The idea of giving away company shares, ownership in what he was building, hung heavy in the air of Adam’s small apartment. Right now, with Fire Corporation being little more than a name, some paperwork Kim was handling, and a non-operational refinery on remote land, maybe shares didn't seem that important.

  They were just pieces of paper representing a company with zero income and massive risks. But Adam knew, with a certainty that felt like a memory from a future yet to happen, that this company, fueled by his secret oil reserve and his Copy & Paste ability, had the potential to grow into something enormous. Something world-changing.

  Every time he looked at the faces around the small table – Kim’s sharp experience, Monica’s brilliant planning mind (was she really the future business titan he vaguely recalled?), Lee’s eager legal intelligence, Lisa’s financial savvy and connections, Raven’s quiet competence – he didn't just see employees.

  He saw potential greatness. He saw the foundational pillars of the empire he dreamed of building. They were the key human element he desperately needed.

  Yet, the other side of the coin felt just as heavy. Giving away shares, even small percentages, meant giving away control. It meant creating partners who would legally have a say, who could potentially challenge his decisions, who might have different goals down the line.

  He remembered the feeling of utter powerlessness when Mayor Walker and his network had systematically destroyed his family, pulling strings, manipulating the system, leaving them with nothing.

  He had sworn to himself he would never be that vulnerable again. He needed to be in charge, firmly in charge, to protect himself, to achieve his goals, to exact his revenge.

  Handing over even a tiny fraction of his authority, especially now, right at the beginning, to people he barely knew – he’d only met Kim the day before yesterday, and the others just minutes ago! – felt incredibly risky. It went against every instinct screaming at him to hold power tightly, never letting it slip.

  Adam sat there silently for a long, tense moment, the hopeful, expectant eyes of his new team fixed on him. His mind felt like a battlefield, warring between the obvious benefits of their proposed commitment and his deep-seated fear of losing control.

  He thought about stories he knew, fragments from his past life or maybe glimpses of this world's history – tales of great empires built on loyalty, shared sacrifice, and unwavering trust between partners who achieved incredible things together.

  But just as vividly, he recalled warnings, stories of betrayal, of partnerships souring, of founders being pushed out of their own creations by the very people they trusted. No great venture, it seemed, grew without cost, without risk.

  Was sharing control the necessary cost of building something truly lasting, truly powerful? Or was it the seed of future destruction? His heart pounded in his chest, a frantic rhythm matching the turmoil in his mind as he weighed the enormous potential rewards against the terrifying risks.

  He looked down at his hands resting on the cheap table, then back up at the faces around him. They weren't just asking for money; they were asking to believe alongside him, to invest their futures in his seemingly impossible dream.

  Rejecting their offer felt wrong, felt like treating them as mere tools rather than the vital partners he knew he needed them to be. But accepting felt like opening a door he might not be able to close later.

  Then, just as the weight of the dilemma felt almost crushing, an idea sparked in his mind, sharp and clear, like a flash of lightning illuminating a dark room. It wasn't just a compromise; it felt like a better plan, a way to structure his ambitions that perfectly balanced his need for ultimate control with their desire for meaningful partnership.

  'Wait a second,' the thought blazed through his mind, cutting through the fog of indecision. 'My dream isn't just about building one company! It's not just about oil! I want to build an empire! A presence in every major industry! Energy, technology, manufacturing, maybe even things this world hasn't even conceived of yet! To do that, I need more than just one successful refinery. I need a flexible structure. I need different divisions, different teams, focused on different goals. And for each of those ventures, I need skilled, dedicated, invested people like these – people who feel like owners, who are driven to make their specific part of the empire succeed!'

  The idea unfolded rapidly, feeling instantly right. Fire Corporation wouldn't be just the oil company. It would be the parent, the holding company, the central hub of his future conglomerate. The refinery would be the first child, the first subsidiary operating under that umbrella.

  Looking around the room again, meeting the eyes of Kim, Monica, Lee, Lisa, and Raven, the uncertainty vanished from Adam’s face, replaced by a calm, focused determination. This structure felt right. It felt powerful. He stood up slowly, the movement drawing their full attention. His voice, when he spoke, was firm, calm, carrying the conviction of his newfound clarity.

  "I understand your proposal," Adam began slowly, choosing his words carefully, wanting to validate their commitment while clearly outlining his own vision. "And I understand why you're proposing it. You want to be partners, not just employees. You want a real stake in what we build, and you're willing to sacrifice upfront security for it. I respect that deeply." He paused, letting them know he had truly heard them. "And," he continued, a new confidence resonating in his tone,

  "I believe I have a solution. A structure that addresses your desire for ownership while fitting into the larger vision I have for our future."

