“So, when are you going to show me the VR thing?” Rina asked Aron while they were on the boat, returning to where they had parked her car. They needed to reach the presidential palace so that she could have a meeting with the president and discuss her plans to invest in the country. That was the excuse she had given for coming to Eden.
“Since it’s a VR experience, you’ll need to be in a lying position for safe usage. You can try it out when you’re on the plane back after the meeting,” Aron replied.
“Oh, sure. But doesn’t it cause any connection lags to the server and other similar issues due to the distance I will be?” she asked.
“No, the glasses communicate with the server using a phenomenon called quantum teleportation. This means that even if you are on the other end of the universe, you will always have instantaneous connection to the server,” Aron explained.
“Wow. How do you manage to acquire such groundbreaking technologies in such a short span of time?” Rina asked, clearly taken aback by Aron’s possession of yet another revolutionary technology that had the potential to captivate the world.
From her perspective, the concept of instantaneous communication regardless of distance seemed to address one of the significant obstacles that had been holding humanity back on Earth.
“When you log in, many of your questions will be answered,” Aron said, deliberately withholding further details.
His response only intensified Rina’s anticipation, making her wish for time to pass quickly so that she could finally log in and satisfy her curiosity by receiving those long-awaited answers.
“Based on what you mentioned earlier, you said it’s a walking supercomputer, more powerful than my family’s private network.” She said, talking about the glasses. “Does that mean I can transfer Ava into it and have her accompany me at all times?” Rina inquired, expressing her desire to have her helpful assistant with her constantly.
“Although it is technically possible, currently you can’t transfer Ava into the system. The majority of the computing power is being utilized to handle the load that the server would typically handle. This is because the existing server is nearly full. However, a new server is currently being built,” Aron explained, providing the reason behind why she can’t.
“It’s not a problem, but if you need any assistance in expediting the procurement of the server equipment, you know you can count on me, right?” Rina offered, expressing her willingness to help Aron speed up the process based on his explanation.
“Yes, I appreciate your offer. Currently, the procurement of the necessary parts is not an issue, and it’s mainly a matter of time for the machine to be built. It should be up and ready within a month or two,” Aron responded, smiling at her kind offer stemming from her being unaware that the server farm was going to be composed entirely of quantum chips and proprietary tech from the LAB CITY.
“By the way, do you have any plans to make purchases or investments in the country during your meeting with the president, or is it mainly a discussion without any specific actions in mind?” Aron inquired, curious about Rina’s plans for the meeting.
“Since you arranged the meeting for me, I’ve decided to seize this opportunity and make investments in the country. With your presence here, I’m confident that any purchases or investments I make will yield significant returns,” Rina replied, a confident smile gracing her face as she expressed her strategic thinking and the potential for substantial gains from her planned endeavors.
“How much do you intend to spend in the country?” Aron inquired, curious about the magnitude of Rina’s planned financial endeavors.
“5 billion. Do you have any specific investment suggestions where you believe the value will undoubtedly rise in the future?” Rina asked, half in jest and half seriously, indicating her willingness to consider Aron’s insights for potentially lucrative investment opportunities.
“If you’ve heard about the country’s investment plan, you’ll know that my company, CONNECT, is planning to construct the world’s largest airport, along with several major ports that will rank among the world’s largest. We’re also exploring other large-scale investments. What do you think about doing something similar?” Aron proposed, subtly suggesting that he wanted Rina to join him in similar endeavors, potentially serving as a partner or ally when the topic of monopolizing the country’s industries arises in the future.
Aron understood that while he could choose to ignore the criticism that might come his way, it would be beneficial to have someone to share the burden of scrutiny. Having a partner to share the criticism would help deflect some of the attention and prevent the sole focus from being on him.
“Now, that’s a good one! Don’t worry, I hope you won’t feel threatened by my investment,” Rina responded with a playful tone, indicating her agreement and appreciation for Aron’s suggestion.
