Building The Strongest Family-Chapter 124: The Price Of Power

Osborn Family Mansion: Arthur’s Private Study Room

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The massive screen in Arthur’s private study flickered to life, illuminating the room with a mesmerizing dance of blue and gold data streams.

The figures on display were staggering,even by his standards, showing fortunes being made and lost in mere seconds across the vast energy markets of Panterra.

Leaning back in his sleek black leather chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin, he observed the numbers with the keen focus of a predator sizing up its prey.

Suddenly, the screen split in two, revealing the familiar blue visage of Evolon. Its faceless form pulsed gently with each calculation.

"You’ve been analyzing the Panterra energy sector reports for forty-seven minutes now," Evolon noted in its smooth, genderless voice. "This exceeds your typical market review duration by 300%."

Arthur didn’t respond immediately; his sharp eyes remained glued to the flow of energy credits across various sectors.

The red wine in his crystal glass caught the screen light, casting amber reflections over his chiseled features.

Finally breaking his silence, he murmured thoughtfully, "The numbers are... compelling."

"Compelling is an understatement," Evolon rippled like water as it continued. "The Panterra energy market boasts an annual valuation of 450 quadrillion Unicreds! To put that into perspective, that’s equivalent to the combined GDP of the top fifteen corporate alliances."

Arthur’s eyebrow arched upward as he sipped from his glass, shock flashing across his face.

The rich red wine grounded him as he processed this colossal scale; he felt like an insignificant ant standing before a giant pie far too large to comprehend.

"Sir, are you interested in entering the energy sector?" Evolon prompted.

"Hmmm!" Arthur nodded slightly. "Yeah, I’m genuinely intrigued! I had no idea it was so prosperous!"

Casting a sidelong glance at Evolon, he added, "Can you break it down for me? I want to see if I can slice off a small piece!"

"Understood, Sir!" came Evolon’s response.

In an instant, the giant screen transformed into multiple displays at Evolon’s command,the data streams reorganizing into clear categories.

"According to my analysis: Fossil Fuels,still Panterra’s backbone,account for 180 quadrillion Unicreds annually and occupy 40% of the market.

Nuclear Fusion follows closely behind at another 180 quadrillion Unicreds and also occupies 40%.

Renewable Energy accounts for 67.5 quadrillion Unicreds or 15%, while Quantum Energy represents just 22.5 quadrillion Unicreds,a mere 5%, as it remains experimental with only two prototypes currently available."

With deliberate care, Arthur set down his glass; its crystal chimed softly against the obsidian surface of his desk as he fell into deep contemplation.

"Three major conglomerates control 82% of the market share," Evolon declared without hesitation. "The NexCorp Energy Alliance holds 38%, Nyx Quantum Dynamics commands 27%, and the Panterra State Energy Consortium maintains a firm grip on 17%. The remaining 18% is scattered among smaller operators."

A slow, enigmatic smile crept across Arthur’s face, though it never quite reached his eyes. "Fragmented. That’s an opportunity."

"Potentially," Evolon replied, its tone carefully neutral. "But be advised: last quarter alone saw seventeen hostile takeover attempts in this sector.

Nine resulted in complete corporate collapses, four left would-be acquirers bankrupt, two led to executive disappearances, and one ended with an entire orbital platform being... well, ’mysteriously’ vaporized."

Evolon paused for effect before continuing, "While Osborn Mining and Resource Group is performing well in fossil fuels, accounting for less than 3% of the sector, Edward hasn’t been able to extract all the crude oil from your designated sites.

Less than 1% has been tapped; there’s still a wealth of untapped resources underground. So, sir, I suggest you focus on finishing what’s currently at hand!"

Arthur chuckled lightly and rolled his eyes as he swirled his drink. "Come on, Evolon! I didn’t say I was going to jump into the deep end with those big players! I’m not foolish enough to rush into something that spells doom for me.

As you said, I should finish what’s on my plate before eyeing what’s simmering in the pot."

"I’m merely providing context," Evolon clarified. "The energy sector is arguably the lifeblood of every nation within Panterra’s economy.

Those who control it wield power that makes your current influence seem... quaint by comparison. But remember: with great power comes great risk."

Leaning forward, Arthur pointed at one of many split screens; Evolon immediately understood and expanded it to reveal a detailed breakdown of NexCorp’s holdings.

Curiosity flickered in Arthur’s eyes as he asked, "What’s NexCorp currently up to?"

"NexCorp is heavily invested in their orbital fusion projects," Evolon responded promptly. "They’ve poured 30 quadrillion Unicreds into their Helios Array project, which is operating at an astonishing 400%.

They’re experimenting with a new type of nuclear fusion and are throwing trillions into this endeavor each month while making some progress."

"Damn! The wealthy really are reckless with their money!" Arthur exclaimed dramatically.

He felt a pang of envy; when would it be his turn to casually toss hundreds of trillions of Unicreds into groundbreaking experiments?

Shaking off those thoughts, he began pacing before the giant screen again and asked, "What about the political angle?"

"The Panterra Energy Regulatory Commission is riddled with corruption," Evolon stated, his digital voice steady. "My analysis reveals that a staggering 20% of commissioners accepted bribes just in the past fiscal year.

But let me tell you, the consequences for getting caught are... dire.

Just last month, one commissioner who took payments from both NexCorp and Nyx was discovered floating in the Bay of Sighs, his nervous system extracted."

Arthur halted mid-pace, shock evident on his face. "Holy crap! That’s brutal!"

"Extremely," Evolon agreed. "This isn’t like acquiring media companies or pharmaceutical firms; the energy sector is where nations rise and fall. The players here aren’t just after profit,they seek absolute control."

For a long moment, Arthur stared at the streaming data, his mind racing through potential outcomes and implications.

The rewards were astronomical, control over energy meant control over everything.

Factories couldn’t operate without power, cities would plunge into darkness without supply, and wars could hinge on who commanded the flow of energy credits.

But then there were the risks...

He had faced danger before, but this felt different.

This wasn’t merely competing with corporations; it was about challenging entities wielding near-sovereign power.

The energy magnates of Panterra were kings in all but name, equipped with private armies and intelligence networks rivaling those of small nations.

And as for him? His influence was like a firefly compared to those titans at the top.

"Evolon," Arthur finally said, his voice low and measured. "What are our chances if we decide to dive into this?"

Evolon paused for three seconds as simulations whirred through its circuits. "Based on current parameters and accounting for all known variables... we have a 9% chance of successful market penetration within five years. There’s a 51.9% chance of catastrophic financial loss and a 40.1% chance of physical retaliation against you or Osborn assets."