81-85

Chapter 81: A Talk (Ish) With Terry

Terry entered Rina's office a few minutes after Chloe left to call him.

"Take a seat," Rina directed Terry as she motioned towards a nearby chair, her attention still fixed on the computer screen before her.

Terry complied silently, settling into the chair as directed. However, as several minutes ticked by without any communication from Rina, and with her attention still riveted on the computer screen, Terry began to feel increasingly anxious.

For Terry, the situation felt like the calm before the storm - an unsettling and ominous stillness that hinted at impending chaos or turbulence.

However, the uneasy silence did not last much longer. Rina abruptly rose from her seat and walked over to the printer to retrieve some papers that had just finished printing. She then went and sat down across from Terry.

"Alright Terry, I've received a highly troubling report that you've been informing my brother about everything I do. What do you have to say about this?" Rina asked, her tone serious and unyielding.

When Terry heard that question his heart almost left through his mouth but he still managed to remain calm and tried to explain himself.

"Ma'am, that report is completely false. You know that I've been working for you since your high school days, so why on earth would I do something like that?" Terry protested, his tone trying but failing in conveying a sense of anger and offense at the notion that his character was being slandered.

As Terry tried to act indignant, Rina couldn't help but chuckle at his display. Although she still felt a lingering sense of betrayal from the day she learned that he was one of the individuals who had turned against her, the irony of Terry's feigned outrage struck her as amusing.

"Ha! You really ought to take some acting classes, Terry. You're absolutely terrible at it," Rina exclaimed, unable to contain her amusement any longer. However, as memories of their past interactions flooded her mind, she found herself becoming increasingly angry at Terry's attempts to portray himself as a victim.

Despite her rising anger, Rina managed to keep it under wraps, determined to see the meeting through without lashing out at Terry. She remained composed and focused, resisting the urge to slam the table in his face.

"Ma'am, I think there's been a misunderstanding on your end. I wouldn't bother acting if I knew I was innocent," Terry insisted, doubling down on his earlier protestations.

Terry persisted in his defense because he knew that any admission of guilt could prove fatal. It was widely regarded as taboo for a member of the Rothschild security team to betray the person they were tasked with protecting, and the consequences were severe - anyone who did so would be made to disappear, serving as a warning to others.

"Enough with the melodramatic performance, Terry. Do you really think I would base my accusations on mere speculation?" Rina's tone turned serious as she hurled the papers she had retrieved from the printer at Terry.

Terry scrambled to pick up the papers that had been scattered around him, curious to see what was written on them. To his shock, he realized that they were transcripts of his conversations with her brother's secretary spanning the past five years.

Terry was filled with fear and began to tremble as he comprehended the contents of the papers. He was perplexed as to how Rina had obtained them since he was certain he had deleted every conversation they had after each talk.

In a fit of fear and desperation, Terry lunged at Rina and began to strangle her. He acted impulsively, not thinking about the consequences of his actions or what he would do if he succeeded in killing her.

"Khghhkhghk" Rina fought for air as Terry tightened his grip around her throat. His eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his scalp were bulging, demonstrating the sheer amount of force he was using. His entire body shook as he continued to strangle her.

As Rina was on the verge of losing consciousness, a loud "bang" echoed through the room. A gunshot had been fired, but she didn't have time to comprehend what had happened as she slipped into unconsciousness.

"RINA, RINA. " Chloe, the secretary, yelled as she moved the bleeding body of Terry off of Rina's unconscious form that he had fallen on top of after being shot.

"Call the doctor now!" Chloe shouted at Alex, the security detail who had shot Terry immediately after entering the room.

Alex quickly left the room to call the family doctor stationed in the mansion as quickly as possible.

....

Half an hour later.

As Rina slowly regained consciousness, she realized that her throat was sore and she had a pounding headache.

She opened her eyes to see the worried face of Chloe walking back and forth.

As Rina looked around, she noticed the younger man in a suit standing nearby, his hands clasped behind his back with a serious expression on his face, indicating that he was there for security purposes.

She tried to speak, but her throat was too painful to form any words and only hoarse gibberish came from her mouth.

Rina attempted to clear her throat and speak once more, but the pain was unbearable. Chloe acted swiftly by bringing her a glass of water and assisting her in drinking it.

Rina felt relieved as the cool water she drank soothed her throat and eased the pain. After a moment, she finally managed to utter comprehensible words.

"Who is he?" Rina asked in a hoarse voice while pointing at the young man in the room.

