The formal invitation arrived the next day. It was not an email or a letter, but a single, untraceable data packet delivered directly to Anya's terminal, bypassing all of R-Corp's conventional security. It was a subtle display of power.
The message was brief, specifying a time and place: one week from today, in the Presidential Suite of the historic Hôtel Du Lac, Geneva, Switzerland. The final line was the most important: The Council will meet with a single, principal representative of R-Corp.
"I'll go," Anya said immediately, standing before Raj in his office. "I'm the CEO. This is my responsibility. We don't know what their intentions are."
Raj looked at his first lieutenant, appreciating her loyalty. But he shook his head. His Sovereign's Aura lent a finality to his words that brooked no argument. "No, Anya. This isn't a negotiation between companies. This is a summit between sovereigns. They need to meet the actual king, not the queen. Sending anyone else would be seen as an act of fear."
He saw the flicker of protest in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by understanding. She was brilliant, but she was still human. Raj was something else entirely. "I will go," he finished. "You will be my eye in the sky. Prepare the board."
The next week was a masterclass in preparation. R-Corp moved with the silent, deadly efficiency of a predator stalking its prey.
Anya and the Nexus AI team handled logistics, booking a private jet and arranging for 'The Bastion' armored car to be freighted to Geneva ahead of his arrival.
Titan Security's most elite covert operations team, composed of former special forces soldiers, was dispatched to Switzerland to conduct surveillance and be his invisible shield.
Apex Media prepared a dozen different PR strategies, ready to be deployed instantly depending on the outcome of the meeting.
Raj, meanwhile, prepared for war. His daily check-in provided yet another perfectly timed weapon.
[ Daily Check-in Complete. ]
[ Skill Upgrade: 'Eye of Scrutiny' has evolved into 'Predator's Insight' ]
[ Skill Note: Predator's Insight allows the host to perceive a target's deep-seated fears, hidden desires, and primary points of psychological leverage. ]
Armed with this devastating new skill, Raj turned the full power of the Argus satellite network and Digital Phantom onto the Meridian Council. The invitation had specified the three Council members who would be in attendance. For seven days, Raj lived inside their digital lives.
He learned about Lord Harrington, the British banking magnate whose family had financed wars for 500 years and whose deepest fear was irrelevance. He studied Madame Jing, the matriarch of a vast Chinese industrial dynasty who secretly coveted a legendary stolen artifact. He uncovered the hidden addictions of Silas Thorne, the reclusive American tech billionaire whose public image was a carefully constructed lie.
By the time he boarded his private jet, Raj knew their secrets better than their own families did. The System also provided him with a flawless new passport and identity. To the world, he was 'Rajiv Singh', an 18-year-old prodigy and a reclusive special envoy for R-Corp. Old enough to be credible, young enough to be dismissed. A fatal mistake for his opponents.
Geneva was cold and elegant. As Raj stepped off the plane, he was met by the leader of his Titan security team, a stoic ex-commando.
"Sir," the man said, his eyes showing the same deference as everyone else under the influence of Raj's aura. "The hotel is clean. We have assets on every floor, in the kitchen, and on the rooftops. We have an escape route planned. You will be safe."
"I am not worried about my safety," Raj replied, his voice calm. "I am worried about theirs."
He was driven through the city in the silent, imposing shell of 'The Bastion'. The vehicle pulled up to the grand entrance of the Hôtel Du Lac, a bastion of old-world money and power. Doormen in crisp uniforms rushed to open his door.
Raj stepped out. He was dressed in a simple, dark, and exquisitely tailored suit that cost more than the doorman's yearly salary. He was just a teenager, but he moved with the unnerving grace and confidence of a monarch entering his court. He ignored the stares, his gaze fixed on the doors before him.
He was walking into the lion's den. But the lions had no idea they had invited a dragon to dinner.