Week 11 dawned not with the hesitant grey of his usual suburban mornings, but with the frantic, electric hum of pure momentum. The successful sale of the first five enhanced RTX 4090s wasn’t just validation. It was ignition. Fourteen thousand dollars sat liquid in his accounts, a war chest begging to be deployed. Operation: Silicon Scalability was engaged. Theo Sterling, operating under a constellation of anonymous digital personas, became a whirlwind of calculated acquisition.
Monday morning dissolved into a blur of logistics that stretched across the sprawling Bay Area. 9:30 AM: A quick, tense cash exchange for an ASUS TUF 4090 in the cavernous, echoing parking lot of a Home Depot in a neighbouring town, the seller a jittery college kid needing tuition money, eyes darting nervously. Theo counted the cash twice, verified the card’s serial number against the box, transaction completed in under three minutes. 11:15 AM: Navigating the snarl of traffic towards a suburb across the river, verifying another Founder's Edition card via timestamped photos sent to his burner phone moments before meeting the seller near their sterile office park complex, a programmer upgrading, calm and professional. 1:45 PM: Fighting traffic back across town, coordinating with a slightly flaky student near the state university campus, finally securing an MSI card after waiting twenty minutes past the agreed time at a bustling street-side cafe, the student full of apologies and tech jargon.
His beat-up sedan ate up miles on the freeways, each successful acquisition adding another heavy, technologically dense brick to the growing pile in his apartment. He became ruthlessly efficient, optimizing routes via Google Maps, using encrypted messaging apps for coordination, assessing seller reliability based on communication patterns, always insisting on public, busy locations for meetups unless absolutely necessary. He even started paying a slight premium, $975 instead of $950, for confirmed clean cards from reputable sellers just to accelerate the volume. By Tuesday evening, seven more 4090s lay waiting on his desk alongside the existing three. Ten charges per night felt inadequate for the first time. The ping of enhancement became the steady rhythm marking the conversion of capital into potentially explosive profit.
Mid-week, the sales engine roared to life. He listed the newly enhanced cards across multiple major hardware forums ('Hardware Nexus', 'HardForum', etc.) using different anonymous usernames ('Voltaic', 'SiliconSurfer', 'ChipChopper'). The positive feedback from early buyers acted like chum in the water. PMs flooded his inboxes.
One of the $2000 listings vanished within forty-five minutes. Sold. Another followed an hour later. Theo felt the addictive surge of easy profit. Time to test the ceiling. He listed the next card, an MSI Suprim Liquid X known for its cooling prowess, at $2200. The forum thread sparked immediate debate.
User "ThriftyGamer": $2200 now? This guy's getting greedy.
User "Overclocker_X": Still cheaper than a 5090 scalper... if the performance is real, maybe it's worth it? Anyone else bought from this batch?
User "MaxHertzFan": My buddy bought one last week. Confirmed the crazy benchmarks. Said it runs cool too.
The card sold before dinner time via a direct bank transfer. Demand elasticity confirmed positive, Theo noted internally, a cold smile touching his lips. Price point adjusted upwards. Maximize profit per unit.
Feeling bold, almost reckless, he listed a pristine Founder's Edition card using an auction format on Hardware Nexus. Starting bid $1800, 24-hour auction, high reserve met almost instantly. He watched, utterly captivated, as two users, 'RenderRaptor' and 'VR_Dreamer', got locked in a bidding war. Notifications pinged relentlessly as they leapfrogged each other. $2100… $2250… $2300… $2400… The final bid hammered down at $2450. Over a thousand dollars profit beyond his slightly higher acquisition cost for that unit. Theo leaned back, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He felt a dizzying sense of power, the raw thrill of the market bending to his unique advantage. "This is it," he whispered to the empty room. "The money machine. Unstoppable."
The rest of Week 11 saw smoother, faster sales. Buyers cited earlier reviews. There was less haggling, more straightforward transactions via instant bank transfers or payment apps like PayPal. Theo was a blur of enhancing, listing, packing, shipping (using prepaid labels generated online, buyers covering the cost), and arranging safe local pickups. He reinvested profits immediately, driving further afield, chasing leads in adjacent counties, securing another batch of cards. By Sunday night, he’d sold nearly twenty GPUs, his bank balance swelling rapidly, pushing past the $20k mark, then $25k, then $30k. His apartment was starting to resemble a low-key distribution hub, stacks of anti-static bags and GPU boxes piled against one wall. He felt untouchable, riding the crest of a wave generated by his impossible secret.
