Ethan Goelet stood at the podium like a gentle breeze—poised, unhurried, and quietly commanding.

"Hello, and welcome," his voice carried through the hall. It was impossible to ignore. "My proposal is titled The Starlight Project."

He paused, letting the words settle before continuing, "The goal of this project is the successful deployment of next-generation long-distance starships capable of traversing between stars—at the speed of light. A project that’s fully dependable, secure, and cost-effective..."

Ethan Goelet gestured, and the presentation flickered to life behind him. "This proposal specifically targets two Foundational Frameworks: the Material Acquisition Plan and the Budgetary Controls."

He manually encircled a line on his light brain that mirrors the slide shown on the podium with deliberate movements.

"These two points," he said, his tone firm but not forceful, "are the critical pillars that I believe will determine the program’s long-term success."

Even though MJ could barely follow the technical details, he didn’t need to. One look around told him everything—every executive in the room was hooked. Heads nodded. Note taken. The air thrummed with cautious excitement, especially from those in Ethan Goelet’s circle.

"He got them," Chief McCartney murmured beside him, leaning in.

"How?" MJ asked under his breath.

"Look at her," Chief McCartney tilted her chin toward Chief Minerva Sanchez, Head of the Purchasing Department. "If Ethan Goelet comes out on top in the end, she’s the one who stands to gain the most from his proposal."

MJ followed her gaze and saw it—Chief Sanchez’s bright smile, the kind that didn’t appear unless she smelled profit.

"Why, though?" Jake asked, leaning over with his head ducked between them, clearly eavesdropping.

Chief McCartney folded her arms, voice low and confident. "The plan is a solid, iron-clad play, utilizing the very essence of this cooperation."

Then she asked, "What’s the most important thing to consider in these kinds of projects?"

MJ frowned slightly. "...Risks?"

As the PR Department’s Ace Employee, MJ had learned a thing or two about reading the corporate tide.

"That’s right," Chief McCartney gave him an approving nod. "In a collaboration of this scale—especially one that involves the military—you need to establish dominance right from the start. If a partner company suddenly has a problem, the other instantly loses out. Suppose a rival buys them out—or worse, they start backing a competitor behind closed doors to sabotage us. When it’s time to deliver, guess who’s left empty-handed?"

Jake nodded like a chicken. MJ wondered if he actually understood or if he just wanted to appear intelligent.

"So," MJ pieced together slowly, "if this proposal gets approved, it’ll give us a massive advantage. But... will the Hewitt Corporation really agree to that?"

Chief McCartney’s lips curved into a knowing smirk. "That’s not our problem anymore. That’s their fault for sending a clueless problem child to represent them."

MJ nodded, the realization settling in.

But not everyone was pleased with this proposal.

Despite siding with Director Cox, Chief Anderson was still the Director of Strategic Planning.

He crossed his arms, firmly and gravely said, "Even if that plan increases the project’s success rate, it offers no growth for our department. Frankly, I’d call it too... safe."

"I agree with that," added Chief Sheila Saini, Head of the Sales Department. Her tone was courteous, but her words cut straight through. "No offense, Mr. Goelet, but you can’t win a customer by saying, ’We have a steady supply chain of materials to build your starship immediately. We can deliver your starship right to your backyard by next week."

She continued in a slightly more tired voice, "More doesn’t always mean better. Not to mention the fact that we can’t mass-produce them—especially not at the size the military requires. Plus, we can’t rely on the military as our only client forever."

"Right," Director Angelica Hatfield, Head of Human Resources, joined in, her expression thoughtful but firm. "It’s true that over time, much of the initial workforce for these ships will be replaced by robots—not just for safety, but to cut costs."

"So what’s the problem, then?" Chief Sanchez interjected, irritation flaring. She was clearly eager to push this proposal through.

Director Hatfield didn’t even flinch at the interruption.

"The problem," she continued coolly, "is that this project is still in its testing phase. As Chief Anderson pointed out, being too safe isn’t ideal here."

"Exploiting human resources for a quick turnaround—" her gaze sharpened, "—that’s not a sustainable approach either."

The criticisms came one after another, but Ethan Goelet remained unfazed. He stood at the podium as though this whole confrontation wasn’t his problem.

From the side, Deputy Director Michael Andra, Deputy Chief of the Technology Department, leaned forward with a faint smirk.

He seemed to see right through him as his voice became sharp as he said, "Even if this is just a proposal competition, the ideas presented still influence the company’s direction and improvement. I suggest you quickly reconsider where your allegiance truly resides, Mr. Goelet."

The room tensed slightly at the jab, but Ethan’s gentle smile still didn’t fade.

"I apologize if that’s how it came across," He replied with an almost polite lilt, "But I do appreciate your feedback."

Deputy Director Andra let out a short, dismissing snort. He leaned back and didn’t say anything more. He might’ve been a political rival of Director Cox in the company, but he still wouldn’t use a person to trigger a political crossfire even if he was handed a gun to exploit.

A moment later, Chief Secretary Stewart stepped up beside Ethan.

"Are there any questions?" he asked, scanning the room.

From her seat, Chief McCartney scoffed silently. "What’s the point? It’s all in black and white. They don’t want answers, just more arguments."

Seeing that no one wanted to ask, Chief Secretary Stewart had Ethan Goelet deliver his final remarks.

Ethan inclined his head politely.

"Thank you for your guidance," he said with a light, unbothered smile before stepping down.

He went back to his seat, acting like he hadn’t just been thoroughly grilled moments ago. A few colleagues approached with quiet words of support, but beyond that, the room quickly moved on. The executives might have had a small fight because of his proposal, but to Ethan—it was just another day.

Chief McCartney sneered, shaking her head.

"Ha! See that? That’s what happens when you just exploit other people’s weaknesses." Her eyes swept to MJ and Jake, sharp but instructive. "If you want to last in this place, learn to think—for yourself and for the company."

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for.

The most talked-about, most controversial participant of the day: Neville Hope.

Maybe they just wanted to see him trip over his own feet. Maybe they wanted proof that his first place just came from shady connections rather than merit. Whatever the reason, every eye in the room was on him.

Neville Hope walked to the center of the podium with easy confidence. His steps were steady, his smile unreadable.

The screen behind him lit up—not with endless bullet points, but with a sleek, dynamic display that breathed life into the numbers.

If anyone wanted to view the original proposal file, all they needed was a click—and the document would appear beside the visuals in real time in their own holographic screens.

But Neville Hope didn’t stop there.

His presentation was intuitive—fun, interactive, and even playful—letting the audience explore side panels and detailed graphs with a simple gesture. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Then, with a smooth wave of his hand, the background of the entire conference room changed. The dull colored walls melted away into a vast expanse of dark, shimmering, moving images of the galaxy.

Gasps echoed.

Around them, stars flickered to life, orbiting gently across a 360-degree display. It was as if the audience were standing inside an observatory, gazing into the heart of the cosmos.

Neville Hope’s impeccable smile curved, a hint of challenge in his eyes.

"Welcome," he said, voice steady and resonant, "to The Black Ocean Project."