"I'm Alex, your new security detail stationed here since last week, miss," Alex explained without waiting for Chloe to answer Rina's question.

"Where is Terry?" Rina asked Chloe after she finally managed to recollect herself.

Chloe hesitated for a moment before answering, "He's... in the hospital. He was shot by Alex and is still receiving treatment at the moment."

"But how did you know I was in danger?" Rina asked, not quite believing that it was just luck.

"I didn't, I only came in behind him after he barged inside without even knocking or saying anything to me"Chloe replied, pointing to Alex.

When Chloe and Rina turned to Alex, he explained, "About 35 minutes ago, I received a text message ordering me to be on standby. Then, 10 minutes later, I received another one to come into the room as fast as I could. Aren't you the one who sent it?" he finished with a question as he was quite confused.

"Oh, yes, I did send that message. The event must have slipped my mind." After realizing that it was Ava who had sent the message as a contingency plan, she decided to take credit for it to avoid creating any suspicion.

Because she had never faced any significant threats or danger within her family, she failed to prepare for any potential contingencies. This oversight caused her to overlook the potential dangers when she attempted to comfort Terry.

She simply hadn't considered the possibility of something going wrong, as she had never encountered a dangerous situation before.

In her mind, she believed that everything was under control. She had devised an elaborate plan to turn Terry into a reverse spy, manipulating him into providing false information about her to her brother.

She thought that she had covered all of her bases, and that nothing could go wrong with her carefully crafted scheme.

But fate is a bitch, and she had experienced it first hand.

"Thank you" Rina thanked Alex for saving her.

"It's my duty, miss," replied Alex, giving a small bow to express his appreciation for her gratitude towards him.

"What did the doctor say about my condition?" Rina asked about her condition as it was the first time for her.

"After examining your condition, the doctor said that you're fine and the bruise on your neck should heal within a week," Chloe explained what the doctor had told them.

Rina attempted to sit up on the sofa in her workroom, where she had been laying on inorder to receive treatment.

With Chloe's assistance, she was finally able to sit down on the sofa, and it was then that she noticed the blood stains on her shirt.

"Can I have a new shirt?" Rina asked Chloe for new clothes.

"Here" Chloe seemed like she had expected to hear that request as she had the shirt in her hands by the time Rina finished asking the question.

"Okay, can I have a moment alone?" Sarah requested, as she began to unbutton her shirt to change, in search of some privacy.

"Yes, miss," both Alex and Chloe responded, as they exited the room to provide her with some much-needed privacy and alone time.

After being left alone, Sarah removed her bloodied shirt and discarded it in the trash can, leaving her in a bra that hugged her ample bosom.

She quickly put on the new shirt that Chloe had handed to her, and then made her way over to her computer to take a seat.

As she settled into her chair, she gazed at her computer screen and murmured, "Thank you, Ava," expressing her gratitude for the assistance she had received from her.

[As always, your welcome] replied Ava calmly, feeling a sense of pride in herself for accomplishing one of the purposes for which she was created.

Chapter 82: Therapy

"Time to move on to the next phase of my plan," Rina declared, determined to continue with her scheme, even though she had encountered a stumbling block right from the start.

However, Ava interrupted her by locking the computer and stated, [You need to rest Rina]

"I need to continue, or they will just...haaaa...haaa..." Rina tried to explain to Ava, but she immediately broke down in panic and started gasping for air. She was having a panic attack from the memory of what had happened to her.

Even though it might seem childish for her to break down, it was the first time she had ever been physically assaulted by someone, so it was a traumatic experience for her.

Despite her initial decision to continue with her plan without pause, the sudden interruption by Ava locking her computer forced her to confront her trauma. This resulted in Rina breaking down in tears, as she was unable to suppress her emotions any longer.

The breakdown continued for a few minutes, with Ava silently watching Rina without uttering a word. Ava understood the importance of allowing Rina to confront her emotions and provide comfort while the pain was still raw, preventing it from becoming deeply ingrained and potentially haunting her in the future.

After calming down from the panic attack, Rina heard Ava's comforting words.

[You have me, so you don't have to worry. I will always be there for you, watching over you and protecting you] Ava said.

After hearing what Ava said, Rina felt even more calm and reassured. She realized that Ava had already kept one of her promises: "I will always protect you." It was evident that Ava had expected something like this to happen, no matter how miniscule the possibilities were, and had prepared for it.

