The threat of a nuclear bomb going off right above the ground terrified the scientists from Kronos Tech, but Alex remained unmoved.“I knew you were a cunning fox, Commander. But I came in prepared this time!” Raul rasped, seething with hate and malice. “One press on this button, and your whole world will come crashing down. And this time, you won’t be able to cheat death like before. This nuke will irradiate everything in a ten-mile radius!”“Don’t be stupid, Raul,” Sven cut in from behind. “You are going to die as well when that bomb goes off!”“I know that, but it doesn’t bother me!” Raul snapped back, staring daggers at him. “You two might have sold yourself out to the Commander. But I am different. I won’t allow him to have the last laugh even if it means dying with you all!”“You are not thinking clearly,” Basher joined in. “We can negotiate and work something out. Commander Payne is a forgiving man. Just talk to him.”The compliments about Alex only added fuel to the fire, makin

Reviving Alexandria’s forgotten nuclear program was a bold move, but getting the Peacekeepers involved in it was even bolder.With his godlike powers restored by the serum, Alex was ready to take things up a notch and focus on re-arming the nation.However, times had changed now.Three years ago, Xander Payne was a celebrated hero whose name inspired millions, but Alexandria had slowly forgotten him, and his name was nothing more than an urban legend now.Alex knew he couldn’t just reveal his identity to the public and expect them to believe him, but even if they did, the unravelling would attract more enemies than he was prepared to handle.Thus, even though Captain Williams was eager to retaliate against Valheim and reclaim Alexandria’s lost glory, Alex wasn’t ready to rush things.“I guess we are on the war path again. This time, we will thrash those Valheim bastards and drive them out of our lands!” The Captain exclaimed in an impassioned voice, ready to take the bull by the horns.

Storming out of the Gentleman’s Club, with Henry still cursing him from the library, Alex got back in his car and set it on auto-drive, setting the destination to Rachel Dawson’s house on Brookfield Boulevard.Taking his hands off the wheel, Alex called Godrick.“Are you free now, Godrick? Could you do some digging for me?”“Of course, I can. What do you need, Commander?”“Do you remember, Henry Pietersen?” Alex asked. “I need a detailed list of all his assets and investments. Also, trace his family tree and see who all are involved in his oil and construction business.”“Give me a few hours, and I’ll send you all the data.”Next, Alex called up the retired spy whose life he had spared just the other day.“Luciano, you promised to help me whenever I called for you. Are you ready to honor your word?”“Of course, Commander. Just tell me what you need from me!”“Then listen carefully. Your target is Henry. J. Pietersen, the rich oil tycoon. He has suddenly taken an interest in Glenmonte.

Alex had already done everything in his power to transform Phillip into a whole different person, and with the liquid cash pumped into his account, he didn’t just look the part, but had the resources at his disposal as well.However, to sell this lie, the city needed to know who Phil Larson was.And to achieve the desired outcome, Alex used all his media contacts to hype the new company named Larson Petro Corp.Within the next two days, Henry Lorenzo Palmer used his connections to set up 20 gas stations, 30 warehouses, 15 pipeline hubs, and 40 retail stores, building a network for this new company to bring it into the limelight.The official approvals were settled in 24 hours, and Larson’s products were soon flying off the shelves due to the aggressive discounts and promos.The entire marketing campaign soon caught the attention of the top oil dealers across Glenmonte, and the media pitched in as well, further hyping the company.Soon, Larson became the new face of the oil and gas mark

Alex’s move of using Phillip as a pawn had worked perfectly so far.The elaborate setup and subsequent media publicity had done wonders for Phillip, establishing Larson Petro Corp as a new giant on the market.And this clever plan had lured Henry Pietersen into the trap, allowing Phillip to strike a deal that would help him get as close to Henry as Alex wanted.The formalities were completed in a day, and soon their partnership was announced to the public, further encouraging both consumers and investors.***In a remote mansion located far outside Glenmonte, Alex met up with Phillip right after the news of the partnership went public.“Well done, Phillip. You have laid the foundations for a very crucial friendship,” Alex said, patting Phillip on his shoulder.“It wasn’t easy. But I somehow managed to pull the wool over Henry’s eyes, all thanks to my Guardian Angel,” Phillips replied.“Godrick is a trustworthy fellow. He has never let me down,” Alex replied. “But we are not done yet.”