BXBX NOVEL Chapter 76 - After Party
In a hidden base among the Swiss Alps, a man was tinkering with new toys like he usually did when something Anarchy couldn\'t steal became available in the open market.
The organization leader had his men set up a full-spectrum signal jammer they developed after snatching US Navy digital documents in the early 2000s.
"Tricky, tricky. Future Tech almost got our location with an automatic GPS pinging system." He said out loud as he turned on the Infinity Workstation.
Enigma utilized various tools and software to crack the computer\'s functionality but couldn\'t devise a method without triggering Future Tech\'s particular security features in their new products.
[We\'ll have to take our time re-engineering the Infinity product line. Damn those stupid traitors for exposing us. Network and hardware security is getting better and better, but I know we\'ll power through like Anarchy has been doing for half a century now.] Enigma pondered deeply.
Oblivious to the nefarious actions committed to his company\'s work, Vince enjoyed the APL Finals after-party being thrown at the Longhorn.
"I was so busy practicing for the playoffs and finals this week that I didn\'t notice you were with Vince on a sailing vacation," Fortis said to his cousin, 3D Jaden.
"You wouldn\'t believe how much of a gracious host Vince and his friends have been to Alice and me. We even streamed War Online together with Vince and Hailee on Twitch. Our fans were going nuts in the chat." Jaden replied.
"Sick! Do I get a revenue share as your cousin, then?" Fortis asked in banter.
"If that\'s the case, then I get a share of your grand prize too!" Jaden bantered back.
"Anyway, how were you able to set up the flowing control scheme you employed to smack Clear Sky?" Rick asked.
"I spent a good few hours talking with the Infi AI in refining my control options that suited my play style. The AI made it easy for me." Fortis replied honestly.
"We can work with that quote. I\'ll have the Future Tech website feature your thoughts and opinion about the Hypervisor control system if you don\'t mind." Jessica interjected.
"No, not at all. I\'d be happy to help more people understand the Hypervisor. However, I can never go back to traditional displays after starting to use the Hypervisor because of the premium video quality and controls." Fortis explained.
The festive atmosphere continued through the night with alcohol and various substances consumed with great enthusiasm.
Vince and Hailee changed into swimming attire and hung out at the jacuzzi while the female guests joined them.
"Where\'s your boyfriend and his cousin?" Hailee asked Alice.
"The other guys are drunk and attempting to solo speed-run a dungeon in War Online, betting on who gets the fastest time," Alice replied while shaking her head.
"Boys will be boys. My dad always told me when my big brother was being an idiot. By the way, I assume you guys will be heading home to Austin soon. It\'s been so fun hanging around new and young people, and I don\'t want this vacation to end." Hailee said sincerely.
"Hollywood seems super tough, Hailee, but you\'re the best young actress for a reason. We work most of the week, but we\'re always down to hang out with you." Sarah commented.
"After you finish shooting your role in the next movie, I can have a Dreamliner fetch you from LA and take you to Austin or wherever you want," Vince suggested.
Hailee blushed and quickly pecked him on his lips.
"Thank you! I\'ll be sure to visit Austin soon and see what Elon was gushing about for myself." Hailee replied in gratitude.
"It should only be a day and a half to return to LA on The Longhorn, so we\'ll extend the vacation a bit and take you and the Prime Alliance members home." Vince offered.
"I\'m alright with that. Future Med won\'t need me badly until the FDA trials next week." Dr. Sera commented.
"Oh! Is it the rumored cancer cure gossiped around online?" Alice asked inquisitively.
"That project is still in the preliminary testing phase, and all I can say is, It is not." Dr. Sera replied plainly.
"I\'m sorry if I asked for too much information. I forgot about corporate rules and stuff. It isn\'t my forte, sadly." Alice replied, flustered.
"Don\'t worry about it. An honest mistake is all." Vince said reassuringly.
"How about another round of cocktails and Vancouver\'s finest bud?" Sera asked to break the awkwardness.
No one declined, and the party continued raging on throughout the night on the yacht.
