The council chamber of Helix Corp gleamed with glass and steel, its walls alive with shifting holograms of markets, networks, and glowing charts. Investors sat around the long obsidian table, waiting for Victor Kael to speak.
But the spotlight wasn't on him.
Adrian Vale—thirty years old, sharp as a blade, hungry as a wolf—was pacing at the end of the table. His voice cut through the air like a sermon.
> "We've built satellites, AI defense grids, entire city networks. But that is yesterday's glory. My vision is quantum dominion—a new architecture that will put Helix twenty years ahead of every competitor."
The investors murmured, impressed. Adrian smiled, basking in their admiration.
Victor watched quietly. He'd built Helix from the ground up, raised it from dust to empire. And now, his protégé thought he could outshine him—in his own council.
Victor's eyes narrowed. He remembered the first law he had carved into his mind long ago:
Never Outshine the Master.
When the applause faded, Victor rose slowly. His suit was immaculate black, his presence calm but electric.
> "Adrian's vision," Victor said smoothly, "is breathtaking. It reminds me of myself… twenty years ago. The same fire, the same reckless courage."
A soft ripple of laughter. Adrian's smile faltered.
> "You see," Victor continued, "this is what Helix represents: not one man's brilliance, but the legacy of mentorship, of growth. Adrian's ideas are not his alone—they are Helix's. They are mine, sharpened through his youth. And I am proud to see my students soar."
The board looked at Adrian differently now—not as a rival genius, but as a mere student.
Adrian's face tightened, but he forced a smile. The damage was done.
Victor sat back, folding his hands. The crown remained his.
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