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Chapter: The Birth of Umbrella
It was still raining when I stepped out of the patent office. The streets of Empire Bay were slick, the air thick with the scent of wet concrete and gasoline. I lit a cigarette and took a long drag, watching the smoke curl into the gray morning sky. The patent was mine now. Virus B Series. A formula that could change everything.
I hailed a taxi and gave the driver an address in the industrial district. It was time to build something real.
The building I rented was a rundown warehouse near the docks. Rusted shutters, broken windows, and a leaky roof. But it was cheap, and more importantly, it was quiet. No one asked questions here.
I spent the next few days assembling a team. Not the clean-cut corporate types, but people who knew how to survive in the cracks of society.
Dr. Emil Novak was the first. A biochemist with a record longer than my arm and a habit of drinking himself into oblivion. But he knew his way around a lab better than anyone I'd met.
Then came Lana Cruz. Logistics. She used to run smuggling routes through South America before the feds caught up. She had connections, and she knew how to move product without leaving a trail.
Marco was last. Ex-hitman. Quiet, cold, and loyal. He didn't talk much, but when he did, people listened. He'd be handling security.
We called it Umbrella corporation. A name that sounded clean enough for the papers but carried the weight of something darker underneath.
The first batch of Virus B took us three days to produce. Emil nearly blew up the lab twice, and I had to bribe a chemical supplier just to get the right solvents. But we got it done.
I set up a meeting with a mid-tier distributor. Guy named Callahan. Slick suit, slick hair, and a face that screamed Wall Street.
He didn't believe me at first.
"A virus that boosts stamina and concentration? Sounds like snake oil."
I handed him a vial.
"Try it. Wait ten minutes."
He hesitated, then drank. Ten minutes later, he was pacing the room like a man possessed, rattling off ideas and numbers like a machine.
"I want ten thousand units. Monthly. Can you deliver?"
I nodded.
"We'll make it happen."
That was the beginning.
I leased a second warehouse for production. Paid off inspectors. Registered Umbrella corporation as a nutraceutical company to dodge the FDA. Everything was moving fast.
Paulie showed up the next day, curious.
"So you're a businessman now, huh?"
"Something like that."
He offered to handle the street side of things. Protection, intimidation, cleanup. I didn't argue.
That night, I checked my system panel.
(Corporation Established: Umbrella corporation)
(Reward: Business Expansion Module Unlocked)
Description: Grants access to advanced business strategies, market manipulation tools, and legal loophole database.
I didn't sleep. I spent the whole night reading through the new data. Strategies, loopholes, ways to bend the system without breaking it.
By morning, I had a plan.
Empire Bay was mine now. Not through guns or blood, but through contracts, chemicals, and quiet influence.
Sarah was still asleep when I got home. Our daughter curled beside her, breathing softly.
I stood by the window, watching the city wake up.
This was my world now.
And I was going to own every inch of it.
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Chapter: The Government's Shadow
It had been two weeks since Umbrella corporation first shipment left the docks. Callahan's distributor network was moving the product fast—too fast. Word was spreading. Athletes, night-shift workers, even a few cops were using Virus B to stay sharp. The formula was working better than I expected.
But with attention came risk.
I was in the warehouse, going over production numbers with Lana when Marco walked in, his face unreadable.
"Tom. We've got company."
I looked up. "Who?"
"Federal agents. Two suits. No badges shown. They're waiting in your office."
I didn't like surprises. Especially not the kind that wore tailored suits and didn't flash credentials.
I walked into the office. Two men stood by the window, watching the rain. One was tall, lean, with silver hair and a face carved from stone. The other was younger, sharp-eyed, carrying a folder.
"Mr. Angelo," the older one said. "We're not here to shut you down. We're here to make a deal."
I didn't speak. Just lit a cigarette and waited.
The younger one opened the folder and slid a document across the desk.
"Department of Defense. We've been monitoring your product. Virus B. It's... promising."
I raised an eyebrow. "You want to buy it?"
"Not exactly," the older one said. "We want to fund it. Develop it further. Exclusive rights. You'll keep your company. We'll keep oversight."
I looked at the paper. It was a contract—clean, airtight, and dangerous. They were offering a government grant, lab access, and protection from regulatory bodies. In exchange, Umbrella corporation would become a silent partner in a classified military enhancement program.
"You want to turn this into a weapon," I said.
The older man didn't blink. "We want to turn it into an advantage."
I leaned back. This was bigger than I imagined. If I signed, Umbrella corporation would be untouchable. But I'd be dancing with devils.
"I need time," I said.
"You have forty-eight hours," the younger one replied. "After that, we go elsewhere."
They left without another word.
I stared at the contract. The rain outside had turned into a storm.
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Later That Night
Sarah was asleep again. Our daughter curled beside her, breathing softly. I sat by the window, the contract in my hand, the city glowing beneath the clouds.
Paulie called.
"You heard?"
"Yeah."
"You gonna sign?"
"I don't know."
He paused. "Tom, this ain't just business anymore. This is power. Real power."
I hung up and poured myself a drink.
This was my world now. But if I signed that paper, it wouldn't just be mine. It'd belong to men in suits, to war rooms and classified files.
I had forty-eight hours to decide.
And the clock was ticking.
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