his chapter is purely a work of imagination — a fictional interpretation of how the world might look if someone with extraordinary power chose to reshape global industries. It does not reflect real events or real companies, but serves only as a creative exploration of what could happen in a story.
The launch was everywhere.
Billboards blazed across Bengaluru's skyline. News anchors gushed with forced excitement. YouTubers screamed into cameras, holding up sleek boxes as if they were relics from heaven. On the sidewalk outside Brigade Road, a queue stretched for hours—hundreds of people waiting for the midnight sale.
Arjun sat in his suite, watching the stream on his wall display.
The product was called the Mapple iStone 15.
The CEO in a black turtleneck gestured theatrically, slides flashing behind him. "A revolutionary new design," he announced, as the camera zoomed into the curved edges. "Our most powerful battery ever," he declared, as the audience cheered.
Arjun's lips curved into the faintest smile. He muted the sound and leaned back.
Revolutionary? It was the same device as the iStone 14. A few millimeters shaved here, a new color there, a slightly better chip. And yet, the crowd screamed as though the laws of physics had been rewritten.
He found himself almost amused. The world was celebrating incremental upgrades as though they were miracles. True innovation—the kind that could transform lives—was ignored because it didn't fit into glossy ads.
His smile faded.
If this was the best the giants could do, then perhaps it was time to stop cheering from the sidelines.
Perhaps it was time to own them.
He turned off the display, staring at his own reflection in the darkened glass.
"Assistant," he said softly.
Yes, Arjun.
"These corporations—the Mapples, the Chogles, the Teslars—they hold the future in their hands. And yet they move like tired beasts. They innovate only enough to keep the machine running. What if…" He paused. "…what if I bought them all?"
The Equalizer did not hesitate.
"Host capacity sufficient. Estimated combined market valuation of top 20 corporations: $100.3 trillion. Acquisition feasible through debt-clearing exchanges."
Arjun's mind sharpened. Debt-clearing exchanges.
Nations groaned under the weight of debt—trillions owed to global markets. And those very nations were home to the corporations that defined the 21st century. If he cleared the debt, in return for ownership of their strategic industries, the governments would not refuse. They couldn't.
"Show me the list," he ordered.
Names appeared, slightly altered but unmistakable:
Mapple — the crown of consumer electronics.
Chogle — the search and AI titan.
Teslar — the electric revolution.
Starweb — satellite internet and space projects.
Microplex — the global software empire.
Amizone — the retail and logistics giant.
FaceWorld — social networks and VR.
NetSphere — cloud and cybersecurity.
Pharmatek — pharmaceuticals.
NextVision — entertainment and streaming.
Twenty in total. Together, more powerful than most nations.
Arjun closed his notebook slowly. The world had handed him a chessboard. All he had to do was move the pieces.
He didn't start with the U.S. or China. That would have been reckless.
Instead, he instructed his Assistant: "Find me a mid-tier European nation. Debt between $1 and $3 trillion. Corporations valued at least as much. Stable government. Vulnerable economy."
Within minutes, the Equalizer highlighted one. A European nation with world-renowned design firms, telecom providers, and biotech companies—but drowning in nearly $2 trillion of debt.
Perfect.
Through the Research Module, he obtained secure contact information for the Minister of Finance and the head of the country's sovereign wealth fund. Private, encrypted channels, impossible for outsiders to intercept.
He drafted a message, short and deliberate:
"I represent Aequalis Global. I can clear your national debt in full. In return, I require ownership stakes in your top corporations of strategic importance, including patents, rights, and projects. I propose a discreet meeting."
He signed it simply: Aequalis Global Holdings.
The minister met him three days later in Geneva, in a discreet hotel conference room overlooking the lake. The man was graying, sharp-eyed, with the wary air of someone who had spent decades managing numbers too large for ordinary minds.
"You claim you can clear two trillion dollars of debt," the minister said without preamble. "That is not a claim. That is a fantasy."
