Chapter 35: Backing Lexi

While the federal authorities spun their wheels in utter frustration, Jude was sitting in the back of his Maybach, gliding through the city’s financial district.

He had spent the early morning finalizing the integration of Apex Records and Zenith Motors, but his mind had now shifted back to the digital inventory screen hovering in his vision.

During the Global Soundwave auction, the Platinum Box had awarded him three one-hundred-million-dollar slush funds.

The *Luxury Real Estate* and *Bespoke Assets* funds were straightforward.

The *Digital Media* slush fund stated it could only be routed through live broadcasting platforms, digital content donations, and social media ecosystems.

He needed an avenue to burn through the capital.

Jude pulled out his smartphone and opened his encrypted messaging app, navigating to a contact he hadn’t spoken to since his first week with the system.

Lexi.

She was a high-tier live-streamer who had tried to use Jude for clout.

Jude had humbled her, demonstrating a level of wealth that had left her fiercely loyal.

Jude typed a quick message: *Are there any major broadcast events happening on your network today?*

Ten seconds later, the typing bubble appeared.

Lexi: *Yes! There’s a massive outdoor brand activation and a digital leaderboard tournament today. Do you want me to secure a VIP pass for you?*

Jude: *Is the event highly populated? I need an excuse to clear some digital capital.*

Lexi sent a playful emoji. *Tons of gorgeous streamers will be there. Tell me your type, and I’ll introduce you to the best on the platform.*

Jude chuckled at her pandering. She was an opportunist, but he appreciated the transactional honesty.

Jude: *I’ll pick you up at your agency in twenty minutes. Ensure you are streaming. I am going to back you today.*

Lexi’s reply was a string of excited exclamation points.

Thirty minutes later, the Maybach pulled up to the curb outside of the city’s largest influencer agency.

Lexi was standing on the sidewalk, holding her stabilizing gimbal and streaming to her live chat.

Standing next to her was a younger girl wearing designer streetwear, looking nervously at the massive vehicle.

As Jude stepped out of the Maybach, Lexi beamed.

She hurried over, angling her camera away from Jude’s face to respect his privacy.

"Mr. Lawson!" Lexi greeted him. "Thank you so much for coming. I want you to meet Sienna. She’s a new streamer at my agency, and she’s partnering with me for the outdoor event today."

Sienna stepped forward, her eyes wide.

"Wow," Sienna said, looking at Jude with awe. "Lexi told me her primary backer was a titan, but this is insane. It is an honor to meet you, Boss. Thank you for sponsoring our broadcast today!"

Sienna’s flattery was so saccharine it bordered on theatrical, but Jude found it refreshing compared to the corporate speak of the Wall Street executives he usually dealt with.

"Nice to meet you, Sienna," Jude said smoothly. "Get in."

Sienna slid into the interior of the Maybach.

As the driver pulled away from the curb, Lexi leaned forward.

"The event is being hosted at the newly constructed underground luxury promenade," Lexi explained, checking her chat feed. "A dozen high-end designer brands are sponsoring a digital leaderboard. Every major streamer in the city is going to be broadcasting simultaneously from the promenade. The streamer who generates the highest volume of digital donations during the two-hour window wins the grand prize... a massive corporate sponsorship payout."

"And you want the payout?" Jude asked.

"We don’t care about the brand payout," Sienna chimed in, shaking her head. "We just want the agency bonus! Our streaming network gives a fifty-thousand-dollar cash bonus to whichever of their streamers takes first place on the overall leaderboard."

Lexi nodded eagerly. "Exactly! The clout of placing first on the regional leaderboard is worth ten times the brand payout for our channel metrics."

Jude smiled. If they wanted first place, they were going to get it...

[Ding!]

[Continuous Mission Triggered: Digital Supremacy.]

[Objective: The digital landscape is simply another arena for capital dominance. Secure the absolute first-place ranking on the live broadcast leaderboard and humiliate the opposition.]

[Reward: +1 Money Sign-In, +1 Platinum System Reward Box!]

The mission didn’t even require effort. Jude had a hundred-million-dollar slush fund literally burning a hole in his system inventory.

It wasn’t a matter of if he would win, but by how many millions he would shatter the existing platform records...

Ten minutes later, the Maybach descended into the VIP parking garage of the luxury promenade.

The moment Jude, Lexi, and Sienna stepped out of the private elevator banks and onto the main promenade, it was obvious the event was already in full swing.

The walkway was swarming with dozens of streamers holding selfie sticks and ring lights.

However, two crowds had formed near the center of the promenade, dominating the foot traffic.

At the epicenter stood two of the most famous influencers on the continent.

One was "Titan," a loud hype-streamer whose channel boasted over five million active subscribers.

The other was "Vixen," a beauty guru whose audience was equally massive.

Titan was currently holding his camera high above his head, shouting into the microphone while his fans screamed in the background.

"Listen up, chat!" Titan roared, flexing his arms. "You already know how this leaderboard is going to end! I’ve teamed up with the Queen herself, Vixen! Our channels are linked for the donation drive!"

Titan turned and pointed mockingly at the dozens of smaller streamers hovering on the periphery of the crowd.

"To all the other streamers in the building, I suggest you just pack up your ring lights and go home!" Titan boasted. "Vixen and I are taking first and second place on the leaderboard today. It’s a mathematical certainty! You can all fight over the scraps for third place!"

The smaller streamers exchanged looks. It was demoralizing...

Titan and Vixen had millions of fans.

Competing against their combined digital ecosystem was impossible for a mid-tier streamer.

Vixen flipped her hair, barely glancing at the crowd. "Don’t even try to snipe the top spot, guys. Our whales are locked and loaded. The leaderboard is closed."

Lexi gritted her teeth, her grip tightening on her gimbal. "They are so arrogant. Titan always pulls this stunt."

Sienna, however, was not intimidated...

She had just ridden in a Maybach with a billionaire.

Sienna stepped forward, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"You guys can have third place!" Sienna yelled back across the floor. "Because our Patron is taking first place for us today!"

Titan paused his broadcast, lowering his camera.

He turned his head, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto Sienna.

Vixen stopped touching up her makeup, glaring at the new girl.