Chapter 44: Mystery
Somewhere in another country, in a lavish estate…
The golden sun dipped over the horizon, casting long shadows over the opulent mansion. The pool shimmered with the last rays of light, the water reflecting the sky in hues of deep orange and violet. A woman, clad in an elegant designer bikini, reclined on a lounge chair, her toned body glistening under the fading sunlight.
She reached for her cocktail, lazily swirling the ice as she spoke.
"So… what's this commotion about the AI?"
A man—dressed in a pristine white linen suit—strode toward her, flanked by another sharply dressed figure. He sat down beside her, exhaling as he loosened his tie.
"Oh, that." He leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "It's a new game studio from the Philippines. Apparently, they just demoed a game featuring the most realistic NPC human reactions ever seen. The AI has captivated the world's attention—and caught the interest of our government as well."
The woman let out a soft hum, tilting her head.
"Is it from the Marcos?"
The man shook his head.
"We don't know yet. But as soon as the Aquino family heard the studio originated from their country, they immediately cut ties with us."
A slow, knowing smile spread across the woman's lips.
"They've gotten bold, haven't they?"
The man gave a small chuckle, nodding.
"Yeah."
She took a sip of her drink, ice clinking against the glass.
"Well, it's only a matter of time before they come crawling to us… once we control the narrative."
The man smirked.
"Yeah. People are paranoid ever since The Terminator franchise made AI synonymous with world-ending disaster."
He leaned back, eyes gleaming.
"I've already deployed the media to push the 'AI is dangerous' angle. Once ByteBull's stock crashes, we'll have the perfect excuse to make Obama sanction the Philippines. Increased tariffs, financial strain—it'll force them to bend."
The woman's expression darkened.
She turned her head slightly, looking at him through half-lidded eyes.
"Are you stupid?"
The man stiffened.
"What?"
She sat up, setting her drink down with a soft clink.
"What if ByteBull sides with China? Or worse, China and Russia?" She narrowed her eyes. "If the U.S. pushes too hard, the Philippines will have no choice but to pivot. And if China gains control over their technological advancements, then we lose our edge."
The man frowned, considering her words.
"It won't happen. The entire world is paranoid about AI. Even if China makes a move, South Korea and Japan are still firmly with us."
The woman let out a dry laugh.
"You really think that?" She leaned forward. "China has no naval advantage when it comes to the Pacific—not without control over the Philippines. If Manila pulls the same stunt on Beijing that they did to us, we'll have a major problem. Our navy would be intercepted before we even reached Japan."
She tapped her temple.
"And let's not forget—the South China Sea is an economic chokehold. We need the Philippines on our side."
The man exhaled sharply, rubbing his chin.
"So… what? You're saying we don't push for sanctions?"
She shook her head.
"No, continue pushing the narrative and once it's ripe, we need to push Obama to propose a joint oversight deal—something about 'implementing safeguards.' If we make AI seem safe under proper regulations, we can flip the narrative. We become the gatekeepers."
A slow, predatory smile played at her lips.
"Instead of blocking them, we offer cooperation. Flip the narrative. AI is safe—when handled responsibly. And who better to regulate it… than us?"
The man let out a low whistle.
"Damn. That's why I like you being the family successor… and not that bastard."
The woman merely smirked.
She reclined once more, stretching her arms above her head.
"Back to the AI… how are our agents doing at DARPA?"
The man's smirk faltered slightly.
"Still in training. The moment our data engineers played the game, they went haywire trying to figure out how its AI logic works."
The woman scoffed.
"Let me guess. They're still treating AI like it's just another Google search algorithm?"
The man sighed.
"Pretty much."
She rolled her eyes.
"Idiots."
She reached for her drink again, taking another sip.
Then, her expression darkened.
"What about God? Did Father contact Him?"
A heavy silence settled between them.
The man hesitated—just for a second—before answering.
"Yeah… last night." He rubbed his temple. "Father asked God about the AI situation. His answer was… 'There's nothing to worry about. Continue with the protocol and increase the workers.'"
The woman's grip tightened on her glass.
Her expression twisted into one of pure disdain.
"That damn alien is still treating us like slaves," she sneered.
The man's eyes widened in panic.
"Hey! Stop that." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a warning whisper. "I know you're mad, but if our Gods hear your heresy, they won't stand still."
The woman's lips curled.
She looked up at the darkening sky, her golden eyes gleaming under the setting sun.
And then, with absolute certainty, she said—
"Let them."
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Somewhere Inside a Lavish Office
A dimly lit room, walls lined with ancient books and priceless artifacts. At the center, a mahogany desk, where a man in a sharp black suit sat, reviewing classified documents. His eyes flickered across the pages, absorbing every piece of intelligence, market trends, and geopolitical shifts.
A sudden knock at the door.
"Come in," the man said, not looking up.
The door opened, revealing a striking Black woman in a navy business suit. She stepped in, her expression unreadable, yet the way she clutched the tablet in her hands hinted at urgency.
"Sir, our intelligence intercepted a new development."