This realization gave Rina a sense of comfort, knowing that she had someone looking out for her. This in return increased her reliance on Ava, which in turn extended to Aron, as he was the one who had created Ava to be her constant companion and protector.

"But why did you call for Alex out of the many security guards?" Rina asked, curious about why Ava specifically requested for Alex's assistance.

[Mother recommended him after sending her a list of people who had not betrayed us. She thoroughly examined their histories and chose him because he was deemed the most unlikely to betray you] Rina replied to her question.

"If your mother chose him, then it would be wise to appoint him as the head of the security position, which has become vacant as of today. We can even use the fact that he was the one who rescued me to defend our decision to those who might question why we chose a newbie instead of someone who has been with me for a longer period of time," suggested Rina.

[That's what she also suggested] Ava agreed with Rina's recommendation.

"Then I'll inform them of my decision before I go to rest, as I really need to," Rina said while touching her neck, which was still hurting.

[Take all the time you need to rest. The plan doesn't have a time limit.] Ava responded with reassurance.

"Thanks," Rina said, expressing her gratitude to Ava. She then got up from her chair and made her way to the door, to go and rest in her room.

After passing by Chloe's table and informing her of her decision to promote Alex to the head of security as a reward for saving her, Rina immediately went to her room and slept.

....

Aron's side.

After sleeping for three hours, Aron was awoken by Nova, who reminded him that the driver had already woken up and was waiting for him. Nova had seen him through the CCTV footage of the hotel after she had taken control of the hotel upon their arrival.

"Argh…." Aron woke up still feeling tired, regretting not using the option to enter the VR and sleep there for a longer time. Due to the time difference of 5 to 1, he could have extended his sleep in the virtual world, but he decided against it.

He desired to have a few hours of sleep in the real world to reacquaint himself with the feeling, so as not to forget it. However, he knew that in actuality, there was no tangible difference between sleeping in reality and in the Universal simulated VR.

After cleaning himself up, Aron gathered his belongings and left the room, making his way to the reception lobby to check out.

"May I have your autograph, please?" asked the receptionist after completing the checkout process, recognizing that he was the young billionaire who had been trending on Twitter a few days ago.

"Sure," Aron agreed.

Despite feeling a bit weird about being recognized by someone from the other side of the world, Aron took the paper and pen the receptionist gave him and began to sign it. When he finished, he asked, "What is your name?" so he could write it on the paper.

In excitement, the receptionist replied with her name, 'Shamim,' glad that her request was granted.

Aron began writing the name "Shamim" on the paper, followed by "Wishing you all the best," but as he was about to hand it back to her, his phone vibrated, indicating that Nova had something to tell him.

As soon as he checked his phone, he saw a text message from Nova that read, "Write down these numbers on the paper." Without any hesitation, Aron took the pen and started writing the long sequence of numbers that Nova had displayed on his screen.

After finishing writing the number sequence, Aron smiled and handed the autographed paper back to Shamim, saying "Nice to meet you." before turning around and leaving the hotel.

"What is with those numbers?" Aron asked Nova after he left the hotel.

Nova replied playfully, [It's a gift from me to her if she can decode it. It also makes your signing's quite unique.]

"Then she won't be able to decode it in her lifetime," Aron said, smiling at the thought of Shamim trying to decode something created by Nova using a quantum computer.

[No, I made it specially for her. She can decode it if she uses her virtual assistant and her engineering skills well,] Nova replied to Aron, indicating that she had created it specifically for Shamim to solve using her knowledge and expertise as an engineer.

"She is an engineer?" Aron asked, surprised that someone with such a profession was working as a hotel receptionist.

[A very underappreciated one at that, unfortunately.] Nova replied back, feeling sympathy for Shamim.

Nova had taken a quick glance at Shamim's computer to know her motives and ended up seeing engineering drawings on her personal computer, which was open under the reception table just begging for her to hack it.

[If she solves it, It will solve most of her problems] Nova said in hope that she solves the message she left to her using Aron.

Aron exited the hotel and walked to the designated meeting spot where he and the driver had agreed to meet the previous night. Upon arriving, he saw the driver waiting outside the car, engrossed in his phone.

After exchanging greetings, they both boarded the car, followed by the driver asking, "Are we going back to the hotel?" He wanted to know the destination of their journey.

"No, I need to go to Oxford University," Aron stated the destination he wanted to go to.

"Okay," the driver acknowledged the destination and started the car to officially begin their journey.

....

Hospital VIP room.

