In Carsten Electronics, there are five subsidiaries: Carsten TechWorks, Carsten EnerVision, Carsten Neurolink Systems, Carsten AeroNavis, and last but not least, Carsten QuantumCore. Each one has its own CEO, and all of them were now sitting at the long board table.
As Viviana got ready for the meeting, she suddenly remembered what her brother said, to stay at his place in the mountains for the family reunion and their mother's death anniversary. She sighed and cursed under her breath. She fixed her hair and straightened her clothes. Then, she walked out of her office with two dozen well-trained bodyguards, who instantly caught the attention of every employee around. Typical her. She loved attention, flashy outfits, grand entrances, and that arrogant smirk of hers.
Finally, she arrived at the meeting room. One of her bodyguards opened the door for her as she walked in. Everyone in the room stood up, bowed, and greeted her. She looked at them with strict eyes as she took her seat first. Her bodyguards lined up against the wall, standing silently.
She didn't tell anyone to sit down right away. It took several minutes before she finally allowed them to sit, because she enjoyed watching people suffer. Typical Viviana. She knew their backs were already hurting, but she didn't care.
Carsten TechWorks focuses on advanced electronics like smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices. Their main goals are aggressive R&D and global market domination. Their most famous products are the Carsten NovaPhone and Carsten GlassPods. The CEO sitting at the board table for this company is Leona Hayes.
Next is Carsten EnerVision. This one focuses on renewable energy systems and smart grid technologies. Their headquarters is in Scandinavia, and they're well known for their green tech innovations. Some of their top projects include solar batteries, off-grid power systems, and EV charging stations. The CEO leading this company is Dr. Ramil Ortega.
Then comes Carsten NeuroLink Systems. They specialize in AI-integrated neural technology, robotics, and smart prosthetics. They're known for their bold innovations that often fall into ethically gray areas. Their target markets include medical institutions, defense sectors, and elite private clients. The CEO for this company is Isaac Mauer.
After that is Carsten AeroNavis. Like the name suggests, they deal with aerospace electronics, autonomous drones, and aviation technology. They work closely with global governments and defense ministries. Some of their key products include AI combat drones and encrypted satellite communication systems. Their CEO is a retired military officer, Commander Elle Stratford (Ret.).
Lastly, but never the least, is Carsten QuantumCore. They focus on quantum computing, semiconductor tech, and microprocessor research and development. In fact, they provide the next-gen tech that powers the other subsidiaries. The CEO of this core company is Professor Aiko Ren.
Even though these five are powerful CEOs, there's one person who sits at the head of the table, Viviana Carsten, the Chairwoman of Carsten Electronics. She crossed her arms, leaned back slightly, and raised her hand to signal the start of the meeting.
Then, in a cold, arrogant tone, she muttered just one word.
"Report."
Everyone went quiet after Viviana spoke. The tension in the room was thick. They all knew she didn't like to repeat herself.
Leona Hayes, CEO of Carsten TechWorks, spoke first. She was sharp, confident, and fast-talking.
"Our NovaPhone X7 launch reached 32 million global sales in just 3 weeks. GlassPods Ultra is on backorder. R&D team is currently testing flexible foldable chips and battery-free smartwatches. Asia-Pacific market is growing fast. We need more factories there."
Viviana nodded once. "And the patents?"
"Filed and secured. Three of them are now blacklisted by two of our rivals. Lawsuits incoming, but nothing we can't crush."
Viviana smirked, pleased. "Good."
Next, Dr. Ramil Ortega from Carsten EnerVision cleared his throat. Calm and soft-spoken, with a thick Scandinavian accent.
"Our floating solar island prototype survived the harsh winter. We just closed a contract with Norway's government, off-grid tech for rural areas. We're also upgrading our EV stations to handle dual charges."
Viviana leaned back. "And sabotage?"
"None so far. But cyberattack attempts are rising. We're tightening system defenses."
She nodded slowly, eyes narrowing. "Don't let your 'peaceful energy' fool you. We're always under attack."
Then Isaac Mauer from Carsten NeuroLink Systems began, voice steady but cold, almost too smooth.
"NeuroLink v3.7 has passed human interface tests. We have ten volunteers with brain-to-AI connection. No fatalities. Minor neural strain in two cases. Defense sector has requested private demos. Ethical review board is complaining again."
Viviana tilted her head. "Suppress them. Pay them. Replace them."
Isaac shrugged slightly. "Already done."
Viviana looked away like it was nothing. "Next."
Commander Elle Stratford (Ret.) straightened in her seat. Her voice was firm and military-like.
