He pulled it out absentmindedly, expecting another email or a late-night request from someone above him.

Instead, it was an unfamiliar icon. A dark screen with a symbol he couldn’t quite place: a crown, edged with digital circuitry, flickering as if alive.

“Install The CEO System?” read the message on the screen.

Lex frowned. He didn’t remember downloading anything. He tried to swipe it away, but the prompt stayed there, persistent.

“Stupid malware,” he muttered, tapping the screen harder. The app refused to close. He sighed, deciding to deal with it later. He turned off his phone and grabbed his bag, ready to call it a night.

Back at his apartment, Lex tossed his keys on the counter, exhaustion catching up to him. The apartment was dark, only the streetlights casting slanted shadows through the blinds. He collapsed onto the couch, kicking off his shoes and closing his eyes.

A part of him didn’t want to think about work, about Damien, or Tessa’s words. But they kept swirling in his mind, each one a reminder of how little control he had. He opened his eyes, glaring at the ceiling.

“Why does it always feel like I’m one step behind?” he asked the empty room. His phone, lying on the coffee table, buzzed again, lighting up with the same icon.

“Install The CEO System?” it asked, as if it had heard him.

Lex sat up, curiosity piqued despite his better judgment. He picked up the phone, and this time, instead of swiping it away, he tapped “Install.”

The screen went dark for a moment, and then text began to appear.

Welcome, Alexander Grey. You have been selected.

The path to success is paved with choices. The system will guide you—should you choose to trust it.

Lex blinked, staring at the screen. It felt like some kind of elaborate prank, but something about it seemed... personal. The system knew his full name. He tapped on the screen again, and a new message appeared.

First Mission: Identify the Saboteur. Rewards: Increased Influence, Key Opportunities Unlocked.

Before he could even process what that meant, a list of names popped up—people from his company. His coworkers. Damien’s name was at the top of the list, glowing in a subtle red.

Lex’s heart began to pound. It was absurd. How could an app know anything about the people at his job? But something deep inside him, some gut feeling born of years of frustration, urged him to keep reading.

Hint: A recent error in the code was no mistake. The saboteur has hidden their intentions behind incompetence. Reveal them, and the system will help you rise.

Lex’s breath caught. Damien. It made too much sense. The “mistake” that he’d been forced to fix—the one Damien was responsible for—wasn't an accident? It was deliberate?

His hand trembled slightly as he held the phone. The promise was there, a way to finally get back at the people who had been keeping him down. It was crazy. It was irrational. But it was also the opportunity he’d been waiting for.

With a deep breath, Lex made his decision. He tapped “Accept Mission.”

Suddenly, the screen shifted, displaying lines of code that seemed to blur and twist before his eyes. Then, it stopped, leaving only two words:

“Trust Us.”

Lex exhaled, his pulse quickening. For the first time in a long while, he felt a thrill—not of fear, but of something else. A sense that maybe, just maybe, things were about to change.

He set the phone down, his mind already working through the possibilities. If Damien really was sabotaging the code, he’d find proof. He’d reveal it. And maybe then, for once, he’d get what he deserved.

The CEO System. Whatever it was, it had promised him a way up. And right now, that was exactly what he needed.

As Lex drifted off to sleep that night, a faint smile touched his lips, and the city lights outside seemed just a little less mocking.

Lex woke up with a strange sense of anticipation—a feeling that something was different. He turned over, his hand automatically reaching for his phone on the nightstand. The app was still there, its icon glowing softly, waiting for him.

He hesitated for a moment, part of him wondering if he had imagined it all in a sleep-deprived haze. But no, there it was: The CEO System. He opened it, and the same dark screen greeted him.

Mission Active: Identify the Saboteur.

Beneath it, new instructions appeared.

Gather evidence against Damien. The saboteur has left traces. Search his recent emails and server logs for anomalies.

Lex's initial excitement dampened slightly at the thought of going through company emails. It wasn’t exactly a thrilling assignment, but it was a start. And if the system was right, this could be his chance to change everything.