Terry had just come out of the operating room after undergoing a long and arduous surgery to extract the bullet that was lodged in his chest. Despite the surgery being over, he was still unconscious due to the effects of anesthesia.

Outside Terry's VIP room, there were two bodyguards standing guard. Their job was to prevent people from entering the room and to stop Terry from escaping. Terry had a punishment waiting for him after he recovered from the surgery, as he had tried to injure a Rothschild.

Terry's attack on Rina had sealed his fate and he had lost any chance of redemption. The Rothschild family viewed it as a significant event that required a lasting example to be made. As a result, Terry would face punishment to set an example and prevent such situations from ever happening again.

The head of the family believed that a significant example needed to be made, as this was the first time such an incident had occurred in the modern history of the Rothschild family.

"If he wanted to kill himself, why try to do it that way?" one of the bodyguards standing by the door asked the other. He considered Terry's actions to be worse than suicide and felt saddened by what was going to happen to him.

"He had better not wake up for a few years if he wants to keep living," the bodyguard said firmly, emphasizing the severity of Terry's situation.

"What do you think she said to make him try to strangle and kill her?"

"I don't know what it is, but it must be something of great importance to him for him to risk his own life and attempt to kill Miss Rina," said one of the bodyguards, acknowledging the severity of the situation.

Chapter 83: The Purge.

As Aron was en route to the esteemed Oxford University, his mobile device rang, and he answered it promptly.

"Hello Felix," Aron greeted as he picked up the call.

"Hello Aron, how are you doing?" Felix reciprocated.

"How is Eden?" Aron inquired.

"The atmosphere here in Eden varies greatly depending on one's location. For those of us staying in a high-end hotel, the atmosphere is rather pleasant. However, during our commute from the airport to the hotel, we couldn't help but notice that the atmosphere for others seemed quite bleak," Felix conveyed his honest impressions of Eden without sugarcoating anything

Upon hearing Felix's perception of Eden, Aron thought to himself, "Not for long...not for long," before resuming his conversation with Felix.

"Okay, could you give me a summary of what's been decided so far regarding the plan?" Aron inquired, eager to hear about the progress made since Nova mentioned that they were discussing it a few hours earlier.

"That's precisely why I called you. We've arranged a meeting for next week, and we've also devised an approach to broach the topic with the dictator, with the hope that he might even assist us in our takeover," Felix updated Aron on the latest development regarding the plan.

"Congratulations on accomplishing the first step of phase one of the plan. Can you provide me with more details about the strategy for approaching the dictator during the meeting?" Aron inquired, wanting to know more information as Nova hasn't updated him about it yet.

"Alright, so this is what we've devised," Felix began updating Aron on the plan, delving into more details whenever Aron requested clarification or expressed a desire for further information.

Meanwhile, the driver quietly navigated the vehicle towards their destination, feeling nothing but contentment. He knew that the man he was driving was a generous tipper, and he would also receive payment from the hotel for the transportation service, which would be included in the guest's checkout expenses. Since the guest was still checked in and availing himself of the hotel's services, such as the car he was currently riding in, the driver's earnings continued to accumulate.

An hour and a half later, Aron finally arrived at one of the many accommodation communities of Oxford University.

Upon arrival, he bid farewell to his driver and proceeded to walk into the community. After finding a secluded area, he cast a concealment rune on himself.

On that day, many professors missed their classes in various campuses of the university because they were found asleep in their offices. This peculiar event would later be referred to as "The Great Sleep."

....

The next day.

Rina had finally managed to recollect herself and partially heal from her trauma so she decided to immediately continue her plan of cleaning the people near her.

She walked into her office, gesturing for Chloe to follow her.

Chloe said nothing and followed behind her into the office.

"Where is Alex?" Rina asked, not having seen him on her way to her office.

"In his new office, Miss," Chloe answered.

"Okay," Rina replied after hearing Chloe's response. She then walked to her chair and began tapping on her computer. She printed out a piece of paper with names on it.

"Replace all of these people from this list with these," Rina said as she handed Chloe two pieces of paper - one with names of people to be removed and the other with names of people who would replace them.

Upon observing the sheer quantity of individuals who were set to be eliminated from her team, Chloe inquired incredulously, "All of these?" The number was so substantial that it could not be classified as a typical downsizing. It appeared to be more akin to an act of genocide.

The cuts were far-reaching, encompassing a broad range of personnel from the chefs, cleaners, and repairmen to even the security team. Virtually every category of worker employed in the household was affected.

