The Tycoon's Odyssey-Chapter 443 : 443

No one responded. A few nodded hesitantly. Others shifted in their seats, uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

Evan let out a quiet scoff. "Cowards."

He stepped forward, slowly circling the grand table where the most powerful figures of the world sat.

"For years, you have played your little games—war, corruption, economic manipulation. You have treated billions of lives like disposable pawns on your chessboard. But today…" He stopped, turning to face them.

"Your game is over."

The silence that followed was suffocating. Some leaders sat frozen in their seats, too afraid to even move. Others exchanged uneasy glances, whispering among themselves.

Zhao, still rubbing his temples from stress, finally found his voice.

"And what exactly do you plan to do, Evan?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Evan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned to Aurora, who tapped her tablet, bringing up a massive holographic display in the center of the room.

The screen flickered to life, revealing detailed reports, classified documents, and damning evidence against nearly every person in the room—war crimes, bribery, human trafficking, illegal arms deals. The sins of nearly every person in the room lay bare.

The room erupted with ripples of murmurs and gasps. Some people paled. Others clenched their fists, their bodies tensing.

Malcolm leaned forward, scanning the reports before letting out a bitter chuckle. "So that's how you're playing this."

Evan's gaze snapped to him. "I don't play games, Malcolm. Unlike you."

A tense silence followed.

Viktor, who had been calmly sipping his wine earlier, finally set his glass down with a quiet clink. "So… what happens now?"

Evan let the question hang in the air before answering.

"Now, I decide which of you deserve to walk out of this room alive."

A wave of tension rippled through the assembly. Some leaders immediately shot to their feet in protest.

"This is madness!" a European delegate shouted. "You have no right—"

Before he could finish, one of Evan's guards raised a silenced pistol and fired.

Pfft!

The man slumped back in his chair, a neat hole between his eyes.

The room froze.

A few leaders let out strangled gasps. Others sat in stunned silence, their knuckles turning white as they gripped the arms of their chairs.

Evan remained unfazed. "Anyone else?"

No one spoke.

Zhao inhaled deeply, choosing his next words carefully. "So… you're going to kill anyone who doesn't agree with you?"

Evan smirked. "Not necessarily. Some of you still have a purpose."

He gestured toward the holographic display, and a new list appeared—names categorized into three categories:

Expendable – These were the ones who had committed the worst atrocities. Their fates were already sealed.

Useful – Leaders and businessmen who, while corrupt, had enough intelligence and resources to be considered valuable under the new management.

Neutralized – Those whose power had already been stripped away, making them harmless and totally innocent.

Malcolm glanced at the list, searching for his own name. When he found it under "Useful," he let out a slow breath of relief. Zhao, too, found himself in the same category.

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But not everyone was so lucky.

From the other side of the table, a Middle Eastern leader slammed his fists against the table.

"You think you can judge us? You are nothing but a tyrant!"

Evan's expression didn't change. He simply nodded to his guards.

Within seconds, the man was yanked out of his chair, screaming in protest. The doors opened briefly, and he was dragged outside.

Then—

A single gunshot.

And silence.

The remaining leaders sat motionless, their breathing shallow.

They now understood the reality of their situation.

This was no room for negotiation.

This was a purge.

Evan stepped forward once more, his voice quiet but absolute.

"This world has rotted under your leadership for too long. Today, I will begin cleaning up the filth."

His eyes swept across the room, taking in the terror on their faces.

"Some of you will live. Some of you will not. But from now on, the world will no longer be ruled by corrupt hands."

He paused before delivering his final words.

"It will be ruled by me."

The air inside the Federation Hall was thick with tension. Every breath felt heavy, and a creeping sense of dread settled over the room.

Some leaders had already gripped the arms of their chairs so tightly that their knuckles had turned white. Others, in a moment of pure instinct, had half-risen from their seats, their eyes darting towards the massive doors as if contemplating an escape.

A few even clenched their teeth, screaming internally, cursing Evan, calling him a devil, a tyrant, and regretting every decision that had led them to this moment.

Then Evan chuckled.

It wasn't loud or mocking. It was calm, deliberate. And somehow, even more terrifying than his threats.

"Okay, okay… calm down," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "That was just a joke."

He let the tension stretch for another heartbeat before adding.

"The one who was dragged out isn't dead, but he will be imprisoned."

There was a pause.

Then, a brief moment of silence reigned before the entire room erupted in disbelief.

"What?"

"For real?"