He quickly got dressed and headed to the office, arriving before anyone else. The early hours were his favorite; the place was quiet, the desks still empty, and there was a kind of calm before the storm of daily chaos. He settled at his workstation, opened his laptop, and began to work.

Lex wasn't new to sleuthing around the company’s systems. As a software engineer, he had access to a lot of the backend data—information most people didn’t realize was even stored. He typed quickly, bypassing the usual administrative barriers. A few well-placed keystrokes, and he was into Damien’s emails.

The flood of messages felt overwhelming at first—meeting requests, reminders, business updates. Lex scrolled through them, looking for something, anything, that might stand out.

After nearly an hour, he spotted a conversation thread marked “Re: REVISED Plan.” The subject line alone made Lex pause. He opened it, reading quickly. The email thread was between Damien and someone he didn’t recognize—a third-party contractor whose address wasn’t listed in any of the company databases.

Damien,

The changes have been made as per your request. Delays in deployment should provide the window you need. Be sure not to leave traces.

—A.

Lex felt a chill run down his spine. Delays in deployment... Damien had purposefully sabotaged the launch. But why? To buy himself time for something else? Or maybe to make someone else look bad.

The thought sank in—it was meant to make him look bad. Lex was the one Damien always pushed the blame onto when things went wrong. A surge of anger mixed with satisfaction rose in his chest. He finally had something. He took screenshots of the emails, storing them on a secure drive.

By the time people began filtering into the office, Lex was deep into the server logs. He found more anomalies there—timestamps of changes that corresponded with Damien’s email instructions. It was enough. He knew it was enough.

He took a deep breath, his heart pounding. He had the evidence. Now he just needed to use it. The system had promised increased influence if he completed this mission, and he intended to cash in on that promise.

“Upload evidence to upper management.”

The new instruction blinked onto his screen, and Lex almost laughed. It was as if the system knew the exact step he needed, even when his own doubts surfaced.

He opened a new email, attaching the files and drafting a message to the department head. He worded it carefully—factual, without emotion. He was just presenting information that management needed to see. With one final glance at the email, he clicked send.

Hours passed, and the day unfolded in its usual, mundane way. Damien walked around the office as if he owned the place, talking too loudly on his phone, oblivious to Lex’s quiet focus. Tessa messaged Lex, asking him to grab lunch, but he declined. He couldn’t focus on anything else, his eyes drifting to his inbox, waiting for some response from the department head.

Finally, just after 3 PM, a new email notification popped up. Lex opened it, and his heart leapt. It was from Michael, the head of their division. The message was brief.

Lex, please come to my office.

Lex stood, his palms slightly sweaty. He grabbed his phone, the app still open. A new message had appeared:

“The first step is complete. Trust leads to power.”

He took a breath and headed down the corridor to Michael’s office, Damien watching him curiously as he walked by. Lex avoided his gaze, knocking on the door before stepping inside.

Michael sat behind his desk, his expression serious. “Close the door, Lex.”

Lex obeyed, trying to keep his nerves in check. Michael gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit down.”

Lex took a seat, waiting. Michael leaned back, regarding him carefully. “This is quite the accusation you've made,” he began.

Lex nodded. “I wouldn’t have sent it without proof. Everything is in the emails and logs I attached.”

Michael tapped his fingers on the desk. “And you’re absolutely sure about this?”

“Yes,” Lex said firmly. “Damien has been deliberately sabotaging the project. He’s trying to make our team look incompetent, to cover himself and push blame onto others.”

Michael looked at him for a long moment, then finally nodded. “We’ve had concerns about Damien for a while now. This evidence will make it easier to move forward.”

Lex felt a surge of triumph. “So... what happens next?”

Michael gave him a small smile. “Next, Damien will be taken off the project. And we’ll need someone to step in as interim lead. Considering your experience and your diligence in uncovering this, I think you’d be a good fit.”

Lex’s breath caught. “You’re promoting me?”