Having contemplated a similar investment but hesitating due to concerns about potentially overstepping Aron’s generosity, Rina had set her plans aside. However, now that Aron had expressed his support and indicated no objections, she felt empowered to proceed with her own project. With a renewed sense of confidence, she resolved to move on with her previous investment plan.
“You can rest assured, there’s no need to worry about that,” Aron replied with a reassuring smile, alleviating any concerns she may have had.
“With that in mind, I suppose I should consider increasing my investment amount,” Rina stated, casting a sidelong glance at Aron, observing his reaction to her remark.
“How much are you considering?” Aron inquired, maintaining a composed expression.
“I’m considering increasing the investment to around 45 billion,” she revealed, gazing at Aron still waiting to gauge his reaction to the substantial figure she mentioned.
“Good,” Aron responded, a genuine smile adorning his face. Rina’s observation was confirmed as his reaction reflected genuine approval and enthusiasm for her decision.
Rina’s curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn’t help but inquire, “How much are you planning to invest?” Her question was driven by a desire to compare their investment amounts, hoping to understand if the magnitude of Aron’s investment played a role in his reaction.
“Around 178 billion,” He replied.
In response to Aron’s nonchalant delivery of the massive investment amount, Rina’s reaction was the complete opposite. Startled and taken aback, she fumbled, accidentally dropping the glass she was holding. Startled, she coughed, almost choking, as she struggled to regain her composure.
“Are you okay?” Aron asked, concerned, as he quickly reached out and handed her a napkin to clean herself up.
“Holy shit,” she exclaimed, still in disbelief, as she took the napkin from Aron and began wiping her now messed-up outfit. “Where on earth will you be investing all that money?” she added, her astonishment evident in her voice.
“About 75 billion will be allocated to ARES projects, such as acquiring lands for military installations and other military initiatives,” Aron explained briefly. “As for the remaining hundred billion, it will be utilized for projects aimed at improving the country and constructing infrastructures that will not only benefit my company but also prove advantageous to the citizens. The goal is to address any potential obstacles faced by the company while ensuring that the benefits extend beyond my organizations alone.”
Rina’s astonishment grew as she listened to Aron’s explanation. “Wow, when you mention ARES, I can’t believe you were able to persuade a country to disband its military and hire your company as its security replacement. Not only will they pay you, but they’ll also allow you to expand your forces using their citizens, all within a legal framework that provides you with a loophole to grow without attracting much scrutiny. That’s truly a master stroke,” she said, expressing her admiration for Aron’s strategic execution of his plans to reach such a remarkable position.
“They are not paying me any money,” Aron clarified, his tone reflecting concern that Rina might have misunderstood something.
After hearing Aron’s statement, Rina sought clarification, asking, “What exactly do you mean by ‘they are not paying me any money’?”
“They are solely responsible for paying the salaries of the soldiers, while I am responsible for all other aspects,” Aron explained.
Rina, still surprised by the revelation, inquired, “Why did you choose to structure the arrangement that way instead of negotiating for a substantial payment from them?”
“There are several reasons, but one of them is that the country in question is what you might call an infant country. They simply don’t have enough financial resources to cover all the additional expenses beyond soldier salaries. Even the salary they are providing for the soldiers is already a significant burden for them. If I were to make them responsible for the rest, it would place an overwhelming strain on their budget.” Aron proceeded to explain the rationale behind his decision.
“Moreover, by taking on the funding responsibility, it effectively eliminates the need to constantly seek additional funds every time there’s a need to expand your forces.” Rina acknowledged, expressing her surprise at Aron’s foresight.
As Aron remained silent, Rina interpreted his response as confirmation that her assumption was indeed true.
On the other side, Nova, who had been attentively observing the entire interaction between Aron and Rina from the moment Aron handed her the glasses, allowing her to perceive Rina’s emotions, couldn’t help but let out a scoff in response.