The Tycoon's Odyssey

@DigitalDoom: "All I got from my Next Gen smartphone is a massive headache. It freezes constantly. Worst device I ever bought."

Ratings on Next Gen's product pages plummeted as new reviews emerged:

"Complete scam! The phone hangs all the time, and customer service is impossible to reach."

"Don't trust the software! I downloaded it, and now I'm worried that my data is being compromised. Shame on you, Next Gen."

Meanwhile, Evan watched the storm unfold. Every new headline and tweet was a stark reminder of how far his rivals were willing to go.

"I can't believe they are fooling people with fake edits. This is the most unreliable biased thing I have seen since my birth."

He couldn't help but chuckle as he scanned the latest wave of posts, knowing that the accusations were baseless, but understanding that public perception could be difficult to sway. The opposition had struck, and this was only the beginning.

_____

And just as Evan had anticipated, another sensational news struck out of nowhere. A kind of revelation that was enough to blow countless nights of many—but Evan couldn't help but burst into laughter upon seeing it.

A fresh headline plastered across the major news networks that read:

[NextGen Innovations Evade Taxes—Government prepared to impose Heavy Fines!]

The accompanying article delved into the grim details: a slew of charges were filed against the company for tax evasion, violations in corporate compliance, and shady business practices that were designed to allegedly manipulate the financial system. The government had slapped Next Gen Innovations with an astronomical fine, threatening to destabilize the company's financials entirely.

Inside the room, laughter suddenly burst out, echoing around the walls as Evan leaned back, barely able to contain himself as he enjoyed the irony.

"Hey, why are you laughing?" Suri demanded, her brow furrowed in frustration. "This is serious! It's a huge mess."

"Serious…? I don't think so," Evan muttered, stifling his laughter as his shoulders shook.

"They are clearly taking the classic road of 'fake it till you make it's strategy. This is some epic-level bullshit, one with steroids. And just the influencers are doing everything to gain popularity. It won't be surprising if they started making web series, comedy skits, and vines on me in a few days."

Suri looked at him, her distress visible.

Watching everything Evan had worked so hard crumble before them felt like a stab to her heart. She had always admired Evan for being someone who genuinely pushed the boundaries of innovation, someone whose contributions to technology were unmatched. But now, it seemed that no matter what he did, someone was always hell-bent on tearing him down.

The government, the critics, the jealous rivals and others… none of them had accomplished a fraction of what Evan had done for Indra's tech industry. The country lagged in infrastructure and technological advancements, yet when someone dared to take the mantle, to push the envelope, all they could do was tear him down, out of spite or jealousy. The injustice of it burned within her, filling her with resentment.

Meanwhile, Evan's phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming call, and Suri's gaze shifted to the screen. Her eyes widened upon seeing the name flashing "Maria."

"Tsk!" Evan grumbled, his thumb hovering over the decline button to cut the call.

"Talk to her." Suri urged. "She might be panicking."

"Panic…my a…" Evan cut himself off.

"Evan, why aren't you answering?" Suri said, her tone a mixture of exasperation and worry.

Evan stretched lazily, barely looking at his phone, his tone unbothered. "Haa! I'm not in the mood to deal with that demoness right now," he said with a yawn, a hint of amusement tugging at his mouth.

In a calm but insistent voice, Aurora interjected.

[Sir, Miss Maria has been calling you repeatedly. Just how long are you going to ignore her?]

Evan rolled his eyes. "Just tell her to stop panicking so much and get some rest. Brew Heaven can handle a little heat…"

But before he could finish, Aurora's voice grew loud and urgent.

[Sir! Miss Maria is here.]

"Haa! Not now…Not in a no." Evan's voice was caught in his throat and his face fell slightly.

A sense of deja vu struck him as he heard the loud, angry clacking of heels approaching. The air in the room suddenly seemed to drop by a few degrees and a chill crawled down his spine. Despite being a cosmic human, even he felt a sense of dread as the approaching steps echoed through the hallway.

