Rebirth: Super Banking System Chapter 2485 - 2323: 11 Years of Forbes

Upon hearing this declaration, Aikodu was momentarily stunned.

Five individuals?

And even more beyond that?

What could that possibly signify? Was it truly possible that multiple people here had successfully engineered technology to bypass the fruit wine’s inhibitory effects? That sounded entirely unscientific, yet if there were truly so many of them... he shuddered.

Glancing to his left and then his right, a sudden realization dawned upon him.

If these people truly existed, they were likely imprisoned just like him, their research suppressed and stifled in the cradle before it could ever see the light of day.

Reflecting on this, Aikodu felt a wave of profound bitterness.

Wealth, fame, status, and the companionship of women—these things would no longer be part of his existence. After years of relentless toil, dedicating so much time and intensive effort to develop something so addictive, had it all been for nothing?

No, he refused to surrender. He had to find a way to escape!

At that exact moment, the acquaintance across from him seemed to read his mind, immediately dampening his hopes. 'Aikodu, abandon those notions. You aren’t getting out of here.'

'Look around you,' the man gestured. 'High walls and electric fences are reinforced everywhere. Even those who know every inch of the map wouldn’t have a clue where this place is located on the globe. Forget about breaking out.'

'Don’t hold your breath for the forces you worked for to rescue you, either.'

'The true terror here isn’t just the walls or the prison itself,' the man continued, his face twisted in genuine fear. 'It’s the wardens.'

As a researcher, the man lacked the spirit for combat, but he had witnessed numerous elite fighters effortlessly subdued by the guards in a single motion.

Not even a second strike was required.

These guards were mysterious, terrifying, and immensely powerful. He had no clue where such monsters originated from. 'Your priority right now shouldn’t be freedom, but learning to tend the crops properly.'

At that moment, a massive, dark-skinned man approached and gave Aikodu a hearty pat on the shoulder, flashing a smile filled with white teeth. 'Kid, from today onward, you’re part of our corn-planting crew.'

Aikodu shuddered upon hearing this.

Once, he had looked down upon farming as a menial, low-level profession. It never occurred to him that he would one day be reduced to such a role. 'If I catch you slacking off, my fist won’t be so forgiving,' the giant growled, his voice booming until Aikodu’s ears rang.

'I... I heard you,' he stammered.

He was a refined researcher, and although his health was decent, he dared not defy a man whose arms were thicker than his own thighs.

'Good,' the giant replied, his expression shifting into a goofy smile. Direct acts of violence carried high penalties here, so he had only meant to intimidate. He remembered his own arrival; he had been taught a harsh lesson in humility, and his aggressive instincts had been thoroughly dismantled. Those wardens were simply too monstrous; there was never any back-and-forth, only instant defeat.

Seeing the scene, the acquaintance stepped forward with a smile. 'Don’t worry. Private fighting is prohibited. If you’re too lazy to finish your work, you’ll just lose your food ration. It’s actually quite harmonious here.'

Without conflict, there was no violence. Being caught fighting usually resulted in solitary confinement. Though inmates would occasionally trade insults, empty threats grew boring over time. Without real disputes and sharing the same fate, the animosity eventually faded into dull acceptance.

They worked, ate, and chatted. It was neither idle nor overly grueling; living out the rest of his days here wasn't the worst fate, provided he stayed alive. The hope of escape was gone, as this place seemed to exist outside of reality.

Afterward, Aikodu asked a few more questions. He was somewhat relieved to find the living conditions were at least tolerable; the brutality of Mexican prisons had been a true hell on earth. Back then, imprisonment for chemical manufacturing had been a nightmare that still haunted him. If his former company hadn't valued his talent and secured his release, he would likely still be rotting in one. He had never expected that his second breakthrough would lead to a lifetime of captivity.

Meanwhile, in Myanmar, the news of four thousand billion dollars in profit acted like a fresh bolt of adrenaline for the populace. The people were so ecstatic they nearly burst into celebration.

While this wealth wasn't technically theirs, the Myanmar Bank Group funneled massive capital back into the country’s economy, funding infrastructure, modern urban projects, and livelihood improvements. For instance, despite the massive increase in individual incomes over the years, inflation remained negligible. It was all thanks to the limitless liquidity of the Myanmar Bank Group. Taxes remained low or non-existent, and agriculture was heavily subsidized. Everything from housing to basic farming led to a comfortable standard of living. Consequently, the people were staunch supporters of the group. As for getting a slice of the profit directly, they didn't even expect it. They viewed the Bank Group with a mixture of reverence and fear. It was more than a business; it was a behemoth that transcended government enterprises, holding the nation’s economic and political lifeblood in its hands.

On March 9th, the United States announced the annual Forbes global rich list. Unsurprisingly, the top spots were occupied by the representative from ERV and Tang Qing from Huaxia. The former held over ten thousand billion dollars, while Tang Qing sat at eight thousand billion. The gap was narrowing, though most analysts believed it would be hard for Tang Qing to overtake the leader in the short term, as his momentum had leveled off. With Hummingbird now public and no other world-class entities poised to explode, it would likely take years for him to hit a trillion. Still, the figures remained dizzying. To the rest of the world, these two were simply monsters. The third-place holder, a Mexican telecom tycoon, possessed only seventy-two billion dollars—not even a tenth of Tang Qing’s net worth. The familiar names like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett had hardly been mentioned for years. It was almost embarrassing; if not for the ERV representative holding the line, the fabled 'American Dream' and the country's national pride would have been trampled into the dirt. Fortunately, they still had their lead, and despite everything, they were moving forward.