Friday night, end of Week 11. The numbers on Theo’s banking app glowed with an almost physical warmth, pushing past thirty thousand dollars. The auction victory for the Founder's Edition card, fetching nearly $2500, felt like a definitive conquest. The subsequent sales at the newly established $2200 price point were clicking into place with satisfying regularity. Operation: Silicon Scalability wasn’t just working. It was exceeding projections. The money machine, as he’d started thinking of it, was humming beautifully.
Tonight demanded celebration. Not the functional, slightly desperate ribeye he’d had after the first bike sale, but something… grander. Something that reflected the exponential leap in his fortunes. Seafood. Images of glistening oysters, succulent crab, perfectly grilled fish filled his mind. He deserved it. The stress, the risk, the constant vigilance, they required compensation.
He found what he was looking for online: ‘The Tidal Shelf’, an upscale seafood restaurant perched on the marina, boasting panoramic views of the local skyline glittering across the dark waters. He dressed with care, not his usual anonymous hoodie, but dark designer jeans, a crisp button-down shirt, and the blazer that still hinted at his former corporate life, projecting quiet confidence rather than flashy wealth.
The restaurant buzzed with a Friday night energy, the clinking of wine glasses, low murmurs of conversation, the faint scent of grilling fish and saltwater mingling with expensive perfume. He secured a table near the window, the view stunning: the distant lights of the city painting streaks on the dark canvas. He felt a surge of satisfaction, a feeling of having arrived, even if only he knew the precarious, secret path he’d taken.
When the waiter arrived, Theo didn't hold back. This was a statement to himself. "I'll start with a dozen Pacific oysters," he said, his voice smooth. "And the lobster bisque. Then, let's see… the Dungeness crab, cracked and cleaned. And perhaps… yes, the pan-seared scallops as well."
The waiter raised a polite eyebrow almost imperceptibly at the sheer volume ordered for one person, but simply nodded. "An excellent selection, sir. And to drink?"
Theo ordered a glass of expensive chardonnay he barely recognized but which sounded suitably celebratory. He leaned back, watching the city lights, the sheer, unadulterated success of the past week washing over him. Ten thousand dollars profit this week alone, maybe more. And scaling.
The dishes began to arrive, works of art on pristine white plates. The oysters glistened on a bed of crushed ice, tiny forks and lemon wedges arranged just so. As the waiter turned away, Theo subtly rested his fingertips on the edge of the heavy ceramic platter beneath the table. Oysters. +1 Overall Quality. A faint ping resonated through the porcelain, a warmth spreading briefly under his touch. One charge gone.
The lobster bisque arrived, steaming faintly, a rich coral colour. Again, the discreet touch under the table edge. Bisque. +1 Overall Quality. Ping. Two charges.
The main courses arrived together, the enormous Dungeness crab, bright red, perfectly cracked, tools laid out beside it. The scallops, plump and seared to a perfect golden-brown, nestled on a bed of risotto. He enhanced them both quickly, feeling the slight but noticeable drain of his power. Crab. +1. Ping. Scallops. +1. Ping. Four charges expended for this feast.
He started with an oyster. The shell felt cool, substantial. He lifted it, squeezed a drop of lemon, and tipped the contents into his mouth. The effect was instantaneous, breath-taking. It wasn't just fresh. It tasted like the very essence of the cold, clean Pacific, an intense, pure brininess coupled with an almost creamy texture and a lingering, subtly sweet finish unlike any oyster he'd ever conceived of. He closed his eyes for a moment, savouring it.
The bisque was next. Velvet. Utterly, impossibly smooth, the amplified lobster flavour intensely sweet and rich, yet perfectly balanced, without the slightest hint of overwhelming fishiness. Each spoonful was a revelation.
He attacked the Dungeness crab with relish, the enhanced flesh proving unbelievably sweet, tender, pulling away from the shell in satisfyingly large chunks. The scallops were equally divine, a perfect sear giving way to centres so tender and sweet they practically melted on his tongue, the accompanying risotto tasting brighter, its flavours more distinct. It was, without hyperbole, the best seafood he had ever tasted, elevated by his power from 'excellent' to 'transcendent'.
