Part 31
The next morning, Elena Rostova’s massive media blitz hit a sudden, immovable brick wall.
Marcus didn't issue a sterile corporate press release, and he didn't hire expensive lawyers to threaten defamation suits.
Instead, Maya orchestrated the largest coordinated livestream in corporate history.
At noon, every screen controlled by Johnson Industries—from billboards in Times Square to the homepage of every major search engine—switched over to a live broadcast.
But Marcus wasn't on the screen.
It was Sarah, the warehouse worker from Vanguard Shipping, sitting comfortably in a well-lit studio.
She looked healthy, rested, and profoundly grateful as she spoke directly to the camera.
She told the world about the brutal conditions she had endured under the old management, and how Project Genesis had given her back her dignity and her health.
After Sarah, the screen transitioned to Maya, who spoke passionately about the mission to prioritize human lives over quarterly profits.
Then came a hotel clerk, a logistics driver, and a healthcare nurse, all sharing their unscripted, deeply personal stories of how their lives had changed.
Marcus watched the broadcast from his command center, monitoring the global metrics in real-time.
The public response was instantaneous and overwhelming.
The smear campaign fabricated by Rostova was completely buried under a tidal wave of genuine, organic human support.
People didn't care about the opinions of tech oligarchs when they could see the tangible, life-saving results of Marcus’s work.
"Elena Rostova's primary PR firm has just dropped her as a client, sir," Aegis reported, its voice carrying a hint of algorithmic satisfaction.
"Her holding company’s stock is currently in freefall due to public backlash."
Marcus smiled, tapping the glass of his desk lightly.
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He had beaten her without firing a single digital bullet. He had simply let his actions speak through the people he had helped.
"Turn the screens back to normal, Aegis," Marcus said softly. "The war is over. We won."
