Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Moving Out

Six months later — Bytebull Headquarters, Lugait, Iligan City

The sun poured through the tall glass panels ofRichard’s office, catching the sharp edges of metal accents and casting soft glows across the matte-black desk. Outside the glass windows, the Bytebull industrial complex stretched acrossmultiple hectareslike a meticulously engineered machine slowly coming to life.

The HQ’sthree-story executive building, marked by sleek obsidian tones and reflective paneling, faced across the compound to theresearch wing—another three-story structure alive with drone activity and flashing telemetry. In the far distance, tall cranes, scaffolding, and exosuit-assisted construction workers clustered around the partially completedmegaplant—Bytebull’s soon-to-benerve center for EV manufacturing.

A softdingechoed asLinastepped through the biometric sliding door, dressed in her pristine secretary suit—crisp white with byte-pattern accents on her lapel. Her gait was precise, silent, but graceful. She stopped exactly one meter from Richard’s desk, holding a data-slate in her left hand.

"Sir Richard. Progress report."

Richard looked up from his coffee, nodding once. "Go."

"Themegaplantin Suarez is at70% completion. The vehicle assembly equipment is en route, scheduled to arrive withinseven days. If current timelines hold, themain plantwill be finished inthree months."

Richard exhaled, half-tired, half-satisfied. "Alright. At least one thing’s moving."

Lina stepped closer and swiped across her slate, casting the display onto Richard’s wall-sized monitor. A3D renderof a vehicle shimmered into view.

"TheBull ZS-1has completed its final design phase. The prototype is constructed and prepped for initial testing. Appearance matches your specifications:angular yet aerodynamic, subtlelime-gray gradient, dimensions comparable to aPorsche 911, silhouette similar toLamborghini’s Huracan line."

Richard leaned forward.

The digital car spun slowly in high fidelity. It looked lethal, refined—a predatory electric serpent wrapped in composite beauty.

"Internals feature thePhoenix AIsub-architecture for real-time adaptive rebalancing: terrain shift detection, battery thermal distribution, occupant weight, external temperature, andpredictive movement mapping. All variables adjustcell draw loadatmicrosecond intervals."

Richard gave a small smirk. "That’s the part I’m proud of."

Lina nodded. "Dr. Dmitri Sidorovis concurrently designing theRetro Series—EVs styled after 1920s–40s vehicles. He mentioned if you’d like custom variants of the ZS-1, you’d need to consult directly with his engineers."

"I’ll drop by the lab later. Dmitri gets moody if I change his curves without asking."

"Li Zhanghas finalized thecomposite chassis and panelingfor the ZS-1 line. The materials passed all impact and temperature stress simulations. He recommends additional field testing once the track is complete."

Richard nodded. "And circuit design?"

"TheICD departmentcompleted thecarbon-chip integrated suitefor the ZS-1 systems. It’s modular and compact. They’re using this same design as a baseline for Bytebull’s upcomingAI-embedded motherboardsandgraphics processors, per your request."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Good. Make sure they start parallel development immediately."

"Understood."

She bowed slightly and turned to exit—exactly as the second door hissed open.

Mira, Bytebull’s original secretary and admin liaison, stepped in, clutching a brown envelope of sealed documents.

She paused when she saw Lina, a small flicker in her eyes.

Polite smile. Cool tone. "Sir. This came in from Sir Ernesto. Tesla’s requesting exclusive partnership privileges for Bytebull’s domestic EV deployment contracts."

Richard took the envelope, eyes scanning the contents while Lina silently stepped aside, her posture still and unreadable.

He flipped through the proposal, frowning. "Hmm. An exclusive partnership? For what reason? We’re going global soon—why local exclusivity now?"

Mira hesitated, fingers tightening slightly on the file she still held. "...I think he intends to reinforce Bytebull’s market dominance domestically before any international leap. It would give us more control, but..."

"But we’d be tied down to local policy protocols," Richard finished. He stared through the glass at the test lot below, where the ZS-1 prototype stood under a shade canopy.

A long pause.

"...Maybe I’m missing something. It’s unlike Uncle Ernesto to just pitch a landlocked deal without another angle." He stood and stretched, his coat shifting back. "Tell him I’ll visitTesla HQ in the U.S.. Eitherthis weekendorMonday. I want to feel the temperature on their board."

"Yes, sir." Mira bowed and turned to leave.

But before she exited, she glanced—just briefly—atLina, who stood with silent poise near the edge of the monitor.

Perfect. Graceful. Untouchable.

Andalwaysat Richard’s side.

Mira smiled bitterly and walked out.

The overhead lights buzzed softly in the silence of the office, a warm amber hue casting sleek shadows across the surface of Richard’s desk. Outside the tinted glass, cranes still towered over the near-finished megaplant like steel giants frozen mid-stride.

Lina stepped in, silent and composed as always, a glowing tablet in her hands. Her suit was sharper today—subtle adjustments to her posture, heel angle, and voice pitch making her even more indistinguishable from a human executive assistant.

Richard slowly spun in his chair to face her.

"Lina," he said, resting his chin on his fingers. "Give me a projection. How long until Bytebull reaches full production stability?"

Lina paused just enough to register attentiveness.

"That depends, sir," she said. "Are we discussing actualoutput stability, or the point when you plan tohand over the illusionof leadership?"

Richard’s brow lifted slightly. "Sharp as ever."

He leaned back. "I think it’s time I startmoving in the shadows. We’ve been playing too much house. Playingcompany, while the entire world’s quietly washed away by the Illusion of freedom. It’s time for us to pave way for humanity into the stars."