Without hesitation in her voice, Rina replied, "Yes, all of them."

Rina instructed, "If anyone asks, simply state that I'm still seething with anger over the incident and needed an outlet to vent my frustration." She used the excuse of being choked during the cleaning process as a cover for the elimination of spies who had been reporting to various members of the household.

Rina was not concerned about anyone connecting the dots, as she had studied the data provided by Ava. She knew that each spy reported to a different family member, and most of them were unaware of the other spies' existence.

Therefore, if anyone questioned the sudden disappearance of a spy, they would assume that their own spy had simply been caught in the crossfire of Rina's outburst and nothing more.

"Also tell Alex to always be within the vicinity of the office whenever I'm working" She instructed Chloe, who was on her way outside to accomplish the task she had given her.

"Understood, Miss," Chloe acknowledged the order before opening the door and making her way to Alex's office to relay the new instructions. She would follow this up by terminating some employees, just a routine Tuesday for her.

After seeing that Chloe had left and she was left Alone in the office Ava greeted her [Welcome back, Rina.]

"Thank you, Ava" Rina thanked Ava's welcome.

[How are you feeling?] She asked wanting to know where her mind is in the healing steps.

"Although I'm not fully over it I'm fine enough that I expect it to pass by the end of the month" Rina answered to her truthfully saying everything that she felt, without trying to sugarcoat anything as she fully trusted her.

[If that's what you are feeling then you can continue without any problem] Ava said, making her release a sigh of relief as her reply had reassured her that she was really healing and not just lying to herself.

"Yeah I know, I have already sent Chloe to solve the issue of purging the spies, All we have to do is wait until next week where every spy would be replaced and we can officially say that the purge has been completed wich we can then follow by starting to use our leverage to return to our position and maybe go even higher"

[Congrat] Ava exclaimed, acknowledging that Rina had finally taken a significant step forward in her plan, despite facing setbacks right from the start.

"Thanks"

"By the way, did your mother send you the Morgan's plans ?" Rina asked, grateful for Ava's congratulations.

She was curious to know if they had received the plans and if so, she wanted to take a look at them.

"No, she hasn't sent them yet," Ava replied, delivering the disappointing news. "The last time I inquired about it, she mentioned that the plans were at 95% completion and would take another month to finalize as the Morgans were still fine-tuning them."

"Don't worry about it, Ava. We still haven't even finished the second part of our plan," Rina reassured her, sensing the disappointment in Ava's voice.

Afterward, they engaged in casual conversation about their plans and discussed their next steps, as Rina found herself with nothing to do at the moment.

...…

Aron, who had completed extracting brain data from the professors at Oxford University, was en route to Imperial College London to repeat the same process of downloading brain data.

In the following two weeks, Aron had plans to visit several locations to complete his collection of brain data from the United Kingdom.

His itinerary included Rolls Royce facility in Derby, University College London (UCL), the University of Edinburgh, several Aerospace and Aviation facilities, Biotechnology and Life Sciences institutions, and Space and Satellite Technology centers, among many others.

Chapter 84: Meeting With Adolf, The Dictator.

A week later.(Monday).

Felix and his team rose earlier than their typical routine, commencing their preparations for the meeting that was scheduled for the afternoon.

In order to be perceived as sincere, Felix and his team had to arrive at the presidential palace at least an hour prior to the scheduled meeting time. This, coupled with the fact that the palace was quite a distance away from their hotel, meant that they had to leave early.

"Since everyone is present, let's proceed," Felix announced upon sighting the final person who would be accompanying them.

Subsequently, they departed from the hotel to where the car was waiting to transport them to the palace.

Throughout the journey, they rehearsed their bullet points for the 457th time, striving to ensure that nothing went even slightly amiss.

After a three-hour car ride, they finally arrived at the gate of the presidential palace, where they were stopped.

Their cars came to a halt as heavily armed guards approached.

After the stop, the armed guards commenced a search of the car. The team was then instructed to open the boot, and a dog was brought in to conduct a scent inspection.

The security measures were exceedingly meticulous; the team was subjected to a bomb search and their phones and other electronic devices were confiscated.

Upon completion of the search, they were eventually granted permission to pass through the gate. However, their driver was replaced with a guard who would take them from that point onwards.

They were guided through a labyrinth of corridors and grandiose rooms until they finally arrived at the dictator's private chambers.