On a cozy bed in the primary bedroom, a young couple were cuddling under the sheets while watching random reality tv shows the tipsy Hailee preferred.
"It\'s crazy that the only thing these men want is to marry this random chick on a tv show," Vince commented, referring to the Bachelorette.
"I agree it\'s pretty ridiculous, but most men want a trophy wife, and most women want a sugar daddy. Pursuing fragile expectations like that makes this show amusing to me. How about you, Vince. What are you seeking in life? Hailee asked inquisitively.
"I always worked hard and overtime for survival. Ensuring my mother\'s health was my number one priority. Unfortunately, it took years before we had the resources and found Dr. Sera and her team willing to take on a rare case like hers, and she only recently recovered. As a result, I\'m content with what I\'ve achieved, and everything in my life now is a bonus." Vince explained with gripping emotion.
"So that\'s why she\'s so close to Sera. I understand now that I have a bit more context. You never mentioned your mom was sick." Hailee replied.
"Now that it\'s passed, we don\'t need to bring it up often, but I just wanted to be honest. Vince stated.
[Well, not completely honest. Hailee would think I\'m insane if I mention my incredible time-travel X reincarnation experience.] Vince pondered.
"Do you ever feel anxious or scared about running a continuously expanding company like Future Tech?" Hailee inquired.
"Not so much last year, but after our run-in with an organized hacker group and my involvement in the Afghanistan War, it weighs on my mind heavily at times. I work on company projects or attend Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes to keep my mind busy. But, unfortunately, good and honorable men have died under my employment, and even Marco was a few inches from death back in February." Vince openly shared.
"Marco always seemed healthy and in high spirits. I wouldn\'t have thought he almost died recently." Hailee replied in surprise.
"His entire right leg is a cybernetic replacement. However, it\'d be hard to notice. He saved many lives that day. It\'s a good thing the insurgent leader decided to attack the forward operating base instead of Kandahar, or else innocent people under our protection would have suffered as collateral damage." Vince added.
"Vince, don\'t feel so disheartened. You have so many people around you ready to support you. You always seemed to be optimistic, energetic, and light-hearted with me, especially when you were around Elon." Hailee said with a bit of a chuckle.
"That guy can be an idiot sometimes; it\'s hard not to banter with him. So let me tell you what Elon said to me in Australia when we attended the Formula 1 race. He was trying to pitch an idea to me involving space travel, and instead of aiming for the moon first, he suggested going straight to Mars. He\'s hilarious and crazy sometimes." Vince replied as he cheered up slightly.
Hailee started laughing out loud, making Vince chuckle for a few seconds.
"Let\'s talk about you next. You mentioned growing up in LA. How was it?" Vince asked.
"We did the standard stuff you would typically do in and around the city. I\'m busy in different Hollywood sets most of the time, and I would like to leave the hustle and bustle once in a while like what we\'re doing out at sea right now." Hailee explained.
"Then you\'ll love it in Austin. We got all sorts of sites like lazy rivers, hills, mountains, and more activities to do outside the city." Vince declared confidently.
"You\'re pretty sure of yourself asking me to move in with you already. We\'ve only been together for a little over a week." Hailee replied in banter.
"So what if I am?" Vince returned the banter.
Hailee smiled before imagining a scene in her mind similar to her experience shooting True Grit in the wild west.
Stats last time checked:
Future Tech current valuation - $300 billion
15 million BTC (currently trades at $25,000)
$8 Billion cash in Future Tech
105,000+ employees (FT AI, Future Studios, Hive Mind Manufacturing, FT Micro Devices, BitCash, FT VR, Future Tech F1, FT Investments, Future Arms, Future Med, Future Tech Robotics, Future Education, SpaceX)
20,000+ operators under Future Security
Personal Vehicles: Klassen Phantom, Agera R, Agera SFV, Boeing Luxury 787 Dreamliner, The Longhorn
Five company collaborators (Epic, Koenegisegg, SpaceX, Tesla, Hyundai C&E)
Dozens of investments under Future Tech Holdings (i..e., Instagram, Twitch)