5 hours later.
After five hours of non-stop driving, he finally arrived at his home.
"Good afternoon," he greeted Donald, the head of his security detail who was on duty at the house that day, as he stepped out of the car.
"Good afternoon, Sir Aron. Welcome back," Donald greeted with a smile on his face, expressing his warm welcome to Aron.
"Did any issues arise while we were away?" he asked.
"No, sir. Thankfully, nothing of that sort occurred," Donald reported back, reassuring Aron that there were no notable issues during his absence.
"Okay then, have a good day," Aron said, bidding farewell to Donald as he entered the house for the first time in two months.
After stowing his belongings in the basement, he made his way to the bathroom, where he refreshed himself with a thorough wash.
Following that, he prepared a delicious omelet, sat down to enjoy his meal, and then retired to his room for some much-needed rest. It would be the first time in a very long while that he could sleep peacefully, free from the burdens and pressures of his recent endeavors.
...…
Eden.
"How many new members did our group gain this month?" Alexander asked his assistant about the number of new members in his groups.
"We have gained over fifty thousand new members, sir. If this trend continues, we can expect to have more than half a million members in the next few months," his assistant replied, brimming with excitement in his voice.
"It is surprising that we haven't caught Adolf's attention yet," Alexander remarked, placing his hand on his chin as he contemplated the matter.
"The program you provided us with seems remarkably effective in erasing any traces if a member is suspected of being a traitor. Where did you commission such a program?" his assistant asked curiously.
"I commissioned it during my visit to America for the leaders' meeting a few months ago," Alexander replied, though his response lacked definitive details.
"But sir, why are we not planning any large demonstrations even after gaining such a substantial number of new members? Holding such events could elevate our standing in the eyes of other revolutionary groups," his assistant asked, expressing his curiosity about the absence of efforts to elevate their group's position.
"Not at the moment. We need to further increase our numbers so that when we do plan something, it will be on a grand scale that cannot be ignored," Alexander replied, sharing his reason with his assistant. However, he concealed the fact that when the demonstration would eventually take place, it would mark both the first and last gathering of their group, as on that day, there would be no dictator left to protest against, as the dictator would either be imprisoned or deceased.
"Another reason is that with the significant influx of new members, our funds are depleting rapidly. Therefore, I am currently exploring ways to secure additional funding to support a large-scale protest," he added, emphasizing the need to address their financial constraints before organizing such an event.
"Yes, sir," his assistant nodded, bidding him farewell before returning to his office to resume his work.
When Alexander found himself alone, he retrieved his phone and dialed Aron's phone number.
[Hello] A female voice was heard on the other side of the phone.
"Hello," Alexander greeted, recognizing the female voice on the other end of the line belonging to someone he had spoken to on several occasions in the past months.
"May I speak with Sir Aron, please?" Alexander asked respectfully, no pride or superiority could be felt in his tone at all.
[That would be difficult as he is currently resting. However, you can share with me what you would have asked him, and I will make sure to forward your message to him,] Nova responded on Aron's behalf.
"Alright then, what I actually wanted to discuss with him is the possibility of obtaining additional financial support. Considering the large influx of new members we have experienced." Alexander explained his intention to ask Aron for more funding.
[Sure, consider it taken care of,] Nova promptly responded without any hesitation.
"Thanks," he expressed his gratitude, but in his mind, he couldn't help but think, 'That was too easy. She didn't even ask about the approximate amount we might need, the number of new members, or what we were planning to use the money for.'
[Is there anything else?] Nova asked, inquiring if there were any additional requests or matters to address.
"Could you please provide me with more information about the timing and execution strategy of the plan?" Alexander inquired. He expressed his desire to acquire additional details in order to incorporate them into his future planning, as he had been given only a few key points and lacked a comprehensive understanding of the entire plan.
[The plan will be sent to your computers by evening or even tonight. I recommend that you read it together with all the city leaders under your command, as they need to be informed and involved in order to make their strategic moves accordingly,] Nova explained to Alexander.
"Yes, miss. Then I wish you a good day," Alexander bid her farewell and waited for the person on the other side to end the call as a sign of respect, acknowledging the power dynamics at play.
[Have a good day,] Nova bid him farewell and ended the call.
Alexander returned to continue his work, but within five minutes, he heard a notification sound from his computer.
Without wasting any time, he opened the notification and was surprised to see that it was a bank transfer confirmation.
"Some people are way too rich," he murmured in awe as he observed the substantial sum of 55 million dollars that had been transferred into his account from multiple sources, strategically done to bypass any security measures.
When he had made the request for funding and received immediate approval without any questions asked, Alexander had anticipated a modest amount, perhaps no more than one million dollars, which would have sufficed to support their operations until the crucial day of the uprising.
However, the unexpected transfer of 55 million dollars signaled something far greater. It became evident that this substantial sum encompassed not only their immediate needs but also the budget allocated for the entire uprising itself.
The realization left Alexander both amazed and daunted by the scale of resources now at their disposal.
However, Alexander couldn't help but feel that the allocated amount of 55 million dollars was an overkill. Based on his own simplistic calculations, he believed that they would require no more than ten million to achieve their objectives.
This left him curious and intrigued about the intended use of the remaining funds. Knowing Aron's meticulous nature, he understood that every cent had been carefully allocated with a specific purpose in mind.
As he contemplated the possibilities, Alexander couldn't help but wonder what grand plans lay ahead, waiting to be executed with the remaining budget.
"Seems like the spending plan will be sent alongside the main plan in the evening," Alexander mused to himself, realizing that he would have to wait for the official documentation before making any assumptions or guesses. With that in mind, he decided to shift his focus away from speculation and patiently await the comprehensive plan and spending details that would be provided later in the day.
...
After a few hours of rest, Aron woke up feeling refreshed. He proceeded to freshen up by washing himself, and then enjoyed a light meal to energize himself. With his mind clear and ready for action, he headed straight to the basement to continue his work.
"Login," Aron commanded as he laid down on his makeshift bed and put on the helmet
[Welcome, sir,] Nova greeted him as he passed through the gate, entering the universal simulation.
"Thanks. Did anything happen while I was sleeping?" he asked, curious if there were any significant events during his rest.
[Yes, sir. Alexander called, requesting funds to support his group and expressing his desire to review the unredacted plan for the revolution. He wants to start planning ahead of time and avoid any counterproductive actions due to a lack of knowledge about our complete plan,] Nova reported.
"What did you do?" Aron asked about Nova's actions.
Nova replied, [For the funding problem, I sent him fifty-five million dollars. As for the unredacted plan, I informed him that it would be sent to him by night.]
"Good," Aron responded. "Send him the report since we have already vetted everyone within the leadership and removed any individuals who pose a risk of betrayal. There is nothing to worry about."
[Yes, I have just forwarded the plan to him. All the leaders have already gathered in an office, and for those unable to attend physically, they are participating via a conference call in an isolated room,] Nova reported, providing information based on what she saw from the cameras and heard from the microphones of the attending members' devices.
"Now, let's take a look at their reactions," Aron said as he settled into the chair that Nova had prepared for him.
[Yes, sir,] Nova agreed. She created a large projection in front of Aron and then established a time bubble around them, synchronizing the time within the bubble to match real-world time. This was necessary because watching the video within the accelerated universal simulation would have resulted in significant lag. As time in the simulation was five times faster than real-world time, watching a one-minute video would have required them to wait five minutes in the simulation. By aligning the time within the bubble with real-world time, they could watch the video without any delays or time discrepancies.
