"The best part is," Max smirked, "we're also launching a billion-dollar challenge—anyone who can leak even a single piece of personal data from a player's mind within the game will win the prize."
Vale blinked before grinning. "That's a bold move... but it will work."
"It would be more than just work—it'll be like the whole world helping us prove just how great and unbreakable our system is," Max said confidently.
Vale chuckled. "Now that's a devilish move, the kind one would expect from a CEO—making the company advertise itself without spending a penny."
Max shrugged. "So, get to it. Have the production line set up. We only have one year left. Before our launch date, make sure to establish contacts with emerging tech companies so they can work under us as our VR pod production units. It'll attract them like magnets anyway."
Vale nodded. "Don't worry, boss, I have everything ready. Just be prepared to give me a human body with your fancy magic when it's all done."
He turned to leave, and Max leaned back in his chair, sighing.
"Damn, launching a company is surely a tedious process," Max muttered. "But I guess after this, I won't have to worry about people rioting over some having power while others don't."
He leaned back, his mind racing. A lot of emotions surged around him—whether he wanted to or not, he could feel them as if they were his own.
Envy.
Anger.
All kinds of negative emotions, even greed, from those who wanted power for themselves. The world had just gotten used to power being limited to a select few. Then aliens arrived—twice. At first, things seemed normal, but sooner or later, everyone wanted power for themselves too.
Especially after the deaths during the second invasion by the Dark Elves. Even though Max stopped them from killing any more humans, at that time, Hydra used the chaos to rise again. A lot of blame fell on the Dark Elves when Hydra assassinated the World Leaders who were thorn in their eyes.
"They were quite a good menace, though," Max muttered as he closed his eyes.
In any case, I wonder what's happening in this small Earth, which seems to be constantly shifting from one crisis to another.
"Hehehe, though I guess if Hydra tries to play my game, then I'll just get more minions," Max mumbled with an eerie laugh.
The game isn't rigged for normal players, of course. But a game that reads the whole mind—how could it not be used against a human mind to control them? Even if Max wouldn't use it against innocent people, he'd definitely use it against Hydra.
Once they step into his playground, he'll twist their thoughts, bend their will, and slowly make them his own. Piece by piece, he'll take over the whole Hydra.
Max leaned back in his chair, a sinister grin creeping onto his face. "They think they're untouchable, hiding in the shadows, pulling strings from behind the scenes. But in my game, there are no shadows to hide in. Only the system, and the system obeys me."
He tapped his fingers on the desk, thinking. "It won't be immediate. No, that would be too obvious. Hydra's smart—they'd notice if their agents suddenly started thinking differently. But subtle shifts? A tiny change in perspective here, a nudge there… That's how you rewrite a mind without them ever realizing it."
The idea thrilled him. Hydra had spent decades manipulating the world, toppling governments, corrupting people from the inside out. Now, it was their turn to be the ones getting played.
"First, I make the game indispensable. An open-world experience like no other, where power is truly earned, where the strong rule and the weak serve. The elites will flock to it, craving the influence they wield in real life. And when Hydra comes sniffing, thinking they can use my creation for their own agenda…"
Max chuckled darkly.
"They'll never even know when they stopped being the ones in control."
Just then, Vale's voice crackled through the intercom. "Boss, we finalized the deal with the companies."
"Huh? That was fast. You left for only half an hour," Max said, raising an eyebrow.
Vale scoffed. "Bah! Who do you think I am? I was already working on it beforehand. I just needed to sign the correct documents—nothing more." He smirked smugly, and Max nodded. "Good, then."
"I guess we can have more units prepared before the game's launch. They have their labor force ready and teams who know how to integrate the VR pods," Max said.
Vale nodded. "Yeah, we're producing more units each shift so we can distribute them worldwide. But are you sure we should be thinking that far ahead? First, we need to ensure the safety measures are in place."
"Hmm, you're right," Max agreed. "I guess we should take an extra year before launch to let the world know that the game is fully safe."
"Hmm, actually, making a safe product and intentionally letting hackers try to breach it might be the best way to prove its security," Vale suggested.
"This will be the perfect way to see if our system is truly unbreakable. If no one can hack it, then we'll know for sure," Max said.
Vale nodded in agreement, satisfied with the plan.
"Then set the competition—launch it as the company's first product: a firewall program that can safeguard all kinds of sensitive data, even better than how nuclear codes are protected," Max said.
Vale chuckled. "Speaking of nuclear codes, we also have a lot of leftover data. Should we launch our own cybersecurity company as well? Do you want to do it?"
"We will, but not now," Max replied as he stretched and let out a small yawn. "For now, I'm going for a walk."
"Speaking of walks," Vale smirked, "did you forget about your college assignment? It's due tomorrow."
Max froze mid-step before groaning in frustration. "Damn it! Only one day left?!"
The call was cut as Vale couldn't help but chuckle, seeing Max getting flustered over a college assignment.
"Ha, this guy can best the world with no effort, yet he's beaten by his college assignments. I guess schools are scary here too."
***
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It's 22 chaps ahead