Everyone knew that Professor X was wealthy. But only a few truly understood the scale of it.
His fortune was reflected in two very public ways.
First, there was the massive estate where Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters operated—a sprawling manor that rivaled royal palaces.
Second, there was the covert tech facility hidden beneath it, equipped with bleeding-edge technology and experimental devices to assist the X-Men.
Both of these required tremendous funding to maintain.
So where did the money come from?
The X Fund.
Unlike many Mutants who lived quietly—or chaotically—Charles Xavier had always been a visionary. Years ago, he inherited a considerable family fortune. But instead of hoarding it or living lavishly, he invested.
Smartly.
Strategically.
Over time, the investments grew. And when he eventually founded the school, Charles knew his energy would be focused on nurturing the next generation of Mutants—not watching the markets. So he handed his capital over to professional fund managers and created what became known as the X Fund.
The fund had its ups and downs.
But now, years later, it had ballooned to a valuation of over three billion dollars.
It wasn't Stark Industries level wealth. But to the average student—especially the five wide-eyed ones now sitting in the luxury office at the top floor of a gleaming skyscraper in Twisted City—it might as well have been infinite.
Shadowcat, Jubilation Lee, Colossus, Iceman, and Sunspot all sat stiffly in high-backed chairs, their gazes flicking from the floor-to-ceiling windows to the leather-bound decor.
They had just left school hours ago.
Now they were in an executive boardroom.
To say they felt out of place was an understatement.
Joseph, on the other hand, was entirely at ease.
His calm gaze was fixed on Louis Cameron, the man in charge of the X Fund.
"When will the initial hundred million be available?" Joseph asked, skipping any sort of small talk.
Louis, a sharp-suited professional in his mid-forties, blinked.
He hadn't expected the young man to dive straight into business. No greetings, no introductions—just a direct request for funding.
Still, he recovered quickly.
"I received the call from Professor Xavier earlier today," Louis said, adjusting his cufflinks. "The legal team is already finalizing the incorporation documents for Second World Technologies. Once the paperwork is complete, the first round of capital will be transferred immediately."
He glanced at his designer watch.
"If nothing goes wrong, we'll have everything processed before close of business today."
Joseph nodded.
Efficient. Professional. No nonsense.
As expected of someone handpicked by Charles Xavier.
But that wasn't the only thing Joseph appreciated.
Louis knew when not to ask questions.
For instance, when Joseph had handed him the investment contracts earlier, Louis had noticed something strange:
Professor Xavier's $100 million investment only secured 10% of the company's equity.
To Louis, a seasoned investor, this was insanity.
It implied Joseph was valuing the company—still in its infancy—at a full billion dollars.
Was Professor X crazy?
Did he trust this kid that much?
Louis had blinked in astonishment but said nothing.
Joseph caught the flicker of surprise in his expression and gave him a rare, approving nod. Then he continued.
"How long until this entire building is vacated?"
Louis took a breath. "This building is part of the X Fund's asset optimization plan. The top floor is reserved for our office use. The rest—fifteen floors in total—are leased out to various tenants. Annual contracts."
He hesitated before adding, "If we choose not to renew at the end of the lease term, we can clear it out gradually. But an early termination would incur considerable penalty fees—liquidated damages."
"Pay them," Joseph said immediately, not even blinking. "I want the entire building cleared as soon as possible. Then we'll begin mass recruitment across all departments of Second World Technologies."
A beat of silence followed.
Louis's brows rose. "Mr. Joseph, if I may… that kind of approach will create a massive financial burden. I understand your ambition, but for a game development company, isn't this—well—overkill?"
Joseph smiled.
Louis wisely stopped speaking.
"Two things," Joseph said, raising one finger. "First—the release, updates, and support of Oasis will be global. That means every department—marketing, operations, development, support, legal—must scale across hundreds of countries simultaneously."
"We won't just need people. We'll need an army."
Louis's eyes widened.
This wasn't a normal product launch.
This was a digital invasion.
Every floor of this building would become the hub of a global initiative. Each department would function like a company in its own right.
Second finger raised.
"Second," Joseph said, his tone casual, "the capital I have access to is far greater than $100 million."
The room fell silent.
Shadowcat, Jubilee, Colossus, and the others turned toward him, startled.
Even Jean Grey, who had remained quietly observant until now, gave him a curious glance.
Louis leaned forward. "Mr. Joseph… is there another investor?"
Joseph didn't answer directly.
Instead, he picked up a folded copy of the Daily Bugle from the table and tossed it to Louis.
The headline blared in bold:
"Hammer Industries Announces Breakthrough in New Military Armor – Full Reveal at Upcoming Expo!"
Louis scanned the article. Hammer Industries—one of the largest weapons manufacturers in the world. Comparable in size to Stark Industries. With a market cap in the tens of billions.
Joseph's voice remained calm as ever.
"Get me a few of the best traders on Wall Street," he said. "Give them an initial capital of $100 million. Use maximum leverage."
Louis blinked. "And what would you like them to buy?"
"I don't want them to buy anything," Joseph said.
"I want them to short Hammer Industries."
The words hit like a bomb.
Everyone in the room froze.
"Are you serious?" Louis blurted out, his voice rising in pitch.
"You want to short Hammer Industries? Off the back of a product announcement?! That's suicide!"
Hammer Industries had just revealed a brand-new line of military-grade exo-suits. The entire defense sector was hyping their upcoming expo. Stock prices were climbing. Investors were foaming at the mouth.
And Joseph wanted to bet against them?
"It hasn't even peaked yet!" Louis argued. "They're on fire right now. You want to throw all our capital into shorting them?"
Joseph just looked at him.
"Trust me," he said simply.
Louis stared back for a long moment before exhaling sharply.
Joseph knew something.
He didn't know how.
He didn't ask.
But deep down, he believed him.
This wasn't a reckless kid playing pretend CEO. This was a strategist—one who saw moves before others even saw the board.
Louis sighed. "I'll make the calls."
The other students, meanwhile, were still struggling to catch up.
Colossus leaned over to Iceman. "Do you even know what shorting means?"
"No idea," Bobby whispered back. "But it sounds like something only rich maniacs do."
Shadowcat let out a soft laugh.
Jubilation Lee turned to Joseph. "You're betting against a billion-dollar company… and your plan is to fund this entire tech empire off that?"
Joseph raised an eyebrow.
"That's not my plan," he said.
"That's just the opening move."
Jean Grey, standing quietly beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, finally smiled.
She was beginning to understand.
Joseph wasn't just building a company.
He was building an empire.
And this—this was only the beginning.
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