"AeroNavis just finished its flight test of autonomous long-range drones. Mission: Seek, identify, disable. All targets were neutralized in simulation. We've got pending orders from five different countries."
Viviana tapped her finger on the table. "Countries we like?"
"Yes," Elle replied, with a slight smirk. "And two we don't, but they're paying double."
Viviana didn't smile. "Sell it. Add a tracker."
"Yes, ma'am."
Lastly, Professor Aiko Ren from Carsten QuantumCore looked up from her tablet. Quiet, smart, and precise.
"Our quantum chips are ahead by at least five years. We've built the first prototype of Q-Engine One. It runs 10 million simultaneous operations per second without heat damage. All subsidiaries are already integrated."
Viviana raised an eyebrow. "Security?"
"Air-gapped and physically guarded. No leaks."
Viviana nodded. "Perfect. You may proceed with development. Let me know if anyone tries to steal it... or you."
Aiko gave a small nod.
Viviana then stood. "Five companies. One empire. Let the world keep watching."
She gave one last glance around the table.
"If anyone here dares to betray this family…" she paused, her voice sharp as a blade, "I'll know."
And with that, the meeting moved on: numbers, updates, expansions. But in everyone's mind, her words stayed like a warning.
Viviana Carsten ruled the room. And they all knew it.
After the initial updates, the room settled into a heavier silence. Viviana remained still, her fingers tapping the armrest of her chair.
"Now," she said, voice flat. "Let's talk about the breach."
Everyone shifted slightly. No one dared to speak first.
Viviana's eyes narrowed. "Two weeks ago, one of our backup servers from the Scandinavia hub was accessed remotely. Unauthorized. Masked IP. Someone was testing our system. Just testing. They didn't steal anything."
She looked directly at Dr. Ramil Ortega. "Why didn't you report this?"
The man sat straighter. "We were tracing the breach, trying to confirm if it was external or internal. I didn't want to alarm the board without evidence."
"You don't decide that," Viviana said sharply. "I do. You don't keep secrets from me. Not even for one hour."
He bowed his head slightly. "Understood."
Leona cleared her throat. "If they were only testing, it's possible they're planning something bigger."
Isaac Mauer leaned forward. "It's more than that. Whoever did it got past three layers of encryption without triggering alerts. They're professionals."
Viviana's voice was cold. "I know. That's why this is serious. We are being watched."
Elle Stratford frowned. "Could be a government unit. Or an old enemy."
Viviana turned to Aiko. "What do you think?"
The professor looked calm but firm. "It wasn't random. They targeted EnerVision's supply database. Not core files, but enough to trace global shipment routes."
Viviana's jaw clenched. "Then it's not about data. It's about logistics. Our infrastructure."
"They could be planning to intercept," Elle said. "Or sabotage a major delivery. Could cause chaos."
Viviana nodded. "Then we do what we always do. Lock everything down. Monitor all shipments. Encrypt every line. And if they try again…"
She stood, voice louder now.
"…we trace them. We find them. And we make sure they never touch Carsten again."
The room was tense.
Viviana walked slowly around the table. "This is not a company. This is a legacy. Our father started this. Our mother protected it. I will not let some nameless coward threaten what we've built."
Her eyes swept across the CEOs.
"Report every anomaly. Every delay. Every strange email. I don't care if it's small. I want updates twice a day. Dismissed."
The board members stood in silence.
Viviana turned toward the door. "Also," she added as she paused, "prepare for a press conference next week. I want the world to know we're stronger than ever."
She walked out of the room, bodyguards behind her.
No one said a word until the door clicked shut.
She walked out of the room and sighed, already exhausted from the day. Her two dozen bodyguards followed her back to the office. It was almost 5 p.m. She called her chauffeur and told him to drive her all the way to her eldest brother's house. It was actually far, a four-hour drive, but she couldn't ignore her brother.
Vincent Carsten, the eldest of the four siblings, was a humble farmer, a retired former chairman, and a former veterinarian. He currently lived in the mountains, but his house was provided by Viviana, so it was big and fancy. Most of the walls were made of glass. There were bodyguards everywhere too, dressed up as farmers.
The area was huge, mountains, lots of trees, fields, rice crops, vegetables, cows, sheep, goats, chickens, you name it, like a real farm.
Even though it was already dark, the sight of cow poop still disgusted her. But she had no choice, since he was the one who convinced her to come.
They arrived four hours later. It was already 9 p.m. The bodyguards, who were disguised as farmers or friends with Vincent, greeted her. The chauffeur opened the door for her. She looked around his house...glass windows, well protected, lights everywhere. They were the only ones who lived in the mountains. His whole family lived there: his wife, children, and grandchildren... all in one house.
To be continued...