"If you're aware of someone attempting to assist you, then it means that you were the one who exposed the dirt on Rottem, right?" Felix asked, wearing a smile as he recalled how the news about Rottem had been made public.
"Yes, I thought you were already aware of that," Aron replied.
"Assuming something and hearing it directly from you are two different things," Felix responded, indicating that although he had suspected it was Aron, it reminded an assumption as he had not received confirmation directly from him.
"I had to repay him for what he had done to me, and even go beyond that. He tried to ruin my future, and I ruined his. However, I will handle things differently from him," Aron stated in a neutral tone.
"How?" Felix asked, curiosity evident in his voice as he sought clarification on what Aron meant by handling things differently.
"I will ensure that he remains down. Currently, I'm waiting for him to gather himself and rise up again, only to swiftly bring him crashing back down.
It's more satisfying when you have something, only to have it taken away, and just when you've rebuilt yourself, you're struck down once more," Aron said, a sadistic smile creeping across his face as he envisioned the evidence he had prepared to strike Rottem with once he had fully recovered from the previous blow.
The smile on Aron's face sent shivers down Felix's spine, making him realize that Aron had no intention of forgiving Rottem anytime soon.
"Does Sarah know about this?" Felix asked.
"Not at the moment. I'm waiting for this plan to yield results and for the company's registration and headquarters to be moved to Eden before I brief both of you about everything," Aron replied as he leaned out of the window, his attention caught by an advertising banner.
Felix smiled upon hearing that they would be briefed in detail, relieved that he wouldn't have to rely solely on assumptions to fill in the missing pieces.
As he noticed Aron's attention being drawn to a billboard, he also took a glance to see what it was about. When he saw it, a smile formed on his face and he said, "We're still promoting the free internet offer on the roads leading to and from the airports, ensuring that those arriving in Eden are informed and can register quickly."
"By now, every Edenian with a smartphone has already switched to GAIA OS and is still enjoying the free internet," Felix said, feeling a sense of pride. However, his tone quickly turned to anger as he added, "But the dictator's aides are still pressuring us to shut it down as soon as possible. It looks like Adolf is having a stroke at the thought of the money he would have earned if it wasn't for it."
"Don't worry, they won't be bothering you for much longer," Aron said, with assurance in his tone.
"I understand," Felix replied, choosing to patiently wait until the day Aron had promised to reveal everything. He knew that the answers he sought regarding the inconsistencies in Aron's plans would be provided in due time.
During the rest of the journey, they shifted their conversation to other topics, knowing that it was necessary to change the subject or else Felix might get into an accident.
Upon their arrival at the hotel, the members of Ares wasted no time. They swiftly checked in and immediately proceeded to their assigned rooms to rest.
They had to do so in order to begin their mission tomorrow with a body full of energy.
As for Felix, he bid Aron farewell and returned to the office, as he still had some work to do. He had personally come to welcome Aron at the airport because they hadn't seen each other in a long time. If it weren't for that, he would have simply sent proxies to carry out the task, as Aron had requested.
After bidding his farewell to Felix, Aron took the elevator and proceeded to his room.
Upon entering the room, Aron placed the bag he had brought near the bed and then sat down on the bed. He reached into his pocket and took out his phone.
"Call Alexander," he said, bringing the phone to his ear and waiting for the call to connect.
Triiiiiii. Triiiiiiii. Triiiiiiiii.
"Hello," Alexander said immediately after answering the phone.
"Hello, how is everything going?" Aron asked.
"Everything is proceeding as planned, but the leadership members are causing some issues. They are insisting on an immediate meeting with you, or else they may consider betraying you once the operation is completed," Alexander explained the situation to Aron, being transparent and not concealing any details.
"I'm already in Eden and can meet with them. How about next week? I will be done with my work by then. It is better that I address their concerns sooner rather than later in case some of them decide to sabotage everything out of arrogance," Aron suggested.
"Yes, next week works. I will make sure they are ready for the meeting," Alexander replied respectfully.
"Also you don't have to worry about their opinions and I'm sure you know that we can do everything we planned without their participation. At most, it will delay the plan by a few days only" Aron reminded Alexander that only he was needed as for the remainder they were replaceable.
"I understand that, but for the next steps after the coup to proceed as smoothly as possible, we will need their support. They hold the trust of the initial members who occupy leadership positions in most of our offices. While they also trust me, if they unite and attempt to obstruct our plans, it could escalate into unnecessary violence and create temporary obstacles," Alexander responded calmly to Aron, indicating that he wasn't afraid of the dissenting members, but rather concerned about the potential bloodshed and short-term difficulties that their defiance and instigation could cause.
Hearing this, Aron nodded, satisfied with Alexander's reasoning and chosen course of action. Shortly after, he said, "Then see you on Monday next week for the meeting," bidding farewell to Alexander before ending the call.
Following the call, Aron retrieved the VR headset from the bag nearby. He positioned himself comfortably on the bed and logged in to do final checks on the plan.
[Welcome, sir,] greeted Nova as Aron passed through the gate, taking a seat on the chair that Nova had materialized for him.
"Thanks," Aron replied, taking a seat. He then asked, "Have the locations of the generals already been determined?"
[Yes, their security is practically non-existent. They are using an outdated private communication network, and currently relying on CONNECT's services just like civilians. This makes it very easy for me to know their locations and what they are up to in real-time,] Nova replied.
"Good. Show it to me," Aron said, wanting to see the locations of the generals.
Nova materialized a hologram displaying a map of Eden, with a concentration of red dots indicating the location of the generals.
"What are they doing in that building?" Aron asked, noticing the significant concentration of red dots in a single building on the map.
[They are discussing the upcoming military parade and vying for the position of leading the army inspection alongside the dictator,] Nova replied.
"Isn't it customary for the highest-ranking general to conduct the inspection alongside the country's leader?" Aron asked, expressing his surprise at the revelation that they were competing for the position.
[The previous dictator abolished that position and instead opted to have only the heads of each branch of the Military as the highest positions, in order to prevent any one individual from having complete control over the armed forces,] Nova explained, sharing the information she had gathered.
[This decision has led to heavy competition among the underfunded three branches, as they vie for the attention of the dictator in hopes of securing more funding for their branch, which will increase the amount of money they can then embezzle for their personal gain.]
"The previous dictator was indeed astute, unlike his current unintelligent son who is driven solely by greed and lacks any form of oversight," Aron remarked, recalling the information he had acquired through the private investigators he had hired.
[At the moment, the country's stability relies solely on the loyal aides that were left behind by the previous dictator to support his son before his demise,] Nova concurred, acknowledging the significance of their role in preventing the nation from descending into chaos.
"But this is good for us, as any change we bring about following the removal of Adolf is bound to be an improvement over his reign," Aron said with a smile, expressing his excitement for the future.
"Anyway, tomorrow we begin with the plan, and since they are gathered in one place, it makes it even easier than I had previously expected," Aron said, feeling relieved that they were all gathered in one place, as due to constantly traveling between one location to another for the past few months, he was on the brink of starting to hate cars.
