Re: Life - Business & Technology

The following morning, Vince woke up in the yacht's primary bedroom with a massive headache from his hangover.

[What a pleasurable dream I had.] Vince thought.

He reached for his phone on the side of the bed where he typically charges it but noticed a young woman lying right beside him.

[WTF?!] Vince thought in surprise.

"Vince, you were so sweet and attentive last night. I guess we both fell asleep on your bed while watching TV after spending hours drinking with your friends." Hailee stated as she slowly woke up from her slumber.

"What happened last night exactly?" Vince asked inquisitively.

"You don't remember? You're the one who kissed me at the top deck while we were both alone last night." Hailee replied.

[Elon and his Cali Kush got me into trouble. I'll get him back for this one day!] Vince thought.

"Thanks for jogging my memory. I'm slowly remembering what happened. You can take the first shower before we head to the dining hall for breakfast." Vince stated.

"Alright, but you'll have to join me. We don't want to keep the other guests waiting." Hailee replied with a seductive smile.

[More money, more problems, but I think I can handle an issue like this.] Vince pondered as he followed Hailee into the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later, they both took the elevator and arrived at the lavish dining hall in the middle of 'The Longhorn' where other guests were already eating breakfast.

Kyle was about to say something, but Vince immediately stopped him from talking by holding his hand out.

"I already know what you're about to say, Kyle. So keep it to yourself." Vince stated sternly.

"Come on, Vince. I was going to say good morning." Kyle said with a wide grin on his face.

"Find a seat, you two. I'll have the chef bring out more food." his mother Leah instructed.

Vince and Hailee sat beside each other and started choosing dishes from the menu.

Before the food arrived, Vince began talking to the other guests who decided to stay the night around the table.

"Alice and Jaden. Are you satisfied with your current accommodations?" Vince asked.

"Of course! Experiencing the high life isn't a common occurrence for us. And we were able to film some of The Longhorn's features for our vlog. Our fans have been bombarding our social media accounts asking about this mini-vacation you graciously invited us to." Alice replied sincerely.

"I trust you won't spread too much information about our get-together. Or else it may get awkward." Vince stated plainly.

"Don't go scaring the guests, son. They know their limits." Leah said in a scolding manner.

"I would never do that to you, Vince, especially after Fortis told me about your inspirational pep talk after they lost the APL Season 2 Finals. You seem like a good person." 3D Jaden said honestly.

"You're friends with Fortis, Prime Alliance's team captain?" Vince asked curiously.

"He's my cousin. We both got into War Online, but he preferred playing the game too seriously, whereas I liked creating content for viewers online." 3D Jaden replied.

"Small world. I'll have my lawyers write a sponsorship deal for both you and Alice as a sign of thanks for being such an enjoyable company." Vince stated.

Hailee interjected with a question before Alice and Jaden could thank Vince's generous offer.

"Who's this Fortis person? I noticed Vince got worked up when you mentioned his name." Hailee asked curiously.

"It's because Fortis is the best APL player in the world right now. He's coming back with a vengeance this season, and not even Charlatan's peak last year comes close to Fortis' current form." Rick commented passionately as an avid fan of APL.

"Damn right," "True," Kyle and Sarah added.

"Will you be watching the APL Finals in Vancouver next week? You've attended the last two finals." Wonder Alice asked,

"I wasn't planning to go because of our Q3 sales schedule. And, all of our Infinity products will hit the shelves soon." Vince replied in frustration.

"Vancouver has beautiful weather in late June," Leah commented.

"That's the same thing you said about LA when I asked you to join us at E3, mom." Vince rebuked.

"Let's go, Vince. We couldn't go to South Korea last time because of that massive defense contract you threw on our plates, but it's different now that all our current projects are in the review phase." Rick commented.

"Every employee at Future Tech is allowed a maximum of three weeks for vacation, and we've barely used much of ours this year," Kyle added.

"A trip to British Columbia sounds fun, Vince. Do you mind if I tag along?" Hailee asked with a puppy dog face.

[We have been working a lot this past year. Continuing this summer vacation will be good for the gang, considering we're all teenagers in the first place.] Vince pondered.

"Alright, You guys win. We can take The Longhorn up north and dock at the Coal Harbour Marina. At 31 knots, it can take us there in 30 hours. We can spend more time here or pass by San Fransisco and Seattle on the way." Vince declared.

"You guys can go without us. My family and I will take the Dreamliner back to Austin this afternoon. The kids have homework and classes to attend." Patel stated.

Heidi and Alexis opted to join Patel on their trip back home while Leah, Sera, and the rest of the youngins stayed to attend the APL Finals the following weekend.

"How did your shopping go yesterday? Unfortunately, both of you missed the E3 announcement." Vince asked chidingly.

"I agreed to join you in LA, not your show. And it was terrific. We stopped by our LA Future Couture branch and saw it flooded with famous people, and we even met a few." Leah replied.

"I'm glad you both had fun, at least. Do you have plans for the rest of today?" Vince asked.

"We're still thinking about it. I was considering maybe touring around the Griffith Observatory." Leah replied.

"How about we go to Universal Studios Hollywood?" Kyle proposed.

"Yes! I want to buy a wand from Ollivander's!" Sarah added.

"I've always wanted to check out the Jurrasic Park rides," Jessica commented.

"I'm down to go! I never really had the chance to go because of all the foot traffic and paparazzi, but I feel safe with Marco and your security detail around." Hailee stated in agreement.

"It's settled then. Marco, please get in touch with Universal Studios to prepare for our visit. If I'm happy with our experience, I'll be open to partnering with Universal to create new AR and VR attractions." Vince instructed.

The gang went their separate ways to prepare for their outing.

"Your mom picked out a few outfits for me to choose. How about this one?" Hailee asked.

"I prefer the other one you're holding. Though I don't have much of an eye for fashion like my mother." Vince replied honestly.

"You're so cute when you get all honest on me," Hailee said with a chuckle.

"Hey, though we have plenty of security. Are you alright with people seeing you and me together? Aren't you in a relationship?" Vince asked curiously.

"You assumed wrong, and I haven't been dating for months. And who wouldn't want attention from the most eligible bachelor in the world?" Hailee replied honestly.

"Okay. Let's have fun with the rest of the gang during our little summer vacation!" Vince said before changing into more suitable attire.

The Stingray landed at the rear entrance of the theme park, as requested by the park manager. Moreover, the area was already secure enough, and Vince decided to keep three operators for each of them while strolling around the park.

3D Jaden and Wonder Alice had their video equipment ready for the exciting moments during their stay at Universal Studios.

"Hello again, everybody! You won't believe it; not only are we hanging out with Vince Dalton and his posse in LA, but we'll also be attending the APL Season 3 Finals as special guests. I think I've used up all my luck for an entire lifetime." 3D Jaden said to his wireless microphone while pointing the camera at his all-access pass to Universal Studios.

[Fortis is going to be so jealous knowing he's hard at practice while I'm enjoying the high life.] Jaden pondered while walking with Alice and the others.

Stats last time checked:

Future Tech current valuation - $300 billion

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

$10 Billion cash in Future Tech

105,000+ 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, SpaceX)

20,000+ operators under Future Security

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

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

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