Gasps filled the hall as the weight of Evan's words settled in. Everyone exhaled the breath they hadn't realized they'd been holding. A few laughed nervously, but their hands still trembled. Even as the tension eased slightly, no one dared to relax completely.

Murmurs spread like wildfire. Some leaders turned to their peers, whispering in hushed, urgent tones, their expressions twisted in a mix of anger and reluctant relief.

Evan let them murmur for a while before slamming his palm against the table. The sharp crack echoed throughout the chamber.

"Silence!"

The murmurs stopped immediately. The entire room sat frozen in their seats, their fear still palpable.

Evan's gaze swept the room before he spoke again. This time, his tone was neither playful nor threatening—it was resolute.

"Now, coming onto the true agenda."

His voice was firm, unwavering, carrying the weight of someone who wasn't just speaking empty words but delivering a verdict that would shape the future.

"We belong to Earth," he began, his cold eyes scanning the room. "Not to some imaginary lines drawn on a map."

Silence hung heavy in the air.

"For too long, we have divided ourselves into nations, borders, territories. We have waged wars, spilled blood, and created countless conflicts over these imaginary separations. We have allowed patriotism to blind us, to make us believe that our country matters more than the planet that sustains us. But let me ask you this—what good is a nation if the world it stands on is burning?"

The words hit hard. Even the most stubborn leaders found themselves unable to refute his statement.

"Our people—your people—have been forced into wars they never wanted to fight, into conflicts that never truly benefited them. Governments have used nationalism to turn brother against brother, to keep power in the hands of the few while the many suffer. For centuries, we have pretended that these divisions are necessary. Without them, we would crumble. But that's a lie."

Evan leaned forward, placing both his hands on the table.

"We are humans first. Not Americans, not Chinese, not Russians, not Europeans. Just humans. And it is time we start acting like it."

There was no applause. No immediate response. The weight of his words hung in the air, pressing down on everyone.

Evan then continued, his voice steady.

"It's time to erase these identities that have caused nothing but division and destruction. It's time to move forward—as one."

Silence.

Then, slowly, hesitantly, someone clapped. A few others followed, and soon, most of the room was clapping.

But Evan could see through them.

The applause wasn't entirely sincere. Some clapped because they agreed, but many did it out of fear, out of necessity. It was a facade, a show to stay on his good side.

Evan let them clap for a moment before raising his hand.

"Now, onto a serious note."

The clapping died at once.

Aurora, standing beside him, snapped her fingers, and a massive screen materialized in the center of the hall. A list of declarations appeared, glowing in bright white letters.

The words on the screen sent a ripple of shock through the crowd as Aurora began reading.

"From this moment onward, all world borders will be dismantled."

A murmur of disbelief ran through the room. Some leaned forward, their eyes wide.

"All countries will be restructured into zones and regions."

"Just as a mayor governs a town, the current presidents and prime ministers of each region will govern their assigned zones."

"For better governance, smaller nations will be combined into larger administrative regions."

"The entire world will be governed under the authority of the Federation President."

"The people will elect their regional President, while the Federation President will be elected partially by the people and partially by Federation members."

"All armed forces will belong to the Federation. Individual militaries will be disbanded and merged into a single global force. A new security force will be established to maintain law and order, acting as both a police and minor military unit under the Federation President's direct rule."

"A new global constitution will be written to align with these changes and ensure a fair and just governance system."

"Once governance is stabilized, internal matters such as economy, development, and law enforcement will be addressed accordingly."

The room fell into absolute silence.

No one could speak. No one knew what to say.

The weight of these declarations was immense.

For centuries, world leaders had fought wars, signed treaties, and brokered alliances to maintain power within their borders. And now, in a single moment, everything they had built was being erased.

Evan watched their faces carefully. Some were in shock, some in disbelief. Others were already calculating how they could turn this to their advantage.

Then, finally, someone raised their hand.

Evan's gaze snapped towards them. His expression darkened.

"I don't have any problem answering your queries," he said, his voice slow and deliberate. "But if any of you raise your hand to say I object… you better take it back."

He leaned slightly forward, his tone turning menacing.

"Because if you do, I will personally rip that hand off and slap you with it."

The man who had raised his hand swallowed hard. His fingers trembled slightly before he slowly—very slowly—lowered it back down.

Evan smirked.

"Good."

No one else dared to raise their hand.

The weight of what had just been announced began to settle into the minds of everyone in the room.

They weren't just witnessing a change in governance. They were witnessing the complete restructuring of the world as they knew it.

Some looked at each other, exchanging uneasy glances. Others clenched their fists, realizing that they had no choice but to go along with it.

One way or another, the world had started to change forever.