But before he could turn, an angry scream filled the room, shaking it like a thunderclap.

"You son of—!"

Evan's eyes narrowed in warning, a dangerous glint in his gaze. "Watch it, Maria," he said calmly. "I have my mother now. You can't finish that sentence."

Maria froze mid-rant, her mouth slightly open in shock. She held her sandal in her hand, her grip tightening as her face flushed with anger.

After a brief pause, and recovering herself, Maria hurled the sandal at Evan, who dodged it quickly, stepping behind Suri for cover.

"Stop hiding behind a woman and come out! Be a man for once and face me!" Maria seethed, crossing her arms and glaring at him with fiery eyes.

Evan peeked out from behind Suri with a sly grin. "Hiding behind someone you care about is an art, Maria. And I'm proud of it."

Maria clenched her fists, her frustration boiling over. Her gaze flicked to Suri, who simply sighed and raised her hands in a helpless surrender, unsure how to defuse the situation. Maria's frustration only intensified, her voice rising in exasperation.

"Why the hell aren't you answering my calls, Evan?" Maria demanded, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions. "Do you have any idea what's happening? Everything is on fire! All our hard work was crushed. And now we're left with nothing but ruins!" Her voice wavered, her anger barely masking the anguish she felt.

"BrewHeaven…" she continued, her tone trembling. "From the small stall to a thriving enterprise—I have dedicated my soul to it, yet these m*therfuckers are spouting all this bullshit. I want to burn them alive."

Maria's inner turmoil was etched onto her face. Every fiber of her being wanted to throttle Evan for his apparent indifference. She had poured her heart into Brew Heaven, into Next Gen, and now it felt as if everything she had built was slipping away, piece by piece. The thought of watching the fruits of their labor go up in flames was unbearable.

Desperate for some sense of control, she strode toward Evan, her eyes blazing. "You think this is funny?" she yelled, her hands trembling with frustration. "Our reputation is in ruins, Evan! How are you just… laughing?"

She took a deep breath, anger and betrayal swirling within her, threatening to spill over. She wanted to scream, to shake him, to make him understand the gravity of what was happening. But Evan's relaxed posture, his infuriatingly calm demeanor, only seemed to feed her rage.

Evan, on the other hand, gave her a half-smile, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Relax, Maria," he said in a low, calm tone. "This storm will pass. It always does."

But Maria wasn't ready to hear any reassurances—not when everything she'd worked so hard to build hung in the balance.

Evan signed and walked forward to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We are not fighting just the government, so it won't be easy. But we will solve things slowly and steadily, and once we do, we will have the sole hegemony."

Maria frowned and then looked at Evan, "Then what are we going to do now?"

Hearing this Evan's lips curled into a sly smile. "It's time to move."

"Move where?" Both Suri and Maria asked in unison.

"To the Base."

_____

The sprawling headquarters of Next Gen Innovations stood tall and imposing in the heart of the city, its glass façade reflecting the morning sun with a sharp gleam.

Inside, the office exuded an air of sophisticated ambience with sleek furniture, and open layouts, while state-of-the-art technology hummed quietly in the background. The pristine white marble floors reflected the light, and the walls were adorned with minimalist art, giving the space an aura of precision and modernity.

Employees moved through the corridors with mirth and excitement, their focus evident in the serious looks they exchanged and the intense conversations in meeting rooms.

At Next Gen, everyone was a specialist in their field, from seasoned software engineers with advanced degrees and years of experience to system architects who had cut their teeth in some of the most competitive environments in the tech industry. The atmosphere was one of high-stakes ambition, where projects weren't merely tasks but challenges that were meant to push the boundaries of technology.

Everyone here got a hefty salary with facilities to boost their morale, rivaling the perks of the industry's giants.

The team worked like a well-oiled machine. Each week, new projects would roll out, involving tight schedules and meticulous planning.