Arjun remained calm. "Check your account."
The minister frowned, pulling out his tablet. His eyes widened. Then he looked at Arjun as though seeing a ghost.
"This… this is impossible."
"It is real," Arjun said softly. "Two trillion. Yours, if you agree."
The minister's hand trembled slightly. "And in return?"
"Ownership," Arjun said. "Of your top corporations. Not partial stakes. Not symbolic shares. Full control—equity, patents, rights, ongoing projects. Everything. They will be restructured under Aequalis Global Holdings."
The minister hesitated. "These companies are national pride. Icons."
"And what good is pride," Arjun countered, "if your debt crushes you into irrelevance? With me, your debt disappears. Your citizens prosper. Your companies innovate again. Do you prefer bankruptcy to pride?"
Silence stretched between them. Then, slowly, the minister nodded.
"You will have it," he whispered.
The deal was signed within the week. Debt cleared. Ownership transferred.
Overnight, Aequalis Global became the controlling shareholder of two Fortune-500-caliber corporations: a biotech leader and a telecom giant. Their boards were dissolved. Their patents, projects, and rights were folded into Aequalis.
The Equalizer overlay confirmed:
"Acquisition successful. Integration stable."
The world noticed. Not Arjun's face, not his name—but the sudden, shocking appearance of Aequalis Global Holdings in international markets.
Headlines blared:
"Aequalis Global Acquires Major European Telecom and Biotech Firms.""Debt Cleared Overnight: Nation Freed, Corporations Sold.""Who Is Behind Aequalis Global?"
Speculation ran wild. Was it a sovereign fund? A coalition of billionaires? A secret government project?
But no one found Arjun. The Anonymizer held firm.
Once the first domino fell, the rest followed more easily.
Arjun repeated the model across multiple nations:
In Asia, he cleared $1.5 trillion of debt for controlling stakes in NextVision (a streaming empire) and Pharmatek (a pharmaceutical giant).
In South America, he erased $900 billion of debt for two natural resource corporations, integrating them into Council Store's supply chain.
In Africa, he wiped $700 billion, gaining ownership of telecom infrastructure and logistics networks.
Each acquisition expanded Aequalis Global Holdings. Each one was seamless, clean, and irreversible.
By the time he turned his eyes back to the U.S. and Europe's titans—Mapple, Chogle, Teslar, Microplex—the groundwork had been laid.
Negotiations with the largest nations were delicate. Arjun knew they would resist. But Equalizer ensured every offer was irresistible: debts cleared instantly, economies stabilized overnight.
Bit by bit, through carefully structured exchanges, he acquired the giants.
Mapple restructured to focus on healthcare wearables, modular devices, and sustainable tech.
Chogle reoriented toward privacy-first search and transparent AI.
Teslar pivoted to affordable EVs and global renewable grids.
Starweb expanded internet coverage to rural communities, free basic service worldwide.
Microplex began releasing open-source software for education, breaking decades of monopolistic pricing.
Amizone transformed into a cooperative logistics network, lowering costs for small businesses.
FaceWorld was rebuilt with ethical governance, protecting mental health and dismantling addictive algorithms.
And every one of them now bore the same name on their filings: Aequalis Global Holdings.
The combined empire was worth more than $100 trillion. Larger than the GDP of entire continents.
The world reeled. Media outlets called it the greatest consolidation of corporate power in history. Citizens saw debts vanish, governments regain stability, and corporations suddenly innovate again.
Critics howled about monopolization, but the transparency of debt relief made it impossible to resist. Nations that had been drowning in interest payments were now free, their leaders reluctant to bite the hand that had saved them.
And Arjun?
He sat in his lodge, alone, reading the reports. His name was nowhere. His face appeared in no article. To the world, there was only Aequalis Global—a faceless entity reshaping the future.
He closed his notebook, leaned back, and allowed himself the faintest smile.
He was no CEO, no public figure. He was the invisible architect.
And now, he owned the future.