Zachary shot to his feet, his chair scraping harshly against the floor. His face flushed a deep crimson, veins standing out at his temples, a feral light flickering wildly in his eyes.
"You old farts, shut your mouths!" he roared. "I'm not going to lose!"
He slammed his palm down hard, and the holographic display screens hovering before him shattered into darkness, the calls cut off mid-argument.
Across countless cities and continents, in private boardrooms, penthouses, and sealed conference halls, the shareholders on the other end of those calls sat frozen in stunned silence. For a brief moment, no one spoke, no one moved. No one in living memory had ever dared to address them like that.
