The cold night air hung heavy over the campus courtyard. Blue warning lights flashed against the stone walls as municipal trucks idled near the laboratory entrance.Bailiffs were carrying out heavy silver server cases, setting them carelessly onto the damp wooden flatbeds.Chief Miller stood by the open truck tailgate, sipping coffee from a paper cup. He looked smug and satisfied. The cold wind didn't bother him because his pocket was heavy with Eleanor Peterson’s cash."Careful with that one, boys," Miller called out lazily, waving his hand at a bailiff carrying a micro-chip cooling unit. "If it breaks, the kid can just buy another one with his fake billions."The junior bailiffs laughed loudly, their boots crunching against the gravel.Director Marsh stood near the stone bench, wringing his hands in total agony. Sweat stood out on his forehead despite the freezing wind."Nicholas, look at them," Marsh pleaded, his voice trembling with deep pain and helplessness. "They are damaging t

"The summit is tomorrow morning in the capital city," Marsh started speaking again, his voice laced with pure dread. "A private jet leaves from the regional airport at midnight. If you aren't on it, they will flag your accounts by dawn."Nicholas leaned back in his leather chair, casually twirling a black pen between his fingers. He didn't even glance at the gold envelope."I'm not going," Nicholas said flatly.Marsh gasped, stepping back so fast he nearly bumped into a server rack. "You're... you're ignoring a direct summons from the Council of Patriarchs? Nicholas, those people control national clearinghouses! They can freeze your wire transfers with one phone call!""They want me in the capital because that's where Eleanor has home-field advantage," Nicholas replied, his tone entirely calm. "She wants to drag me into a national political circus before I even finish my senior year. I have three weeks until graduation. I'm staying right here."Marsh swallowed hard, rubbing the back o

Dr. Johnson flipped through the blue folder on his cluttered desk."The topic is sharp," Johnson said, his raspy voice filled with rare approval. "But you need to listen to me, Nicholas. Eleanor’s allies control the Academic Standards Committee."Nicholas pulled a chair forward and sat down. "What will they do?""They can't beat you on intelligence, so they will use technical tricks," Johnson warned, his eyes narrowing behind thick glasses. "They will try to throw your preliminary review out on a procedural error before you even open your mouth.""Then I won't give them a grand target," Nicholas said smoothly. "No corporate strategies. No high-tech defense papers.""Good," Johnson nodded, a thin smile appearing on his wrinkled face. "Write on local municipal economic restructuring. Ground it in cold, hard numbers. Make it impossible to attack on merit."Three days later, the morning sun hit the tall glass windows of the Academic Standards Boardroom.Inside, the air was thick with tens

The floorboards in Unit 402 vibrated constantly as heavy industrial drills rattled the ceiling below.Director Marsh stood in the center of the living room, holding a soft silk handkerchief over his nose to block the fine white drywall dust floating through the air. His face was flushed red with sheer outrage."This is unbearable, Nicholas!" Marsh shouted over the deafening mechanical screech. "They've been drilling since five o'clock yesterday afternoon! You can't even read a single page of your thesis in this zoo!"Nicholas sat at his wooden desk, calmly reviewing a stack of printed economic charts. He didn't look up, though his hand tightened slightly around his pen."It's just background noise, Marsh," Nicholas said, his tone entirely even."Background noise?" Marsh yelled, taking a step closer and gesturing wildly at the vibrating walls. "It's torture! Eleanor bought the management firm specifically to drive you insane! Pack your bags right now. Orion Technologies owns a five-sta