The Bangalore City Civil Court was a living creature. A chaotic, roaring beast of dust, sweat, and desperation.
Radha Varma clutched her son's small hand, feeling completely overwhelmed. She was a teacher, used to the quiet order of a classroom. This place—with its shouting touts, its sea of black coats, and the palpable smell of old paper—was an alien world.
Arjun, by contrast, was an oasis of calm. He was the eye of the storm.
He held his mother's hand, projecting a confidence he hoped was contagious. His PP bar was full, and his mind was sharp. "Just walk with me, Mom. We're just browsing."
He began his hunt. His [Scan] ability was active.
A portly lawyer, arguing loudly with a client, passed them.
[Scan]
[Name: R. Patil]
[Talent (Legal, C-Rank)]
[Integrity: 22/100 (Corrupt)]
[Status: (Looking for a bribe to lose his current case)]
Arjun pulled his mother to the side. "Not him."
A sharp-looking lawyer with a pristine coat rushed by, holding a thick briefcase.
[Scan]
[Name: V. Swamy]
[Talent (Legal, B+ Rank)]
[Integrity: 70/100 (Decent)]
[Status: (Overworked. Billable rate: ₹2,000/hour. Will not speak to clients without an appointment.)]
"He's good," Arjun whispered, "but he won't give us the time of day."
"Arjun, how do you...?" Radha began.
"It's just a feeling, Mom. Trust me."
He scanned a dozen more. All were C-Rank or B-Rank, either too corrupt, too incompetent, or too expensive. He was getting frustrated. He had the genius of a 2025 historian, but he was still trapped in a 12-year-old's body. No one would take him seriously.
He needed a miracle.
And then, he saw her.
She was tucked away in a corner of the bustling canteen, sitting alone at a small, tea-stained table. She couldn't have been older than 25. She was in a simple black coat, but it was worn, the fabric at the elbows shiny. She was reading a thick legal file, her face a mask of intense frustration, ignoring the watery sambar and idli in front of her.
She was being ignored by everyone. She was an outcast. She was... perfect.
"Mom," Arjun whispered, his voice electric. "That one."
He focused his will. [Scan]
The System responded, and this time, the data stream that flooded his mind made his knees weak.
[Name: Aisha Siddiqui]
[Loyalty: 10/100 (Default)]
[Talent Rank (Legal): S-Rank]
[Talent Rank (Politics): S-Rank (Latent)]
[Integrity: 95/100 (Righteous, Inflexible)]
[Status: Frustrated, Idealistic, On the verge of quitting law.]
[Hidden Potential: Future Attorney General. A generational talent in constitutional law. Has wasted her first two years on unwinnable pro-bono cases for the poor. She is brilliant, righteous, and completely broke. She is three days from being evicted from her one-room office.]
A jackpot.
An S-Rank legal talent. An S-Rank political talent—his future "Rama," his public face. And she was starving, about to be crushed by the very system she was trying to fight.
She was a lioness, and he was about to offer her a feast.
Radha, pushed by her son, nervously approached the table. "Excuse me... Madam? Are you a lawyer?"
Aisha Siddiqui looked up, her intelligent eyes clouded with weariness. She saw a poor, kind-faced woman and her young son. Another pro-bono case she couldn't afford. She sighed.
"Yes, I am. How can I help you?"
Radha fumbled for words. "I... that is... we..."
Arjun stepped forward, moving just in front of his mother. He looked Aisha Siddiqui directly in the eye, his gaze piercing and utterly serious.
"My name is Arjun Varma. This is my mother, Radha. We would like to retain your services for a corporate equity transfer."
Aisha stared, baffled. A 12-year-old boy, using the words "retain services" and "corporate equity transfer"?
"Kid, this isn't a playground," she said, her voice sharp with annoyance. "Go find your father. I'm busy."
"My father is dead," Arjun replied, his voice flat and cold, cutting through her annoyance. "And you're not busy, you're broke. You're about to be evicted. We are your only clients."
Aisha's blood ran cold. She shot up from her chair, her eyes wide with a mix of fury and fear. "What did you just say? Who are you?"
"I am the man who is going to save your career," Arjun said, not backing down an inch. "My 'client,' Mr. Prakash Murthy, CEO of Bharat-Tech, is currently drafting a contract to give my mother 30% of his company. He will send it over today. I need you to review it by tomorrow morning. And in return for your services... we will pay your rent."