When an AI chip was implanted in his brain, he rose to power

Untitled Part 16

Jason's meal was an ordeal. His cousin, Donna, was overly "helpful," continuously piling spicy or greasy dishes onto his plate until he felt like he might burst. Jason was fighting back tears by the time their other cousin, Tina, kindly intervened to stop Donna's onslaught.

After dinner, though, Jason's mood improved when Aunt Iris told him he could stay until Monday and then would be taken to school. Donna, however, wasn't pleased. She even tried questioning her mother about Jason, but Aunt Iris eventually dismissed her, firmly assuring Donna that Jason's background was beyond reproach.

Back in the study, Jason and Tina settled in and didn't talk for a while. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Tina tried to break the ice. She handed him a challenging physics problem, smiling mischievously. "Alright, genius cousin, show me how to solve this one!"

Jason sighed internally, vowing to get stronger and make up for his scrawny stature. He glanced at the question and solved it in moments, making Tina's eyes widen in surprise. After that, she brought him more questions, and Jason answered them all with ease. Tina looked at him with newfound respect. "You're only fifteen? Feels like you should be in grad school!"

Jason couldn't resist. "Almost seventeen, actually. And you're younger than me, so technically, you should call me 'big cousin.'"

"Yeah, right! If you're seventeen, then I'm nineteen. Deal with it, little cousin!" Tina teased.

Just then, the door swung open with a bang. Without looking, Jason sighed. "Donna, could you at least knock?"

Sure enough, it was Donna, who couldn't seem to enter a room without causing a ruckus. She gave the two of them an odd look, as if suspicious of Tina's sudden friendliness toward this "imposter."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Donna, why are you here?"

"I came to, uh, keep you company. After all, you two are alone in here together, and...well, you know, things might look a bit suspicious." Donna's insinuation made Tina's face turn beet red.

Jason shook his head, exasperated. "Pure minds see purity, Donna. Leave us to our studying."

Donna was seething but could do nothing about it. Jason and Tina turned their backs on her, continuing their work as if she weren't there. Donna tried to busy herself, poking around the study. After a while, Jason noticed she'd gone quiet and looked over, only to see her leaning against the wall, asleep on her feet.

"Impressive. Didn't know she could nap standing up," he whispered, grinning.

Tina chuckled and went over to nudge her. "Donna, why don't you get some rest? You've had a long day."

Donna snapped awake, eyes still half-closed. "No, no, I'm fine... Just...checking on what you're up to." She wandered closer to Jason's backpack and asked casually, "Anything interesting in here?"

Jason shrugged. "Just my laptop."

Donna's eyes sparkled. Everyone knew that boys supposedly kept "incriminating" files on their personal laptops. "I've never played around with such a small one. Mind if I have a look?"

Jason waved her off, warning her not to mess anything up. But as soon as the laptop whirred to life, a pang of worry hit him. "This could go badly..."

Seeing his nervous look, Donna laughed. "What's on here that's got you sweating? Something you're hiding?"

Tina intervened, but Jason decided to play it cool. "Go on, knock yourself out. Just know I can remotely wipe it if needed."

Donna glanced at him suspiciously and stepped back, expecting him to pull out some kind of device. But the laptop only revealed a serene desktop image of mountains, the sea, and a beach.

Donna felt a pang of disappointment, muttering, "I was expecting something...different."

She started poking through files and soon saw there wasn't much to see. Jason smirked triumphantly. "Found anything, Donna?"

Scowling, she handed the laptop to Tina, who started clicking through the files herself. "Just curious, Jason," Tina teased, "you're not hiding anything, are you?"

Jason tried not to look too suspicious as he flashed a nervous smile. Just then, Tina's eyes caught on the desktop image, and she froze, gazing at the screen.

Jason jumped in, hoping to distract her. "Hey, I, uh...need the bathroom!"

"Not so fast!" Donna blocked the door. "You're not going anywhere until Tina figures this out!"

But Tina turned, smiling. "It's nothing, really. I was just admiring the picture. It's beautiful."

Donna reluctantly let Jason leave. As he walked out, he caught Tina's gaze, and both quickly looked away, a hint of blush in their cheeks. He thought to himself, She saw through it. Lucky I didn't add those original photos. Donna would've lost it.

After Donna had gone to bed, Tina's fatigue began to show. By eleven, everyone started winding down. Jason's roommate for the night, who called himself Big Fish, was excited to chat into the night. As fellow night owls, they decided on some late-night pillow talk.

Big Fish shot him a grin. "We're practically brothers, you know that? And hey, you and Tina seem to be getting along pretty well. Maybe she's found someone who can keep up with her for once, huh?"

Jason raised an eyebrow. "You sound a bit too eager to matchmake your cousin, Mr. 'Love Guru.'"

Big Fish shrugged. "She deserves to be happy, doesn't she? And if she likes you, all the better. She could use some joy after everything she's been through."

Curiosity getting the better of him, Jason asked, "So, what's her story? She has this aura around her—strong yet a little sad."

Big Fish's smile faded. "Her father passed away in a factory accident when she was born, and her mother died last year. She came here, and that's when we learned what she'd been through. She's dealt with a lot, and her health suffered for it. It's why she doesn't go to school; she's too fragile."

"Then why the obsession with university? That seems...hard on her, given her condition."

Big Fish sighed. "She said it's a promise she made to her mother, but...I think there's more to it than that."

"Your family sure has its layers. I can barely keep track of all the cousins and siblings."

"Tell me about it," Big Fish chuckled. "Speaking of, what's our connection, really? You're obviously not some long-lost cousin. So, come on, give me the real story!"

"Please. You know too much already. And anyway, we're family now, right?" Jason leaned back, smirking. "By the way, you're lucky your son took after his mom's looks. Where's she hiding, afraid I'll sweep her off her feet?"

A shadow passed over Big Fish's face, and he spoke softly. "My son got her looks, yeah. And her heart. We lost her a few winters back. We laid her to rest in the mountains, under the snow."

Jason sat in silence, feeling the weight of what Big Fish had just shared.