The dictator, Adolf was seated at his desk, accompanied by his advisors. As Felix and his team entered the heavily decorated room, he looked up and gazed at them, attempting to act as if he didn't remember them.

Nonetheless, Felix strode forward confidently, his four team members standing steadfastly behind him like a sturdy wall of muscle and fortitude.

When Felix noticed the dictator struggling to recall where he had placed them, he realized that the leader was purposely trying to assert dominance over them. If the dictator truly had forgotten about their scheduled meeting, they would not have been granted permission to enter the palace.

He was certain that the dictator had conducted a thorough background check on them prior to the arranged meeting.

Nevertheless, Felix proceeded to play along with the dictator's facade and introduced himself and his associates, explaining where they had initially made contact with the leader and how they had arranged the meeting.

"Aha, so you're the individual who has been attempting to arrange a meeting with me since the commencement of the party," exclaimed Adolf, elevating his tone to give the impression that he had just realized who they were.

"Yes, Your Excellency," Felix replied confidently, bowing slightly. "We are honored and grateful for the opportunity to meet with you today. Thank you for taking the time to see us," he added with a forced smile, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the dictator's poor acting skills.

He wondered silently to himself whether the dictator's assistants were hesitant to inform him about his subpar acting abilities.

"Very well, let's get to the matter at hand. I have several other crucial meetings to attend to," declared the dictator, underscoring the significance of his time and conveying his disinterest in the current meeting.

"Certainly. Your Excellency, before we commence, please allow us to express our gratitude for your agreement to meet with us," spoke Felix in a respectful tone, gesturing towards one of his team members to hand over the briefcase.

The briefcase was the sole item they were permitted to bring into the office, having undergone a search to confirm that no hazardous materials were present.

Upon noticing the briefcase, Adolf motioned to one of his aides with a nod, indicating for them to retrieve the briefcase and reveal its contents.

The aide obeyed and retrieved the briefcase from Felix's hand, placing it on the table before opening it while ensuring it was facing towards the dictator.

"Mmmmm..." Adolf exhaled heavily as he laid eyes on the freedom units filling the briefcase.

Despite being taken aback by the substantial amount of money before him, Adolf attempted to maintain his composure and act unaffected by the sight of the funds.

"Proceed," he instructed, struggling to divert his gaze from the briefcase.

"Of course. We require your assistance and approval for a matter," stated Felix, conveying a sense of dependence on the dictator's help as if nothing could proceed without it.

"Very well, let me explain," responded Felix, sensing that the dictator's ego had been inflated. The dictator raised his hand, gesturing for Felix to proceed and state the purpose of the meeting.

"We are interested in purchasing the Telecommunication companies in Eden," stated Felix succinctly.

"What benefits would I gain from assisting you with this endeavor?" questioned Adolf, seeking to understand what he stood to gain from the proposal.

"We are prepared to pay you fifty percent of the amount equivalent to that in the briefcase each time we successfully acquire a company," reiterated Felix, emphasizing the generous financial compensation that would accompany the dictator's assistance.

"Sure, that sounds good, but why should I allow you to buy them?" Adolf asked, feigning indifference to the amount of money he would be gaining, and trying to extract even more from them.

"After we buy and merge the companies, we plan to upgrade them with the latest technologies. This will allow us to increase prices, resulting in a larger income for us and a larger tax revenue for you," Felix explained, emphasizing the benefits for both parties.

Adolf still tried to appear unimpressed by their proposal. When Felix noticed this, he decided to give the dictator another reason to consider their offer.

"Consolidating the telecommunications companies under our ownership would result in all data coming in and out of the country passing through our network. This would give us the ability to monitor and analyze what your citizens are thinking, which would allow you to better manage and govern the country," Felix explained.

When he heard the last point, he immediately opened his mouth to agree to their offer as it had everything he needed - money, control, and more - without having to spend any of the country's money, which he considered his. They were even paying him. But just as he was about to express his agreement, he was interrupted by one of his aides.

"What is it?" he asked, seeming quite annoyed by the interruption.

The aid moved closer to him and whispered in his ear, reporting what he needed to say.

When Adolf heard what his aid was saying, his eyes lit up with excitement at the beauty of the idea.

"I agree to your proposal," Adolf, the dictator, finally said, much to Felix's relief. However, his relief was short-lived as the dictator continued with a condition, "But I have one condition. I will receive fifty percent of the profits from the merged company. Is that agreeable to you?"

Felix found himself at a loss for words and could only manage to utter, "Your Excellency."