Lina didn’t react visibly, but her processors surged instantly.

Initiating Forecast Model: Bytebull Operational Scaling.Variables: workforce growth, logistics capacity, AI-managed throughput, regional manufacturing facility completion.Correlated against: global political risk, regional conflict index, predicted market stability models, and solar activity

All of it ran through her in0.00038 seconds.

"Based on our current momentum," she said, eyes shifting with embedded HUD data, "we’ll reach70% production efficiencybyOctober next year, assuming no major global disruption. Full deployment of EV lines will follow within four months."

Richard nodded.

"Then it’s time toexit the stage."

Lina tilted her head slightly. "Sir, with respect... you arethe foundation. The system, the vision, the brand—your absence would cause fracture unless flawlessly masked."

"I’m not talking about leaving the company, Lina," Richard said. "I mean creating... astand-in."

Her eyes glowed faintly.

"An android," he clarified. "Modeled after me. With my mannerisms. My voice. My behavior. Fully synced to company protocol—but not bound tome. Just apersona shell. A doppelganger who will act as my substitute."

Lina’s internal logic branched rapidly.

"We could createa twin AI, trained to emulate your unique behavioral matrix. Combine it with an adaptive cybernetic body. Minor adjustments would be required to avoid uncanny valley thresholds. Additionally, I recommend constructing my own double also to accompany the Android-Richard—to protect and stabilize social continuity."

Richard grinned. "Perfect. That way we can proceed to next major task"

She stepped closer. "Shall I initiaterelocation protocolsfor the underground base?"

Richard shook his head. "No. Let it stay.Seal off the lowest levels, though—Jack should still have access, just in case."

"Understood. Emergency protocol #GHOSTWALL initiated. Jack, Estello, and select family members will be able toevacuate undergroundin the event of a threat. Access points masked. Security locked through biosignature overrides."

"Good," Richard said. "Also... let’s beginfabricating security androids. Disguised as hired staff—house security, drivers, personal guards."

"They will be deployed as soon as you’re ready, sir."

Richard tapped the desk, mind running ahead.

"We’ll also need asecond base. Remote or hidden. Somewhere we can build without too much noise."

Lina processed thousands of locations instantly. She listed the top five:

"Forglobal isolationandcovert activity, I recommend:

Tugul, Mongolia – low satellite coverage, mountainous terrain, low population density.

Kyusyur, Siberia – extreme conditions, but excellent for subterranean concealment.

Saskatchewan, Canada – isolated regions with good infrastructure nearby.

Greenland, under Denmark – low overhead traffic, expensive but stable.

Brazil, specifically western Mato Grosso –idealdue to jungle cover, existing cartel activity, and potential tobuild a private paramilitary wingunder the guise of ’resource security.’"

Richard smiled. "Brazil it is. It would be a perfect cover for an our underground base. It would also be perfect for recruiting local militia since Cartels and gang members operate in the area, but it also poses a risk of word spreading about us. But no matter. Let’s just dismiss the issue for now. Begin scans of local Cartels and gangs."

"Initiatingdeep probethrough satellite backdoors, telecommunication signal interception, and darknet forums. Targeting Braziliangangs,cartels, androgue militiasfor recruitment potential."

She paused. Then:

"Done. Mapped current cartel infrastructure across western and northern Brazil. Initiated passive listening protocols via hijacked telecom networks and satellite loops."

Richard stared.

"Okay. Now give me the rank structures of cartels and gang in Brazil."

"Confirmed."

Lina’s voice shifted slightly, enteringclassified brief tone.

Brazilian Factions Overview

Comando Vermelho (Red Command)– Rio-based cartel, highly militarized. Controls drug distribution, weapons flow, slums. Long-standing player.

Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC)– São Paulo-rooted, highly organized, controls significant parts of prison system. Politically connected. Strategic.

Milícias (Militias)– Often made up ofex-police, ex-military, act as privatized gang-policing. Involved in racketeering, extortion.

Cartel do Norte (CDN)– Rising power in the north/northwest. Strong Amazon presence, controls jungle smuggling routes.

Assorted Factions–Os Manos,Bonde do Maluco,Família do Norte. Minor gangs, ideal forproxy warfareand misdirection ops.

Richard rubbed his temples. "We can secretly introduce ourselves early on as financial supporter of their operation but my question is how much money do I actually have right now?"

Lina blinked. Then, with the gentlest smile:

"As of this moment...$234.6 billion USD."

Richard nearly choked on air. "What?!"

"Since the company’s formation, I’ve beentrading global markets, usingpredictive analytics. Stock manipulation, futures trading, crypto positions, precious metal arbitrage—secured across10,000 offshore accountsunder untraceable shell corporations."

Richard’s face twisted between awe and dread. "Bytebull’s only worth fifteen billion."

"Yes, on the surface."

He sighed, "Forget it. Just use the money frommy direct accountfor now. That’s... what? $556 million?"

"Correct."

"...Can you send $100 million to the cartels? Scatter it across multiple layers as show of goodwill."

"Funds distributed. Routed through 74 intermediary banks, blind shell routing across three jurisdictions. Target cartel bank accounts acrossComando Vermelho,PCC,Cartel do Norte,Milícia Carioca, and lesser factions have received encrypted welcome markers."

Richard stood slowly. The gears ofsomething much largerwere now in motion.

"Good. Prepare me adeep dossieron each of them. Structure. Lieutenants. Internal frictions, etc."

"Already working on it."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com