Broken Genius: My Intelligence ls At SSS-RANK

"Good evening Michael"a sweet and charming voice called out from behind Derek. Instinctively, both he and Michael turned toward the source of the voice.

It was Lucy—beautiful and brilliant. She was the former class president, long admired and respected wherever she went, even before Derek's arrival.

"You said you wanted to speak with me, right?" she asked, a little unsure.

Michael gave a small nod, then cast one final glance at Derek before stepping away.

"I'll be outside.

Don't keep me waiting too long," he said before disappearing down the hallway.

"Hello, Derek. I'm Lucy—as you probably already know," she added with a light chuckle.

"Sorry about what happened earlier. Michael can be… like that sometimes," she said, her tone less playful now.

Derek nodded silently and turned to leave. Something about Lucy didn't sit right with him.

He couldn't explain it—but he had more important things to focus on. The upcoming competition now weighed heavily on his mind.

As Derek made his way home, his thoughts swirled around everything that had just happened.

"Michael, that wasn't really necessary," Lucy said with a worried look on her face.

"Derek is a member now—or soon will be. I don't want him messing things up," Michael replied without even glancing at her.

"There you go again," Lucy said, walking up to him.

"He's just a new transfer student. Cut him some slack."

Michael finally looked at her, his eyes burning with frustration.

"What the hell do you know about transfer students? You always act like you know everything. Sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake with you."

His words cut deep—like a blade. Lucy flinched, the pain sudden and sharp.

They had been secretly dating for a year.

She loved him deeply and had done everything she could to please him—but it never seemed to be enough.

A heavy silence followed, until Michael finally broke it.

"I have a plan. Take a look at this."

He pulled out a small box that looked like a sleek iPod case and held it out to her. After some hesitation, Lucy accepted it.

Michael exhaled and rubbed his palms against his trousers as the evening air grew colder.

"What you're holding is an Emotion Amplifier. It was given to me personally by the CEO of Cyberbunk Tech Company."

Lucy eyed the device curiously, turning it over in her hands.

"You and your tech obsession. So, what exactly do we need this for?"

"That—" Michael said, a mischievous smile creeping onto his face, "—is what's going to bring Derek into our mafia community."

Lucy stopped fiddling with the box, stunned.

"You're still serious about this?" she asked, her tone flat.

"Who exactly gave this to you? And how did you meet them?"

Michael frowned.

"First of all, it's sad how blind you all are to how far technology has come. We've got teleportation machines all around us, but the poor still prefer to walk while the rich ride around in sky-high tech vehicles—"

He was about to continue his rant when Lucy interrupted.

"You're misunderstanding me. Yes, there's a lot of tech apathy, but that's not the issue."

She hesitated, then continued more gently.

"I just don't think bringing Derek into the mafia is the right move.

At least not yet."

Another silence fell between them, heavier than before.

"You don't get to decide what's right or wrong here," Michael snapped.

"You will help me recruit Derek into the mafia. That's final."

He turned away, then added,

"It's simple. Get close to him. Build trust. When the moment's right, press the button on the device.

Hold his hand while it's in yours, talk about the school mafia, and leave the rest to me."

Michael began to walk away, then paused.

"This is the only thing I've ever asked you for. Don't disappoint me."

He glanced back one last time.

"Not like you've been much use to me anyway."

Lucy stared at his retreating figure, her heart pounding. All she felt was pain and betrayal. It was like her opinion had never mattered. She clenched her fist.

The past year had been anything but perfect. But despite everything, she couldn't imagine life without him. He had offered her protection—and she had loved him, genuinely.

She looked down at the small device again.

I need to know more about this, she thought.

The streets were cold and eerily quiet as she made her way home, thoughts of Michael's words spinning in her head. He had mentioned technology—and while most people still worked from home or walked due to convenience, he wasn't wrong about how advanced everything had become.

She lived nearby, just like Derek, and soon reached her house. She rushed through the living room, tossing a quick greeting to her mom.

"Lucy!" her mother called out.

"I saw you with Michael on my way back from school," Miss Alison said. Of all people, she knew that story too well.

"Mom, I'm fine," Lucy replied quickly, dashing into her room.

Miss Alison raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and returned to scrolling through her phone.

Inside her room, Lucy set the device on the table.

"Alexa," she said quickly, "I need detailed information on this product, how it works and who made it."

A soft blue light pulsed from the smooth surface of the table as it scanned the box.

Lucy leaned in, waiting eagerly for the results.

She needed to know everything.

When the scan finished, the results appeared on the display.

But what Lucy saw left her completely shocked.