Counterstrike

Ethan didn't sleep. Not a second.

The glow of his laptop screen was the only light in the room, casting long shadows as he traced every connection, every deal, every power player tied to Meditech. It wasn't paranoia anymore—it was survival.

The second call had stripped away any illusions. This was bigger than corporate rivalry. Someone wanted him out of the picture. Whether that meant bankrupt, silenced, or buried six feet under… they hadn't specified. Yet.

By sunrise, he had his answer: They wanted fear. Submission. Compliance.

They were getting none of it.

He called the team to the office—no video calls, no messages. Face-to-face only.

Lisa, Priya, Ryan, and Selena were already waiting when Ethan walked in, dark circles under his eyes, but fire in his step. He placed his phone on the table like evidence in a courtroom.

"I got another call last night," he said. "It wasn't a warning. It was a promise. They want us to walk away. Permanently."

Priya's face paled. "Are you saying this could get…violent?"

Ethan didn't sugarcoat it. "We'd be stupid to ignore the risk."

Ryan shifted uncomfortably. "Ethan, this isn't just business anymore. These are the kind of people who make people disappear."

Ethan leaned forward, his palms flat on the table. "Exactly. And if they're willing to go this far, it's because they know we can actually break them."

Selena's smile was sharp as glass. "Then we don't just fight back. We make it loud. No shadows. No whispers. We drag this fight into the public eye, where they can't play dirty without the whole world watching."

"That's reckless," Ryan muttered. "If Meditech feels cornered—"

"Then they should feel cornered," Ethan cut in. "They've spent decades controlling this industry through fear and silence. We built this company to end that. If we flinch now, we deserve to lose."

Lisa folded her arms. "So what's the play?"

"All-in," Ethan said, pacing. "We don't just launch the public beta—we turn it into a spectacle. Testimonials from our pilot users, live case studies, influencers in the medical space posting real-time results, and every major outlet covering our launch. No room for Meditech to discredit us quietly."

"And when they hit back?" Priya asked.

Ethan smiled grimly. "We hit first."

He pointed at Priya. "Lock down our systems. No weak links. Assume they'll hack, smear, and sabotage."

He turned to Ryan. "Start digging. Hard. Meditech's paper trail, regulatory filings, whistleblower lawsuits—if they've ever paid off a senator's niece's orthodontist, I want to know."

Then Selena. "Call your contacts. Not just journalists—politicians, industry disruptors, anyone with a grudge against Meditech. We need allies in high places when the knives come out."

Selena's eyes glittered with excitement. "Already ahead of you. I know a few billionaires who hate Meditech's guts."

Ethan exhaled, scanning the faces around the table. His team. His family in this fight.

"This is it," he said quietly. "We either change the future… or we get buried with the past. There's no middle ground."

Three days later, the internet was on fire.

#MeditechMonopoly trended worldwide.

Doctors posted stories of innovative treatments Meditech had buried to protect outdated patents. Patients shared receipts of life-saving drugs priced into oblivion. Journalists dug up decades of quiet settlements, buried safety reports, and political handshakes in the dark.

And in the middle of it all, stood Ethan's company. The rebel startup daring to drag the medical empire into the light.

Then Ethan's screen flashed with a breaking news alert.

Meditech Under Federal Investigation for Fraud and Antitrust Violations.

A slow smile spread across Ethan's face. "Checkmate."

His phone buzzed.

Unknown Number.

He answered without hesitation.

A single message. No voice this time. Just words on a screen.

You just made a very big mistake.

Ethan's smile didn't fade.

"Good," he muttered. "Now we know you're scared."