Chapter 2: The Orders

Charlie stood tall on the balcony, his eyes sweeping over the city below where the army moved decisively into houses, carrying out investigations and removing those caught in corruption’s grasp without hesitation.

“We must do this—no matter the cost,” he said, the steel in his voice cutting through the late afternoon haze. “We need to purge this country of its rot.”

He turned away from the window and caught sight of Varin lingering nearby, his face marked by hesitation.

“Sir...” Varin began, his voice cautious, “about the factories. This decision—it might backfire.”

Charlie chuckled softly, a sound rich with dark amusement. He sauntered over to the couch and sank down, then motioned with his hand to the empty chair across from him.

“I’m fine standing,” Varin replied with a slight smile, refusing the offer.

“Suit yourself,” Charlie said with a faint grin, eyes fixed on Varin as he leaned forward slightly, his tone sincere but commanding. “Tell me, what do the people need most right now?”

Varin's brow furrowed in thought. “Food... and health care.”

Charlie nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering. “Good. Now listen—we’ll give them a salary. Food. A bed to sleep in.”

Varin pursed his lips, weighing the weight of the promise. “That’s going to cost a lot, sir.”

Charlie’s smile deepened, eyes locking with Varin’s. “Think about it. If we shut down these factories, what will we lose?”

“About five hundred million dollars, sir,” Varin answered, the hesitation still there.

“And how much would it cost to actually take care of our people?” Charlie asked, voice calm but insistent.

“Thirty dollars a month per person,” Varin replied, beginning to understand where this was headed.

“And how many people do we have?”

“Just under three hundred thousand.”

Charlie’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest. “Multiply that.”

Varin worked the numbers silently, then answered. “Around nine million dollars a month, sir.”

Charlie nodded, eyes glittering with the spark of a plan. “So listen, Varin. One hundred million dollars a year—that’s all we need to give our people a comfortable life. And we still have exports worth over eight hundred million.”

Varin’s eyes widened as understanding dawned. “Sir... that’s a massive shift... but won’t giving them so much without work make them lazy?”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Charlie said softly, leaning back, a hint of a smile curling his lips. “Because we’re going to change the game.”

Varin blinked. “Change how, sir?”

Charlie’s gaze sharpened, a fire lighting within. “I want you to arrange a meeting—with those who handle silicon, glass, laboratories, batteries... the people who manage silver and copper.”

Varin’s confusion deepened. “Sir... are you saying you want to take over these companies now?”

Charlie shook his head emphatically. “No. Not just a few. The whole lot. Every company in this country.”

Varin swallowed hard, voice barely above a whisper. “Sir, if you do that... they’ll have no choice but to leave. That could work in our favor.”

Charlie smiled grimly. “Exactly. Now get them here. No late arrivals.”

“Yes, sir.” Varin turned and strode out, his footsteps echoing with urgency.

Charlie’s eyes drifted to the glass full of pens on the table and the pad beside it. He walked over and picked them up, then settled onto the couch, the weight of responsibility settling comfortably on his shoulders. With careful strokes, he began to write.

In the far reaches of the world, the United States reigned as a monopoly. Yet fear gnawed at the global heart—fear of pollution, of overpopulation. Myths spread like wildfire, whispering of apocalypse and doom. But on the horizon, as 2015 approached, a new monopoly emerged—China, powered by the promise of clean energy.

Solar power—the beacon for China and India, though still bound by limitations.

Here, however, desperation gripped the people. Survival was the only goal. If Charlie could ensure they had proper food, enough money for daily needs, this country could rise.

A superpower in five years.

Five years—the time any nation needs to claim greatness—if free of corruption, political strife, and internal decay.

Solar energy would reduce imports, produce abundant power, fuel advanced machinery, and create jobs—while cleaning the air.

And they had the resources: rare earth metals abundant yet wasted. Except the coasts remained poisoned, haunted by the scars of tsunamis.

Factory owners fed their workers minimal rations, paid a paltry forty dollars for twelve hours of labor.

Now, Charlie began to document his plan to change everything. The future pressed in on him—bright and unyielding.

He noted the country’s workforce:

Factory and industrial workers: approximately 60,000

Drivers and laborers: around 100,000

Unemployed: about 83,000

Self-employed: roughly 20,000

He grimaced, muttering under his breath, “What are those unemployed doing to deserve being idle?”

He drafted a harsh truth:

“Because of this move, at least 30,000 men might die. Seventy thousand will lose their jobs from these filthy factories."

He paused, then inked his solution: "We’ll reassign most of them as construction workers for new industries—leaving about 30,000 employed in less polluting factories.”

He studied his work, then nodded, determination reflecting in his eyes. “This is the best course, given the timeline.”

Hours later, Charlie sat before the men he had summoned. Their faces were drawn, eyes wide with fear, trembling with uncertainty. They had witnessed the bloody purge in the capital.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Charlie began steadily. “But you must hand over your industries to me.”

Their surprise was palpable, the tension hanging thick in the room.

“But,” he continued, locking eyes with each of them, “you will receive five million dollars a year for managing these companies.”

Faces shifted from fear to guarded hope.

“But let me be clear,” Charlie warned, voice steel-hard, “any corruption, any betrayal—will be your last day.”

Silence followed.

They all nodded in agreement and handed over the documents detailing their companies.

After accepting an advance payment of one million dollars as salary, they left. Charlie remained seated, engrossed in the documents, his pen racing across the pad.

“Varin,” he called.

The steward appeared promptly.

“The displaced workers will become construction laborers for these new industries. We need to scale up quickly,” Charlie instructed, hands steady.

Varin scanned the notes. “Sir, only the silicon and laboratory segments have the formula.”

“That’s what counts,” Charlie replied. “Give it to the labs to produce in mass. Add everything they require. Calculate our spending.”

“Yes, sir.”

The hours dragged on into night.

“Sir,” Varin reported finally, “it will take about 250 million dollars to execute all this.”

Charlie nodded, his face unreadable. “Approve it. Move fast. And tell me when the army’s mass attest finishes. We must know the real strength.”

“Understood, sir.” Varin bowed and left.

Charlie picked up the phone, determination etched into every line of his face.

“Hello, is this the PA for the robotics industry?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“We want to send funds for nanotech robots, robotic hands, automation…”

A long list poured from his lips.

“There’s a huge cost, sir, and it’ll take at least a month to prepare.”

“That’s acceptable. Quote me the price. Arrange the contract. We move fast.”

After a pause came the reply:

“Who’s this?”

“I’m from the country of Suriya. We need your tech. We want to start an industry.”

“As long as you pay, we’ll send it.”

“Send the contract or export it here,” Charlie said firmly. “You will receive advance in one hour and full payment upon delivery.”

“We’ll dispatch everything within three days.”

Charlie hung up, a faint smile playing at his lips.

“I knew I could rely on Japan,” he murmured.

“But this will cost nearly seven hundred million dollars for the robots and extras.”

He stood, walking to the balcony, eyes fixed on the city where factory smoke had already ceased rising.

“Things are getting interesting,” he said softly, voice low.

Just one day after rebirth, and the future was already shifting beneath his feet.

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