《The Billionaire CEO Becomes the Youngest Emperor》 Chapter 1: Xavier Lancaster Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked at the office door. "Who is it?" asked the man seated inside, in a calm but authoritative voice. He had a commanding build, with hair that was half gray, half brown, showing that he was at the crossroads between youth and old age. "It''s Christina, sir." "Come in." The man didn¡¯t even lift his eyes from his phone as he asked, "What¡¯s going on?" "Sir, I just wanted to inform you that Mr. Hamilton has announced that he is on his way to see you regarding the project. However, this overlaps with your meeting with the executives scheduled in an hour." "It¡¯s nothing. Tell Chris to represent me in the meeting and have him send me a report afterward. This project is much more important than a weekly meeting." "Very well, Mr. Xavier. Allow me to take my leave." "Go ahead." Who is Xavier Lancaster? Xavier Lancaster is the CEO of the biggest car brand, BHX, the CEO of the second largest phone brand, X-Phone, and the founder of the largest clothing brand, Line. And the list goes on. In other words, he is the richest man of the 21st century... or even of all time. Two weeks ago, he reached a fortune so absurd that it seemed unreal. He went from being a billionaire to a billiardaire ¨C an achievement that even financial experts considered impossible for a single individual. "Hahaha, I really need to stop introducing myself when no one''s here... They might think I¡¯m crazy." Alright, let¡¯s start another chapter? It¡¯s widely known: to succeed in life, you must read books and cultivate yourself. Since I was young, I¡¯ve always loved reading, it was a pleasure. But recently, I discovered that today¡¯s youth, who aren¡¯t too fond of classic novels, are passionate about another kind of literature: webnovels. So, I decided to give it a try. And that¡¯s when I came across a true masterpiece: Empire Wars. A novel about empire management and finance, but set in a world inspired by medieval Europe. Knock, knock, knock. There was another knock at the door. "What now?! Let me finish my personal monologue on this masterpiece!" Xavier shouted. After all, he was hierarchically above everyone here, so he could afford it. A male voice, coming from behind the door, answered hesitantly: "Oh... Mr. Lancaster, sorry to bother you." Recognizing the voice, Xavier immediately sat up. "Oh, Mr. Hamilton! It wasn¡¯t directed at you, come in." A man in a black suit entered. His demeanor and face betrayed his age: he was in the same age range as Xavier.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Take a seat on the couch, make yourself at home." "Thank you." Xavier moved to the second couch, facing the one where Hamilton had just sat. After a few seconds of silence, Hamilton spoke first: "What¡¯s this masterpiece you were mentioning just now?" "Hmm¡­ You know those novels that young people read these days? Webnovels?" Hamilton raised an eyebrow. "Of course. With my kids constantly slouched on the couch saying they¡¯re ¡®reading,¡¯ how could I not know¡­ In fact, I¡¯ll admit, some of them are pretty interesting." Xavier gave an amused smile. "Don¡¯t tell me you read them too? Have you become a webnovel fan?" Hamilton sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. The virus has infected the entire family." "Hahahaha!" Despite the importance of the meeting, the atmosphere had become strangely relaxed. "And you, what kind of webnovels do you read?" asked Hamilton, curious. "What do you think?" Hamilton thought for a second. "Hmm... Finance?" Xavier burst out laughing. "Haha, you¡¯re a genius, I swear!" "Well, it¡¯s pretty obvious with you¡­ But what¡¯s the title? I read a lot when I have free time." "Empire Wars." "Oh, something about medieval empires?" "Exactly. With supernatural elements that young people love: dragons, magic, etc." "And what¡¯s it about?" Xavier thought for a moment before answering: "To put it simply, on their continent, there are 13 empires. They¡¯re ranked according to their power, and every 100 years, a great war breaks out. But it¡¯s not just a conquest war: the most powerful empires gradually absorb the weaker ones until only three empires remain." Hamilton seemed intrigued. "Hmm... That sounds interesting and brutal. Let me see." Xavier handed him his phone. Five minutes passed. Hamilton was so immersed in the reading that he didn¡¯t even realize how much time had passed. Finally, he put the phone back on the table and crossed his arms. Xavier, with a satisfied smile, asked: "So? How do you find it?" Without even realizing