  A complete hush fell over the small room. Even the faint street sounds outside seemed to fade away. Every pair of eyes was locked onto Adam, filled with anticipation. Kim leaned forward slightly, Monica tilted her head, Lee stopped nervously tapping his pen. They waited, sensing his next words could define the very nature of their new venture.

  Adam took a deep breath, letting the silence build the significance of his plan. "Here's what I propose," he announced, his voice steady and sure, echoing his inner belief. "Instead of Fire Corporation being just the name for our oil refinery company, we will establish Fire Corporation as the parent company. Think of it as the holding company, the central command for everything we build from this day forward."

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  He saw immediate surprise flicker across Monica's sharp features, her business mind instantly grasping the structural implication. "Wait," she interjected, her voice a mixture of shock and dawning excitement.

  "You mean… Fire Corporation itself would be a holding company? And the oil refinery operation we're starting… that would be legally structured as its first subsidiary? A separate company underneath the main one?" The idea was clearly bigger, more complex, more ambitious than she had anticipated.

  Adam nodded firmly, pleased she understood so quickly. "Exactly," he confirmed. "Fire Corporation, the parent entity, will be the core. It will hold the overarching vision, manage the primary resources – including the oil reserve itself – allocate capital to different projects, and make the ultimate strategic decisions for the entire group. As the founder and primary investor," he stated clearly, leaving no room for doubt, "I will retain 100% ownership and control of Fire Corporation, the parent company."

  He saw the expected flicker of disappointment – maybe just a shadow – cross Lee's eager face, perhaps Monica's too. They had asked for shares in the company, and he was saying no to shares in the main company. But he quickly followed up with the crucial part of his counter-offer, the part designed to meet their need.

  "This structure," he continued smoothly, "means I cannot, and will not, offer shares in Fire Corporation itself." He let that settle. "However," – and here he leaned forward, making direct eye contact with each of them –

  "what I can offer you, and what I will offer you, is significant equity – real ownership, company shares – specifically in the oil refinery subsidiary company. The company that you five, as the core management team, will build from the ground up. The company that will extract, refine, and sell the oil. The company whose success and profits will be a direct result of your hard work, your expertise, your commitment."

  He paused again, ensuring they grasped the distinction. "This way," he explained, "you become true partners in the operational venture. Your shares will have real value tied directly to the performance of the refinery business that you yourselves manage. You share directly in the profits you help generate. You have a powerful incentive to make it succeed." He met Kim’s eyes.

  "But the parent company, Fire Corporation, remains the central pillar, allowing me to maintain overall strategic direction and potentially launch other subsidiaries in different industries in the future, funded by the success of the first."

  He watched their faces closely. It was a nuanced offer. They wouldn't own a piece of the entire potential empire (at least, not yet), but they would own a significant piece of the first, foundational, and potentially incredibly profitable part of it.

  Monica exchanged another quick, assessing glance with Mr. Kim. Her sharp eyes searched his face, likely seeking his experienced opinion on this structure. Kim’s expression was thoughtful, no longer skeptical. He considered the implications – the legal separation, the focused incentive structure, the founder retaining control while still offering significant upside to the core team. Adam saw him give Monica the tiniest, almost imperceptible nod. Kim approved. It was a strategically sound structure.

  Lee, the young lawyer, who had looked momentarily crestfallen, suddenly broke into a huge, beaming smile. The legal and business elegance of the solution clearly appealed to him. "Wow," he seemed to think, his eyes sparkling with admiration.

  'Parent company holds the core asset and vision, subsidiary holds the operational risk and reward, key management gets equity in the sub... That's clean. Very clean. It incentivizes the team without the founder giving up ultimate control. Brilliant!' His whole posture radiated enthusiasm now.

  Lisa, the financial strategist, also nodded slowly, a look of thoughtful approval spreading across her face. She would understand the benefits for managing finances, attracting future investment specifically for the refinery if needed, and containing risks within the subsidiary structure. Raven, the quiet man, remained mostly unreadable, but he gave another one of his slight, confirming nods, indicating his acceptance alongside the others.

  The atmosphere in the room shifted again. The tension of the negotiation dissolved, replaced by a palpable sense of shared understanding, relief, and renewed, focused optimism. They saw the path forward now – a path that offered them a real stake, real ownership in the venture, while respecting Adam’s role as the ultimate architect.

