The Master Programmer

Jason stepped out of the taxi with Oliver, the night buzzing with energy. Neon lights spilt onto the streets, bathing the sidewalks in a kaleidoscope of colours. Music thumped faintly in the background and drunk people walked by everywhere, shaking and walking ahead as they did. Jason inhaled deeply as if absorbing the ambience itself. "You ready, Oliver?" Jason asked, flashing a confident grin. Oliver hesitated, looking at the long line of people queued outside a nearby club. His nerves were written all over his face, his hand reflexively adjusting his tie, a habit Jason had noticed when Oliver felt out of place. Damn. After that massive pep-talk and even laying out a plan, Oliver was still unsure. He was still questioning his capacity to make it happen. Jason already knew that Oliver was not a virgin, but it had been a long time since he had been with a woman though, and that was the thing that held him back. Like any skill, when not practised for a long time, it was lost. It was like a swimmer who hadn't swam in years getting thrown in the water again. But he would push him forward as best as he could. "This isn't really my thing," Oliver muttered, his voice barely audible over the din of the street. Jason laughed, clapping a firm hand on Oliver's shoulder. "That's the point. You're not here to blend in... you're here to stand out." He leaned in, his voice dropping an octave, commanding attention. "You see, Oliver, the secret isn't in becoming someone else. It's in amplifying who you already are. Confidence isn't built overnight, but tonight, we're taking the first step. Remember. Break apart to reform who you are. You can be anything, and embody anything. Just watch and follow me. You'll get it." Jason's tone was warm yet assertive, deliberately paced to draw Oliver's focus entirely onto him. He was doing exactly the thing he did every time. Pacing and Leading. By aligning his words with Oliver's current emotional state and subtly shifting toward a more confident one, Jason began to steer Oliver's mindset. And the cherry on the pie was the last embedded commands. Watch and Follow me. If Oliver still didn't get it, his subconscious mind would. And if his subconscious got it, it would start generating conscious thoughts that would lead his conscious mind to get it too. That was what Jason was banking on. Opening up the panel again to view his progress, he smiled. It seemed his effort was paying off. |———————————— || Master Programmer System || Stats | Missions | Items | Store | ————— Your Current Missions: —> Make your Sexy Boss Fall For You (19% done) —> Take Revenge on the Grumpy Middle-Aged Landlord (30% done) —> Take Revenge on the Goons (87% done) —> Get Your First Subordinate! (89% done) ————————————| Slowly but surely. He had gotten a whole 20 per cent back in that taxi. And he was sure that he would get Oliver in his back pocket by the end of the night. As Jason walked, Oliver looked at him and then mirrored his body language, but he was still a bit awkward, prompting a reassuring smile from Jason. "That's it. Just like that. The more you emulate confidence, the more confident you will become. Believe in the magic. Believe in your capacity to emulate the magic. And then follow through." Oliver nodded slowly, almost as if hypnotized. "Alright, so I understand the basic plan, but where are we going to make it happen?" Jason gestured to a nearby lounge with a subtle flick of his head. "Over there. That's where we're headed. No loud kids with fake IDs, just mature people worth your time. Follow me." As they walked over, they looked at the place, noticing that it was an interesting blend of business, casual, and fun. Maybe it is better to think of this lounge as a blend of sophistication and chaos. The music here was calm, with a steady rhythm of electronic beats that encouraged conversation over shouting. Men in tailored suits leaned against the bar, and women in elegant dresses laughed in small groups. Jason scanned the room with a practised eye, immediately reading the social dynamics at play. Those over there were the hedge fund douchebags. Stay the fuck away. Over there are the "high value" females who are looking to snag a man or a long-term relationship. Avoid them too. And there… Well, what the fuck is that… Stay the fuck away. After seeing a section of the bar that was empty, he guided Oliver to the bar, ordering two non-alcoholic drinks. When Oliver got his drink he laughed, shaking his head. Jason had actually meant what he said. "We're not here to drink our way to confidence," Jason said, raising his glass to Oliver. "We're here to connect. Be present. Have fun. The rest will follow." Oliver raised an eyebrow. "And if it doesn't?" Jason gave the man an odd stare. He had suffered too many beatings. Now, he even questioned the one who would be his deity