Chapter 14 - The Dissolution
The global media response was unprecedented. Within hours, the emergency broadcast had completely dismantled the manufactured follower quotas. The Department of Virality was officially dissolved by an emergency summit of free nations.
In the quiet aftermath, the high-rise office in Manhattan had been cleared of broken glass. The skyline outside was peaceful, bathed in the soft golden warmth of a morning sunrise.
Claire stood by the newly replaced panoramic window, holding a freshly printed ledger.
""The public numbers are in, Leo,"" she said, setting the paper gently on his desk. ""Your offline network became the standard. You don't have fifty followers anymore.""
Leo sat quietly in his black leather swivel chair. A small bowl of strawberry ice cream sat untouched before him.
""How many?"" he asked quietly.
""Two billion,"" Claire replied with a warm smile. ""You’re the most followed person on Earth. You can dictate global policy with a single post.""
Leo looked down at the ice cream, then slowly pushed the bowl away. ""That wasn't the objective, Claire.""
Officer Vance, now wearing a clean civilian suit, leaned against the doorframe, chewing on a toothpick. ""Most people would celebrate, Boss. You just won the world.""
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""When everyone follows you,"" Leo said, his large hazel eyes turning wistful as he looked out over the endless city below, ""no one is walking beside you. That isn't an empire. It's a prison.""
His desk phone vibrated with a low, single hum. It wasn't an app notification. It was a secure analog call from an unlisted number.
