The Tycoon's Odyssey

The world was in chaos.

The battle had yet to be revealed to the public, but the major nations of the world had already seen the broadcast. It was both a revelation and a warning—proof of what had transpired and a glimpse of what could happen if they resisted.

Political leaders scrambled, whispering in closed-door meetings, their fear barely concealed. They all had one question on their minds:

What was Evan's next move?

The smaller, developing nations—usually the followers of the powerful—awaited guidance. But little did they know, even the great nations were paralyzed with fear, uncertain of how to respond.

Among them, only the Great Royal had been left untouched, not out of mercy but because of Suri's father, Nathaniel Barret. He had smoothed the process, meeting directly with Her Majesty.

The agreement was simple: as long as Evan didn't interfere with Great Royal's interests, the monarchy had no objections.

The second issue was Suri's half-brother. But Suri herself had no desire for further conflict. Those involved were given a choice—accept the new reality and swallow their grievances or take their own lives. Because if they didn't, Evan would deal with them in ways they would never forget.

Once the global confusion settled, a historic meeting was scheduled. Every world leader was summoned to the meeting.

Evan had an agenda.

He would cut away the dead weight that was holding down humanity.

Laws would be simplified. Judgment would be swift and fair.

The division based on nationality had to end. The era of "I belong to this country, you belong to that one" was over.

Now, the only identity that mattered was Earth.

For Earth to move forward, unification was necessary. But it would not be achieved through war—it had to be done peacefully.

The other task was.

[The Interrogation of Castilian]

On a high-rise platform overlooking a secured facility, Evan sat in front of one of the surviving Xenomorphs, a being named Castilian.

In the background, other Xenomorphs were undergoing mind scans, their memories being extracted and examined. But Castilian, seated across from Evan, looked oddly relaxed.

He didn't seem like a prisoner at all.

Evan took a sip of his coffee, watching the alien closely.

"So, how did you end up here?" Evan asked, voice calm but firm.

Castilian flicked his dark, reptilian eyes toward him before answering.
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"We arrived due to a lack of fuel," he said. "We were caught in an intense battle with a species called Rubberians. Our ship was damaged, and we had no choice but to land on this planet."

Evan leaned forward slightly. "What have you been doing since then?"

Castilian exhaled, his expression unreadable. "We've been hiding in the depths of time, slowly guiding human society."

Evan's fingers drummed against the table. Guiding? That was a polite way of saying controlling.

"You manipulated human civilization?" Evan asked.

Castilian shrugged. "Of course. That's the reason we're still here."

Evan narrowed his eyes. "And why exactly did you stay?"

"Because of wood."

Evan blinked. "…What?"

"Wood," Castilian repeated. "You may not realize it, but wood is incredibly valuable. Not just wood—coal and diamonds too."

Evan stared at him, his brain struggling to process the information.

"And… what do you do with it?" he asked cautiously.

"We eat it," Castilian replied casually.

Evan nearly choked on his coffee. "What?"

"It's a delicacy in the outside world," Castilian explained, tilting his head. "The way you humans eat meat, we eat wood and compressed carbon."

Evan rubbed his temples. "Wait—don't other planets have trees?"

"They do," Castilian admitted. "But not like the ones here. Most alien vegetation out there is carnivorous—meat-eating. And there are other types too, but nothing like Earth's flora."

Evan groaned, feeling a headache coming on. "So, you are telling me that in the grand scheme of the universe… Earth is like a gourmet restaurant for aliens who eat wood and coal?"

Castilian smirked. "Exactly! Pretty common knowledge, really."

Evan exhaled sharply, resisting the urge to punch this so-called 'common knowledge' into Castilian's skull.

Taking a deep breath, he asked. "Can you contact anyone outside?"

Castilian hesitated. "Umm…"

"That's great," Evan said quickly. "But don't do it."

The Xenomorph nodded, amused.

With that, Evan stood up, rolling his shoulders. This was just the beginning. The world had changed, and soon… the universe would, too.

_____

Evan sat in his dimly lit study, a glass of water resting on the desk beside him.

The room was quiet, save for the occasional hum of his computer screen.

Outside, the city was restless—news of the xenomorph raids had spread like wildfire, sending people into a frenzy. Some demanded answers, while others refused to believe that alien creatures had been living among them all this time.

A soft chime echoed through the room, breaking the silence.

Aurora's voice came through the speaker. [Sir, I have the latest reports.]

Evan exhaled slowly. "Go ahead."

[Mac's team apprehended twenty-seven xenomorphs today. Some resisted, but most complied. Two were killed in self-defense.]

Evan rubbed his temple. "And the public?"

[They have mixed reactions. Some are relieved. Others are frightened. A few are protesting, claiming that we're treating them unfairly.]

Leaning back in his chair, Evan stared at the ceiling. "We can't afford to be reckless with this. If we start treating every xenomorph like a threat, it'll lead to chaos. We need a clear plan."

Aurora hesitated before responding. [I agree. Not all of them are dangerous. Some have lived normal lives and even started families. A few didn't even know they were different.]

Evan sighed. "That's the problem. How do we separate the innocent from the threats?"

[We could run behavioral analysis and check their past records. Those with violent tendencies should be monitored closely.]

Evan nodded. "That's a start. But what about the ones hiding? We don't know how many are still out there."

[I've expanded the scanning range. We're detecting more of them scattered across different regions. Some are in high positions—politicians, military officials, corporate leaders.]

Evan's grip tightened around his glass. "That complicates things. If we move too aggressively, we could trigger a full-scale conflict."

Aurora's voice remained steady. [Then we must act carefully. We should establish communication with the ones willing to talk. Not all of them will resist.]

Evan sighed again, his mind racing. "Fine. Set up a secure facility where we can question them. Those who cooperate will be treated fairly. Those who resist…" He paused, this tone turning cold, "We'll handle them accordingly. Report the interim government and minister of those places."

Aurora responded immediately. [Understood. I will begin preparations.]

Evan sat in silence, staring at his reflection in the glass.

He had seen many difficult situations before, but this… this was something entirely different.

For the first time in a long while, he wasn't sure what the right move was.