June 24, 2015. 06:00 AM.
The engine of my new Viper GT200 growled beneath me as I cruised through the streets of Oslo. The city passed by in a blur of lights and towering buildings, but my mind was already at the office. Pulling into the underground parking lot, the sharp hum of the engine echoed around me before cutting off. I stepped out, taking a moment to admire the sleek black paint job, before hearing the unmistakable roar of another engine behind me.
Lars rolled up in his own Viper GT200, the bright yellow paint shining under the dim garage lights. A second later, Ray's red Viper pulled in beside him. I couldn't help but smirk as they parked.
"Why'd you guys come so early?" I asked, glancing between them.
Lars hopped out first, shrugging like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Better early than late, bro."
Ray, leaning against his car, nodded. "Yeah, he called me to meet up here too."
Lars crossed his arms, his tone a bit more serious than usual. "Dude, it's important. I'm a team leader now, so I gotta pull my weight."
I chuckled, lightly punching him on the shoulder. "Would you look at that? Growing up, are we?"
"Yeah, yeah," Lars brushed it off with a smirk. "Let's head inside. We've got work to do."
I smiled, proud of the guy. He was stepping up, and that was what we needed right now. We headed toward the elevator, the weight of what was coming resting on my shoulders. The future was racing toward us faster than any car ever could.
As I stepped inside the office, Evelyn, Nora, and Mia were already hard at work, ensuring everything was prepped for the day ahead. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, and as I made my way to my desk, Evelyn greeted me with a smile and handed me an Americano, along with the day's newspaper.
"Morning," she said, glancing at the coffee cup in my hand. "Your usual."
"Thanks, Evelyn," I replied, taking a sip as I flipped open the newspaper. I scanned the headlines, not really expecting anything out of the ordinary—until one headline made me nearly spill the hot coffee onto my lap.
Celine Mørk and Lars Mørk Divorce—Celine to Take Over Bellalux as Heir.
Holy—this was big. My eyes widened as I read through the article. Bellalux wasn't just any company; it was one of the most prestigious luxury brands in Scandinavia. And now, Celine Mørk, the same woman I'd met not too long ago, was going to be running the show? My mind raced, thinking of the implications. This was a power move.
Before I could fully process the news, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Glancing at the screen, I saw the name flash across: Celine Mørk. Speak of the devil. I answered with my usual calm.
"Good morning, Ms. Mørk," I said, leaning back in my chair. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Her voice came through, smooth yet businesslike. "Dio, I hope you've had the chance to read the news."
I smirked, eyes still skimming the article on my desk. "Oh, you mean the headline about your very public divorce and you taking over Bellalux? Yeah, caught that."
"That's the one," she replied, not missing a beat. "But I'm not calling to discuss my personal life. I've done some digging since our last meeting, Dio. Imagine my surprise when I found out that you're not just some clever teenager meddling in corporate affairs. You're involved with Nova Enterprise. Quite deeply, in fact."
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I leaned forward, keeping my tone light. "Well, I wouldn't say deeply. I'm just the sales manager, Ms. Mørk. The real boss is Mr. Onio. He runs the show."
There was a brief pause before she spoke again, her tone laced with amusement. "Sales manager? Dio, you're a terrible liar. But let's play along for now. I'm interested in meeting your 'boss.' Bellalux is looking for a partner, and Nova Enterprise seems like the perfect fit to help drive our sales up, especially with the U.S. expansion."
I chuckled softly, spinning my pen between my fingers. "I'll be sure to pass that along to Mr. Onio. He's always open to new ventures. I'm sure he'd love to discuss how we could help Bellalux with its, uh, sales issues."
She let out a soft laugh. "Good. Set up the meeting, Dio. And one more thing—next time, try not to underestimate who's doing the background checks."
"Noted," I replied, smiling to myself. "See you soon, Ms. Mørk."
As the call ended, I sat back in my chair, still holding the newspaper. This was shaping up to be even more interesting than I expected. I tapped a quick message to Mr. Onio about the potential partnership, knowing full well he'd jump at the chance. But as for me? I'd keep playing the 'sales manager' card. It was always more fun to stay underestimated.
"Big news?" Evelyn asked, noticing the grin on my face.
"Yeah," I said, putting the paper down. "Looks like we're about to go into business with Bellalux."
The day just got a whole lot more exciting.
As I sipped on my coffee, the office door swung open and in walked Jaken and Tabaguchi, their energy as unmistakable as ever. With a nod, they greeted me with their new handshake—an elaborate mix of fist bumps and quick jabs that they'd probably been perfecting for weeks.
"Yo, Dio," Jaken grinned, settling into a chair. "What's up?"
"Let's talk business," I said, leaning back in my chair.
Jaken flashed a wide grin. "Now that's my kind of talk."
I chuckled, setting my cup down. "Me and you both. Listen, I've got a proposition for you guys. I'm heading to the U.S. soon to open up a new business venture, and, well, let's just say I don't know how many enemies I'm going to make over there. I'm gonna need security."
Tabaguchi cracked his knuckles, his stoic face breaking into a sly smile. "So that's where we come in, huh?"
"Exactly," I said, nodding. "I need you guys watching my back, and I'm paying thirty-five thousand kroner each, monthly. Plus, food and a place to stay—it's all on me. What do you say?"
Jaken and Tabaguchi exchanged quick glances, nudging each other with the kind of silent understanding they had from years of working together.
Jaken shrugged, but there was a gleam in his eye. "Sounds like a sweet deal, but... what about the rest of the team? You're gonna need security here too, and with that new office you're opening, it's a lot of ground to cover."
I smirked, knowing they were right. "Good point. You're thinking bigger already, huh?"
"Always," Tabaguchi said, crossing his arms. "If we're doing this, we're doing it right."
I leaned forward, tapping my fingers on the desk. "Then let's get to work. Secure both fronts—home and abroad."
Jaken smiled, the kind of smile that only money and opportunity could bring out. "Consider it done."
I leaned back in my chair, the weight of everything settling in. Jaken and Tabaguchi were on board, Celine was lining up something big, and the U.S. was calling.
I leaned back in my chair, the weight of everything settling in. Jaken and Tabaguchi were on board, Celine was lining up something big, and the U.S. was calling.
"Alright," I said, standing up, my gaze sharp. "We're going to need all hands on deck. I don't know what's waiting for me over there, but I can feel it—something's coming."
Jaken smirked. "You expecting trouble?"
I smiled, shaking my head. "Not trouble. Opportunity."
Before I could say more, my phone buzzed. Glancing down, it was a message from Celine: "Tomorrow. 9 AM. Bellalux headquarters. We have a lot to discuss."
I pocketed the phone, feeling a strange mix of excitement and tension building. This was just the beginning, but something told me the stakes were about to get a lot higher.
"Let's get to work," I said, already planning my next move. The U.S. was on the horizon, and everything was about to change.
And I was ready.
Dio Stat's Info:
Lvl: 15
Skill Count: 3 (Key selling point analyze) (Analyze) (Global Monitoring System)
Strength:35
Agility:24
Intelligence:28
Endurance:21
Charm:23
Dio influence, power & riches:
Money - 5million kroner.
Associate - 8
Asset - 0
Digital Asset - 250 BTC (Bought at 2,000 kroner)
Goons - 10
Cars - 1
Guards - 2
Employers -25
Company - 1