The next few days were a blur of calculated activity. Raj established a routine, a rhythm for his new life. Mornings were for the system and for study—not schoolwork, but the intricate dance of global finance, corporate law, and advanced technology. WithAbsolute Comprehension, he absorbed decades of knowledge in hours. Afternoons were for directing Vikram Singh, his commands growing more precise and ambitious. Evenings were for watching the city from his throne in the sky, plotting.
He never felt lonely. Loneliness was the storeroom, surrounded by people who wished he didn't exist. This was solitude. This was power.
On the morning of the fourth day, he performed his check-in.
[ Daily Check-in Complete. ]
[ Reward Received: ₹25,00,000 (Twenty-Five Lakh Indian Rupees) ]
[ Bonus Reward: 15% Ownership Stake in 'Titan Security Services' ]
[ Special Reward: 'The Bastion' Armored Vehicle ]
Raj's total ownership of Titan Security now stood at a formidable 20%, not including the additional 3.7% Vikram had managed to acquire on the open market. He was, by a significant margin, the largest single shareholder.
A notification on his phone confirmed the delivery of 'The Bastion' to his building's secure underground garage. A quick search revealed it to be a custom-built, military-grade SUV, complete with bulletproof glass, run-flat tires, and a sophisticated surveillance suite. A vehicle fit for a king, or a general going to war.
The time for quiet accumulation was over. It was time to announce his arrival.
"Vikram," Raj's modulated voice said over their encrypted line. "We have a controlling interest. Call an emergency board meeting. Effective immediately."
Vikram, who was quickly learning not to be surprised by his mysterious employer, simply replied, "Yes, sir. I'll make the arrangements."
The boardroom at Titan Security was tense. The existing board members, all wealthy, powerful men in their fifties and sixties, stared down the table at Vikram Singh, who looked calmly back, his laptop open before him.
"This meeting is a farce!" grumbled a portly man named Sharma, a long-time business associate of Raj's father. "Who is this mysterious investor you represent? Who is 'Mr. R'?"
Vikram smiled thinly. "He is the man who now owns 23.7% of this company. He is your new boss. He is attending remotely."
The laptop screen was black, displaying only a single, glowing blue 'R'. "Gentlemen," a cold, digitally altered voice emanated from the speakers, sending a chill through the room. "Let's dispense with the pleasantries."
Raj, sitting comfortably in his penthouse hundreds of kilometers away, activatedEye of Scrutiny. Information scrolled across his vision as he looked at each board member on the conference feed.
[ Name: Dilip Sharma | Emotional State: Angry, Frightened | Intention: Protect his business alliance with Suresh Mathur [Raj's Father]. ]
[ Name: Anand Gupta | Emotional State: Cautious, Greedy | Intention: Assess the new power and align with the winner. ]
"Mr. Sharma," Raj's voice cut through the air. "You seem agitated. Is it perhaps because the lucrative, and frankly one-sided, security contract you were arranging between Titan and your friend Suresh Mathur's new real estate venture is now in jeopardy?"
Sharma went pale. How could this ghost know the details of a private deal?
"As my first act as the primary stakeholder," Raj continued, his voice dropping to a predatory calm, "I am firing the current CEO for gross mismanagement. Mr. Gupta, your file shows you have a history of turning struggling companies around. I am appointing you interim CEO, effective now. Your first task is to triple the security fees on any and all contracts associated with the Mathur family's business empire. We will bleed them dry."
Gupta, seeing his opportunity, straightened his tie. "I accept."
The hostile takeover was a massacre. It was over in thirty minutes.
In his opulent office in Ludhiana, Suresh Mathur's face was puce with rage. He slammed the phone down so hard the receiver cracked.
"That fool Sharma let it happen!" he roared to an empty room. "Some ghost, some 'Mr. R', has taken over Titan and is targeting our contracts! Who is he?! Who dares to move against me in my own city?!"
He paced the room, a caged tiger. For a fleeting, irrational moment, the old prophecy echoed in his mind—the downfall of your house. He shook his head angrily, dismissing the superstitious fear. It was a business rival, nothing more. A new enemy he would find and crush.
He had no idea the enemy he was vowing to destroy was the same boy he had thrown away just days ago.
Back in Mumbai, Raj watched a business news channel report on the stunning corporate coup. The news anchor spoke of a "mysterious and aggressive new player in the Mumbai financial scene."
His reflection stared back at him from the dark screen, a faint smile on his lips. He was no longer the ghost in the storeroom. He was the ghost in the machine. And his haunting had just begun.