The Tycoon's Odyssey

As the tension thickened, Gukesh, Uday, Prakash, and Roy stepped forward to greet him, their presence signaling an attempt to uphold decorum. But before any of them could be exchanged, Fabiano raised a gloved hand, halting them in their tracks.

"Apologies," he said coldly, his voice low and clipped, "but I don't have time to waste on exchanging pleasantries."

But despite his voice so low, the complete silence in the room allowed his words to enter the ears of everyone present in the hall.

His words were as sharp as they were dismissive and abrupt. The four men stiffened, their expressions flickering between indignation and restraint. Yet, Fabiano's piercing gaze swept past them, landing directly on Evan.

The atmosphere shifted. Fabiano's eyes narrowed slightly as he assessed the young man with a mix of mild curiosity and disdain. "We need to have serious discussions," he said, his tone making it clear that any further delay for the negotiation was unwelcomed. Then, his gaze swept the hall, his next words cutting through the room. "I hope you've prepared this kid for how the Federation operates and what it expects."

Roy's shoulders tensed visibly. He cast a wary glance at Evan, concern flashing in his eyes. But before he could respond, Evan stepped forward, his calm smile unshaken.

"Don't worry," Evan said smoothly, his voice carrying an effortless assurance that belied the tension in the room. "I know exactly what to do."

Fabiano's gaze lingered on Evan, his expression unreadable before he gave a curt nod.

"Good," he replied. "Then let's talk."

Evan turned and gestured toward a side door leading to a private meeting room. "Follow me," he said, his tone polite but firm.

Without hesitation, Fabiano followed, his presence a storm cloud looming over the event.

As the two men disappeared behind the doors of the adjacent room, the hall buzzed faintly with hushed murmurs. The attendees exchanged wary glances, their curiosity tempered by an unspoken understanding: whatever was about to unfold in that room could alter the course of the evening—and perhaps far more.

_____

The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with unspoken words. Evan sat across from Fabiano Carlyne, his eyes sharp and calculating as he assessed the man before him.

One glance was enough for his intuition to kick in—this Fabiano guy wasn't ordinary. He was superhuman, but not just any superhuman. He was at the top of their hierarchy.

Evan frowned slightly, his thoughts swirling. '750 points…?'

He could sense Fabiano's strength but couldn't quantify it down precisely. Frustrated, he made a mental note. 'I need to create a system that will help gauge everyone's level. It's getting harder to measure threats by intuition alone.

He had his system to do so for him, but that couldn't be said about his people.

Fabiano, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Evan. The young man seemed calm, but there was something unsettling about him—something that set off every instinct Fabiano had. He could tell that Evan wasn't just dangerous, but an anomaly. Yet Fabiano had a mission to fulfil. The Federation demanded discipline, and he couldn't afford to falter.

"You should know," Fabiano began, his voice firm and cold, "you've caused quite a stir."

Evan didn't react. He simply hummed nonchalantly in acknowledgement, his expression unreadable.

Fabiano pressed on, his tone sharp. "Every country has an institution that maintains the balance in check—an organization that controls and manages everything behind the scenes, for Indra, that was the Rajputs. They maintained order among the families, and ensured compliance. And at the end of every year, each nation is required to send its collective membership fee to the Federation."

Evan's brow furrowed slightly as Fabiano spoke. He vaguely recalled Aurora mentioning something similar to this before, but he had dismissed it at the time, thinking it was just an unnecessary bureaucracy.

"How much?" Evan asked, his voice calm but laced with an edge of curiosity.

"Five hundred billion dollars," Fabiano replied without hesitation.

Evan froze, blinking in disbelief. For a moment, he thought he'd misheard the man. Leaning forward, his expression twisted into one of incredulity. "Wait… five hundred billion? Did you just say billion? Or did you mean million?"

Fabiano's expression remained stoic. "You heard me right. It's five hundred billion."

Evan's jaw opened wide, his fingers gripping the edge of the table tightly as he struggled to contain his mounting annoyance. Although he could feel the heat rising in his chest, he forced himself to remain composed.

"Five hundred billion…" he repeated, his voice low. "Why so much for us? When the Rajputs were in charge, they paid around one hundred billion. Is this some kind of sick joke? Or…" His face darkened, his eyes narrowing as his voice dropped to a cold, almost menacing tone. "Is this your way of putting pressure on me, forcing me to quit?"

Fabiano met his gaze without flinching, his face as rigid as a stone. "This is no joke," he said bluntly. "This is the decision taken by the Federation President, and it is final. There will be no further negotiations. The amount is what it is, and you are required to pay it. Within the time given to you."

Evan leaned back in his chair, his mind racing furiously. Though his outward demeanor was calm, underneath, he was calculating, dissecting every angle of the situation piece by piece. A subtle smile played at the corner of his lips, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Interesting," he murmured, his tone low and charged with menace. "Very interesting."

Fabiano leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs with an air of authority and looked down at Evan, disdain evident in his eyes.

His sharp eyes observed Evan as he spoke, his tone carrying a mix of condescension and amusement as he continued. "For your knowledge, the USL, Great Royal, and the Han Nation each pay more than a trillion dollars annually. The amount is not arbitrary; it's based on subtle calculations," Fabiano explained, his voice steady but dripping with superiority.