Saturday. 9:53 a.m.
Seven minutes before the storm.
Leo sat inside a secure tech office in Makati. The windows were tinted, the room soundproofed, and on the wide desk in front of him was a laptop with a high-encryption connection—provided by the legal team overseeing the Ramirez estate.
He was dressed in simple slacks and a dark polo shirt, no suit or tie in sight. But his mind? Razor sharp.
[Main Task: Infiltrate the Board Meeting]
Objective: Attend anonymously, assess resistance, initiate silent reform
Difficulty: High
Reward: 20% control of Ramirez Global Holdings
Sub-Reward: Business Authority Tier 2
Status: In Progress
Leo placed a wireless earpiece in. A smooth female voice came through.
"Secure line activated. You'll be projected through audio only. Voice is scrambled but stable. Are you ready, sir?"
Leo exhaled. "Let's do this."
The screen displayed a live feed of the Ramirez Global Holdings boardroom. The table was a long arc of mahogany and glass. Seated were eleven individuals—all over fifty, all dressed in corporate power suits, all oozing old money arrogance.
The chair at the head of the table remained empty. The seat of the former Chairman—Leo's grandfather.
A gray-haired man with a gold watch cleared his throat.
"I believe we can begin."
The lawyer on screen stepped forward. "Ladies and gentlemen of the board, today marks the official presentation of the heir and majority beneficiary of Don Benedicto Ramirez's estate."
Whispers stirred.
"The identity of the heir will remain confidential until the legal transition is finalized. However, by the founder's will, the heir shall attend this meeting remotely to express intent and direction."
One woman scoffed. "Intent? From a ghost?"
A few chuckled.
Leo smirked. Then spoke—his voice modulated, lower and smoother.
"Good morning."
Everyone fell silent.
"I may be a ghost to you now," Leo continued, "but soon, you'll learn how loud a ghost can be when he starts to clean house."
Murmurs. The older man in the center—Mr. Salonga, current acting CEO—leaned forward.
"You have some nerve speaking to us that way. This company was built on tradition, not threats."
Leo's voice remained calm. "Tradition is only sacred when it's not corrupt."
The room shifted. Someone coughed. A woman frowned.
Leo continued, "I've reviewed your records. Some of you are bleeding this company dry—backdoor contracts, overpaid consultants, embezzlement masked as 'strategic spending.'"
Another board member, a woman with pearl earrings, narrowed her eyes. "You think you can just walk in and change how we operate?"
"No," Leo said. "I can walk in and replace you."
More whispers.
"I've already acquired several peripheral subsidiaries under my private name. In a month, I'll own controlling interests in four of your most critical vendor networks. Quietly. Legally."
Mr. Salonga's face darkened. "You're bluffing."
Leo tapped a key. A document popped up on their screen—an asset acquisition trail, fully legal, all signed and certified.
"I don't bluff," Leo said.
The silence was thick now.
"You'll all have the chance to adapt or step down. But this era of cigar-room backdoor deals and padded invoices? It ends today."
Leo closed with one final sentence:
"I'm not here to play legacy games. I'm here to build an empire worth respecting again."
And then the call ended.
[Task Completed: Board Infiltration]
Result: Influence Shockwave Created
Resistance Level: 74%
Loyalty Growth (Lawyers + Internal Staff): +45%
Reward Unlocked: 20% Executive Share – Ramirez Global Holdings
Tier 2 Business Authority Gained
You now have influence over company expansion, personnel shifts, and long-term strategy.
Identity: Still Hidden
Leo leaned back in the chair, heart steady.
This was just the first strike.
And no one even knew who hit them.
Back at the university, Leo returned to Ground Zero that evening. His team was already there—Zari typing rapidly at her laptop, Dre soldering something on a circuit board, Aria hanging up the floor plan sketches, and Martin preparing slides for a student funding pitch.
To them, Leo was still their low-key leader, the guy with mysterious connections and sharp ideas.
They didn't know he now controlled billions.
And he didn't need them to.
"Big day?" Martin asked.
Leo smiled. "Just had to talk to some old men about their bad habits."
Zari looked up. "Did you win?"
"I didn't lose."
That answer was enough.
Meanwhile, in the boardroom Leo had just haunted, Mr. Salonga slammed his hand on the table.
"This... kid, whoever he is—thinks he can run a billion-peso corporation with bravado and anonymity?"
Another member spoke. "He has 20% now. We can't ignore him."
Salonga gritted his teeth. "Then let's find him. Hunt down who this heir is before he takes everything."
The hunt had begun.
But Leo had already left them chasing shadows.