He ate slowly, deliberately, savouring every enhanced molecule. But as he paused, looking out at the glittering city view, a different feeling began to creep in, insidious and unwelcome, leaching some of the brilliance from the moment. He looked around the restaurant. Tables filled with laughing couples sharing plates, families marking birthdays, groups of friends clinking glasses. He looked back at his own table, piled high with exquisite food, enough for three people easily. And he was utterly alone.
Who could he share this with? This triumph? This bizarre, secret success fuelled by an impossible gift? He thought back through the names in his sparse contacts list. No one. His parents were long gone. He had no siblings, no real friends, only transactional contacts from a life he’d been ejected from or potential buyers he kept at arm's length.
His thoughts drifted, unbidden, to Sarah. Her easy smile, her infectious enthusiasm, even amidst her own career anxieties. Could he text her a picture of this view, this meal? Share a fraction of this feeling? The idea evaporated as soon as it formed. She's a buyer. A friendly one, maybe, but still just a transaction in his carefully compartmentalized life. He imagined trying to explain, "Hey, remember that bike I sold you? Turns out I have superpowers and I'm secretly flipping GPUs for massive profit, want to celebrate?" The absurdity, the sheer, unavoidable risk, was laughable. They were acquaintances, at best. Worlds apart.
The realization settled heavily. This path he was on, this relentless climb towards wealth and security… it was a profoundly solitary one. He looked down at the mountain of food again, a sudden wave of almost wasteful excess washing over him. He couldn't finish it all. He thought of the logistics of his burgeoning GPU empire, sourcing, enhancing, listing across multiple platforms, vetting buyers, shipping, managing payments… it was already becoming a frantic juggling act. One person could only handle so much bandwidth, only move so fast. To truly scale this, to build something lasting, something big… he’d need help. Hands. Minds. Expertise he didn't possess.
The thought was immediately uncomfortable, triggering his ingrained paranoia. Trust? Who could he possibly trust with a secret like this? How could he bring someone in without risking everything? The practicalities seemed insurmountable. He pushed the thought away, burying it under the immediate satisfaction of his success. A problem for Future Theo, he decided grimly. The Theo who has millions, who can afford layers of security and plausible deniability. For now, the solitary climb continued.
He signalled for the check. It arrived discreetly presented in a leather folder. $250 before tip. A sum that would have crippled him just weeks ago. Now, he barely glanced at it, adding a generous tip on top of the already included service charge, feeling expansive. He paid with a debit card linked to one of his buffer accounts, the transaction effortless. He walked out of the restaurant into the cool, damp night air. The glittering view of the city seemed slightly less triumphant now, the enhanced flavours fading on his tongue, replaced by the lingering, undeniable taste of his own isolation. The money was rolling in, yes. But the peak, he suspected, was going to be incredibly lonely.
Week 12 started with the same frenetic energy, but the sheer volume was becoming harder to manage solo. Theo sold another five cards by Tuesday, the $2200 price point holding firm. He was on track to hit his target of moving forty units well before the end of Week 13. He was contemplating raising the price again, maybe standardizing at $2300, when the first tremor hit.
It arrived Wednesday afternoon, not as a hostile forum post, but as a link dropped into one of his sales threads with the comment: "Anyone seen this?? Is this one of your cards, Voltaic??"
Video Title: INSANE RTX 4090 Defies Physics! ?? - LeoTech Vids Views: 2.8 Million
Theo clicked the link, his brow furrowing at the hyperbolic title. The video opened with Leo, a massively popular tech influencer known for his high-energy reviews and benchmark deep dives, holding an ASUS TUF RTX 4090, identical to one Theo had sold early last week.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"Alright tech fam!" Leo beamed into the camera. "Today, we've got something WILD! We picked up this used 4090 from an online forum seller, totally standard transaction, nothing weird, but folks, buckle UP! We slapped this beast into our test bench expecting, you know, 4090 performance…" Cut to benchmark footage – Time Spy Extreme, Cyberpunk 2077 with path tracing, Alan Wake 2. The frame rates displayed were impossibly high, consistently matching or even beating stock RTX 5090 numbers Leo showed for comparison.