it, they had started speaking informally. That¡¯s the webnovel spirit. Hamilton nodded. "Hmm... It¡¯s incredibly immersive. How does the author manage to do this? It¡¯s almost supernatural¡­ But something¡¯s intriguing me." "Oh really? What is it?" "The 13th kingdom." Xavier raised an eyebrow. "But that¡¯s the first to get annexed at the start of the war. Hahaha!" "Yes, but... From what I read, there are only three swordmasters in the entire continent, and one of them comes from the 13th kingdom. So why were they annexed so easily?" Xavier shrugged. "As I said, it¡¯s not just military power that counts. There¡¯s also the economy, politics, resource management... And guess what?" "What?" "The emperor of this 13th kingdom is only 15 years old. Worse, he¡¯s in the body of an 8-year-old. Hahaha! The cherry on top: he¡¯s completely incompetent, and all his ministers are corrupt. How could such an empire survive? Hahaha!" Hamilton, deep in thought, then asked a strange question: "What if it were you? If you were the emperor of the 13th empire, do you think you could raise it to first place? Better yet... could you become the richest man in that world?" Xavier¡¯s eyes widened. Then, his signature tic appeared: that confident, dominating smile. He gave a thumbs down and said with certainty: "Doesn¡¯t matter the world... I¡¯ll always be the richest." Hamilton couldn¡¯t help but laugh. "Hahahaha! As expected of the richest man in the world!" "Hahaha, that¡¯s right. Now... let¡¯s talk business." Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. --------- 11:00 PM "Ah¡­ What a tiring day. I was planning to read the latest chapter of Empire Wars, but this conversation took longer than expected¡­" Xavier found himself in a luxurious room worthy of a king, within his five-star hotel. Exhausted, he collapsed onto his spacious bed. Let¡¯s sleep¡­ Tomorrow is a new day to make money. --- **??? Hah¡­ Hah¡­** Xavier slowly opened his eyes. The sun was shining through the curtains, bathing the room in soft morning light. But something was off. Why could he hear a child¡¯s yawn in his room? He furrowed his brow and, in a deep and commanding voice, asked: "Who¡¯s there?" Well¡­ it should have been a deep and commanding voice. What came out of his mouth was a squeaky, childish voice. Xavier widened his eyes and instinctively brought his hand to his mouth. That voice... He looked down at his hands¡­ and panic instantly overwhelmed him. Why are they so small? His gaze swept across the room. Gone was the ultra-modern hotel room, equipped with the latest technology. Now, he found himself in an equally luxurious space, but with a decidedly medieval style. Sweat beads rolled down his temple. This is a dream... right? Yet, his instincts screamed that it wasn¡¯t. His eyes fell on a mirror a few meters away. He needed to see... he needed to check. Trying to get off the bed, he lost his balance and crashed hard to the floor. A sharp pain shot through his small body. No¡­ it wasn¡¯t a dream. Struggling, he crawled toward the mirror, and what he saw took his breath away. A child. An eight-year-old boy, with noble yet youthful features, stared back at him with wide eyes. A nervous smile twisted his lips. "What the fuck is this¨C" An excruciating pain suddenly pierced his skull. As if an invisible hand was pressing him against reality, a flood of memories rushed violently into his mind. He gasped, dropped to his knees, struggling against the wave that was engulfing him. --- 5 minutes later Lying on the floor, Xavier caught his breath, staring at the ceiling. A bitter smile curled on his face. I¡¯ve become the son of a bitch I used to mock¡­ Before he could fully collect himself, a sound interrupted him. Knock knock knock. "Your Majesty, the Emperor?" A feminine voice came from the other side of the door. Xavier closed his eyes for a moment. Thanks to the memories he had just acquired, he knew exactly what was going on. "Speak from where you are." he commanded in a calm voice. A silence, then: "Huh¡­? A-As you command! Marquis Clerc and your Fiancee have arrived." And what do I care? Xavier took a deep breath. He didn¡¯t have all the answers yet, but he wasn¡¯t an idiot. For now, he had to play along and analyze the situation before taking any action. "I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes." "As you command, Your Majesty the Emperor." A grin spread across his lips. Barely arrived here¡­ and I¡¯m already going to get dumped. Chapter 2: The First Steps of an Emperor Suppose I haven¡¯t lost my mind¡­ Just a few hours ago, I was still in my hotel. And now? I wake up here¡­ in Empire Wars. ¡°The more I think about it, the more absurd it gets.