The Tycoon's Odyssey

At Macrosoft, Alexander Sterling was in the middle of an important meeting with his board members.

The agenda was monumental: with the rapid expansion of pharmaceuticals, the boards were deliberating whether Macrosoft should also dive into it.

Their competitors like Pears had followed the route recently and garnered massive profits in just a few days despite doing little to nothing.

All they were doing was—buying, transporting, and reselling the life-saving drugs at high prices. With such a thing that can give you a second life the demand was insatiable and people were practically going wild to spend any amount of money and buy it.

The conference room buzzed with lively discussions, the air thick with the aroma of coffee mingling with the faint tension as everyone showed keen interest about this new debenture they planned to enter.

Just then, a loud, creaking voice shattered the flow of the meeting.

"SIRRR!"

Suddenly, the heavy oak doors burst open with a resounding bang. His personal security team stormed in, their faces pale with urgency.

"What is this nonsense?" Alexander demanded, his tone sharp with annoyance.

"Sir, we have a situation," one of the guards, struggling to compose himself, said breathlessly. "The military has surrounded the building."

The words hit like a thunderclap. Alexander froze in shock, his pen slipping from his hand and clattering onto the polished table. The room fell deathly silent, every pair of eyes turning to the security guard.

"What?" Alexander barked, rising from his chair abruptly. "Why wasn't I informed immediately about this?"

"We tried to reach you, sir," the guard stammered. "But you weren't answering your phone."

Before Alexander could respond, the faint yet unmistakable sound of helicopters filled the air, growing louder as the rotors whipped the wind into a frenzy, sending vibrations through the building.

Blinding beams of light from the choppers pierced through the conference room's tall windows, illuminating the startled faces inside.

"What's happening, Sir?" a board member whispered.

"Did Macrosoft get into trouble?" another asked, panic lacing their voice.

All the members present were flabbergasted by the sudden development and looked at Alexander in shock who only shook his head in confusion.

"I know nothing about this!" Alexander snapped in frustration.

Moments later, the blaring of alarms echoed through the building followed by a booming voice crackling over the loudspeakers, delivering a chilling command.

"Alexander Sterling, this is the USL military. Surrender immediately, or we will use force!"

Panic spread like wildfire through the room. Board members whispered anxiously among themselves, some clutching their phones while others remained frozen in shock.

"What?" Alexander thundered, jumping up in shock.

Soon, the sound of heavy boots stomping through the halls grew louder. The military personnel stormed into the conference room with precision, their rifles raised and aimed. Their movements were swift and coordinated, their faces expressionless.

A soldier stepped forward, his voice firm and commanding. "Alexander Sterling, you're under arrest."

Alexander's eyes widened in disbelief as the soldier snapped a pair of handcuffs onto his wrists. "What's the meaning of this?" he demanded, his voice trembling with a mixture of anger and fear. "What have I done?"

The soldier's tone remained neutral as he replied, "You have been found to be an accomplice of the world-renowned terrorist, Evan."

"WHAT?" Alexander screamed, his voice echoing in the stunned silence of the room. "Evan? A terrorist? When did this happen? I haven't done anything like that!"

"We are not authorized to answer that," the soldier said curtly.

"And you need to come with us? If you refuse, we will use force."

Alexander swallowed hard, the weight of the situation weighed down on him as he raised his hands in reluctant surrender. "Fine," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "I'll comply. But I have no idea what this is about."

Without further explanation, the soldiers led Alexander out of the room, leaving his board members in stunned silence.

_____

Days Later
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In his home base, Evan stood before a wall of screens displaying news feeds and intelligence reports. Beside him, Aurora's holographic figure appeared, her usually calm demeanor replaced by unease.

[Sir, we have a major problem,] Aurora began. Her voice was steady, but her anxious tone betrayed the seriousness of the situation.

The screens lit up, displaying a global wanted list. Evan's face was at the top, marked as the most wanted terrorist in human history. His name flashed in bold red letters alongside accusations that made his stomach churn.

Another screen switched to a news broadcast. A USL news anchor appeared, her voice sharp and accusatory.

[Breaking news]

Evan, once hailed as a genius inventor, has now been declared the most dangerous criminal in history. Evidence collected by the authorities suggest that he has been using his VR invention, the Nerve Gear, to manipulate and brainwash the minds of users worldwide. Authorities also claim he has created a vast network of loyal followers, threatening global stability."

Evan's jaw tightened as he read through the report that the anchor continued.

"The USL and its allies have imposed a mass ban on all VR systems. Any company linked to VR technology is now under investigation. Macrosoft, one of the largest distributors, has been fined billions and its CEO, Alexander Sterling, arrested for alleged collaboration with Evan."

Aurora interjected, her voice grim. [Sir, it's not just Microsoft. Daniel has also been accused of working with you. They claim he pretended to be your enemy while secretly assisting you in selling fake medicines. The media is branding you both as master manipulators.]

Another news clip played, showing images of alleged underground labs, stockpiles of weapons, and experimental biological organisms.

The anchor continued, "Authorities claim that Evan has been conducting illegal research, creating biological weapons, and developing miniature nuclear warheads. It is also reported that he is militarizing and assembling a private army."

Aurora's projection turned toward Evan. [Sir, this is bad. They're portraying you as a monster. Public sentiment has turned completely against you.]

"Enough," Evan said coldly, raising his hand. The screens went dark, and he pinched the bridge of his nose before exhaling sharply.

His eyes hardened as Daniel's warning echoed in his mind. "It seems he was right," Evan muttered, his voice low and dangerous.

Aurora hesitated before speaking again. [Sir, what are your orders?]

Evan's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Walter. He's managed to dive into Daniel's memories and might have uncovered many of our secrets. He has outplayed us this time."

Evan shook his head and massaged his forehead, a faint sigh escaping him.

"Of all powerful abilities, did he have to inherit such troublesome power? It's basically a pain in the ass."