Chapter 193 193: Another Opportunity

"Damn it," Victor cursed as he tossed his tablet across the room, the device hitting the wall with a loud crack before clattering to the floor.His frustration was visible on his face, the greatest telling sign being the dark frown on his face.

Whatever was on the tablet had left him visibly displeased, angry even. He ran a hand through his hair before letting out a sigh to calm himself down.

"How the hell," he growled in a low tone, "is a counter–narrative forming this fast?"

The collector just sat a small distance away from him, a bored expression on his face as he played with a a silver coin, tossing it between his fingers.

"Why the hell are you so calm?" Victor asked through gritted teeth, "our plan is failing right before our eyes."

The Collector didn't respond immediately. He simply flicked the coin upward again, watching it spin.

His relaxed posture only made Victor angrier. The man was too calm and It was insulting.

"Well?" Victor pressed.

The Collector finally caught the coin mid-air without looking at it.

"Our plan?" he repeated lightly, a soft laugh escaping his lips. "Victor, as far as I remember, the plan was entirely yours. I simply gave you the resources you asked for."

That made Victor Langley freeze.

Yes, the man was right, the plan, its timing and execution had all been planned by him without a single input from the collector, so this failure was entirely his.

"You know…" the Collector continued in that calm, almost lazy tone, "for a man named Victor, you're remarkably prone to losing."

Victor's jaw tightened in anger, this was humiliating.

But before he could open his mouth to say anything in response, the man stood up and walked towards him.

"Like I said," the man started, stopping right in front of Victor, "OmniTech isn't so easily handled, your son learnt that the hard way....maybe you would too."

Victor's fists clenched, he wanted more than anything to rip that smile off the man's smug face, but he couldn't...after all, not only was this man his current benefactor, he was also the key to regaining his former glory.

"Besides, you lack emotional control," he said plainly, "I told you this before… and here you are again, proving me right with every outburst."

"This is only a single setback and you're already unraveling," the Collector said, voice calm, almost disappointed, "tell me, Victor… how do you expect to destroy an empire if you can't even keep your palms from sweating?"

Victor's expression got even darker and he clenched his fist tight, almost tight enough for his fingers to dig into his palm.

The Collector watched his reaction with quiet amusement.

"There it is," he murmured, "that fragile temper of yours… so very predictable."

He stepped around Victor, as if a predator circling their prey.

"One counter-narrative, one unexpected variable, a single crack in your plan," he snapped his fingers, "and suddenly the mighty Victor Langley throws a tantrum."

The Collector sighed, almost theatrically.

"And this," he gestured to Victor's earlier outburst, "is why men like you don't win. Your emotions are liabilities and your pride is a leash, one that every time you feel it tug, you react like a dog."

Victor didn't speak for a moment, he hated how much the collector treated him like a child, he hated how casually the man treated him.

He hated how the man looked at him as if he was leagues beneath him, as if Victor was now only as important as a pawn on someone else's board.

And worst of all… he hated that the Collector wasn't wrong.

He let out a small sigh, forcing himself to calm down before he slowly, he answered,

"What do you need me to do?" He said, "how can I salvage this?"

The Collector's smile grew… satisfied.

"Good, this is much better," he praised, "a man who wants revenge should act with clarity, not tantrums."

He sat back down, going back to flipping his coin once more.

"Your slander attack failed because OmniTech has something you didn't account for."

Victor frowned,"...Support?"

"Yes," the Collector answered with a chuckle, "they also have a narrative stronger than your lies."

He let the coin land softly in his palm.

"But that's fine. I expected you to fail the first swing, I just wanted to see how you'd behave."

Victor's eyes narrowed, "so what's next?"

"You see," the Collector started, leaning back lazily, tossing the coin to the table before him, "this move of yours succeeded in one thing… creating a big enough distraction."

"A distraction?" Victor repeated, a bit confused causing the collector to look at him in disappointment.

"Did you only have a military grade tracker planted on OmniTech's COO as decoration?" He sounded like a disappointed parent as he spoke.

Victor immediately understood what the man was hinting at.

Had his emotions clouded his mind so much that he forgot that he still held the advantage?

He had access to a mole and also the live location of OmniTech's COO at all times, which meant that his current actions were the perfect distraction tactic.

Lillian Hayes was the one person the hidden CEO clearly valued above all else.

Which meant,

"This slander storm?" the Collector continued with a calm smile on his face, "it's a smoke screen, Victor. A cheap one, but effective enough."

"While public opinion is split and OmniTech Corp is scrambling to fix everything, I created another opening?" Victor asked.

"Exactly, OmniTech's king is distracted with public perception," the collector said with a satisfied nod, "which means the queen… is vulnerable."

Victor sighed, looking directly at the man.

"You want me to move on her now," he asked.

"I want you to think, Victor," the Collector corrected, "you have a tracker on her, you have my resources, you have a mole in your complete control."

His eyes narrowed, the smile on his lips never reaching them.

"So tell me… what does a competent man do with an opportunity like that?"