The Underestimated Genius

Chapter 3

“Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, Mr. Maratha. I am Vinod, the secretary of Rohan, who is the chairman of Maratha Industries and also your brother, Sir.”

Immediately the words left his lips, Arjun immediately understood. The family that has turned against him in the past suddenly wants him back? When Vinod had mentioned Maratha industries, he was still in shock as he didn’t process immediately that it was his family. The family whom he has seated hatred for.

“I don’t care. Maratha Industries could burn in hell for all I care.” He started to walk away but Vinod rushed after him even though he was older, the man was quite energetic. “Please, sir. Mr. Rohan only wants to have a talk with you. You are our last hope.”

“I said, I don’t care!” Arjun spelt out as he made to walk away again but Vinod blocked his path.

“I will call the cops on you.” Arjun threatened. He knew that was him being foolish because he was no match for Maratha Industries alone.

“Your mother needs surgery, right?” Vinod asked.

“How do you know that?”

“We have been trying to track you for a very long time. But it seemed like you disappeared into the air. We were able to track you when we saw the news about your….” The man didn’t finish his statement lest he made Arjun more angry.

Arjun shoved his hand through his hair. His mother could die any minute. These people were his only hope. Even with what they’ve done to him in the past, he needed the funds.

“Pay for my mother’s surgery and I will meet Rohan as you’ve requested. But only for five minutes.” Arjun said with a stoic expression as Vinod's eyes widened in happiness.

“Sure sir!” He said immediately. “I will go settle her bills and drive you to the mansion afterwards.” He quickly added.

*************

“How dare you barge into my life suddenly like you can?” Arjun immediately asked when he entered the living room Vinod ushered him into.

The place had not changed. The exquisite furnitures his late stepmother took time to adorn the room with. This was the Maratha mansion where he was born, and where he had experienced his first rejection.

“You shouldn’t be like this, brother,” Rohan walked up to Arjun.

“Stepbrother,” Arjun corrected as he stared at the self-made Chairman of Maratha Industries. The position that should have been his if he and his shrewd mother hadn’t played dirty in the past.

“Fine,” Rohan agreed with so much difficulty as if he ever liked Arjun in the past.

“Why did you ask for me when you and your mother painstakingly got my father to chase me out of the family? Ugh?” Arjun asked with a cocky tone.

“We need you,” Rohan said, not moved by the manner Arjun spoke to him. He had a more pressing issue than bickering about the past.

“Oh really?” Arjun asked in a mocking tone.

“Maratha Robotics, which is the backbone of Maratha Industries, is at the verge of collapse,” he finally said as Arjun kept quiet, waiting for him to continue.

“Nexumcore, which is the reason why Maratha Robotics is a world-renowned company, has a technical glitch which only you can fix because you are its creator, Arjun,” Rohan finally concluded.

Arjun wasn’t sure how to feel at that point.

Nexumcore was created by him when he was 16. That was how smart he was. Nexumcore was his late mother’s dream. An advanced superhuman AI which can serve as a controlling unit for different AI. Its way of working was different and top-notch from other AIs. That was why all the AI companies, home and abroad, had their technology connected to Nexumcore. That was how influential the Superhuman AI was. This has made Maratha Robotics the top AI company in the world.

“I know I made a grave mistake in the past for claiming I had created Nexumcore and getting father to chase you out of the house by slandering you,” Rohan started again.

“But Nexumcore needs you. You are its master. If you abandon it like this, will you okay?” His expression almost gave off as someone who was truly worried about Arjun’s feeling. If Arjun didn’t know him better, he would have believed his sugar-coated words.

“Nonsense. You meant that you need me. If Maratha Robotics goes down because of Nexumcore, you will become nothing, Rohan,” Arjun reiterated the point as Rohan pressed his lips.

“Yes,” he accepted, which shocked Arjun. He has never seen Rohan so calm like this in the past. He was known to throw all sorts of tantrums which would always land him in trouble. His dead father would always take Rohan’s side, blinded with love for his new wife.

“So please….” He joined his palms together to beg. “Help me, Arjun.”

Arjun stared at him for a while. He hadn’t imagined that a day like that would come. A day Rohan would desperately seek his help.

Then a thought struck him at that moment. He would not gain much if he said no. Nexumcore was his first creation. He was deeply attached to it that when it was stolen away from him, he became sick for days. It was the only thing that made him feel like his late mother was close to him. Now, he has the chance to have it back. And also the chance at revenge.

“Sure,” Arjun said as Rohan’s eyes widened in shock. “Really?” he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Arjun nodded and walked to sit on a one-seater couch and crossed his legs.

“But that will be on one condition.” Arjun stared at him like a king who was about to give his subject a command.

“Anything you want, Arjun,” Rohan immediately accepted.

“Really?” Arjun asked with an incredulous smile creeping his lips. “Okay then. Don’t go back on your words or I will get really angry, Rohan.” He feigned a pout as Rohan nodded.

“I will become the new chairman of Maratha Industries,” Arjun said as Rohan’s has dropped.

Rohan knew that Arjun has never been interested in taking over the company when they were kids. Arjun enjoyed a secluded life, creating robots in his own world. But Rohan and his mother were paranoid.

Arjun was smart and intelligent, and the most fit person for Maratha Industries. They feared his father would give him the company based on those reasons, so they had to make a way to make it look like Arjun was a fraud and Rohan was the real one.

“You don’t like my condition, no?” Arjun arched a brow at Rohan, whose face has suddenly become pale while Arjun watched him with pure relish in his heart. This was the sweetest revenge ever.