Chapter 170: Private Session with the Judge
The number still hovered in the air like a guillotine blade.
Ethan cracked first. His avatar jolted forward, eyes wild, voice rising into a shriek. "This is rigged! You think I can pay five hundred billion?! That’s not even possible—no one could!" His fists slammed on the virtual desk, but the impact only echoed hollow through the system.
One of his teammates snarled back, his composure breaking. "This is your fault, Ethan! You dragged us into this mess—said it was clean, said nobody would trace it!"
Another spat, "We should’ve jumped ship when you told us to trust you. Now look at us—debts we can’t crawl out of, futures torched."
The avatars glitched under the strain of their shouting, their voices layering like broken speakers. Ethan kept pacing in circles, clawing at his hair, screaming about conspiracies and betrayal. His team fractured around him, the cracks spilling into open chaos.
Xavier leaned back with a lazy grin, propping his feet on the desk that wasn’t really there. "I’d tell you to relax, Ethan, but at this point? Might as well practice screaming—it’s about the only thing you’ll be able to afford."
That shut the room into a thick silence for a moment, until the judge raised his hand again. "Enough." His voice was heavy, coded authority locking the chaos into stillness. "The verdict stands. The defendants may leave."
One by one, Ethan’s team logged out, their avatars dissolving into streams of light. Ethan lingered, trembling, glaring at Xavier with pure venom before he too blinked out, leaving only scorched air where his rage had been.
The chamber was suddenly quiet. Only three feeds remained: Judge’s dark, towering presence, Yelena’s sharp poise, and Xavier’s relaxed smirk.
Yelena turned to Xavier, her voice softer now. "It’s thanks to you that we uncovered all of this. Without your... involvement, the Casino might never have had the leverage to expose them."
Xavier shrugged, flashing a crooked grin. "Don’t sweat it. My accounts are always open. If the Red Casino feels generous, they can always pay me a little extra. Call it... a finder’s fee."
Yelena allowed herself the faintest smile at that before giving a respectful nod. Then her avatar blinked out, leaving just the judge and Xavier in the digital void.
Xavier stretched his neck, eyeing the judge. "...Well. Guess it’s just the two of us now."
The silence in the chamber stretched, the digital void humming low, until the judge finally spoke.
"I wanted to talk to you about something," his voice rumbled, weighty but softened from the authority he carried during the trial. "But not here. Meet me outside, in the real world."
Xavier tilted his head, smirking faintly. "No offense, Judge, but I don’t go running off to meet strangers. Doesn’t matter if they wear robes or not."
A sigh slipped from the judge, heavy and tired. "It’s not for me. My son... he’s a big fan of yours. He’s wanted to meet you for a long time."
Xavier’s smirk flattened into something colder. "Then bring him to my place. He can meet me at my apartment if it means that much."
"That would not be possible."
"Not my problem. Not my fault," Xavier shot back, shrugging, already half-bored with the exchange.
The judge’s expression shifted, the edges of his voice dragging lower. "...He’s disabled. He can’t leave his bed. His body relies on machines to keep him alive."
Xavier stayed quiet for a moment, tapping his fingers against the virtual desk, before finally leaning forward. "I still can’t come to him. But... I can meet him in the Celestial Rift. In the VR game. We’ll run some quests, kill some monsters. That’s the best I can offer."
The judge’s stern face eased, just slightly. "That would be... great. I’ll arrange the connection and let you know when." He gave a curt nod. "Thank you."
His avatar dissolved, leaving Xavier alone in the empty chamber.
"Fanboys, huh..." Xavier muttered with a low chuckle, then flicked out of the system, logging off back into Angel’s room.
Xavier slid the headset off, blinking as the haze of neon VR code dissolved back into the dim amber glow of Angel’s room. She swiveled in her chair instantly, eyes sharp.
"Well? Don’t just sit there looking smug. What the hell happened? I bet you caused chaos in a virtual courtroom? Spill."
Xavier stretched, cracking his neck, then smirked at her. "Relax, Angel. Nothing explosive. Yelena gutted Ethan, the judge hammered the final nail in, meltdown happened—pretty fun show. Then, afterward, he pulled me aside. Said his son’s a fan, wants to meet me."
Angel’s brows shot up. "A fan? You?"
"Yeah. Disabled kid. Can’t move from his bed. Judge wanted me to visit in person, but I don’t do house calls. So I told him I’d meet the kid in VR. Run some quests. Simple."
Angel blinked, then snorted. "You’re an asshole with standards. I’ll give you that."
"High standards," Xavier corrected, smirking as he stood. "Anyway, I’m heading back to my place. Need my own bed after this circus."
Angel spun her keys around her finger, a sly grin curling on her lips. "Then I’ll drop you. I’ve got your car anyway."
He raised a brow but didn’t argue, following her down to the lot. The ride hummed alive as the engine purred, neon reflections crawling over the windshield as they pulled into the night.
Halfway through, Angel glanced at him. "Hey. You okay if we make a quick stop? Little detour."
Xavier leaned back in his seat, expression unreadable. "I don’t mind. As long as you don’t dump me in a ditch."
Her grin widened. "Not planning on it." She flicked the wheel hard, the car gliding off the main strip into a narrower road. The lights dimmed, towers shrinking behind them as the world bent darker, dirtier. Rusted signs, flickering lamps, shadowed alleys that reeked of deals done out of sight.
Xavier arched a brow, smirking as the car rolled deeper into the shady quarter. "Figures. You’d drag me to the kind of place that looks like it eats tourists for breakfast."
"Hehe." Angel only laughed, eyes fixed ahead.