Surviving In This Filthy World As A Novel Villain

"Wait… I'm the CEO of the Reid Industries now?" he muttered, leaning back in the leather seat as the memories solidified.

He recognized the plot immediately. The body he now inhabited belonged to Alex Reid, the infamous antagonist of the novel. 

The original Alex was a textbook overbearing CEO, a man with wealth, power, and a tragic backstory. But instead of using his position wisely, the fool had squandered everything.

After inheriting the Reid Industries, a global business empire, following his parents' tragic deaths, the original Alex had thrown himself headfirst into disaster. Obsessed with Rose, the cunning and manipulative green-tea beauty of the story, he had made reckless decisions to win her favor.

"An idiot of epic proportions," Alex muttered, shaking his head recalling what the previous pwner of this body had done. The more he recalled, the more speechless he became.

The original Alex's downfall was inevitable. His blind devotion to Rose led him to ruin, and in the end, he was betrayed by her and the story's protagonist. His empire crumbled, his reputation was destroyed, and he met a tragic end.

"All that… for a two-faced woman?" Alex's lips curled into a bitter smirk. "Is this guy's brain missing screws or what?"

But now, things are different. He wasn't the same Alex Reid. He had no intention of following the original's footsteps into his own destruction. If anything, he saw this as an opportunity, a chance to rewrite the story.

"If I'm the villain now, then fine. I'll play the part," Alex said, his voice steady and determined. "But this time, I'll rewrite the ending."

As his thoughts solidified, a crisp electronic chime suddenly sounded in his mind. His eyes widened in surprise. A blue panel appeared in front of his eyes.

[Ding!]

[System Activated!]

Detecting the host's desire to alter the original storyline.

Activating [Villain System]…

A mechanical voice echoed in his mind, clear and emotionless. Alex's heart skipped a beat.

"A system?" His eyes lit up with excitement, and a grin tugged at the corners of his lips. As a seasoned or whatever you may call it, who read lots of novels and other stuff and he was that reader of novels, he instantly recognized the significance of this development.

[Mission Unlocked: Eliminate the moles planted by Rose in the Reid Industries.]

Reward: $10 billion in cash upon mission completion.

The mission details appeared in his mind, and Alex's smirk deepened. "A system that rewards me for cleaning up this mess? Perfect." Not only there was a reward for my survival now but also a starting points as to what to do now.

Surveying the current state of his life, Alex felt a wave of confidence wash over him. The Reid Industries was in chaos, riddled with internal disputes and a collapsing cash flow. The original Alex had left behind a disaster, but now, he had the tools and his goal to survive now to turn things around.

"Time to get to work," Alex muttered, pulling out his phone. He dialed a number, his tone steady and commanding.

"Hello, Waters?" he said as the call connected.

Mr. Waters, the loyal butler who had served the Reid family for decades, answered immediately. "Yes, Sir? What can I do for you?"

In the original novel, even after Alex was betrayed by Rose and the protagonist, leading to the downfall of the Reid Industries, Mr. Waters remained loyal to original Alex. He was one of the few who stayed loyal to the end, even attempting to avenge Alex. 

But no matter how hard he tried, the protagonist's overwhelming plot armor crushed all his efforts, leaving him to watch helplessly as everything crumbled without the protagonist doing even something.

Now, hearing Alex's voice over the phone, Mr. Waters was momentarily stunned. His usual calm demeanor faltered, replaced by two emotions which were surprise and that of confusion.

"Hello!? Sir, you there?" he asked again as he didn't get a reply, unsure of the sudden silent on the call.

"Ahh! Sorry…. there's something I need you to do," Alex said, his tone calm yet commanding, carrying a weight it hadn't held in months. "Announce a meeting for all senior executives of the Reid Industries, every department head and manager must attend. Ten minutes from now."

Mr. Waters hesitated. The shock in his voice was unmistakable. "Sir… Are you sure?"

This question was not unwarranted. Ever since Alex had become obsessed with Rose, he had completely neglected his duties as the company's CEO. 

All responsibilities, decisions, and even damage control had fallen on Mr. Waters' shoulders not like it stopped the company's downfall but you can say the company was still standing because of him. For Alex to suddenly take such decisive action was nothing short of abnormal for behaviour

"Yes, I'm sure. Just do as I say," Alex replied firmly, his voice leaving no room for doubt. He then softened his tone slightly, as if acknowledging the burden Mr. Waters had carried. "You've worked hard all these years, Waters. But let me tell you something… a little secret of mine if you would like to call it that way… These past few months, I've been pretending."

"Pretending?" Mr. Waters repeated, his tone laced with disbelief.

Alex's voice turned cold, cutting through the conversation like a blade. "I needed to see how deep the rot ran. How many of the leeches and moles Rose planted were festering and leeches of us inside this company."

There was a pause, his words sinking in, before he continued. "But now I've seen enough. It's time to take back what's mine and set things straight in the company."

His next words were sharp and resolute, filled with an unshakable determination. "I'm taking control of the Reid Industries again Starting by removing this gilthy parasites from my company. From this moment forward, I'll personally lead the purge and set things straight for my company."

For a moment, there was silence on the other end of the line. Then, Mr. Waters let out a laugh, deep, relieved, and filled with genuine joy. It wasn't just laughter; it was the sound of someone who had waited far too long for this moment… dreaming that he was right to trust Alex all this time… and here he was.

"Sir… You've finally woken up!" His voice trembled slightly as he spoke, a rare case of a show of emotion for the seasoned butler. "I'll make the arrangements immediately! The company's been waiting for this day for far too long!"

Alex couldn't help but feel a small smile tug at his lips. Mr. Waters' enthusiasm was infectious, but he quickly regained his composure. "Good. I'm counting on you… Waters."

The butler responded with a proud and happy voice, "Leave it to me, sir!" before the call ended.

Hanging up the phone, Alex leaned back in the driver's seat for a moment, his thoughts racing. There was no time to waste waiting for Rose. She was now a thing of the past, a mistake of the original Alex Reid… not his.

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