henceforth. Such doubt warranted punishment. Jason ignored Oliver for a moment, instead turning to look at the groups of women that he could interact with. They were all pretty basic, groups of two three or four, all of them looking around and talking merrily, having fun. Oliver looked at Jason, and then realising that he was getting no answer, he turned to look at the field too. Okay... this was good. After a few moments, Jason turned to Oliver, chuckling as he leaned in slightly. "Then we laugh it off and move on. But trust me, everything will work out. Confidence is magnetic, Oliver. It's not about what you say or do. It's about how you feel while doing it. And remember what I said?" "Feelings can be controlled just by acting and thinking in a certain way. I know now," Oliver said in the manner of a student who had raised his hand to his teacher. Jason nodded, "See? You're starting to get it." After doing that he grabbed his shoulder again, giving him a reassuring smile. Oliver smiled wryly, also looking around just as Jason was. Jason soon gestured, having spotted some good prey, and then they moved. But before going there, he had to qualify himself first. And to do that, Jason was not going to go there and say, "Hey, I am a great time to be around". No. He would show it through his actions. He already explained it to Oliver before. He was going to have Oliver and him move around and be seen as the life of the party. They would make connections with everyone and use the principles they learned to control the environment. In the taxi, Oliver had said that he understood, but in reality, at that moment his palms were sweaty. Well, Jason would see if he could make Oliver's palms wet with something else, hopefully, this time, someone else's fluids. As they moved through the room, Jason struck up conversations effortlessly. He greeted strangers with a firm handshake and a warm smile, asking thoughtful, open-ended questions that immediately drew people in. Oliver joined in too, sometimes striking up conversations just as Jason was, only to bring Jason into it with some interesting topic. One time, when Oliver said, "My friend here doesn't think the sky is blue, can anyone please explain it to him…" Jason found himself extremely taken aback, and after having a few laughs with those people, Jason and Oliver excused themselves with Jason slapping Oliver's shoulder with a reassuring smile and Oliver scratching his head shyly. They kept moving and soon enough, Jason was right next to the people he actually had been targeting the entire time. This was it. He knew they had been watching. They might have also been waiting, and now in a calm, calculated manner as he and Oliver had a casual conversation while walking over, Jason spoke to them. "My friend and I were just talking about how questionable the motives of everyone who came here tonight. So, what brings you guys here?" he asked one woman, his tone dripping with genuine curiosity and playfulness. She smiled, taken aback by his directness. "Just out with friends. What about you?" Jason leaned back slightly, giving her space while maintaining eye contact. "Helping a friend rediscover the art of fun," he said, gesturing toward Oliver, who stood nearby saying hi to her friend who seemed equally shy. Perfect. They had the same demeanour. They might also have the same intentions by the end of the night as long as Oliver did not fuck it up. The woman glanced at Oliver and smiled. Jason winked at the short woman Oliver had just greeted. "He's got a heart of gold. Just needs a little nudge out of his comfort zone." Jason's use of future pacing, a technique where you describe a positive outcome as if it's already happening, planted the idea that Oliver was someone worth noticing. As he said it, he had effectively put it out there that he was more interested in the woman in front of him, and not in the other one. "That's just like her, you know? She's super shy. I had to use up 2 of my nine lives just to get her out of the house!" the woman in the black dress said turning to her friend who had her hands clasped in front of her, with a shy smile that showed a flush on her cheeks. Sure enough, the women introduced themselves to the men and the men to the women and within minutes, they were all deep in conversation. Their names were Angela and Maya. Jason stepped back, pleased to see his work paying off as Oliver and his shy girl Maya began getting to know each other, sitting on a couch and talking about the things that interested them. Jason sighed inwardly as he glanced at them. Oliver had to learn to be more mysterious. Well, Jason would give him a pep talk later. Anyway, he was busy with his mission then and that was the act of entertaining her very "friendly" friend. This was two-man at its best. He had to play his role, to make sure the friend didn't play defence.