Leo's face filled the screen again, eyes wide with genuine astonishment. "I don't know HOW, people! Maybe it's a one-in-a-billion silicon lottery win? Maybe Jensen Huang personally blessed this card? Maybe it fell off an alien spaceship?! All I know is this RTX 4090… it's performing like a freakin' 5090! We're calling it the Golden God-Tier 4090! If you find one like this… BUY IT!"
The video ended with dramatic music and links to Leo's sponsors. Theo stared at the screen, the excited voiceover fading into a dull roar in his ears. 2.8 million views. And climbing. This wasn't niche forum chatter. This was mainstream tech entertainment reaching a massive audience, showcasing his impossible enhancement with flashing graphics and breathless hyperbole. Too much attention, a cold voice whispered in his mind. Too loud. Too visible.
The fallout was immediate. Thursday morning, his phone blew up with notifications, not just from forums, but from Google News alerts he hadn't even set up.
The Verge: The Mystery of the 'Super' 4090s: Hoax or Hardware Anomaly? Engadget: Viral Video Sparks Hunt for RTX 4090s Allegedly Outperforming 5090s PC Gamer: Is Nvidia Hiding God-Tier 4090s? Gamers Scramble for Elusive Cards Kotaku: This YouTuber Found a Magical 4090 – And Now Everyone Wants One
The narrative shifted instantly from niche curiosity to a tech news cycle frenzy. Speculation ran rampant online, secret Nvidia bins, driver exploits, elaborate hoaxes. His remaining forum listings were bombarded with messages, some offering ludicrous sums, others demanding proof he was selling the same kind of "God-Tier" card Leo found. The signal-to-noise ratio became impossible. Managing sales turned from efficient processing to navigating a minefield of hype, suspicion, and unrealistic expectations.
Theo felt the walls closing in. This was spiralling out of control. He paced his small apartment, the stacks of unsold GPU boxes suddenly feeling less like assets and more like incriminating evidence. He needed to slow down, maybe pause listings until the hype died down.
Then, late Thursday afternoon, the hammer blow fell. A news alert from Reuters, picked up by every major tech site within minutes:
Headline: Nvidia Responds to 'Super 4090' Reports: 'Impossible Under Normal Conditions', Company Launches Internal Investigation.
Theo clicked, his hand trembling slightly. The article detailed an official statement from Nvidia's Santa Clara headquarters. A spokesperson categorically denied the possibility of stock 4090s matching 5090 performance through any "silicon lottery," calling such claims "unsubstantiated" and likely resulting from "erroneous testing methodologies or unsupported hardware/software modifications." The chilling final sentence: "Nvidia takes all reports of abnormal hardware performance seriously and has launched an internal investigation to ensure market integrity and identify the source of these claims."
Investigation.
The word hung in the air like a death sentence. Nvidia wasn't some disgruntled forum user. They were a tech titan with armies of engineers and lawyers. They could analyse returned cards, track serial numbers, potentially subpoena forum records, payment processors... The comfortable anonymity Theo had curated felt terrifyingly fragile. This wasn't just about protecting profits anymore. It was about protecting his secret, his freedom.
Abort, his mind screamed, primal survival instinct overriding everything else. Abort! Shut it all down! Scorched earth!
Friday. Theo felt brittle, running on pure adrenaline and stale coffee. The Nvidia news had cast a pall over everything. The GPU market felt radioactive. He needed to think, to strategize, but his apartment felt suffocating, the unsold GPUs mocking him silently. He needed distance.
His phone buzzed. Sarah.
Sarah: Hey! Rough week over here (layoff rumours confirmed, ugh). Could seriously use a coffee and maybe vent to someone who isn't a Meta algorithm lol. You mentioned maybe having time 'down the line' - any chance that time is now? My treat!
Normally, he would have deflected instantly. Too risky, too distracting. But today… the thought of sitting somewhere normal, talking about something other than benchmark scores and corporate investigations, felt almost necessary. A calculated risk for mental equilibrium. Plus, the tiny, persistent voice reminded him, he might need allies, or at least options, if his current path imploded.
Theo: Actually, yeah. Coffee could work. Busy later, but free for an hour around lunchtime? There's a quiet place not too far, Corner Crema Coffee, you know it?