Michael nodded. “On a trial basis, for now. Show us what you can do.”

Lex could hardly believe it. Finally, after years of work, of being overlooked, he was getting the recognition he deserved. He shook Michael’s hand, thanking him, and left the office.

As he walked back to his desk, Lex felt an unfamiliar lightness in his chest. Damien was gone—just like that. And now, he had his position. It almost seemed too easy.

His phone buzzed, and he glanced down at it. The CEO System had another message for him.

“Congratulations, Lex. Your influence has grown. But remember, power comes with a price. The next mission will be revealed soon.”

Lex frowned slightly, the thrill of his success tinged with unease. A price. What kind of price? He thought back to Tessa’s words: You deserve better, Lex. You’re wasting your time here.

He wasn’t wasting his time anymore. But at what cost?

For now, it didn’t matter. He had taken his first step toward something greater, and he wasn’t about to stop. He had the system, and he would trust it—at least for now.

As Damien packed his things and left the office, casting Lex a look of pure venom, Lex couldn’t help but smile. This was just the beginning. The city outside the window seemed brighter, more welcoming than ever. He had the means to rise, and he was ready to climb higher than he’d ever dreamed.

Lex entered the office the next day with a renewed sense of purpose. For the first time, he wasn’t walking in as the underappreciated software engineer doing the grunt work for someone else’s glory. Now, he was the lead—the one others had to answer to.

He felt the eyes of his coworkers on him as he walked past their desks, a mixture of surprise and curiosity. He knew they had heard about Damien’s sudden removal. It was office gossip by now—some whispered that Damien had screwed up, others thought it was a power move by upper management. Either way, Lex was now in charge, and that changed everything.

He reached his desk and settled down, opening his laptop. The CEO System app flickered to life, a new mission awaiting him.

“New Mission: Establish Authority.”

“Objective: Gain the trust and loyalty of your team. Identify weak links and eliminate potential threats to your position.”

Lex frowned at the phrasing. “Eliminate threats” sounded a little more intense than he was comfortable with. But then again, he wasn’t naive; corporate culture was cutthroat, and he needed to establish his position if he wanted to stay on top.

He glanced around the office. His team—five developers, each with their own quirks and skills—sat at their desks, busy working. He needed to make sure they were with him, not against him.

Lex decided to call a meeting. It would be his first one as the team lead, and he wanted to set the tone. He messaged the team to meet in the conference room in fifteen minutes, then took a deep breath, trying to calm the slight nervousness bubbling in his chest.

He entered the conference room, setting up his laptop and connecting it to the projector. One by one, his team filtered in—David, the senior developer with a sharp mind but a sarcastic streak; Priya, meticulous and efficient, but often anxious under pressure; Eric, the fresh hire who had potential but lacked confidence; and the two interns, Jenna and Marcus, who mostly kept their heads down and followed instructions.

Lex looked at them, sensing the tension. They were waiting to see what kind of leader he would be. He smiled, trying to project confidence.

“Thanks for coming, everyone,” he began. “I know the last few days have been... unexpected, to say the least. But we’re moving forward, and we have an opportunity here to make some real changes.”

David leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. “So, does this mean we’re finally going to have someone who actually knows what they’re doing in charge?” he asked, his tone half-joking but with an edge.

Lex gave a small smile, ignoring the jab. “That’s the plan. And to do that, I need all of you on board. We’ve got a lot to prove, especially with the launch deadline coming up. If we pull this off, it’ll set the tone for what we can accomplish as a team.”

Priya raised her hand slightly, her voice hesitant. “What about the setbacks from last week? Are we still going to make the deadline?”

Lex nodded. “We’re going to make it. I’ve reviewed the code, and I think we can streamline some of the processes Damien put in place. We’ll be working late nights, but I believe in all of you.”

He saw a flicker of determination in Priya’s eyes, and even Eric sat up straighter, seeming more focused. Good, Lex thought. They needed to feel like they were part of something bigger.

