FB: Chapter 114 – Family Dinner

“You seem happier,” my father said. We were eating out at a local restaurant. If one could ignore that we had rented out the entire place for the evening and there were guards surrounding the building and in the kitchen watching the chefs.

While I might have relaxed a bit, I was never going to let up on my security. No matter what, I wouldn’t take any chances with my personal safety. With what I was paying to Secure Solutions, I had a small army guarding me at all times, complete with ground to air weapons.

“I have something to share. I plan to step back over time at the Fanged Fox Guild and the Corporation. I am being pushed out,” I replied.

There were looks of shock between my parents. My brother Rodrick hesitated before speaking up. “Really? You seemed to take great pride in your position,” he said nervously. Relax brother, I wasn’t about to bite off your head again.

“I could fight and am fighting such things, but the powers that be are a bit too powerful. I have made quite a bit of money already. I am one of the richest people in the world already. Soon another ten percent of my shares will be sold in a block deal at a premium, in exchange for me not undermining the Fanged Fox Guild,” I explained.

“Your control is interwoven throughout. You control all the land the buildings are built on and are leasing it to the Fanged Fox Corporation. There are countless other examples,” my father said and I nodded at this.

“Indeed. I will still get quite a bit from the Fanged Fox Corporation. The land has only increased in value with the construction of the QAI node being built,” I said with a smile. If these people wanted to remove me completely, they would be paying through the nose.

“But you are so popular? How?” Rodrick asked with a bit more confidence.

“Even the great and indomitable Foxy Blight cannot fight the US Government. Like I said I could have fought, maybe even gotten a better deal from another country, but ultimately it would have been a losing battle on my end. If they think Exponential is so simple, I wish them luck, but I doubt they have invested in that stat,” I said, making a little joke.

“Sis, this is crazy. Can’t you call up public pressure?” Rodrick asked again. He was cute, thinking that I could resist such things. While I might have sparred successfully with Congress, that had just been the first move. The move by the President and his Exponential Tzar John was the second move. The third move would be by the courts and the bureaucracy. That was something I wanted to avoid, since that would drag me away from the game to fight legal battles.

Even with lobbyists, there was just too much money and my foundation was too weak. My board members had helped out initially from this pressure. But once we went public and they unloaded their shares, the hyenas had come out.

“Public pressure would make it a bloody battle. There are several reasons for my decision. If you want to retire and enjoy Exponential as a regular player, then that is something to consider,” I explained.

“I am close to becoming a Champion,” Rodrick said.

“Oh, really? What is your win streak?” I asked him. He hesitated before speaking up again.

“Seventy eight,” he said.

“You lost,” I said with a small smile.

“Yes,” he said embarrassed.

“Not surprising. People know you are my brother in game. You are being purposely targeted. A bit more than regular people on a Champion run. If you wish to get that title, you will have to earn it,” I explained.

“If you can just give me consumables…” he trailed off and I shook my head.

“You are buying into the lies. The consumables I use, I earned the funds to pay for them. And more than that my combat skills are solid. I might not be an S class fighter, but I am a solid A now, possibly an A plus. It is like a sport. You want to be the best, then be the best. Your immersion set to full?” I asked.

“Yes,” Rodrick replied, and I nodded at this.

“Have you consulted with one of our skill specialists at the guild?” I asked.

“Um, no,” he said and I shook my head.

“I would make use of such services while you have access to them. A football team has trainers, coaches, and support staff. It is the same with the guild. You don’t have to do everything yourself,” I said.

“I thought you wanted me to,” he said.

“Trinity save me from foolish brothers. I am not going to hold your hand personally. But using the basic services of the guild only makes sense unless you know as much about Exponential like I do. Even then I never get into the lore myself and delegate a lot of work to those more capable,” I explained.

“Oh. I will do that,” he said. The look on his face showed he was trying to sort out his feelings and all the new information he had been hit with. Sometimes he could be a bit dense, but he was still my lovable brother.

“So, what will you do next?” my father asked me.

“Well, I am not quitting Exponential. Even if I am losing my Guild, I plan to remain the top player. The legend, the myth, the player all others look up to, Foxy Blight will never retire. She merely moves onto the next phase of her adventure. I am still working on that though,” I explained.

“Perhaps you might meet a nice man,” my mother said. “If I don’t say anything now, who knows when we will see grandkids.”

