Re: Life - Business & Technology

The second week of April 2013, the still air had dried up all the moisture in one of Austin's busy streets. A loud humming noise disturbed the already bustling city sounds as turbofan engines soared through the urban landscape.

The roaring sounds from the engines began to weaken as Vince's private AV landed on a reserved parking space.

The many corporate responsibilities drowning Future Tech executives had also weighed heavily upon a young man in his teens.

Vince Dalton then entered a large building and smelled sweat from the hard work the Fury Fighting Gym members dedicated to their craft.

[Training here once every day when I'm in town is the best escape from the piles of documents in my inbox.] Vince thought.

[Wherever I go, strangers treat me like a prince and shower me with praises. Though, It's the fame and money most of them desire.]

[Here at Tom's gym, everybody acts chill to each other, no matter who you were. Wealth and power weren't concepts my 23-year-old self thought about much. Instead, I usually faced the work and learning grind, and I feel the same way on the gym's fighting mats.] Vince pondered.

Two FS operators wearing brown belts around their traditional jiu-jitsu attire escorted Vince during his daily training session while the rest secured the gym's perimeter.

Vince could hear a metallic clanging noise as an Italian-American man in his late 20s approached him.

"Marco, are you attending the BJJ class this morning?" Vince asked.

"Of course. I'll need to get through my physical rehab before rejoining Price's detachment in Kandahar." Marco replied.

"You've served FS well; there's no need to put yourself at risk again," Vince stated honestly.

"I'm a soldier, Vince. Fighting is what I do, and I won't let a metal leg keep me from doing that." Marco replied.

[Future Tech did everything it could and gave me a second chance. Unlike my brethren suffering every day from PTSD, yet aren't given proper treatment by the military.] Marco pondered.

"You're one of the good guys, Marco. I hope your new top-of-the-line cybernetic leg serves you well." Vince stated sincerely.

"It serves me too well, sometimes. The other members here think my butterfly guard is impossible to pass based on my new leg's strength." Marco jokingly said.

"My butterfly and closed-guards need a bit more refining. Do you mind being my sparring partner for this session?" Vince asked.

"It's my pleasure to help with your training, Vince. Let's get ready before the session starts." Marco replied while walking towards one of the training areas.

The group of four arrived at the BJJ mats room and bowed before entering.

Each member gave Vince a simple nod as a greeting when they watched the group arrive.

Vince found a good friend among the crowd. A young yet large man built like a tank.

"Hey, Tom. I didn't know you were back from Las Vegas. How was your last match? Sorry, I've been too busy with work lately and haven't watched your recent fights." Vince stated.

"It's been quite a while, Vince. My last fight was a brawl and went the distance; fortunately, I won unanimously by decision. Those UFC guys are the real deal." Tom declared.

"Congratulations, Tom. Don't worry too much about the veteran fighters. You're only 18 and undefeated. I bet there's so much more you can learn before becoming champion." Vince stated reassuringly.

"Thanks, Vince. I owe you for starting my fighting career. My wins are your wins, as far as I'm concerned. Do you have a sparring partner already? I want to see how good at grappling you've gotten since the last time we trained together." Tom asked.

"Marco here will be sparring with me, but I'll go a few rounds with Austin's pride himself," Vince said jokingly.

"That's so embarrassing, Vince. Would you please stop calling me Austin's pride? It makes me awkward." Tom replied.

Their conversation abruptly ended as the instructor, Mr. Fury, walked through the door.

"Good to see everyone present for this training session. Partner up, and let's perform some drills, then we'll be sparring afterward." Mr. Fury declared in a stern tone.

Some of the newer students suffered from exhaustion and fatigue from the drills but pushed through it forcibly. It was the same for Vince when he started training, and it was a natural process.

The atmosphere changed as the sparring session started. First, the students formed up and were driven by competitiveness, then the bell rang.

Vince started his sparring session by attempting a double-leg takedown. The same move he used while defending himself from the contract killer almost two years ago.

His actions were much smoother than in the past, but Marco stood his ground and sprawled in defense.

Vince gave up the attempt, as the risk of finishing the move wasn't worth compromising his position.

He sat down on his butt and started to fight in guard. Marco followed and worked his way through Vince's legs to pass his guard.

Ding! The bell rang, signifying the conclusion of a five-minute spar, giving students some time to rest.

"You're guard-play is evolving, Vince. Only a few people in the gym can stop my guard-pass attempts for five minutes." Marco stated.

"Marco, stop going easy on me. I want to feel how much your cybernetic leg improves your techniques." Vince replied.

"Alright then. You can try to pass my guard, and I'll only focus on defense." Marco stated.

The next sparring round began as everyone took their positions on the mat.

Marco immediately sat down and employed his butterfly guard. Next, Vince tried a bullfighter pass and failed as Marco caught his legs, forcing him to the ground instead.

Marco was practically toying with Vince, lifting his entire body with just both his real leg and cybernetic leg. It looked effortless, and Marco didn't even break a sweat.

Before the five minutes was up, Vince tapped from a triangle choke.

"There's no point trying to grapple when you have such a powerful leg. I see why the others think it's cheating." Vince stated.

Tom overheard their conversation while resting and interjected.

"It is cheating, Vince. You can give an amateur a cybernetic implant, and they'll surely win against even the best UFC fighters." Tom stated.

"I agree. Though it's a fake leg, it's leagues better than my old one. I've been training hard to use my military-grade cybernetic implants to their full potential, but not on other people, of course." Marco stated.

"Marco, you're the first-ever person allowed to use these cybernetics. I hope you'd assist other veterans going through the same procedure. Based on your experience, I think you're the perfect candidate for a position in FS in leading other cybernetically-enhanced operators." Vince said.

"That sounds like a lot of responsibility, but I accept. Those people deserve our support, and I'll gladly provide whatever help they need." Marco replied sincerely.

"I appreciate it, Marco. You'll receive the promotion once you've passed the rehab phase of your treatment." Vince declared.

Vince rolled with Tom and Marco during the next few rounds and was sweating bullets after the training session.

Mr. Fury gathered the class in the middle of the mats.

"Everyone, we've been training with Vince for almost two years now. The higher-ranked members have noticed his effort and determination in this martial path. Though he's helped the gym in many ways, it's not why I'm promoting him. I believe he has the potential to get even better. So I congratulate Vince Dalton for his blue-belt promotion!" Mr. Fury declared.

"Good job, Vince." "Keep up the good work." the other members said while Mr. Fury handed Vince his new belt.

"Thank you, Mr. Fury, and thanks, everyone. This gym means a lot to me. I learned how to defend myself here, and this is Future Security's home. I promise to live up to everyone's expectations." Vince stated sincerely.

Tom nudged him and said, "Nice! I'll be able to teach you some of the riskier techniques now that you're a blue belt."

[Billions of dollars can't beat this sense of fulfillment.] Vince pondered while he bowed in front of everyone.

Stats last time checked:

Future Tech current valuation - $300 billion

15 million BTC (currently trades at $1,000)

$45 Billion cash in Future Tech

26,000+ employees (FT AI, Future Studios, Hive Mind Manufacturing, FT Micro Devices, BitCash, FT VR, Future Tech F1, FT Investments, Future Arms, Future Med, Future Tech Robotics, Future Education)

20,000+ operators under Future Security

Personal Vehicles: Klassen Phantom, Agera R, Agera SFV, Boeing Luxury 787 Dreamliner

Five company collaborators (Epic, Koenegisegg, SpaceX, Tesla, Hyundai C&E)

Dozens of investments under Future Tech Holdings (i.e., Instagram)