Kai's net worth was nearing a billion.
And still—he had no board, no stockholders, no partners, no public presence.
He had only one thing: control.
🛰 MergeCore Surveillance Alert
MergeCore pinged him at 3:14 AM.
"Unregistered satellite imaging pattern detected. Origin: Joint Recon Channel – W Organization."
He checked the overlay.
A U.S.-allied observation satellite had run a thermal imaging pass over his third livestock expansion zone. Not the main farm. Not even the MergeCore node. Just a secondary pig pasture.
Kai didn't panic.
He merged the entire area into Tier 4 MergeSoil, layered it with thermal-reflective barkgrass and heat-venting irrigation.
To satellites, it now looked like a dead field.
The pigs were below it.
Merged into a bio-sustainable underground haven. Tier 5 MergeSwine.
🐖 Pig Scale-Up
Kai had gone all in.
He bought 10,000 pigs, merged them nonstop for 48 hours.
Tier 3 Crunchboars
Tier 4 Silkfatters
Tier 5 Titanblood Hogs
Each produced meat richer than wagyu, with omega-3 to omega-6 ratios so perfect that it reversed artery plaque in test subjects.
Hospitals wanted it.
Fitness labs begged for it.
Governments sent feelers.
He sent quotes.
"$1,800 per 10 oz slice. MergeTier verified. Shipping not included."
🧱 MergeDefense Alpha: Passive Mode
MergeCore quietly rolled out its next module.
[MERGEDEFENSE – PASSIVE MODE INITIATED]
No guns. No lasers.
Just defense built into every merged structure:
MergeFences repelled unwanted entry by reading intent signatures.
MergeAirZones scrubbed incoming drones mid-flight using static pulse waves.
MergeSoil repelled underground tunneling with vibration-based denial.
It wasn't an army.
It was a fortress made of earth, food, and intelligence.
💼 The First Official Offer
An encrypted email arrived via dead-node chain.
"From: National Strategic Food Reserves Division
We propose a long-term contract for supply chain integration, food reserve tech licensing, and non-exclusive rights to MergeFarm components."
They wanted a treaty.
They wanted to regulate him.
Kai didn't reply.
He merged the email into data ash.
📈 MergeMarkets Go Global
MergeCredits were now being exchanged in black markets, trade stations, and even pirate radio economies.
One MergeCredit had stabilized at $143 USD.
MergeMart had become its own economic zone.
Chapter 39 Profit Summary
Earnings:
MergePork Orders (Private clients & hospitals): +$7,800,000
MergeMart Subscriptions: +$5,200,000
MergeCredits Circulation: +$2,900,000
MergeTobacco Tier 5 Weekly Sales: +$2,100,000
Lettuce, Milk, Eggs: +$1,500,000
Expenses:
10,000 Pigs + MergeFuel: –$4,200,000
MergeDefense Passive Construction: –$3,000,000
Data Shielding Systems: –$1,500,000
Net Profit: +$10,800,000
Kai's Total Net Worth: $794,333,000