Chapter 76 Project Icarus
Chapter 76 Project Icarus
"Maybe it's not a Vance," a voice came over from a nearby group. "Maybe it's one of the offshore whales. Someone like Victor lee’s shadow group."
"Does it matter?" another replied. "Whoever she is, she’s already bought forty percent of the city's infrastructure. The gala isn't a party. It’s a drama."
“Sir, the room is already full. I’ve checked the guest list twice. Every major venture capitalist from the Silicon Alley to the Old Money inner circle is out there. But they aren't looking for a partner. They’re looking for a scapegoat."
"Then we’ll give them a resurrection instead," Damien snapped. Investors are like sharks, Micheal They smell blood, yes. But they also have a primal fear of missing out on a feeding frenzy. If I can convince them that the 'Empress V' emergence is actually a bubble a Vance led vanity project they’ll come crawling back to the Thorne name for stability."
“But how?" Micheal asked, his voice a frantic whisper. "The Vespera files, the fraud allegations... the market has us at 'Junk' status."
"The market has us at junk because they think I'm alone," Damien said, turning to face his assistant. He looked lethal, his eyes filled with a calculated light. "Tonight, I’m not pitching a company. I’m pitching a coup.
“I’ve spent the last four hours on secure lines with the Dubai contingent and the Tokyo shipping magnates. They don't like the Empress. She’s too unpredictable. She’s a disruptor, and in their world, disruption is just another word for a headache."
He pulled a slim, black tablet from his pocket. On the screen was a blueprint of a new, decentralized infrastructure project one that bypassed the Vance-Aegis network entirely.
"This," Damien said, tapping the screen. "Is Project Icarus. I’m going to tell the investors that the Thorne collapse was a strategic change. We let the 'Empress' take the old, bloated infrastructure debt while we moved our core assets into a dark fniber network they can't touch. I’m going to offer them a fifty percent buy in at current junk prices."
"Stay close, Micheal" he muttered out of the side of his mouth. "And keep the tablet ready. We have exactly twenty minutes before the Empress takes the stage. That’s our window."
He spotted his first target near the champagne fountain: Elias Silver the patriarch of Silver Venture Cap. A man who controlled more liquid capital than some small nations.
"Elias” Damien called out, his voice booming with a false, hearty confidence. "I see you’ve managed to survive the heat. I was worried you might have melted into your portfolio."
Silver turned, his eyes narrowing behind his gold rimmed spectacles. "Damien. Seraphina. I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you’d be busy at the courthouse, or perhaps filling out change of address forms for a prison cell."
Damien laughed, a rich, resonant sound that drew the attention of the surrounding circle. "The press does love a tragedy, doesn't it? But you of all people, Elias, should know the difference between a fire and a controlled burn."
"A controlled burn?" Silver arched a brow, intrigued despite himself. He looked at Seraphina, who gave a slow, knowing nod. "Your stock is trading for pennies, Damien. The Thorne name now nothing.
"The Thorne name is a distraction," Damien whispered, coming closer, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial register. "Think about it, Elias. Why would I let the Vances take the bridge project? Why would I let the 'Empress' load up on rusted steel and pension debt? Because while she was busy doing all that, I was clearing the books for “Project Icarus."
He signaled Micheal, who came forward and turned the tablet toward Silas.
"Look at those numbers," Damien urged. "Total decentralization. We’re moving the entire Thorne logistics wing to a blockchain backed maritime ledger. No Aegis surveillance. No Vance oversight. It’s the ultimate safe haven for capital that wants to stay... private."
Silver’s eyes went to the screen. He was a man of cold logic, and the numbers Damien was showing him fabricated as they mostly were represented a great high return on investment.
"You’re saying you wanted her to take the infrastructure?" Silver asked.
"I gave it to her," Damien lied, his eyes never blinking. "She thinks she’s winning. But by the time she realizes she’s bought a graveyard, the Thorne 2.0 IPO will be live in Tokyo. I’m looking for three anchor partners tonight. At the 'junk' entry price. By tomorrow morning, your holdings will have tripled."
It was working. He could see the wheels turning in Silver’s head. The surrounding investors men like Holloway, and Vanderbilt were leaning in, their faces shifting from pity to a ravenous curiosity.
"If this is true, Damien," Holloway interjected, "why isn't this public?"
"Because once it’s public, the entry price doubles," Damien said, a shark like grin coming cross his face. "This is the founder's Circle. I’m giving you the chance to buy the Vance Group’s executioner. But I need the commitments tonight.
"I might be interested," Silver murmured, his hand reaching for his own phone. "But I’ll need to see the encrypted backend."
"Of course," Damien said, his heart hammering against his ribs. He had them. He was minutes away from a ten billion dollar commitment that would send his stock into a vertical climb the moment the news hit the blogs.