CHAPTER 75: AROUND (2)

But now that he was leaving her old fear was coming back even stronger than before. The thought of being alone in this strange city responsible for such a massive operation was terrifying.

Andrew saw the fear in her eyes. He came closer to her desk. He looked at her with a reassuring expression. "I won’t be gone for many days," he said gently. "I will finish my work with Adam and come right back here. And when I return I will expect you to have seen this whole operation through to its end. Can I expect this from you?" He said this to Maria with a great deal of hope in his voice. He was not just giving her an order. He was showing her his trust.

Maria looked at his steady gaze. She understood what Andrew was really asking. He was asking her to be strong. He was asking her to believe in herself.

She closed her eyes for a moment taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She sat back down in her chair. Her resolve hardened.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "I will respect your words," she said her voice now firm. "And I will give my full effort so that I can give you an optimal solution for this company."

Hearing this Andrew smiled a genuine smile of pride and relief. He knew he could count on her.

He started to leave from there turning towards the office door.

As he was leaving he said over his shoulder "Okay then see you in some time. And remember to take care of your sleep too. You can’t run a company if you’re exhausted." Saying this Andrew left from there disappearing into the night.

Meanwhile Adam was sitting in his apartment alone. He was thinking. The initial phase was complete. All the additional pieces were now in place.

The bank was a success. The oil company was operational. The shadow network for moving money was being established by Kevin.

Now all that was left was for his grand plan to fully come into action. The final and most crucial part. Which was to create his own political party.

A party that would rise from nothing. A party that would eventually control the entire financial system in their country. That was the ultimate goal. That is why he had called Andrew back from Solo City. Because he knew that for this specific task he would need Andrew the most.

Andrew had a unique talent for connecting with people for gathering support from the grassroots level. He could build a movement from scratch.

Adam knew that Maria was performing so well in Solo City because Andrew was there with her. To guide her and to motivate her. But thinking about his future plans Adam knew he had to leave Maria to handle things on her own.

He trusted Maria’s capability. And he also believed that until Maria was forced to handle things alone she would not be able to unlock her full potential. Sometimes pressure was necessary for growth.

Adam put his phone aside on the small table. He leaned back on his sofa and stared at the ceiling. He started thinking that soon things were going to change in the whole world. His actions were no longer confined to his small city. They were creating ripples that would soon become waves.

The scene shifts.

We see a scene from the heart of the Empire. Inside a very luxurious mansion a group of powerful people are having a secret meeting.

In a grand chamber a middle-aged man is sitting on an ornate chair made of dark wood and inlaid with gold. He is wearing a flowing robe of white and gold silk a symbol of his high status. In the center of the room is a long polished table also made of gold and white wood.

Around it several men wearing identical black suits are sitting on chairs their faces grim and attentive.

One man in a black suit is standing at the head of the table. He is giving a presentation. He is speaking to the man in the golden robe who is sitting on the highest chair. This man’s name is Lincoln. He is the one in charge.

The man in the black suit spoke his voice clear and precise.

"Although we have looked at the upcoming threats in all the surrounding nations and there are not many significant threats. But recently a new bank has opened in the locked-down country. And an oil field has also been discovered there. At first these two events seem to be a coincidence. But the bank that has opened is quite unusual. Because it is giving loans at a very low interest rate. And at the same time it is giving a very high interest rate to the common people on their savings. It’s a financially unsustainable model."

Hearing this Lincoln’s eyes looked up with a flicker of interest. He asked "Have you found out about the owner?"

The man in the black suit pressed a button on a small remote he was holding. The large screen on the wall behind him immediately changed. A photo appeared on the screen.

It was the photo of the fake owner Adam had created for the bank.

The man in the black suit said "This is the owner of the Shining Star Bank. Although if we look at his background he does not seem to be very rich. In fact some very strange things are happening. Many of his ancestors were very poor. And for some time his own dream was to become an actor. This is as much information as we have been able to gather. And now he has suddenly opened a multi-billion dollar bank. And as far as we can estimate they have already spent several billion dollars to get it running."

"Although they have not shown their financial data publicly," the man in the black suit continued his voice steady. "But our internal estimate is that they have already spent more than three billion dollars just to launch this bank."

Hearing this Lincoln leaned back in his golden chair. He fell into deep thought his fingers drumming silently on the armrest. Three billion dollars was not an insignificant amount even for them. It was enough to cause a stir. It was enough to warrant his attention.

"Use our contacts," Lincoln said finally his voice low but firm. "And tell the government agencies in that country to investigate this bank. Use the full power of the locked-down nation’s government." Hearing this command the man in the black suit nodded his head in silent obedience. He knew the order would be carried out swiftly.

This was Lincoln.

The powerful owner of the Lincoln Foundation. And many other such foundations. These organizations had together formed a secret blue blood group.

An alliance of the old money elite. Their primary purpose was to keep a close watch on any upcoming people. Anyone who could become a potential threat to their dominance in the world of money and power.

They had two methods for dealing with such threats. They either absorbed them into their own ranks. Or they destroyed them completely.

They operated in the shadows staying hidden from the prying eyes of the world and the media. It is not that people did not know about them.

In fact many powerful people who were sitting in the highest positions of government and industry knew of their existence. But because this group possessed a vast treasure of wealth it could silence most people instantly.

Besides money they also had a tremendous amount of influence. An influence so strong that it could sway the decisions of many governments.

Hearing the end of his presentation the man in the black suit made a quiet call to have his car brought around. He then sat back down in his chair waiting for the meeting to conclude.

Then Lincoln spoke again his voice echoing slightly in the grand chamber. "Today’s meeting ends here. Keep giving me updates about this bank. And yes I want to know how this man got so much money. If it was only millions of dollars I could have ignored it. But billions of dollars appearing overnight. There is definitely something wrong with this situation. Put our people behind this man. I want to know everything about him. And try to use the government to shut down this bank as soon as possible. We do not want any institution of this kind to stand in any country without our approval." Saying this he stood up from his golden chair and left the room.

Another great challenge was coming for Adam. And he did not know anything about it yet.

The scene shifts.

We see Manager Kim. He is in the capital city of the Empire. And at this moment he is walking out of a tall sleek office building.

He steps onto the busy street and looks around him. "Things are very different in the Empire," he says to himself.

The city was a dazzling metropolis of steel and glass a world away from the familiar streets of his home.

"Although Adam has already given me many things to prepare me. But despite that because I am from the locked-down country many people here look at me strangely." His nation was seen as a poor and insignificant country a stark contrast to the immense power and wealth of the Empire.

But then the manager smiled. He had accomplished his first task. "But my work is done," he said. The new company was legally registered.

The foundation was laid. "Now I just need the initial funding. Adam said he would be sending it in some time." Saying this the manager walked back to his modest hotel. He went to his room and lay down to sleep exhausted but satisfied.

But even as he slept the wheels were already turning. In the shadows of the financial world the billion dollars Adam had sent to Kevin had already begun its journey. A significant portion of that money was already traveling through Kevin’s complex network of shell companies and hidden accounts. And some of that amount had already entered the Empire’s financial system at this very moment.