CHAPTER 179: CORRECTING THE HIERARCHY.

Hey everyone,

I need to be honest—if I don’t receive a Magic Castle before this month ends, I won’t earn a single penny for my work this month. If you’re able to gift me a Magic Castle, I’ll mass release 10 Chapters in 2 days! Your support literally keeps Lukas’s adventure—and me—going. Thank you so much for anything you can do. ❤️

With all my gratitude,

[tiko_tiko]

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Lukas sat in his usual seat at the back of the class, a spot where he could both observe and think freely. The lecture hall at Princeton was alive with the hum of academic focus, students scribbling notes while the professor spoke about macroeconomic theory. Lana sat two seats over, focused as ever, her pencil gliding smoothly across her notebook. Lukas had always admired her discipline. Even after the awkward run-in with her mother, things between them had settled, or at least resumed a rhythm of friendship and mutual respect.

But as he leaned back in his chair, trying to digest the nuances of the GDP curve, his phone buzzed—silently, as it always did during lectures. He glanced down.

Ashmika (Facebook): "Lukas, we need you at the office. Something urgent came up. Are you free today?"

Ashmika was the chief of operations at his Facebook office—not IPO-ed yet but growing at a rapid pace. Lukas had trusted her with the day-to-day operations while he juggled his student life, modeling gigs, and ongoing investments.

He texted back, "Lukas: Class till noon. I’ll come right after. Tell the team to prep the conference room."

He didn’t like missing classes, but he also knew the weight his name carried at Facebook. Whatever Ashmika deemed urgent had to be significant.

He slid the phone back into his pocket and tapped his pen against his notepad absentmindedly. Lana turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Facebook?" she whispered with a knowing smirk.

Lukas nodded. "Ashmika. Wants me to drop by. Something urgent."

"Sounds like CEO life," she said quietly before turning back to the lecture.

Lukas chuckled under his breath. Even amidst economic theories and chalkboard equations, his double life never let up.

As the class neared its end, Lukas closed his notebook and mentally prepared himself for the shift in gears. From student to executive, from lectures to boardrooms. Princeton was home to some of the brightest minds in the world, and yet, he knew that the real world—the world he had one foot deeply planted in—moved much faster.

Once the professor dismissed the class, he grabbed his backpack and slung it over one shoulder. Lana was still organizing her notes.

"You want a ride?" he asked.

"You’re heading to Facebook?" she replied.

"Yeah."

"Nah, I have a library shift. But... good luck, Mr. CEO."

He gave her a lazy salute before heading out. Outside, as always, Jay and Roy waited with the black Mercedes parked neatly at the curb. Lukas slid into the back seat and leaned back.

"Office," he said. "Facebook. Tell Ashmika we’re on our way."

Roy nodded and started the engine. Jay had already made the call.

The streets of Princeton blurred past, Lukas watching them absently as he mentally shifted from classroom analysis to corporate strategy. The meeting ahead would be something important—he could feel it.

In the glass-paneled conference room of the Facebook office, the late afternoon sunlight poured through the high windows, glinting off the sleek mahogany table. The room was elegant, minimal, and designed to inspire clarity and collaboration. But the air that day held an uncomfortable thickness.

Yaho sat at the head of the table with her notebook open, her posture poised, her presence commanding. As the new CEO of Facebook—appointed by Lukas himself—she was no longer just a brilliant strategist; she was the beating heart of the company’s future. Yahoo might be one of the most capable businesswomen of her generation. She brought calm authority with every word she spoke after being CEO.

Across from her sat Ashmika, a seasoned executive who had been part of Facebook since its infancy. She had helped nurture the company through its earliest prototype phases, and while her loyalty was unquestioned, her temperament had grown fragile. Especially now, as Yahoo laid out the new financial directives with surgical precision.

"With the IPO now projected for next year," Yaho said, flipping to the next page of her report, "we need to tighten capital flow and reduce dependency on outside hardware vendors. I’ve arranged preliminary talks with Panasonic’s financial team in Tokyo. They are more scalable and future-proof."

Ashmika narrowed her eyes. "So you went behind my back to start a new partnership?"

Yahoo didn’t flinch. "I moved on behalf of the executive board. This is what we discussed in last week’s strategy memo."

Ashmika scoffed. "This is corporate theater. I’ve run campaigns more complicated than this. You don’t need to run this like a military operation."

Just then, the door opened. Lukas stepped in, having observed enough from outside through the glass. His expression was unreadable.

"That’s enough," Lukas said. He didn’t raise his voice, but the steel was there. "Ashmika, you’re speaking to the CEO of Facebook. This is not up for debate."

Ashmika blinked, surprised. "I’m just saying—"

"No," Lukas interrupted, walking to Yaho’s side. "You’re undermining leadership because it doesn’t look like what you’re used to. Yahoo isn’t here to shadow you. She’s here to lead. And frankly, she’s doing a hell of a better job than anyone I could have imagined. I don’t get a call from this office; that’s so much better."

Yaho remained calm, hands folded over her tablet. Her expression was professional but unreadable.

Lukas continued, now turning toward the rest of the team. "This company is growing. That means change. And if we want to play at the global level, we don’t get to operate like a college dorm anymore."

Ashmika pursed her lips, then nodded stiffly. "Noted."

"Good," Lukas said. "Now, let’s build something that lasts and earns us billions."

The room quieted as Ashmika slid the printed financials toward her and began scanning them. Lukas gave her a final look before tapping Yaho lightly on the shoulder.

"Walk with me," he said.

Out in the hallway, the tension of the room seemed to fall away. Yaho exhaled softly but didn’t comment.

Lukas looked over. "I know that wasn’t easy."

"It wasn’t unexpected either," she replied. "People don’t always take kindly to a young woman giving them orders."

Lukas smiled faintly. "You’re not just any woman, Yaho. You’re the best damn decision I’ve made since founding this company."

She gave him a respectful glance. "Thank you. That means a lot."

He nodded. "You have my full trust. The team will come around. And if they don’t, they’re replaceable. You’re not."

They reached the elevator. Yahoo pressed the button.

"We have a long way to go," she said. "But it’s nothing I can’t handle."

Lukas laughed quietly. "That’s exactly why you’re CEO. Now let’s get back to work. The future’s waiting."

The elevator doors opened, and the two stepped inside, already discussing revenue forecasts and acquisition pipelines as the doors closed behind them.

After that, Ashmika understood one thing: Yaho was higher than her in the company hierarchy, and she couldn’t leave the company as well because it was paying her way above her pay grade.