The Tycoon's Odyssey

Daniel's shock was palpable but he expertly concealed it and processed Adrian's piercing words. Inwardly, his thoughts were chaotic.

'Who is this guy? Evan didn't brief me at all. Is he the President of the Federation or someone else? He doesn't look like the guy Evan showed me. Should I ask? But won't that be rude?'

As his mind raced, a faint gleam flashed across the lens of his smart glasses, unnoticed by anyone else. A message popped up on his display:

[He isn't the President. He's the Secretary—his right-hand man.]

Daniel breathed a quiet sigh of relief. At least that clears one thing up.

Feigning calm, he asked, "What do you mean by that statement?'"

Adrian's smile returned, sharp and enigmatic. "I meant the President. Originally, he was supposed to take this meeting, but… something urgent came up."

He dodged Daniel's question, twisting the conversation elsewhere.

"Urgent?" Daniel asked cautiously, trying to pry further.

Adrian's expression grew unreadable. "Classified work involving other countries. Nothing I can disclose."

Deciding not to press further, Daniel redirected the conversation. "So, about us working together?"

Adrian nodded, his tone turning more serious. "Let me be upfront with you, Mr. Daniel. You're aware the cure for cancer and HIV was discovered a few years ago, aren't you?"

Daniel kept his expression blank, offering no reaction.

Adrian leaned in slightly. "There's a reason the Federation banned its mass distribution."

"What reason?" Daniel asked, his voice steady.

"Population," Adrian said bluntly. He continued with a clinical tone, "The Earth's population is spiraling out of control. We're nearing a tipping point where the planet's resources won't sustain humanity anymore and we are on the brink of collapse. The Federation decided to withhold the cure temporarily, allowing nature to stabilize the population—or until innovations that can mitigate pollution and resource strain emerge."

Daniel couldn't tell if Adrian was genuinely concerned or simply justifying a deeply hypocritical stance. He asked cautiously, "Are you implying I've disrupted your plans? For the record, I had no clue about the Federation's involvement when we released the cure. It was only after partnering with other institutions that I began to uncover hints of your existence."

Adrian's sharp gray eyes bore into him, searching for any sign of deceit. "Did you truly develop the cure? Or did you steal it?"

The question hung in the air like a thundercloud.

Daniel felt a cold sweat forming, but his years of training helped him keep his composure intact. 'Damn, this guy is too direct…'

He opened his mouth to respond, prepared with a diplomatic response, but Adrian suddenly cut him off and placed his hands on Daniel's shoulder softly.

"Daniel!" Adrian's voice turned ice-cold, making the hair on the back of Daniel's neck stand up.

Before Daniel could respond, Adrian raised his other hand. "The drama is over. Let's get to the real matter."

"What do you mean—" Daniel began, but a sharp, pulsating beam of energy struck him mid-sentence.

"Argh!" Daniel gasped as the energy coursed through his body, causing his smart lens to short-circuit and explode.

Clenching his eyes shut from the sudden pain, Daniel reopened them to see Adrian standing tall, his previously gray irises now glowing with a reptilian, slit-like shape. The sudden transformation reflected a chilling mix of menace and otherworldly power.

"Sir!" Daniel's guards moved instinctively to protect him, raising their weapons. Adrian's men responded immediately, drawing their own firearms.

The tense standoff exploded into chaos.

BANG! BANG!

Gunfire erupted, filling the warehouse with deafening roars. The guards on both sides moved swiftly, ducking for cover and exchanging a relentless barrage of fire.

Amid the chaos, Daniel's body suddenly convulsed. His armor activated with a metallic his, enveloping him in a sleek, protective shell. A sharp beep echoed in his ears.

SWOOSH!

A shockwave burst from Daniel's suit, sending everyone in the immediate vicinity flying backwards. Even Adrian was momentarily thrown off balance, his body hitting the ground before he fluidly rolled back to his feet.

The moment the shockwave subsided, Daniel's guards sprang into action. Clad in advanced tactical armor, they moved with precision, forming a protective circle around their leader.

"Secure the target!" The lead guard barked through the comms, his voice sharp and commanding.

Adrian's men, however, were quick to respond. Armed with cutting-edge rifles and equipped with enhanced gears, they swiftly repositioned themselves, their fluid movements betraying years of elite training.

BANG! CRACK!

The first exchange of gunfire erupted, bullets ricocheting off steel beams and concrete walls. The warehouse filled with the acrid tang of gunpowder and the hum of energy shields flaring to life.

Daniel's guards were no amateurs—they unleashed a barrage of suppressive fire, forcing Adrian's team to take cover. One of Adrian's soldiers activated a pulse grenade, tossing it into the fray.

BOOM!

The blast sent two of Daniel's guards flying across the room. Their armor absorbed much of the impact, but not without leaving them momentarily disoriented.

"Keep moving!" another guard growled, firing a compact energy rifle that sent a streak of light hurtling toward the enemy.

Adrian's men responded in kind, their tactical coordination impeccable. One of them vaulted over a crate, aiming directly at Daniel.

"Engaging primary target!" the soldier shouted.

Before he could fire, Daniel's lead guard lunged forward, intercepting and slamming into the attacker with a mechanical arm enhanced by an exoskeleton. The impact sent the soldier sprawling to the ground.

CLANG! THUD!

"Back off!" the lead guard snarled, raising his weapon to fire.

Adrian's voice cut through the chaos, calm but commanding. "Focus on containment, not elimination!"

But the fight only escalated. Adrian's men switched to melee weapons, unsheathing combat blades that glowed with an eerie blue light. They moved in unison, their strikes precise and almost mechanical.

One of Daniel's guards engaged an enemy in close combat, only to stagger back as the blade sliced clean through his reinforced chest plate.

"Damn it, these guys aren't human!" he spat, firing a shock round that sent his attacker reeling.

Amid the skirmish, another guard managed to reach Daniel, who crouched behind a steel column, his hands clutching his temple as his suit recalibrated from the earlier shockwave.

"Sir, we need to move now!"

Daniel nodded weakly, his suit finally stabilizing and enveloping him in a full protective shell.

"Cover us!" the guard yelled to the others.

The remaining guards fell into formation, laying down suppressive fire as they activated smoke grenades.

HISS!

Thick plumes of smoke filled the air, obscuring vision. Adrian's men activated thermal scanners, but by the time the view cleared, Daniel and his team were already retreating toward the exit.

"After them!" one of Adrian's soldiers shouted.

But as they moved, a powerful concussive blast erupted from a directional charge set by Daniel's team.

BOOM!

The shockwave flung Adrian's men tumbling, temporarily halting their pursuit.

Standing amidst the chaos, Adrian brushed the debris from his shoulder. His reptilian eyes glinted with fury as he surveyed the carnage, his lips curling into a cold smile.

"Let them go," he ordered, his voice icy. "This isn't over."

As the dust settled, Adrian's men regrouped, their expressions tense but disciplined. He adjusted his cufflinks, his calm demeanor hiding the storm brewing within.

"He's resourceful," Adrian muttered to himself, his tone icy. "But not untouchable."