When Adolf saw the expression on Felix's face, he decided to further elaborate, "I will be receiving half of your profits, and in return, I will be providing you with protection from any problems that may arise during your stay. Do you now see the need for me to receive half of my share?"

Felix quickly regained his composure after being taken aback by Adolf's greed. He replied, "Before we can agree to that, we need to consult with our company's leadership to see if they can agree to the last condition." He was trying to stall for time so that he and his team could report the latest condition to Aron.

Adolf nodded and got up from his chair, speaking in a stern tone. "Very well," he said. "Make sure you give me your decision by the end of the week or I will consider the deal to be canceled."

Felix smiled in response and replied, "We will get back to you within the week with our decision, Your Excellency."

Following that, they were escorted out of the presidential palace by the same security guards who had accompanied them upon their arrival.

After reaching the entrance gate, they were picked up by their car with the security member as the driver. They were then given back their electronic devices and other belongings that had been collected from them earlier.

After that, the security driver returned their car to their regular driver. They then left the palace vicinity and headed back to the hotel to rest and report back to Aron about the dictator's last condition.

...…

In the office of the dictator.

"Did my last condition seem excessive?" Adolf asked the aide who had given him the idea.

The aid responded without revealing that it was his idea, as Adolf liked to see himself as a wise man. "No, Your Excellency, your demand was quite reasonable given the protection you will provide them. It is their failure to realize your generosity for not asking for more of what you deserve. I hope they come to understand it soon," he flattered him, knowing that he enjoyed being praised.

"Yeah, they are the ones who don't know," Adolf replied to his aid while stroking the dollars in the still open briefcase and salivating at them.

Chapter 85: Raising From The Ashes Pt. 01

On the same Monday,

After spending the majority of the week on the road, Aron had successfully gathered all the necessary brain data from individuals on his list located in the United Kingdom. His exhaustive efforts have finally come to fruition.

Subsequently, Aron proceeded to the Icon Hotel where he had only stayed for about 4 hours but only used their rental car services to check out before heading to the airport for his next destination.

Upon departing from the presidential suite at the Icon Hotel, Aron generously rewarded his driver with a tip of 20,000 dollars for chauffeuring him across the entire country throughout the week.

Afterwards, he boarded the private jet that was waiting for him to travel from London to Paris, and then utilized a combination of trains and car rentals to travel to the location of CERN. This was necessary as many of the individuals on his list were located there, and he needed to collect their brain data.

However, Aron didn't just head straight to CERN, as Nova had arranged his journey to ensure that he had collected brain data from individuals throughout the entirety of France before arriving at his final destination.

...

On the same Monday,

Rina Rothchild's mansion.

By Friday, Chloe had successfully terminated and replaced all the members on the list, resulting in significant commotion within the private network. Today, on Monday, Rina finally decided to embark on her journey back to the top.

In her office, Rina could be seen sitting in front of her computer having a discussion with Ava about the steps they would need to take for her to regain power.

"Now that we have successfully completed the purge, let us begin our return," Said Rina

[Yes Rina].

Rina reached for her phone to contact a member of the company's board, but in reality, these individuals were all relatives with ties to the Rothschild family. So, it could be said that she was actually making a call to a family member.

"Hello?" came the voice from the other end of the line after picking up the phone.

"Hello, Hebel," Rina greeted the family member on the other end of the line with a hint of exhaustion in her voice, as if she had been through a lot.

"Why did you call?" Hebel asked from the other end, showing his curiosity about the reason for Rina's call.

Hebel had a feeling that Rina might be getting desperate and calling for help to return to her position within the family. This boosted his ego, as he was a member of the family who couldn't compete for the head position.

Therefore, having a family member who could compete for the head position beg him for help in desperation would be quite fulfilling.

"Are you available at the moment?" Rina asked in a voice that conveyed a sense of desperation, suggesting that she had been pushed to her limits.

"Although I'm busy, I can spare about fifteen minutes for you," Hebel replied, feeling a sense of ecstasy for having the upper hand in the conversation.

"Can I come and see you for a talk? I have something important to ask you".

"Sure, I'll be waiting for you at my mansion," Hebel agreed to the meeting, feeling a sense of satisfaction from Rina's apparent desperation.

"Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes," Rina replied, but her voice suddenly changed halfway through the sentence, forcing Ava to quickly take over and use a voice modulator, to ensure that Hebel didn't realize that the entire situation was just an act on her part.