“Well, you can put the pressure on Rodrick. I am not interested in such things at the moment,” I said. My mother gave me a patronizing look, but I didn’t want to argue with her about this.

Medical technology was rapidly progressing thanks to QAI. Once greater advantages started appearing from the medical nanites, a lot of medical research would be done very rapidly. Unfortunately, I went back around that time. But there were reports of people surpassing human limitations and having their life extended beyond what the medical nanites should be capable of. It was mostly just rumors, but I was curious how much of them were true. If they were it was better to be standing at a higher vantage point than down at the bottom.

“Well, I have made quite a bit in my job already. Thank you for the increased benefits,” my father said with a grin. He was always looking at his paycheck.

“Taking money out of your daughter’s pocket,” I mock pouted.

“Unlike my other child, you are definitely my favorite,” my father said.

“What!” Rodrick said.

“Sorry son. But when you start up a multi-billion dollar corporation and guild, hire your old man, and pay him loads of money, then you have a shot at the favorite child position,” he said with a grin. I knew he was teasing my brother.

“Mother, help,” he said.

“If there was a grandchild, then I would support them with all my heart,” my mother said. Rodrick turned to look at me.

“Don’t look at me. Just start a multi-billion dollar corporation and guild,” I said with a grin. We all knew such a thing was near impossible.

“Ug, you are all evil, evil I say,” Rodrick pouted and picked up his glass of water. Picking on him a bit was showing that we cared. At least the tension had finally eased with my family.

Some things were more important than money. Not many things, but my family was one of them. A family wasn’t a problem I could throw money at. I had to spend time and listen to their concerns. This was what I had been missing. I could feel the tension leaving me as the family dinner continued.

A brief moment of normality in what had become my life. I had missed this deeply. I picked up a napkin and wiped my eyes discreetly. My family didn’t say anything.

As we continued to eat, there was suddenly shouting coming from outside. A security guard came over to me. “Apologies Miss White, but the paparazzi have shown up. We are keeping them back.”

“We have a coordination agreement with the local police. Use it and enforce all official regulations. We are enjoying dinner,” I said.

“My apologies Miss White,” the security guard said and scurried off, but the mood had been ruined. I picked up my glass of water and brought it up for a sip.

The glass suddenly shattered in my hand. The front of my clothes were soaked as glass shards rained down over my chest and lap. Looking at my hand, it was fine. The glass was probably just weak, but I wasn’t entirely sure.

“Are you okay April?” my father asked as he stood up.

“Yes. The glass just broke. Let’s get dessert to go,” I said and wave over a waiter to instruct them regarding dessert. I picked up a larger shard off my lap and pinched it between two of my fingers. The small bit of glass didn’t break. I frowned at this.

Perhaps it was just a bad glass, but it was likely there was already some kind of medical reinforcement from the medical nanites. In time other people would be asking questions and Exponential would only become more dominant. Perhaps I should go ask QAI about this, but it was probably part of its plan.

Also visiting QAI wouldn’t be simple until the nearby node was finished being built. If QAI wanted to speak it could reach out to me at any time and I didn’t want to strain the relationship we had. A guest that visits too much would sour the relationship. It was hard to know what to think about QAI, but there was no need to rush in my mind.

It wasn’t like the world was ending. Even if I was no longer the best player, I had made my mark in Exponential and the world. No one would forget my in game name. Even as I was being moved into an armored car surrounded by guards with shields to block photos, the paparazzi was shouting my in game name far more than my real world name.

“Foxy! There are reports you just sold a lot of shares to the US Government!”

“Are you a robot?”

“Why won’t you show your face?”

“Is that boy your lover?”

After getting in the armored car, the caravan took off. I let out a sigh. I already did interviews, but the paparazzi was relentless. Even coming all the way to upstate New York in large numbers to try and chase down any information about me.

“They thought I was your lover,” Rodrick said as my family chuckled at that. I gave him a look for half a minute, making him uncomfortable, before hitting him on the arm.

“Idiot. The only thing they know is how to snap photos and get arrested by my security. Make sure you don’t leave the house without an escort. I know it is inconvenient, but it is necessary,” I said.

“Don’t worry. It is kind of fun to be a celebrity,” Rodrick said.

My family wasn’t targeted by the big news organizations for the most part. They only got included as a footnote to my success. Despite Rodrick acting flippant, he had been thoroughly briefed on how to handle the media by our corporate PR person. I knew he was teasing me back, trying to stress me out about my image after my earlier bit of teasing.