Part 20
The morning sun streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of Marcus’s private dining room.
He sat at the long mahogany table, sipping a black coffee while reading a physical newspaper.
The front page was dominated by the news of Elias Thorne's dramatic arrest at sea by Interpol agents.
The article detailed the miraculous, anonymous return of the missing pension funds, hailing it as a stroke of unprecedented luck for the employees.
Marcus simply folded the paper and set it aside, feeling no need for public credit.
However, the events of the past forty-eight hours had ignited a new, burning ambition inside his mind.
For years, he had built his empire on data compilation, server hosting, and artificial intelligence development.
He had amassed a fortune by optimizing systems, but he realized he had been ignoring the human element.
The incident at the hotel had proven that technology alone couldn't fix systemic cruelty or corporate greed.
He tapped the sleek earpiece resting in his left ear to open a secure channel to his AI.
"Aegis, I want to initiate a new corporate structure," Marcus said, staring out at his vast, manicured gardens.
"I'm listening, sir."
"I want to create a new division within Johnson Industries, entirely detached from the tech sector."
"What will be the primary function of this division, Mr. Johnson?"
"Acquisition and restructuring," Marcus replied, his eyes narrowing with renewed purpose.
"I want to target failing or corrupt corporations that provide essential, frontline services to the public."
He was going to buy out hospitals, real estate firms, hospitality groups, and logistics chains that were plagued by toxic management.
He would use his infinite capital to hostilely take over these companies, fire the corrupt executives, and rebuild them to prioritize human dignity over profit margins.
"We will call it Project Genesis," Marcus declared.
"An ambitious endeavor, sir," Aegis noted. "You will require a specialized board of directors to manage the human resources aspect of such a massive undertaking."
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"I don't want traditional executives," Marcus said firmly. "I want people who know what it’s like to actually work on the front lines."
He already had the perfect person in mind to lead the first wave of this new initiative.
