The Tycoon's Odyssey

"Federation?" Roy repeated, his brow furrowing deeply. The name triggered alarms in his head, and within seconds, his expression darkened.

If the Federation was sending someone, it could only mean one thing—they were aware of what had transpired. Worse, they might already know the full extent of what Evan had done.

"I think they\'re coming over because of Evan taking over the Rajputs," Gukesh Adani said slowly. "They\'ll probably try to convince him to join their ranks, or else…" His voice trailed off, the unspoken words leaving the implication hanging ominously in the air.

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No one needed him to finish the sentence. The Federation wasn\'t known for leniency. If Evan refused to cooperate, they wouldn\'t hesitate to respond with force.

The room erupted in quiet murmurs. Prakash Bhosale tapped his fingers on the table, frowning. "This isn\'t good. The Federation doesn\'t make a move unless it\'s something big. If they\'re stepping in, they must see Evan as either a threat or an opportunity they can\'t afford to ignore."

Kabul nodded, his face grim. "The Federation doesn\'t tolerate loose ends. They\'ll want to bring Evan under their control. If he resists, they might turn the full weight of their resources against him."

Another voice, softer but no less anxious, chimed in. "It\'s not just about Evan," said Sudhir Jain. "The Federation doesn\'t just show up for individuals; they\'re looking at the bigger picture. If they see this as a disruption to their balance of power, we\'ll all be in trouble. Evan\'s actions might have painted a target on all of us."

Roy listened to them in silence, his jaw tightening. He understood their fears—he shared them. The Federation wasn\'t just another group; it was a vast, shadowy network of influence and power, operating like an iceberg with most of its true might hidden beneath the surface.

After a long pause, Roy finally spoke, his voice heavy but resolute. "I trust my son. Evan has proven himself capable of handling challenges far beyond what I imagined. But this…" He took a deep breath. "This is different. The Federation is a beast too large for him to face alone, at least for now."

The room fell quiet once again, each man lost in his own thoughts. They all understood the stakes—one wrong move, and the delicate balance they had maintained for years could come crashing down.

As the conversation wound to a close, Roy allowed himself a small glimmer of hope. Evan had always been resourceful, he had always found a way to rise above impossible odds. If anyone could navigate this storm, it was his son.

But even so, the looming shadow of the Federation was a sobering reminder of how perilous the road ahead would be.

_____

Evan leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes fixed on the holographic interface before him while Aurora\'s voice filled the room, calm and measured as always.

Aurora began, [Sir I\'ve been monitoring the meeting as per your instructions. Interestingly, all parties seem inclined to avoid conflict. As long as their interests are preserved, they appear willing to cooperate.]

Evan smirked, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. "As expected from people who handle big stakes. They know how to see the bigger picture—no reckless moves, no unnecessary posturing."

He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair. "Aurora, do we have any leads on who this Federation envoy is? What\'s he doing now?"

Aurora hesitated, an uncommon pause that immediately caught Evan\'s attention. Then her voice came through, tinged with an unusual note of uncertainty. [Sir, I attempted to track the sender of the message, but I encountered a roadblock.]

Evan straightened in his seat, his brow furrowing. "Roadblock?"

[Yes] Aurora replied.

[It\'s… unlike anything I\'ve encountered before. The Federation\'s digital signatures behave like a mirage. Their existence is detectable when observed from a distance, but any attempt to probe deeper causes them to vanish. It\'s as though they\'ve implemented a vanishing sequence—a set of codes that dynamically alter and restructure themselves whenever they are accessed, creating a moving target that evades capture.]

Evan\'s eyes narrowed, his mind racing. "Dynamic code restructuring… a self-modulating system?" he muttered. "That\'s not just high-level encryption. That\'s something else entirely. It\'s almost like they\'ve programmed their systems to become invisible the moment you try to touch them."

[Exactly, sir,] Aurora confirmed.

[And it\'s not just their communications. I attempted to gather information on the robots designed by Husk Corps, but my access was similarly limited. Their systems are either air-gapped or protected by firewalls I\'ve never encountered before. The Federation has ensured that their operations remain shrouded in a level of secrecy that even I cannot breach at present.]

Evan leaned back and rubbed his temple, a faint sense of uneasiness creeping into his usually unshakable demeanor. Aurora was the most advanced AI on Earth—her capabilities far exceeded those of any other system in existence. And yet, even she was encountering barriers.

He forced himself to remain calm, letting his analytical mind take over. Aurora\'s base model was based on a galaxy-level computational architecture, far beyond anything Earth\'s technology had ever seen. But even that had its limits. The notion that something—or someone—might be operating on a scale beyond her grasp was deeply unsettling.

Evan sighed deeply, massaging his forehead. "So, it\'s not just about who or what the Federation is. It\'s about how far they\'ve advanced, how deep their networks run, and how many layers of defense they\'ve built around their secrets."

He leaned forward, his voice steadier now. "It\'s time to prepare for upgrades, Aurora. If we\'re going to face the Federation, we need to ensure you can go beyond your current constraints. The world is evolving—and so must we."

Aurora\'s holographic image flickered, her expression calm but attentive. [Understood, sir. Shall I begin analyzing potential pathways for enhancement?]

Evan nodded, his gaze hardening. "Do it. And prioritize cracking that vanishing sequence. We can\'t fight an enemy we can\'t see."

As Aurora began processing his commands, Evan leaned back again, his mind already racing through possibilities.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Cracking his knuckles, he opened the system panel.

"It has been a while since I used the system shop," he muttered, a flicker of dry amusement crossing his face.

"Time for some shopping."