I'm Trying To Go Broke, So Why Do I Keep Getting Richer?!-Chapter 198: Did we accidentally start a cult?

Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Did we accidentally start a cult?

"How about we give him a permanent executive position on the Global Council? We can give him veto power! Can’t that satisfy that bastard?!"

Blaze slowly raised his head, looking at the terrified faces of the most powerful people on the planet.

Although they weren’t strong physically, but they did hold somewhat of a legitimacy and political power.

"Even if he is a friend, I can’t force a man like him to do something he doesn’t want to do. If he made this public declaration... it looks like he has already made up his mind," Blaze answered, his tone as flat as ever.

Although Blaze didn’t know the exact cause behind Leo’s intentions to take over Earth, he fundamentally refused to believe that Leo was an evil person.

If he was doing this, making such a massive, controversial move, it was probably for a much bigger and noble goal, something meant purely for the well-being and survival of Earth.

In that case, Blaze reasoned, what was the actual loss in giving up power? It wasn’t as if the Hero Tower or the Global Assembly was actually all that effective.

Without Leo’s last-minute intervention, what could any of them have done in this war? They would all be ash.

Blaze scanned the faces of the politicians. They were sweating, pacing, worrying exclusively about their own wealth, their own status, and their own power.

Not a single one of them had asked a single question about how the civilian recovery efforts were going. Not one had asked about the death toll.

It made a deep, bitter disappointment settle in Blaze’s chest. Maybe this was for the best. This might be the exact opportunity Earth needed to remove the unnecessary, bloated political oversight that plagued them.

They could finally have an intelligent, decisive leader who didn’t just cower behind the Hero Tower as a meat shield whenever danger arrived.

Even now, Blaze couldn’t forget the barrage of cowardly messages he had received from these very leaders during the invasion.

They had practically begged him to surrender to Fiona to save their own skins. If it were up to them, they would have been licking her boots while handing Earth to her on a silver platter.

As Earth became more prosperous and climbed the planetary tiers, they were definitely going to attract more terrifying enemies like Fiona.

IIf Blaze had to choose between trusting these spineless bureaucrats and trusting Leo Vanderlen, the choice wasn’t even a choice.

Earth needed Alpha Corporation. It needed Leo. Even if he wanted to be a dictator, he was the dictator they required.

"I have already run the scenarios and considered all the possibilities. We cannot stop him. So, it is vastly better to just accept this with grace, surrender peacefully, and save some shred of dignity before the public," Blaze declared, his words dropping like a kinetic strike in the middle of the room.

Immediate, explosive chaos erupted. Politicians hurled insults, calling Blaze a coward. Others accused him of actively working with Leo to orchestrate the takeover, screaming that he was a traitor to democracy.

Blaze didn’t care about the titles they threw at him. He sat perfectly still, simply stating over the noise that there was no other choice, unless they genuinely wanted to die at Leo’s hands because their egos refused to hand over the keys to the planet.

The meeting became intensely heated. But after a lot of back and forth, desperate negotiations, and realization of their own utter helplessness, the debate finally broke. It lasted for over an hour before a unanimous decision was reached.

All the world leaders looked deeply upset, looking like defeated prisoners who were forced into a corner with no other choice. Still, they knew this was the best deal they were going to get.

They agreed to formally declare Leo Vanderlen as the Supreme Leader of Earth in a synchronized, joint press conference. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

They even prepared to swallow their pride and use heavy, inspirational rhetoric, claiming they were stepping down for the future of Earth and that Leo was the destined man to lead them into the stars.

But in reality, it was simply them saving their own skins. To hand over their positions and completely transfer global authority, they demanded two absolute, non-negotiable guarantees from Blaze.

"Firstly, our lives must be guaranteed! After we hand over power, we, or anyone related to us, will not be executed or imprisoned for any reason! We want blanket pardons for any past conduct, corruption, or otherwise that might have occurred in the past! Complete, unconditional immunity!"

"Second, we will take a designated compensation package from the global treasury! A severance that will allow us to live a life of absolute comfort and pleasure! We at least deserve that for our years of service!"

There were a few more minor logistical guarantees they asked for, but they were insignificant compared to the demand for their lives and their money.

Blaze agreed to the guarantees in Leo’s stead without hesitation, especially since they didn’t go overboard. They were only asking to keep their heads attached to their necks and for a little money that wouldn’t even come out of Alpha Corp’s pockets.

"In that case, it is decided. You can all gracefully retire from political life, with your wealth and your dignity intact," Blaze said, his voice echoing with finality.

"As for the business leaders who have gathered here, I promise that your commercial interests will not be crushed by Alpha Corp. Your assets will be protected."

Blaze stood up, appearing through holographic projectors. "And whatever we discussed here tonight... shall never leave this room. Remember that."

With that, the meeting came to a definitive end.

The world leaders weren’t slow. Driven by the fear that Leo might change his mind and execute them anyway, they moved with unprecedented speed.

While Leo was fast asleep, joint press conferences lit up the airwaves across every nation on Earth. Documents of unprecedented legal importance were officially signed. Treaties were dissolved. Emergency decrees were passed.

A single corporation had basically absorbed every sovereign nation on Earth overnight. And the people, at least the vast vocal majority, were acting as if they had been completely brainwashed into supporting it.

The public trusted Leo so deeply that if he had literally decided to sell them into intergalactic slavery, they would have likely helped him count the money and thanked him for the opportunity.

There were, of course, a few scattered protests here and there, small pockets of resistance opposing the corporate takeover. But they were quickly and aggressively suppressed.

Not by the police, and not by Alpha Corp authorities, but by Leo’s massive, rabid civilian fan clubs who took to the streets to defend his honor.

The planetary commotion died down even further as the massive, sleek black fleets of Alpha Corporation descended into the lower atmosphere. They hovered silently in the sky above major cities, acting as an intimidating observer.

Within the eight hours that Leo was asleep, an entirely new framework of global governance was created from scratch.

The politicians were so terrified of offending him that they even began arranging a massive coronation ceremony for him, doing so without his presence or permission since he was still chilling in the faraway space sector, going farther from earth.

It was as if the world leaders were racing against a ticking clock, desperate to fulfill the terms of the contract before the ’tyrant’ woke up.

And just like that, within twenty-four hours of Fiona marching her army toward Earth, Leo Vanderlen became an absolute, uncontested dictator without even realizing it.

He was a dictator who held absolute power over life, death, and law. Yet, at that very moment, he was still tossing and turning in his sleep, having a stressful dream about digging under his couch cushions to find enough loose change to buy instant ramen.

After a long, surprisingly restless night, Leo finally woke up, groaning as he stretched his stiff muscles.

"What a weird dream," Leo mumbled to himself, rubbing his eyes. "Even after becoming wealthy, poverty still rules my subconscious. It looks like I need to earn even more money! It’s just not enough to feel secure!"

He washed his face, took a quick, hot shower, and left his private quarters looking fresh and ready to tackle a normal day of corporate paperwork.

He stepped out onto the main command deck.

BANG! POP!

A massive cloud of glittering confetti rained down on his head.

Leo froze. He blinked through the colorful paper to see the entire bridge staff of Alpha Corp standing at rigid attention. They saluted him, their faces beaming with fanatic pride, and loudly cheered in perfect unison.

"Congratulations, Supreme Leader!"

Leo stood completely still, a single piece of pink confetti stuck to his forehead. He scratched the back of his head, looking around the room, entirely convinced he was still trapped in a bizarre dream.

"Supreme Leader?" Leo asked, his voice cracking slightly in the silent room. "Did we accidentally start a cult while I was asleep?"