The man finally looked up, his sharp blue eyes narrowing.
"Go on."
"The media is actively pushing a narrative about AI's potential dangers. They're stoking public fear—articles, news segments, think pieces—it's everywhere. If this keeps up, governments will be pressured into banning AI integration in major corporations. Worse, there are talks of a joint oversight agreement between the Philippine government and DARPA."
The man's face darkened.
"What?!"
He shot up from his seat, veins bulging in his temples.
"FUUUUCCK!!"
A fist slammed into the desk, causing the neatly stacked documents to scatter.
"That fucking woman! I swear, I'll kill her!"
He paced furiously, jaw clenched so tight it looked like his teeth might crack.
"I don't even have that damn AI in my hands yet, and she's already pulling this shit! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"
Another punch—this time hard enough to dent the wooden desk.
The woman remained composed, waiting for him to finish his outburst before continuing.
"Sir, if this continues, the public will be convinced that AI is a threat. Once that happens, the Philippine government will have no choice but to side with the U.S. oversight plan. DARPA will lead the research, and if that happens—"
"We lose our chance at obtaining it."
The man cut her off, rubbing his temple in frustration. He knew exactly how this would play out. If DARPA got control, he wouldn't even be able to buy access to the technology.
He inhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down.
"We need to move. Now."
His voice was cold, precise, no longer driven by anger but by ruthless calculation.
"Issue a commission to the underground. I want that technology extracted before it falls into DARPA's hands."
The woman frowned slightly.
"Sir… with the recent AI reveal, the Philippine government has already deployed additional military forces in Mindanao. They're tightening security in key regions. Extraction won't be easy."
"Which is exactly why I said—do it as soon as possible."
He turned, leveling her with an icy glare.
"Contact MILF and the NPA. Those insurgents will jump at the chance for a $5 million payout."
She hesitated.
"Are you sure about this, sir? If we involve them, this operation could turn into something messier than we anticipated."
"That's not your concern. Just get it done."
"…Understood."
The woman turned to leave, but he wasn't finished yet.
"And one more thing."
She stopped at the door, waiting.
"Prepare my car."
Her brows raised slightly.
"Sir?"
He smirked—a dangerous, predatory expression.
"I'm going to pay that bitch a visit. And teach her a fucking lesson about not messing with me."
The woman nodded once, expression unreadable, before leaving the room.
As the door clicked shut, the man exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.
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Meanwhile, back at Purnas mansion basement.
The air was filled with the hum of machinery, the faint glow of blue energy as ten drones hovered and worked tirelessly.
Half of them were clearing out massive chunks of soil, deatomizing it into raw materials, while the other half were reinforcing the space—reatomizing the ground into a cold metal floor, walls transforming into sleek steel panels, supported by newly constructed beams.
In the center of it all, Richard Estello and Jack stood at the edge of a metal platform, watching the birth of their underground base.
From behind, a deep voice cut through the mechanical symphony.
"Why the hell haven't you told me about this, Richie boy?"
The two young men froze.
Richard winced, already knowing that tone. He turned slowly to face Estello.
Estello stood there, arms crossed, his piercing gray eyes scanning the massive excavation site.
Richard rubbed the back of his neck, forcing out a nervous chuckle.
"I was… about to, Grandpa."
Jack, standing beside him, swallowed hard, keeping his mouth shut. He wasn't about to throw Richard under the bus, but damn—he didn't want to be part of whatever lecture was coming.
Richard's mind flashed back to earlier that day.
A Few Hours Ago – Bytebull Studio
Richard and Jack had been deep into testing the AMFS when the studio door suddenly swung open.
The moment Richard saw Estello step in, he knew they were busted.
Jack had spun around so fast he nearly tripped over himself, eyes darting toward the AMFS unit standing against the basement wall. But it wasn't just the machine that caught Estello's attention—
It was the cleared-out section of the studio wall, leading directly into an underground excavation site.
The room was silent for a solid ten seconds.
Then, Estello had let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Tell me I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing."
Jack, sweating bullets, whispered to Richard.
"Dude. We're so screwed."
Back in the Present
Richard snapped back to reality, glancing at his Estello's stern expression.
"Look, Grandpa, I know this seems crazy—"
Estello cut him off with a raised hand.
"Seems crazy? Richie boy, you dug out a fucking underground complex beneath my house!"
He gestured toward the swarm of drones, working like an autonomous construction crew, effortlessly expanding the hidden base.
"And now I'm looking at floating whatever that thing is, digging and rebuilding matter on a goddamn atomic level."
Jack, still holding his breath, finally exhaled.
"So, uh… you're not mad?"
Estello shot him a look.
"Oh, I'm plenty mad. But I'm also very interested in what the hell you two have been doing behind my back."
Richard smirked, already knowing that his grandfather wasn't just mad—he was intrigued.
"Well… since you asked, welcome to the future, Grandpa."
He motioned toward the expanding underground chamber.
"We're building something. Something not so world-changing."
Estello's eyes narrowed, but a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Then start talking. And don't leave a damn thing out."