¡± The worst part? I can¡¯t even question it. My head is flooded with memories that aren¡¯t mine¡ªmemories of this body¡¯s previous owner. Arghhh! If I had to appear in Empire Wars, out of all the places on this continent and its thirteen empires¡­ Why the hell did it have to be in the Thirteenth Empire?! And worse¡­ in the body of that damn dwarf pretending to be human! Lying on the cold floor, Xavier¡ªnow the Emperor of the Thirteenth Empire¡ªcursed this world internally. But suddenly, a thought struck him. He remembered what Hamilton had said just a few hours ago: ¡°What if it were you? If you were the Emperor of the Thirteenth Empire, do you think you could raise it to the top? Better yet¡­ could you become the richest man in this world?¡± Haha¡­ Hamilton¡­ you bastard¡­ You¡¯ll pay for this. He had no idea how he ended up here, but his instincts told him that question hadn¡¯t been random. Slowly, Xavier sat up. Whoever you are¡­ A determined smile spread across his face. He raised his thumb¡­ then turned it downward. A nervous tic he always had whenever a situation seemed complicated. You¡¯re going to regret sending me here. Flip. But first, I need to gather some intel¡­ The Thirteenth Empire was the weakest on the continent, the first to be annexed in the early chapters. The novel barely mentioned it, as if it were just a third-rate empire, doomed to vanish without a trace. However, there was one thing¡ªor rather, one person¡ªwho kept being brought up throughout the story: one of the three SWORD GODS of the continent. As their name suggested, their power was on par with that of a deity. Their influence surpassed even that of empires, and they were considered the true guardians of the continent. No ruler had absolute authority over them. And that person was Selene Voldrek. The imperial family bore the name Voldrek. In other words, Selene was my older sister. And the emperor? Lucian Voldrek. Shit. ¡°My name is now Lucian Voldrek.¡± Xavier¡ªor rather, Lucian¡ªglanced down at his clothes. Well, clothes was a bit of a stretch: a silk tunic, tailored to his small frame, loose and soft, embroidered with dragon patterns. He took a deep breath. No time to waste. The Marquis Clerc, huh¡­? Whatever. Let¡¯s get changed. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. With a determined stride, he walked toward the wardrobe. Strangely, he had no trouble finding his way around. As if the essence of the former Lucian had left an imprint on him. Seven minutes had passed since the servant announced the arrival of Marquis Clerc and his fianc¨¦e, Adeline Clerc. And now, he stood before the massive chamber doors. ¡°Once I walk through this door, there¡¯s no turning back.¡± ¡­ Five years. Could I do it in five years? An amused smirk played on his lips. His thumb turned downward. ¡°Since when do you doubt yourself, idiot? I¡¯ll do it in an hour if I have to. Xavier doesn¡¯t lose. Xavier always wins¡­ and makes a ton of money.¡± And with that, he confidently pushed open the door. Oh, would you look at that¡­ Two guards stood on either side of the entrance. ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty.¡± Their tone was polite, respectful even. But their gazes¡­ Thinly veiled contempt. As if I were some annoying insect, and they were just waiting to see how much longer I¡¯d dare to crawl. They didn¡¯t even bother hiding their disdain. And more than that, they hadn¡¯t even checked on me after hearing the loud crash from my fall¡­ or my screams when those memories flooded in. Logical. The former Lucian was a pacifist. Worse, a naive child, completely uninterested in politics. As a result, the nobles and officials held all the real power. Every ingredient needed to doom this empire to ruin. I swallowed my irritation and walked away without a word. Small steps. Damn small kid¡¯s steps. As I moved through the corridors, I took in my surroundings. A thirteenth-ranked empire¡­ But an empire nonetheless. The guards and servants I passed greeted me with polite bows¡ªthen whispered behind my back, just loud enough for me to hear. I ignored them, focusing on the castle¡¯s interior. Towering walls decorated with ancient tapestries depicted tales of glory and war. Massive marble columns supported a golden ceiling, while majestic windows bathed the halls in sunlight. Large sculptures of warriors and nobles stood proudly, reminders of the empire¡¯s former greatness. It¡¯s¡­ magnificent. But as I admired it, a wave of irritation hit me. Such a grand castle¡­ while the slot machines outside starved. (Slot machines, of course, referring to the common folk.) You¡¯ll see¡­ Lucian stopped. A man stood before the grand doors leading to the reception hall. White hair betraying his age, a pristine black suit, an upright and dignified posture. Chris Hartner. The head butler of the empire. My personal butler. And more importantly¡­ one of the few people who didn¡¯t despise the emperor. Unlike the others, he served him with genuine loyalty. I studied him for a moment. Hmm¡­ he looks even more charismatic than in the novel. And he even has the same name as my slav¡ª ahem, my employee. Chris, hahaha. The butler bowed deeply. ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty.¡± Lucian crossed his arms, his childish voice carrying an air of authority. ¡°Chris.¡± The butler lifted his head slightly. ¡°I have a job for you.¡± --- Two minutes later Beads of sweat formed on the once-composed butler¡¯s forehead. Panicked, he stammered: > ¡°Your Majesty, please reconsider¡ª¡± But before he could finish, Lucian had already opened the door. ¡­ Or at least, tried to. His small hands and frail body made it a bit of a struggle. Still, once the door was ajar, he declared: ¡°It¡¯s an order.¡± Then he shut it behind him. Sorry, Chris, but we¡¯re on the clock. No time to waste. He stepped into the room¡ªa luxurious meeting hall dominated by a grand table, surrounded by finely carved chairs. But what immediately caught the eye was, of course, the imperial throne¡ªlarger, more majestic, a seat that embodied the supreme authority of the Empire. "Greetings, Your Majesty." "Good morning, Your Majesty." A man and a young woman stood, setting down their teacups. However, their gazes were filled with barely veiled contempt, as if they were looking at an incompetent fool unfit to rule. The servants present also bowed¡­ with the same disdainful expressions. All of them. Lucian didn¡¯t respond. Without a word, he simply walked toward his seat. Marquis Clerc narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening. The emperor had dared to ignore his greeting? But Lucian was too preoccupied to care. He had just frozen in front of his throne. Shit¡­ How the hell was he supposed to climb up there? A wave of emotions surged through him. Humiliation. He took a careful step forward, and then¡­ he saw them. Steps. Damn steps, placed right in front of the throne just to help him get up there. Why is this body so damn small?! Tears welled up in his eyes. Damn it¡­ Am I seriously crying right now?! He wiped them away at once, but it was already too late. Marquis Clerc, who had been watching the scene, smirked cruelly. That brat had the nerve to act tough with me¡­ and now he¡¯s crying just from climbing onto his chair? HAHAHA! This is going to make negotiations even easier today, little emperor. --- Elsewhere, in the Imperial Office¡­ "That bastard really did that, Chris?!" The butler raised an eyebrow. "I would ask that you watch your language when speaking about the emperor, Duke Voldrek." The Duke burst into laughter. "Still as stiff as ever, huh?" Chris didn¡¯t respond. The man, still chuckling, poured himself a glass of wine before continuing: "So¡­ does that mean you''re sending a message to Selene too?" Chris slowly nodded. "That is correct." The Duke¡¯s smile vanished instantly. The atmosphere grew heavy. "Your emperor¡­ has finally chosen death, hasn¡¯t he?" Silence. Then, a sigh. "Fine. Because of these damn traditions, I can¡¯t refuse an imperial order. He¡¯ll have his little family reunion¡­" He swirled his glass between his fingers before smiling slightly. "But he really shouldn¡¯t have invited Big Sister Selene." Because in the end¡­ If she comes, there¡¯s a good chance the emperor¡¯s seat will soon be empty. --- Back in the Meeting Hall¡­ Marquis Clerc¡¯s eyes widened, his voice betraying genuine shock. "What did you just say, Your Majesty?!" His rough tone echoed through the room. Then, a child''s voice answered. "¡­ Sigh." Lucian crossed his arms and declared in a detached tone: "I¡¯m finally granting you what you¡¯ve always wanted. I accept the annulment of the engagement." A heavy silence fell over the room. The marquis turned red¡ªas red as a tomato. The next second, he shot to his feet, slamming the table so hard the teacups trembled. "Is this a joke?!" he roared, furious. Lucian stared at him, unbothered. Hmm¡­ He just raised his voice at me. A mere marquis dared to raise his tone at the emperor? Even the servants here showed him no respect. Lucian clenched his fist slightly. He had to fight the urge to execute his usual nervous tic. Just a little more patience¡­ Just a little.