67 Newly Minted
I entered my house with a grin on my face. This ant that Matt was in here sowhere.
I walked to the living room to see him watching TV with an opened pizza box beside him, half the slices gone.
"Welco." He said, taking a drink of his soda. "I made myself at ho." He grinned.
I flipped onto the chair beside him. "Man, I'm so fucking tired."
"Here." He pushed an unopened pizza box at . "I got you one."
"Dude, marry ."
"Fuck you."
We both laughed. I opened the box to take a slice. It was cold but it was just as delicious.
He passed my own bottle of soda and I drank, sighing in satisfaction.
"How was work?"
"Satisfying." I answered.
He turned to look at . "Satisfying? I guess that's what it ans to be the boss." He grinned.
"I guess." I laughed. "How were your classes?"
"Hell." He said. "I've got two project deadlines coming up soon."
"And you're here watching TV."
He yawned in response. "Give a break. Frankly, I deserve it."
The program he was watching ended and he began flicking through the stations.
I opened my mouth to make a joke when sothing caught my eye. "Wait!" I said, Matt glancing at . "Go back."
He clicked the remote, changing the channel back to the news channel.
At the bottom was the text that had caught my attention.
"Ransomware attack rocks Walk Shop."
The newscaster was speaking and I focused on her.
"A ransomware attack has breached the AI powerhouse revolutionizing personalized online experiences, Walk Talk, earlier today, exposing valuable custor information."
I leaned forward. This was bad.
"While the nature and scale of the attack remains unclear, early reports suggest that it includes sensitive user profiles and behavioral analytics, the very foundation of Walk Talk's personalized AI recomndations."
"The attackers, whose identities still remain unknown, have reportedly demanded a substantial ransom in exchange for stopping further leaks. Industry insiders are speculating this could have widespread consequences, with users concerned about the security of their data and the potential misuse of such targeted information."
"The fallout has also been swift. Previously valued at an impressive twenty three billion dollars, Walk Talk's stock has plumted over 28% since the attack was made public, wiping billions off its market valuation. Analysts warn that if custor trust isn't swiftly restored, the damage could be catastrophic."
They weren't wrong. If this is handled the wrong way, it could end with Walk Talk going bankrupt. With this attack, the trust placed in AI systems will reduce and the company might need to undergo significant restructuring to make it out of this alive.
"CEO Wang Tae Bin addressed the public this afternoon with a statent ant to soothe the public. Let's see what he has to say."
The channel cut to a video of Wang on a podium speaking as caras flashed constantly at him.
"We are devastated by this breach and are working tirelessly with our cybersecurity experts to contain the situation." He said. "Walk Talk has always prioritized user security and we will do everything in our power to protect the interests of our custors and stakeholders."
Cutting back to the newsroom, the newscaster continued.
"With this attack, the concerns are mounting with regulators already scrutinizing the company's cybersecurity protocols and lawsuits from affected users may soon follow."
"We'll continue to follow this story closely as it develops. For now, the industry waits to see how Walk Talk responds to this crisis and whether it can rebuild trust in its groundbreaking platform."
They moved on to other news but my mind was still on the Walk Talk story. This ant that just from this attack, Wang was now worth five billion and his company, approximately seventeen billion and it definitely wasn't going to stop there.
How much further would the company fall?
I shook my head in thought. There were definitely dark days ahead for Wang Tae Bin.
"This reminds ." Matt spoke up from where he sat. "You said you had news for . About the unlocked clause."
"Oh, yeah." I grinned, quickly compartntalizing the Walk Shop news away. "I did."
"So, what did you get?" He asked.
"A sixteen percent stake in Eidolon Interactive."
"Eidolon Interactive?" He frowned. "Where have I heard…" He trailed off before his eyes widened. "No way." He said in a mix of shock and awe.
"Yes way." I laughed.
"Noooo." He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Yes." I nodded.
"Damn." He sat in silence for a few seconds. "Wait. How much is sixteen percent of Eidolon?"
"Three billion?!"
"Three billion." I confird.
"Fuck. You're… you're a billionaire now." He said in awe.
"Yup. Newly minted billionaire."
"I…" He trailed off. "You don't look any different."
"Was I supposed to look different?" I frowned at him.
"You know, I always imagined billionaires with an aura or sothing that you could just see and tell they're billionaires." He grinned sheepishly. "Or maybe yours hasn't grown yet." He laughed.
"Dude, I'm disappointed in you." I said in mock disappointnt. "Can't you see my aura? I have one too."
He leaned back like he was having trouble seeing. "Nahhhh." He drawled. "Yours isn't visible at all."
"Fuck you." I laughed.
He laughed along with .
"So, you have a seat on the board?"
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Cool. Can I recomnd gas?"
"Probably not." I laughed. "I won't want to overstep my bounds on the first day."
"Well, it was worth a try." He chuckled.
I raised my bottle of soda in solidarity. He clinked his with mine and we took a drink.
"So," he munched on his pizza, "what's your next step?"
"Getting a place of my own."
He turned away from the TV to look at in surprise. "You're moving out of here?"
"Yeah." I nodded, looking up to admire the house. "Don't you think it's ti I left? This place belongs to my father. It's ti I find a place of my own and sever all financial ties to him."
"I see." Matt nodded in understanding. "And you'll mail his credit card back to him?"
"Of course." I laughed. "It's ti for to be truly independent."
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