CHAPTER 198: A DAY AROUND THE WORLD- 1

On Kadan Island, the largest island in the Mergui Archipelago, base commander Saw Ghay Moo was bored to death after standing for hours. He and his team had been guarding the dock like they always did... but tonight, it was unusually exhausting. The operation had started earlier than usual, and for some reason, the other party had shown far more activity than normal.

But Ghay Moo had no reason to complain. The other party was their benefactor. Without their weapons and medicine, the Karen National Liberation Army would never have reached its current position. So, he endured. And he knew his men were enduring too.

Just as the sky began to show hints of morning light, the activity at the dock ceased and the ship started to pull away.

As the vessel faded into the mist, Ghay Moo couldn’t wait any longer. He turned on his radio and ordered, "Soldiers, move to the dock."

But just as they began to move, a deep vibration ran beneath their feet. "Earthquake!" was everyone’s immediate thought.

They dropped flat to the ground, following standard protocol.

But then came a low, rumbling noise from the central mountain of the island... followed by a thunderous explosion. And then... silence.

Far out at sea, although the ship had already travelled some distance, large waves from the explosion still reached it. The vessel rocked violently, swaying left and right... but even that couldn’t disturb Nora. She remained seated on her bed in a perfect meditative state, unmoved by the chaos outside.

Back on the island, as calm returned, Ghay Moo stood up and checked on his team. No one was harmed. He immediately split them into two groups: one was sent to investigate the explosion, the other to secure the dock.

The first team reached the base of the mountain and found a massive crater where part of it had collapsed. It looked like a cave-in. After receiving the report, Ghay Moo personally rushed to the dock.

The first rays of golden sunlight were already falling onto the island by the time he arrived. Scattered across the dock were several large boxes.

They approached cautiously and opened one. Inside were long crates. Ghay Moo’s eyes widened along with his men’s. Within the crates lay ten rocket launchers... and a considerable number of rockets.

In one of the crates, they found a folded sheet of paper. Ghay Moo opened it and read the neatly typed message:

"Thank you for your hospitality. We hope you will properly use this last gift."

The other boxes contained their usual deliveries... medical supplies, ammunition, rations.

Ghay Moo understood immediately. Their guests had left. The explosion had been deliberate... a way to erase all traces of their presence.

He took a deep breath to calm his mind, then switched on the radio to report to his superior.

***

In a newly established Special Economic Zone near the Lekki Deep Sea Port in Nigeria, Heimdall’s Nigerian production base was taking shape. A ten-foot-high boundary wall surrounded the area, enclosing the growing complex. Nearly a hundred construction workers were scattered across multiple sections, the air thick with the roar of heavy machinery and the shouts of supervisors coordinating the work.

Near the main gate of the facility, Aisha Bello stood with arms crossed, her sharp gaze fixed on Edem Kachalla. "I don’t know how you plan to pull this off," she said coldly. "The boss wants us to enter the Kingdom’s market within three months. We’re still in the construction phase. At this pace, when exactly do you expect production to start?"

Edem sighed. "Miss Bello, I understand your urgency... really, I do. But there are no skilled construction workers available in this region. I’ve checked with every contractor and supplier. If we bring in unskilled labour, it’ll cause more damage than progress."

"Then bring workers from other regions," Aisha snapped. "And if it isn’t enough, bring them in from neighbouring countries. I want all construction finished within one month."

Edem hesitated. "But... that’ll cost a lot."

Aisha scoffed and narrowed her eyes. "I don’t know how your family became partners with my boss. Sure, you’ve got some pull with the government offices here. But you don’t know her. There’s one thing Miss Raynor doesn’t lack... money. That’s not the problem. The only thing that matters is following her orders."

She stepped forward slightly, her voice calm but edged with steel. "There are no incompetent subordinates under her. The ones who couldn’t keep up? They’re all dead."

The way she said those words sent a chill down Edem’s spine. He mentally noted to ask his father more about Miss Raynor. "Understood, Miss Bello," he said quickly. "Five hundred workers will be here within two days. Just... please settle the bill when the time comes. We’re not exactly as rich as you."

"Don’t worry," Aisha replied with a small smirk. "Just send me the numbers."

Without another word, she turned, walked to her car, climbed in, and drove off, leaving Edem standing silently in the dust and noise of the construction site.

***

In the newly remodelled data center of NexaByte Technologies at Trafford Park of Manchester, CEO Ava Martin entered her freshly built office for the first time. She had just completed a tour of the entire facility and was visibly pleased with the result. Her employees had exceeded expectations, and everything had been completed ahead of schedule. A slight, satisfied smile crept onto her lips.

She walked confidently behind her desk and took a seat. Several data center employees followed her into the room and now stood respectfully in front of her.

Her expression turned serious again. "Thank you all for your excellent work. I’m sure the boss will be pleased when she hears about the early completion. But first, we need to link this facility with our U.S. data center. Are we ready?"

One of the employees, a short man of Asian descent, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, nodded. "Yes, ma’am. You can initiate the connection anytime."

Ava picked up her phone. "Then I’ll call the U.S. team."

She dialled a number. "Hello, Mr. Spencer. Are you free?"

"I’m free, Miss Martin. What can I do for you?" came the calm reply.

"Our Trafford Park data center is ready for connection," she said. "Our internal tests showed zero errors. When can your team initiate operations on your end?"

"Congratulations! I thought you’d be ready by the end of the month," Spencer replied with a hint of surprise. Then, after a pause, he added, "Get your team in position. We’ll be ready on our side in about thirty minutes."

"No problem," Ava said. "I’ll call you back in half an hour. Thank you."

She ended the call and looked at the team in front of her. "You heard him. We go live in thirty minutes. I will be at the mainframe by then. Let’s make this smooth."

The employees nodded and exited the room one by one.

Left alone, Ava stretched her arms and legs with a quiet sigh. The facility tour had been long and tiring... her feet ached slightly, but her mind buzzed with satisfaction. As the boss of a major data center, completing this milestone ahead of schedule was no small feat.

Her role at Heimdall was about to become even more significant.

***

At the Kola Peninsula of Murmansk Oblast, Anastasiya Ivanova stood silently, gazing over the vast stretch of land where people and machines worked tirelessly. The sound of heavy machinery echoed across the frozen plains. Her eyes landed on Polina Kurnikova, the project manager leading this massive construction with more than two hundred workers under her command.

"So, this will be our Kola Peninsula Industrial Campus," Anastasiya thought. "I still don’t know much about running a company... let alone one this big. The construction team leader said it’ll be done within four months. After that, we enter the production phase. I hope Eleanor has a solid plan for the future."

She turned her head toward Dimitry Petrov, the knight assigned to accompany her under her grandfather’s order. "Sir Petrov, when can I move into my new house?" she asked.

Dimitry, who had been admiring the scale of the construction in silence, blinked and looked at her. "At least ten days, Miss. But I still hope you’ll reconsider. A simple villa would draw less attention. This mansion you designed will be... too eye-catching when finished. Also, it will take me six months to complete everything according to your plan."

Anastasiya gave him a side glance and replied coolly, "You don’t understand. Grandpa sent me here to rule Murmansk Oblast, not to charm the locals like some human politician trying to earn votes. I’m not here to win hearts... I’m here to invoke fear. The scattered vampire families of this region need to understand who holds power now."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, then added with a small smirk, "Besides, don’t think I don’t know your little plan. You just want to finish your job quickly and run back to Moscow."

Caught red-handed, Dimitry looked away, his face tinged with a rare flush of red. The cold wind swept across the landscape, whistling past his ears.