The Tycoon's Odyssey

Evan sat on the couch, idly rotating a pen between his fingers. His body swayed ever so slightly as his thoughts clouded his expression and a deep frown on his face betrayed the turmoil within.

Suri entered the room, her delicate footsteps soft against the carpet while she held a steaming glass of Spirit Vitalizing Tea that she had prepared for him. Explore stories on empire

Noticing his brooding expression, she tilted her head and asked with concern. "What's wrong? You look worried. Is everything alright?"

Evan blinked, jolted from his thoughts. He focused on her for a moment before answering, his voice low. "Aurora."

SWISH!

A holographic projection materialized in front of them, revealing Aurora's virtual form that shimmered in the air. Her calm and measured tone filled the room.

[Miss, Daniel has been invited to meet with the President of the Federation.]

"What?" Suri gasped, nearly dropping the cup in her hands. She glanced between Aurora and Evan, her shock evident. "Do you know why?" she asked, staring directly at Aurora.

[No. His entire room is offline, with no connections to the net. All communications are being managed by his secretary, who seems unaware of the meeting's true purpose. My guess is that it's either an attempt to pull Daniel into the Federation or a probe to authenticate his importance.]

Suri opened her mouth to respond but hesitated, then asked cautiously, "So… will he go?"

Evan let out a weary sigh, massaging his temples as if trying to soothe the headache this revelation had brought on him. "That's the crux of it," he muttered. "I have a bad feeling about this for some reason."

"Then tell him to ignore the invitation," Suri suggested, her brows furrowed in concern.

Evan shook his head. "We can't ignore it forever," he said, the weight of his words evident in his tone. After a moment of silence, he made a decision. "I'll leave the choice to Daniel. Let's see what he has to say."

_____

Daniel had taken the day off to unwind. He lounged in his private pool, a serene smile playing on his lips as two stunning women massaged his shoulders.

His secretary entered hesitantly, clutching his phone. "Sir, you've got a call."

"Who is it?" Daniel asked lazily, barely opening his eyes.

"Evan," the secretary answered.

Daniel's eyes snapped open, and he sighed. "Alright, ladies. Sorry to cut this short, but I have urgent business."

The women exchanged flirtatious smiles before rising gracefully. "We understand, Master," one of them purred as they exited the pool area.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Daniel adjusted himself, sitting upright as he tapped the lens of his smart glasses. A screen materialized, displaying Evan seated on his chair, his expression torn between concern and mild irritation.

"You seem pretty relaxed these days," Evan quipped, his lips twitching as he eyed the pool and the women walking away in the background.

For a brief moment, Evan glanced over his shoulder to ensure Suri wasn't in the room, a shiver running through him as he thought of her reaction to this scene.

Evan muttered under his breath, "Like father, like son."

Daniel smirked and leaned back against the pool's edge. "Worrying won't get you far. So why bother worrying at all? So, why not just enjoy life?" he replied, swimming lazily with a casual backstroke and splashing water.

"Enough nonsense!" Evan snapped, his voice sharper now. "I called to ask what you want to do. Are you planning to meet this guy or not? If you decide against it, I'll start working on countermeasures. Don't worry—whatever your choice, I've got your back."

Daniel paused, his playful demeanor fading slightly as he swam back to the edge and leaned forward, resting his arms. "Frankly, we don't know their motive. But if I had to guess, it's likely they want me to join the Federation."

Evan raised an eyebrow, his expression hardening.

Daniel continued, "It's risky, sure. I shouldn't go… but I really want to meet this guy. The one who supposedly controls the world from behind the curtain. I want to see how 'cool' he really is."

Evan leaned closer to the camera, his tone serious. "You really want to? I'm warning you—don't come crying back to me if they kick your ass."

Daniel grinned mischievously. "In that case, why don't you make me a superhuman?"

Evan froze for a second, processing the request. Then, with a thoughtful nod, he agreed. "Hmm… it's not a bad idea. Alright, I'll make you a superhuman and send over some gadgets that might come in handy. Free up your schedule."

"Wait—really?" Daniel's voice rose in excitement, his expression lighting up like that of a child on Christmas morning.

Evan smirked. "You asked for it, didn't you? Get ready."

Daniel couldn't hide his grin, practically glowing with joy. He hadn't expected Evan to agree so easily, but now that he had, he felt an exhilarating sense of anticipation. His dreams of becoming more than human were about to come true.

Later that evening, in one of Evan's owned private labs…

The room thrummed with the soft hum of machinery. Evan stood at a sleek workstation, surrounded by holographic projections of schematics and data streams. Aurora's figure shimmered to life beside him, her voice calm and steady as she announced.

[I've prepared the blueprint for Daniel's enhancement.]

[The serum will amplify his physical capabilities and resilience, but integrating the gadgets will take time.]

Evan tapped on the hologram, studying the projections. "Time isn't on our side," he muttered. "We need something effective and quick. What about the combat suit prototype we designed last month? Will it sync with the enhancements?"

[Yes,] Aurora confirmed. [The prototype includes adaptive armor plating, neural-linked weaponry, and stealth capabilities. However, deploying it alongside the serum could push Daniel to his limits.]"

Evan rubbed his temples, deep in thought. "He asked for this. If he's serious about facing the Federation, he will need every advantage we can give him."

He turned toward Big Mac, who stood by the doorway like a silent sentinel. "Mac, make sure the lab is prepped for the serum trial. I'll handle the gadget integration personally."

Big Mac gave a curt nod. "Understood, boss. I'll have everything ready by morning."

_____

Meanwhile, at Daniel's estate…

Daniel sat on his balcony, staring at the night sky. Evan's agreement still lingered in his mind, filling him with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

His secretary entered the room, holding a tablet. "Sir, Evan sent over preliminary details about the enhancements. He's requesting your full medical history and physical condition assessments to finalize the serum."

Daniel chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Evan's always thorough. Fine, send him whatever he needs."

The secretary hesitated before speaking again. "There's more. He mentioned that the process might be… intense. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Daniel smirked, his confidence unwavering. "Intense is what I live for. If this makes me stronger, I'll endure whatever it takes."