CHAPTER 292: CHAPTER 291: POWER OF SECURITY COMPANY

Kaelan said. "You and Miss Monica were so drunk you could barely stand, we tried to help you but you refused and insisted on walking on your own."

Victor added with a smirk, "Yeah, you even refused help at the front desk. Just marched up there with that steady, cold stare... except you weren’t steady at all. I was ready to catch you if you fell."

Victor chuckled, the sound laced with amusement. "After everything last night, we brought you and Monica straight here in the suite. No unnecessary stops, no risk of exposure."

Rex glanced over. "And what about check-in? Room arrangements?"

Victor’s lips curved into a faint, smug smile. "Don’t worry about trivialities like that. The company handled it all before you even stepped out of the car." He leaned back slightly, his tone almost casual, but the undertone carried the weight of authority.

"You’d be surprised at the reach we have. This isn’t just any security agency... we’re the top of the industry. The West Coast branch alone can open doors most people don’t even know exist. The kind of places others spend weeks trying to get into, we walk in without so much as showing ID."

He glanced at Rex knowingly. "If you wanted to, you could walk into any private club in LA, any boardroom, any restricted area... no appointment, no waiting. The staff wouldn’t just let you in, they’d offer you a drink and ask if you needed anything else."

His smile deepened, voice dropping slightly, almost conspiratorial. "And that’s just here. Headquarters..." He let the word hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "Their influence stretches across the entire world. Governments, corporate empires, old money dynasties... If they decide a door should open for you, it doesn’t matter if it’s locked, guarded, or bolted shut. It will open. That’s the difference between us and those so-called ’elite’ agencies... we don’t wait for permission. We make the rules."

He continued with a sneer. "Most people think security companies are just bodyguards in suits. That’s for amateurs. We... we’re something else entirely. Retired army generals, former intelligence operatives, even a few politicians... they’re not just clients, they’re on our payroll as advisors. Some because of loyalty, others because they know too much to be anywhere else. We’ve got clearance levels most government agencies dream about."

"You could walk into half the private airfields in LA without a passport, and no one would dare question it. Need a convoy through blocked streets? We make one call, and traffic melts away. If we want someone found, they’re found. If we want someone gone, well..." He shrugged with a half-smile, letting the silence finish the thought.

Rex listened in silence, his expression calm but his mind attentive. Truth be told, he didn’t know much about the company despite technically owning it. All he’d had were the basic details the system provided when it landed in his lap.

Hearing it from someone who had worked in its upper ranks, someone who spoke with the confidence of first-hand experience, was a different matter entirely. He was starting to realize that the company’s reach was far greater than he had imagined.

Rex listened without interrupting, his face unreadable. But behind his calm eyes, thoughts raced, sharp and deliberate. The implications were staggering. First of all, he no longer had to worry about his safety... not from criminals, not from rivals, not even from the government.

With an organization like this covering him, even assassins would think twice before making a move. Maybe that was why the system had given him this from the very start... a fortress to operate from, a shield that could also act as a sword.

He could move freely anywhere in LA without fear, attend closed-door meetings of the powerful, or show up uninvited to events where fortunes and alliances were made. He could meet people most never had access to, secure information others would kill for, and broker deals without anyone daring to question his presence. With their network, he could track anyone, anywhere. If he needed someone gone... quietly... he had no doubt they could arrange it without leaving a trace.

And he knew how rare this truly was. For a private security company to even function, it needed government clearance, connections, and political backing... and that was just for basic operations.

The top-tier firms had to go through layers of far more complicated procedures, navigating a world of politics, shadow deals, and mutual favors. Victor mentioned it casually, but it was no small thing when he said they had retired army generals, senior intelligence officers, and influential politicians on their advisory board. That meant they weren’t just muscle... they were plugged into the veins of power itself.

If the company wanted, they could shift the balance of a negotiation, ruin a corporation, even destabilize small governments. Influence like that wasn’t just power, it was leverage. With it, there were no dead ends, no "off-limits," no "impossible." Information pipelines, political favors, covert muscle... with a network like this, a man could reshape his fate, build empires in silence, and dismantle others without leaving a trace.

The freedom to move without fear. The power to plan without obstruction. In a city where influence decided who rose and who fell, he was sitting inside the belly of the beast, its teeth and claws only a word away.

They continued down the polished hallway, the quiet hum of air conditioning mixing with the faint scent of expensive cologne and freshly cleaned marble. As they passed through the lobby, Rex let his gaze sweep over the hotel. Every detail screamed luxury... from the gleaming floors to the perfectly arranged fresh flowers, to the subtle gold accents that caught the morning light just right.

He couldn’t help comparing it to the hotel the system had given him. In contrast, his looked like a well-meaning but underfunded boutique... no, if he was being brutally honest, a glorified hut with delusions of grandeur. The lobby was dated, the staff complacent, the atmosphere more "desperate discount" than "exclusive luxury." He could practically smell the mediocrity clinging to the walls.

He exhaled slowly through his nose, dismissing the thought before it soured his mood. That wasn’t the building’s fault. That was poor management, pure and simple. The bones were there... prime location, luxurious architecture, a name that still had a faint flicker of recognition in certain circles. All it needed was a vision. His vision.

The moment he took over, he’d gut the staff without hesitation, excising dead weight like a surgeon removing rot. In their place, he’d bring in real professionals... people who understood that service wasn’t just about smiling, it was about anticipating needs before they were spoken. The decor would be stripped down and rebuilt from the ground up, every corner designed to whisper wealth, exclusivity, and quiet power.

And when he was done, it wouldn’t just be a hotel. It would be the hotel... the kind of place where billionaires booked private floors, where politicians held discreet meetings, where the city’s elite came not just to stay, but to be seen. A name that would carry weight in Los Angeles... and beyond.

...

Outside, the morning sun hit the hotel’s facade, making it gleam as though carved from light itself. Rex took one last look, letting his eyes trace the clean lines and imposing stature, before turning away and stepping into the waiting Regalis Phantom. Kaelan, who had slipped away at some point, was already holding the door open.

(End of Chapter)