Despite having fun with the situation, Rina wanted to maintain the illusion of desperation and keep up the act to achieve her desired outcome.

"I'll be waiting for you then," Hebel said before ending the call, wanting to assert his dominance in the situation.

Rina on the other side was laughing her ass off after recalling the excitement and sense of superiority in Hebel's voice on the other end of the line.

[Rina, you almost blew up your act] Ava scolded her jokingly, as she too was enjoying the act they had put on for Hebel.

As a wiseman once said, if you have to do something, you might as well have fun doing it. (SuntZu).

"Anyway, let's go. We have a meeting to attend," Rina said as she grabbed her phone and tablet, preparing to leave her office.

"Alex and Chloe, follow me. We have a meeting with someone in ten minutes," Rina instructed as she walked past Chloe's desk, leading the way while the others followed closely behind.

"Where are we going, Miss?" Chloe asked as she walked alongside Rina, heading outside the mansion.

"We're going to Hebel's residence," Rina said as she climbed into the car that Alex had brought around for them.

Once they were all in the car, they began to make their way to Hebel's mansion, which was located inside their expansive compound.

The family compound was so vast that they had paved roads connecting the various mansions, making it easier for vehicles to move around.

Due to the large size of the family compound, each member had their own mansion. However, since it was not feasible to build all the mansions in the same location, they were constructed far apart from each other. This necessitated the use of cars to travel from one mansion to another within the compound.

As they rode in the car, Chloe couldn't help but express her concern to Rina. "Miss, why are we going to his house? You know he'll just belittle you if you ask for his help," she said in a worried tone. Meanwhile, Alex remained focused on driving.

"You don't have to worry about that, Chloe. I have something that will make him humble," Rina reassured her in a confident tone, as Alex continued driving without saying a word.

"Okay," Chloe replied, trusting Rina's judgment and not pressing for further details.

The journey continued in silence for a few more minutes until they arrived at the porte-cochere of Hebel's mansion. The car came to a stop and they got out, where they were greeted by a servant who immediately led them to Hebel's office.

After navigating through the ostentatiously decorated mansion that gave off a sense of insecurity, they finally reached Hebel's office. The maid knocked on the door to announce their arrival.

"Enter," Hebel said in response to the maid's knock.

"You can go in now," the maid said, opening the door for Rina and her secretary to enter.

Rina entered the room, followed by Chloe, but she stopped her and said, "I will be having a private meeting with him. You wait for me here." Rina looked at both Chloe and Alex as she spoke.

Upon hearing Rina's statement, Hebel's assumption was confirmed, and he became even more convinced that she was there to plead for his assistance, which only inflated his ego further.

After instructing Chloe and Alex to wait outside, Rina entered Hebel's office and closed the door behind her before taking a seat.

After Rina took a seat, Hebel remained focused on his computer screen, giving no indication that he considered Rina's presence to be more important than his current task.

Rina remained silent, allowing Hebel to continue feeding his own ego. She knew that the higher he rose, the harder he would fall.

After carrying on with his act of working for over fifteen minutes and observing that Rina had remained silent throughout, Hebel finally decided to acknowledge her presence, feeling that he had fulfilled his desire for asserting dominance.

So, he stood up from his desk and walked over to sit in front of Rina, finally ready to hear her reason for coming to him.

Rina stared directly into Hebel's eyes and remarked, "You appear to have grown quite arrogant, making me wait for fifteen minutes before attending to me."

To Hebel, Rina's words seemed to be her final attempt at regaining her lost confidence.

"What can I say, I have something to do unlike you. So, I can't just be available all the time," Hebel said, while crossing his legs and showing that he was feeling quite comfortable and her words did nothing to him.

"Okay, go ahead and tell me, what can I help you with?" he said, after seeing Rina remain silent in response to his retort.

"I want you to give me your allegiance instead of my brother," Rina immediately stated her purpose for coming.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" when Hebel heard what she said he started laughing at the absurdity of what the bitch said.

"Are you serious? Being choked by Terry seems to have broken a blood vessel in your brain. And on top of that, the reports of you firing nearly all of your employees in a fit of rage. Are you sure you're okay?" Hebel said mockingly while still laughing.

Rina said nothing and just remained calm during the entirety of the ordeal.

When Hebel saw that Rina remained quiet and serious throughout his entire mocking barrage, he finally decided to ask.

"Why should I do that? For you, a bird who lost her wings, of all people, why?" Hebel asked in a degrading manner.