He still had ten enhanced RTX 4090s sitting in their boxes. Ten pieces of high-performance, high-risk evidence. He couldn't sell them through normal channels now. The risk of one being flagged or analysed was too high. He needed them gone. Fast. Untraceably.
His mind immediately went to the buyer list. He scrolled through the sparse, encrypted notes he'd kept. Ricko. The rich snobby guy. Flashy car, shifty eyes, bragged about flipping anything for profit. He seemed plugged into the grey market, the type who wouldn't ask inconvenient questions if the price was right, and definitely wouldn't be talking to Nvidia investigators. Perfect fall guy, Theo thought, a sliver of ice in his gut. He wants bulk deals? He can have one.
Late Sunday night, Week 13. Theo stood under the flickering orange sodium lights of a loading dock in the industrial waterfront district. The air was damp, carrying the smell of salt, diesel fumes, and stagnant water. Corrugated container stacks loomed like silent, rusted giants in the gloom. Distant foghorns moaned mournfully in the bay. He'd arranged the meet with Ricko via Signal, using a new burner SIM, insisting on this remote, unwelcoming location.
He leaned against his car, the ten boxed 4090s stacked neatly in the open trunk. He scanned the deserted industrial road. Headlights cut through the darkness, approaching slowly. Ricko's flashy, slightly dented BMW convertible pulled up, engine idling too loudly.
Ricko got out, dressed in a brand-name track suit that looked expensive but somehow cheap. He glanced around, then swaggered over, chewing gum ostentatiously. "Alright man, got the goods?"
"Ten units, as discussed," Theo said, keeping his voice low and even. "You got the cash?"
Ricko patted a thick bulge under his jacket. "Always." He peered into the trunk, doing a quick, cursory count of the boxes. He didn't seem interested in inspecting individual cards. "So, what's the deal? These fell off a truck?" He grinned, clearly expecting Theo to play along.
"Recent stock," Theo said flatly, ignoring the bait. "Client cancelled a large order. Need to liquidate fast. Untested, sold as is, no returns. $18,000 for the lot. Take it or leave it."
Ricko's eyes gleamed at the price, $1800 per card was a steal, even for standard used 4090s, let alone potentially 'special' ones. He clearly smelled massive profit. "Yeah, yeah, 'as is', got it." He pulled out a thick brick of hundred-dollar bills, bound with rubber bands. He counted it quickly, expertly, then handed it over.
Theo took the cash, the sheer density of it startling even now. He did a quick count himself, thumbing through the stacks under the dim loading light. It was all there.
"Pleasure doing biz," Ricko smirked, already starting to load the heavy boxes into his own trunk with surprising speed.
Theo just nodded, got back in his car, started the engine. He didn't watch Ricko finish loading. He just drove away, pulling out onto the main road, leaving the industrial darkness behind. He felt a grim, dirty sense of relief. The evidence was gone. Passed onto someone who would likely disperse it quickly through channels Nvidia would struggle to track, and who wouldn't cooperate if they did. And if Nvidia did manage to track it, then Ricko just became the fall guy. It was ruthless, calculated, and necessary. But it left a sour taste in his mouth.
Back in his apartment, the adrenaline finally ebbed, leaving him feeling hollowed out, exhausted. The past three weeks had been a rollercoaster, soaring profits, scaling ambition, then the sudden, terrifying plunge towards exposure. He looked at his bank balance on his laptop screen. It was significantly, undeniably higher. The GPU venture, while aborted, had been wildly profitable. Yet, the victory felt hollow.
He'd flown too close to the sun. The speed and scale that had felt so intoxicating had generated too much noise, attracted attention he couldn't afford. Knives, bikes, GPUs, each iteration had amplified both profit and risk. He needed a fundamental shift in strategy.
High value per enhancement charge, he thought, staring blankly at the wall. But low volume. Low visibility. One-offs? Bespoke creations? Something unique, untraceable, where the +1 enhancement provides an undeniable edge but doesn't scream 'impossible' to the world. Art restoration? Enhancing rare collectibles? Scientific instruments for private labs? The ideas were hazy, unformed, but the principle was clear. Find the niche where quality trumps quantity, where silence is golden.
He opened his financial ledger, the familiar task a grounding ritual in the chaos. He meticulously entered the sales data, averaging the GPU prices, adding the bulk sale, subtracting the acquisition costs and weekly expenses. The final number was impressive, a testament to the raw power of his ability, but also a stark reminder of the venture's fiery end. The climb continued, but the path had just become much less certain.
Theodore Sterling - Financial Ledger (End of Week 13)
Starting Balance (Beginning Week 11): $14,210.62 (Carried over from End of Week 10)
Income (Weeks 11-13):
Sale of ~33 GPUs (Est. Avg Price $2150/ea): +$70,950.00
3 units previously purchased, additional 30 units procured
Bulk Sale of 10 GPUs (Ricko @ $1800/ea): +$18,000.00
Total Income: +$88,950.00
Expenses (Weeks 11-13):
Rent Paid (Wk 11, 12, 13 @ $450/wk): -$1350.00
Living Expenses (Wk 11, 12, 13 @ $500/wk): -$1500.00
GPU Sourcing (Est. 40 units total @ ~$960 avg cost): -$38,400.00
Celebratory Seafood Dinner (Week 11): -$280.00
Misc. Operational Costs (Burner SIMs, travel, etc. Est.): -$150.00
Total Expenses: -$41,680.00
Net Change (Weeks 11-13): +$88,950.00 (Income) - $41,680.00 (Expenses) = +$47,270.00
Ending Balance (End of Sunday, Week 13):$61,480 (rounded down)
Status: Venture Aborted Under Pressure. GPU scaling achieved significant profit (~$47k net gain) but attracted dangerous mainstream/corporate attention, forcing immediate shutdown and liquidation of remaining stock via risky bulk sale. Confirmed high-volume/high-visibility model is unsustainable. Capital significantly increased to ~$61k. Urgent need to identify new, low-profile, high-margin business model. Current financial runway significantly extended, allowing for strategic research and development phase. Risk exposure temporarily mitigated, but underlying threat remains.
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Author: Hi All, thanks for reading and hope you are all enjoying the story.
Help leave a review, or comments on how you think the story is going. In particular how the +1 could be used by Theo in smarter ways to achieve what he wants. Would love to see all the great ideas people can think of!
Please add to your library. When it hits 300 collections, I'll upload an extra full chapter (so 4+ parts) to celebrate. Chapters start getting bigger and bigger as more things happen.
Finally, a lot of advanced chapters are already available on patreon. If you want to read ahead, please join my patreon, it would really mean a lot to authors like me. Thanks everyone.
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