  Monica turned back to Adam, her gaze direct, steady, and filled now with genuine respect. She rested both hands firmly on the table. "Adam," she said, her voice sincere and carrying conviction,

  "I'll be honest. When Kim first approached me, I thought he might be crazy. And when I saw you… well, you look like you should still be in college, not founding a major corporation." A faint smile touched her lips.

  "But this idea… structuring the company this way from day one… it shows foresight. It shows you're not just thinking about quick profits; you're thinking about building something lasting, something significant. It tells me you're destined for something great."

  Her eyes held his. "I have absolutely no reason to refuse this offer. Shares in the refinery subsidiary, minimal salary for now? I accept." Her words were firm, decisive, leaving no doubt about her commitment, and her tone reassured everyone else in the room.

  Adam felt a warmth spread through his chest, a profound sense of gratitude and relief washing over him. Monica's acceptance, her clear understanding and endorsement of his plan, felt like a massive validation. His counter-proposal hadn't alienated them; it had potentially solidified their partnership on even stronger ground.

  "Thank you, Monica," he said sincerely, his voice filled with emotion. "Your belief means a lot. I know your skills will be invaluable."

  Monica’s mind, Adam could almost see, was already leaping ahead, analyzing the potential of the parent company structure. 'A holding company…' she was likely thinking, the scope of Adam’s ambition truly hitting her. 'Oil is just the beginning. He said 'future ventures'. What else is he planning? Technology? Manufacturing? Where is the initial funding really coming from? He's much more than he appears.'

  Her initial image of him as perhaps a lucky, rich kid was completely gone, replaced by the image of a young, mysterious, but undeniably visionary founder with potentially vast, unexplained resources. The venture felt even riskier now, but also exponentially more exciting.

  With Monica—arguably the most experienced business strategist among them besides Kim—giving her clear approval, the rest of the team quickly followed suit.

  Kim leaned forward, a determined glint in his eyes. "The structure is sound, Adam. It makes perfect sense for managing risk and incentivizing the operational team. And the offer of subsidiary shares is more than fair, given the circumstances." He gave a decisive nod. "I’m in. Let's build this refinery, and let's make Fire Corporation’s first venture a massive success." His commitment felt absolute.

  Lee, the lawyer, practically jumped in his seat again, unable to contain his excitement. He grinned broadly at Adam and playfully slammed his hand flat on the table.

  "Adam, I'm telling you, I like you! This structure, this ambition… it's awesome! Honestly," he declared with genuine enthusiasm, "even if you weren't offering me shares, just being the lawyer involved in setting this up, taking on Green Refinery legally down the line? I'd probably still work with you just for the sheer challenge and excitement!" He clearly saw this as a potentially career-defining opportunity. "I can't let this chance pass me by!" he thought firmly, his eyes shining.

  Then, Lisa and Raven, who had been watching the proceedings with their usual calm focus, exchanged a brief glance. Lisa spoke first, her voice professional but warm. "From a financial and strategic perspective, Adam, your structure is robust. It provides clarity and aligns incentives well. We accept the offer," she stated clearly.

  Raven simply added his quiet confirmation, his voice steady, "We're in."

  Their calm, unified agreement sealed it. The core team was formed, united, and committed to Adam's vision, accepting his terms for ownership in the first subsidiary of the Fire Corporation empire.

  Adam looked slowly around the table, meeting the eyes of each person – Kim, Monica, Lee, Lisa, Raven. His team. His first real allies in this new, dangerous world. A deep sense of satisfaction filled him, but it was coupled with an even deeper sense of responsibility. These people were placing their trust, their careers, their futures, in his hands, based on his promises and his mysterious resources. He couldn't let them down.

  His voice was softer now, filled with quiet determination and genuine sincerity as he addressed them all. "Thank you," he said again, the words carrying the weight of his gratitude and his commitment to them. "Thank you for trusting this vision, for believing in Fire Corporation, even when everything about it seems unconventional, even risky." He looked from face to face.

  "I know the path ahead will be difficult. We have powerful enemies who will try to stop us. We have huge challenges to overcome – building operations from scratch, staying hidden, finding our place in a hostile market." He paused, letting the reality of their task settle.

  "But looking at you all, knowing the skills and dedication you bring to this table… I truly believe we can do it. We can build something amazing. Something that lasts."

  He took a deep breath, his expression hardening slightly, shifting from gratitude to focus. "Alright," he said, his voice regaining its firm, decisive edge, ready to move from agreement to action.

  "We're a team now. Let's get to work. Kim, you mentioned urgent matters regarding the site… Let's start there." The foundations were laid, the team united. It was time to start building their empire, one dangerous, audacious step at a time.