The boardroom smelled the same.
Polished wood. Filtered air. Expensive restraint.
Only this time, I wasn't inside it.
I was the topic.
"Victor Han just stabilized his northern hub," the CFO said, tapping the screen. "Efficiency jumped eighteen percent in less than forty-eight hours."
The chairman frowned. "That's not possible."
"It is," another director replied. "And it happened right after he brought in an external consultant."
Silence followed.
The HR director—my former executioner—shifted in her seat.
"Who?" she asked.
The name appeared on the screen.
Mine.
Her pen slipped from her fingers and hit the table with a sharp click.
"That can't be right," she said quickly. "He was terminated. For strategic failure."
The system pulsed softly in my mind, even though I was miles away.
[Information Echo Detected][Influence Radius: Expanding]
"They fired him," the chairman said slowly. "And now he's fixing our competitor's problems?"
A legal advisor cleared his throat. "Technically, there's no non-compete clause. The termination was… immediate."
Too immediate.
They had been so eager to erase me, they forgot to contain me.
I sat in Victor Han's car as it rolled toward the financial district.
He didn't look at me when he spoke.
"You made enemies quickly."
"I removed inefficiencies," I replied. "Enemies are a side effect."
He exhaled through his nose. "The board wants to know how you did it."
"You don't need to explain it," I said. "Just show them the results."
The system chimed.
[Strategic Alignment Optimal]
Victor finally glanced at me. "You're enjoying this."
"No," I said honestly. "I'm focused."
That was closer to the truth.
The invitation arrived before sunset.
Private Meeting RequestFrom: Orion Global HoldingsSubject: Strategic Consultation
My former company.
The same people who muted my microphone.
I stared at the screen for a long moment.
The system overlaid probabilities.
[Meeting Acceptance Outcome:]▶ Decline: Maintain leverage (62%)▶ Accept: Psychological advantage (88%)
I accepted.
The boardroom doors opened again—but this time, they opened for me.
No badge.No escort.
The chairman stood when I entered.
That alone told me everything.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice," he said.
I nodded once. "You asked."
The HR director couldn't meet my eyes.
"We've observed your recent… activities," the chairman continued. "Impressive work."
I said nothing.
Silence made people uncomfortable.
They filled it.
"We believe there may have been… misalignment in our previous assessment," he said carefully.
Misalignment.
Not mistake.Not apology.
I let the word hang.
"You fired me publicly," I said calmly. "You blamed me for decisions you approved. And now you want advice."
The room froze.
The system flashed.
[Negotiation Control: Absolute]
The chairman clasped his hands. "We're prepared to discuss compensation."
I smiled faintly.
"You can't afford me," I said.
Shock rippled across the table.
"I'm not here to return," I continued. "I'm here to observe."
"To observe what?" the HR director finally asked, her voice tight.
"How fast a system collapses," I replied. "Once the people who actually understand it stop holding it together."
I stood.
"No contracts," I said. "No consulting."
Then I paused at the door.
"One more thing."
They looked up together.
"Next time you silence someone in this room," I said quietly, "make sure you don't need them later."
I walked out.
Outside, the city welcomed me like it always had.
Indifferent. Honest.
The system updated.
[Major Psychological Victory Achieved][Reputation Shift: Former Asset → External Threat][System Upgrade Available]
I didn't check it yet.
Some wins were meant to be felt before they were measured.
I loosened my tie and kept walking.
The empire wasn't built overnight.
But the fear?
That traveled fast.