Sarah: Perfect! See you there at 1? :)
The cafe was bright, airy, filled with the low murmur of conversations and the hiss of the espresso machine. The smell of roasted coffee was a welcome anchor in his turbulent thoughts. He claimed a corner booth, back to the wall, scanning the room habitually.
Sarah arrived moments later, dressed in smart casual, a stark contrast to her usual cycling gear. She slid into the booth opposite him, offering a stressed but genuine smile. "Thanks for meeting me on short notice. Seriously needed an escape from the corporate doom loop."
They ordered coffee, and almost immediately, Sarah launched into her frustrations with Meta, the endless reorgs, the feeling of working on ethically dubious ad tech, the looming layoffs. Then, as if needing to cleanse her palate, she shifted gears, her eyes lighting up.
"But you know what has been good?" she said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "I actually spent like three hours last night coding a prototype for that cycling data analysis thing! Just mapping out how to ingest Garmin data, normalize it…" She pulled out her phone, showing him some rough Python script snippets and UI mockups she’d sketched in a notebook app. "Imagine," she enthused, her earlier stress forgotten, "real-time predictive pacing! Or automatically identifying your functional threshold power shifts week to week! It feels like something… useful, you know? Something tangible, not just… optimizing ad impressions."
Theo found himself genuinely listening, drawn in by her infectious passion and the technical challenge she described. His analytical mind engaged, momentarily pushing aside the Nvidia dread. "Data normalization would be key," he heard himself say, surprising himself. "Especially with different power meters, variable recording intervals… How are you planning to handle outliers or data dropouts?"
Sarah beamed, clearly thrilled he understood. "Exactly! That's the tricky part! I was thinking maybe some Kalman filtering for smoothing, or perhaps…"
They talked tech for ten minutes, Theo asking pointed questions, Sarah excitedly explaining her ideas. It was the most normal, engaging conversation he’d had in weeks. Then she paused, tilting her head, her curious gaze returning.
"So," she said gently, "you mentioned hitting 'major roadblocks' on your project? Sounded serious. Anything you… want to vent about? Sometimes just saying it out loud helps."
Theo froze internally. The invitation was open, genuine. Tell her? Hint at the pressure, the sudden need to pivot? The urge to confide, even vaguely, was unexpectedly strong. He saw the intelligence and empathy in her eyes. But years of self-preservation slammed the door shut.
He forced a tight smile, running a hand through his hair, a gesture he realized was becoming a tell for his stress. "Ah, you know how it is. Complex projects… unexpected technical hurdles, market shifts. Standard freelance chaos." He deliberately kept his tone light, dismissive. "Just means… might need to rethink the whole approach. Find a new angle." He immediately steered the conversation back to her project, asking about her preferred development environment.
He left the cafe an hour later feeling strangely wired. The coffee helped, but the interaction with Sarah left a complex residue. He’d maintained his cover, but the brief glimpse of potential connection, of sharing the pressure even abstractly, felt like a missed opportunity. Yet, the risk… He pushed the thought away. Survival first. Always. The Nvidia investigation wasn't going away. It was time for Operation Scorched Earth.
Saturday. Theo didn't leave his apartment. Fuelled by caffeine and paranoia, he executed his digital retreat with ruthless efficiency. He logged into Hardware Nexus, HardForum and the other various forums, using VPNs routed through obscure European servers. He deleted every single sales thread under 'Voltaic', 'SiliconSurfer', and 'ChipChopper'. Where deletion wasn't possible, he edited the original posts, removing all specific details, replacing descriptions with "[SOLD]", marking prices as "$0". He changed profile pictures to generic avatars, scrubbed any personal details (none existed, but he checked obsessively), and submitted account deletion requests, knowing they'd likely be ignored but doing it anyway for the record.
He moved on to payment platforms. Closing the anonymous payment app accounts linked to burner emails was straightforward, the instant bank transfers and payments via app were all through these, so these were relatively easy to digitally scrub. The crypto escrow service was trickier, requiring careful withdrawal of residual dust amounts to a new, untraceable wallet before closing the account. He then physically removed the hard drive from the cheap test PC he’d bought, took it outside to the dumpster behind his building, and smashed it repeatedly against the rusted metal edge until the platters were visibly deformed, then buried the pieces deep within the overflowing bin. Digital hygiene complete.
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.