In the HX Corporation’s boardroom, the atmosphere was tense and oppressive.

The daily routine meetings were the first hurdle for each department. Seated at the head of the table, Mitchel Johnson wore a dark suit with a matching tie, his face impassive and his demeanor stern.

He sat in his leather chair, propping his chin with one hand while fiddling with a steel pen in the other, opening and closing it repeatedly without writing anything.

Aside from ...