The shift in atmosphere was so abrupt that it felt almost theatrical.
In less than a minute, Dylan Brooks found his hands filled to the brim with business cards—thick cardstock embossed with gold lettering, minimalist matte-black designs, even a few that carried subtle scents of sandalwood or tobacco. Each card represented influence, capital, or authority. These were not ordinary introductions; they were quiet declarations of power.
The very same figures who, moments ago, had only observed him with polite detachment—or worse, subtle disdain—were now circling him like moths drawn to an irresistible flame. Titans of industry, regional policymakers, investors with portfolios spanning continents… every one of them now wore expressions of eager deference.
If earlier they had been cautious, n
