It had been a few days since the beta testing of the world''s first fully immersive VR game by Kurt Technologies began, and the inte was still aze. Discussions about the game and the VR Pod dominated social media, news outlets, and tech forums alike. The anticipation in the air was tangible, and as each day passed, the public''s patience grew thinner.


    Everyone wanted one thing: the game and the Pod in their hands. The demand had skyrocketed so much that, even without an official price set by Kurt Technologies, the Pod had a spective price tag of $278,000. And, in a strategic move, Ss had yed his part in stirring the market further—leaking selective "misinformation" about the limited number of VR Pods avable.


    this chapter is NovelBin|le|mp|y r


    The scarcity only intensified the frenzy, driving the spective market into overdrive.


    But of course, sess neveres withoutplications. Just as people mored for the release of the game and Pod, opposition arose from various corners. Kim found herself overwhelmed with calls from more than twenty powerful entities within just two days.


    Besides the coalition of aging corporate giants that had already tried to buy their way into the game, new suitors emerged—international corporations, tech conglomerates, and investment firms, all with the same request, though dressed up in different ways: ess to the Pod or, even better, the technology behind.


    Some offered staggering sums of money, while others hinted at strategic partnerships. Ss couldn''t help butugh when Kim ryed their demands. It wasn''t surprising—they were reacting exactly as he''d predicted. What amused him was just how transparent their desperation had be.


    The first tactic they used was trying to buy shares in Kurt Technologies, but they quickly ran into a brick wall. Kim, patient and professional, reminded them repeatedly that Kurt Technologies was a privately ownedpany—no shares avable for purchase.


    Realizing they couldn''t buy their way in, they shifted strategies, offering to purchase the Pods outright, naming prices that would make mostpanies jump at the opportunity.


    Kim''s response remained the same: a polite but firm refusal. And as the rejections piled up, their frustration turned to thinly veiled aggression. They dropped the pretense of partnership and went straight for the heart, demanding ess to the underlying technology that powered the Pod and game. It was clear now—this had been their true goal all along.


    They saw Kurt Technologies as an upstart, a youngpany that they believed could be pressured or strong-armed intopliance.


    They tried to use their experience and influence as leverage, pointing out that Kurt Technologies was barely a year old andcked the clout to stand against the giants of the business world. But at that point, Kim didn''t even bother responding. She left them sitting in the conference room and walked away, leaving them to stew in their own frustration.


    As the days went on, the pressure continued to build. Rumors and usations began to circte, iming that the Pods posed a danger to the health of the beta testers. Calls for independent health assessments started to gain traction, with ims that the Pod was causing "irreversible damage to the brain" and that the situation would worsen without immediate intervention.


    When Kim told Ss about these new demands, he burst intoughter, the sound echoing through his office. It was all so predictable, so utterly absurd. "Irreversible damage to the brain?" he said, shaking his head. "They''lle up with anything, won''t they?"


    He knew what they were trying to achieve—an attempt to stoke fear and sow doubt among potential consumers, hoping to dy the game''sunch or force Kurt Technologies into a more vulnerable position. But instead of backing down, Ss saw an opportunity to turn their tactics against them.


    "Kim, arrange for the beta testers to undergo full medical scans—MRI, CT, PET, the whole works. We''ll post the results online," he instructed, his grin widening. He wanted to be absolutely transparent, to strip away any credibility their usations might have. And, as expected, the test results showed nothing concerning, just as Ss had known they would.


    Within hours of the scans, Ss uploaded the results to every social media tform and major news outlet, presenting undeniable proof that the testers were perfectly fine. The narrative shifted once again, turning the users into the ones scrambling for an exnation.


    Meanwhile, the beta testers themselves weren''t left untouched by the frenzy. They had be minor celebrities, caught in the spotlight of the game''s hype and the surrounding controversy. Lucrative endorsement deals started rolling in frompanies eager to capitalize on their newfound fame, and their lives began to change in unexpected ways.


    Ss found it amusing—these testers had signed up for a game and stumbled into fame.


    But amidst the noise, the most persistent challenges came from global powers. The U.S. government, never subtle in its approach, was the first to make its intentions clear. Their calls barely masked their true objective: they wanted the Pod and, more importantly, the technology that powered it.


    They framed their interest as cooperation, but the underlying demand was clear—share the tech or face potential consequences. To the USA, the pod and VR game had much more meaning, to them, it was a strategic asset, one that could reshape military training, national security, and global influence.


    And they weren''t alone. Kim fielded calls from Russia, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, each vying for a piece of the technology behind Kurt Technologies. These governments saw the strategic advantage such tech could offer, from military simtions to remote operations, and they wanted control. Ss had no illusions about what they would do with the technology if they got their hands on it.


    Yet he remained unmoved. There was no chance he would give them what they wanted. If anything, their demands only yed into his hands, giving him the pretext he needed tounch the next phase of his ns. He knew this game, and he was ying it better than they realized.


    ---


    In the midst of the chaos, Ss''s phone rang with a call from an unknown number. He nced at the disy and couldn''t help but smile. Even though it appeared as an unknown number, he could already see the information on the caller.


    For a moment, he considered letting it ring, but curiosity won out. He epted the call, a smirk on his lips as he leaned back in his chair.


    "If it isn''t the one and only Empress, Elizabeth Frederick," he greeted smoothly.


    There was a brief pause on the other end, then a low, confident chuckle. "It''s been a while, Ss. I hear you''ve been busy turning the world upside down."


    Ss''s grin widened. This was going to be interesting.