David, however, looked skeptical. “Late nights, huh? That’s what got Damien in trouble,” he muttered.

Lex locked eyes with him. “Late nights are only a problem when they’re caused by someone trying to sabotage us. I don’t plan on making the same mistakes.”

David held his gaze for a moment, then shrugged, seemingly satisfied. The others nodded in agreement, and Lex felt a sense of accomplishment. It wasn’t total loyalty, but it was a start.

After the meeting, Lex returned to his desk. The CEO System app blinked with a new message.

“Progress Made: Team alignment at 60%. Trust must be solidified.”

Lex watched as a new objective appeared.

“Identify Potential Threat: One member of your team is undermining your efforts. Observe carefully and take action.”

Lex’s stomach tightened. A threat? He glanced around at his team, watching them work. They all looked focused, intent on their screens. Who could it be?

David’s skepticism was the obvious answer, but Lex had seen the way David’s demeanor had shifted, however subtly, during the meeting. It was doubtful he would undermine him outright. Lex needed more information.

He decided to take a different approach. He’d monitor their communications. It wasn’t exactly ethical, but the system seemed confident there was a threat, and Lex couldn’t afford to ignore that warning.

That night, long after everyone else had left, Lex stayed behind. He tapped into the internal messaging system, scanning the chat logs for anything suspicious. He felt a pang of guilt as he opened the conversations, but he quickly pushed it aside. This was about protecting his position. He had worked too hard to let someone else ruin it.

Most of the messages were innocent—talk about bugs in the code, reminders about tasks, mundane office chatter. But then, he found something.

A message from Jenna, one of the interns, to someone outside the company. The contents made his heart drop.

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this. Lex is sharp, and he’s looking into everything. If he finds out, it’s over for me.”

Lex stared at the screen, his mind racing. Jenna? The quiet intern who barely spoke up during meetings? What could she possibly be involved in?

He scrolled further, finding more messages, each more incriminating than the last. She had been passing information to a competitor—details about the project, the delays, the issues with Damien. Lex felt a surge of anger. She had been feeding them everything, making their job harder without them even knowing.

He knew what he had to do.

The next morning, Lex called Jenna into a meeting room. She looked nervous, her eyes darting around as if searching for an escape. Lex closed the door behind her, sitting down across the table.

“Jenna, I need you to be honest with me,” he began, his voice calm but firm. “I know you’ve been communicating with someone outside the company. Someone who shouldn’t have access to our project information.”

Jenna’s face went pale, her hands trembling slightly. “I... I didn’t mean for it to go this far,” she stammered. “They promised me it was just for a research project. I didn’t think—”

“You didn’t think,” Lex interrupted, his eyes hard. “Do you realize what kind of damage you’ve done? You put this entire team at risk. You put me at risk.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked down at the table. “I’m sorry, Lex. I really am. I’ll do anything to fix this.”

Lex hesitated for a moment. The system’s words echoed in his mind: Eliminate threats to your position. He had a choice to make. He could report her to HR, have her fired, and make an example of her. Or...

He opened the CEO System app, and a new option appeared.

“Reprogram loyalty: Jenna can be useful if properly guided. Select to alter loyalty metrics.”

Lex felt a shiver run down his spine. He had no idea what that meant, but something deep inside urged him to trust the system. He tapped “Select.”

Jenna blinked, her expression shifting slightly. The fear in her eyes seemed to dull, replaced by something else—something more focused.

“Jenna,” Lex said slowly, “you’re going to help fix this. You’re going to work twice as hard, and you’re going to prove that you can be trusted again. Understand?”

She nodded, her voice steady now. “I understand, Lex. I won’t let you down.”

Lex watched her leave, a strange sense of power settling over him. He had control—real control. The system had promised him a way up, and it was delivering.

But as the door closed behind Jenna, Lex couldn’t shake the feeling that the strings were no longer just in his hands—that maybe, just maybe, the system was pulling him along too. And the deeper he went, the harder it would be to break free.