The quiet hum of the Quantum Nexus lab in Estonia felt like the eye of a storm. Outside, the digital world raged. NEXUS.ONE's downloads had not just hit a million by sunrise; they had blasted past ten million by noon, then twenty million by sunset. The analytics dashboard was a dizzying kaleidoscope of green, charting exponential growth across every continent. The MRR projection had already been revised upwards twice by Muse.
Elian sat at his terminal, but he wasn't looking at code. He was watching the unfolding chaos of the global tech industry. Jenna was beside him, a sardonic smile playing on her lips as she monitored incoming communications.
"First wave," Jenna announced, scrolling through a list. "The 'concerned inquiries.' Google's legal team, Apple's corporate development, Microsoft's 'strategic partnerships' division. All requesting immediate video conferences." She paused. "And one very insistent email from a guy who claims to have invented the internet and wants to 'collaborate'."
Elian chuckled without humor. "Standard playbook. Deny, deflect, analyze. Muse, categorize all as low priority. Schedule a single, joint, non-committal response for each. Inform them we are currently focused on user experience and scale."
"Understood," Muse confirmed. "Filtering complete. Autoreply sequence initiated."
Barely an hour later, the tone shifted. The calls became more frequent, more urgent. The emails grew sharper, hinting at intellectual property infringements, anti-trust investigations, and "uncompetitive practices."
"Second wave: 'aggressive engagement'," Jenna observed, scrolling. "Microsoft offering a nine-figure sum for acquisition. Apple mentioning 'patent infringement consultations'. Google... well, Google just sent a single GIF of a worried hamster."
Elian leaned back, a calculating glint in his eye. "Nine figures, huh? For something they couldn't build if they pooled every genius on Earth for a century." He shook his head. "Reject all. Explicitly. Politely, but without ambiguity. And Muse, begin preparing a comprehensive, public statement regarding NEXUS.ONE's foundational architecture. Emphasize its entirely novel and self-generated nature."
"Statement drafting initiated. Predictive legal counter-arguments cross-referenced."
The air in the lab grew heavy with unseen pressure. News articles started to appear, first skeptical, then alarmed. Tech analysts debated whether NEXUS.ONE was a scam, a miracle, or a state-sponsored tool. But the most insidious whispers began to circulate on dark web forums and through influencer channels: security concerns. A system so powerful, so integrated, must have vulnerabilities. A centralized AI, they argued, was a single point of failure, a honeypot for every malicious actor.
Jenna slammed her palm on the desk. "Here it comes. The FUD campaign. 'Unsafe,' 'untested,' 'too powerful.' They're trying to weaponize public fear against us."
Elian's eyes narrowed. He foresaw this. It was inevitable. The old guard would fight dirty. But he had a counter-punch. A statement that wouldn't just deny the rumors, but would shatter them.
He took a deep breath, then issued a mental command. "Muse. Prepare a global press release. Simultaneous distribution across all major news outlets, social media, and direct-to-user channels."
"Ready for content parameters."
"Title it: 'The NEXUS.ONE Security Challenge.' Or something equally bold," Elian dictated, his voice firm and clear. "State clearly: NEXUS.ONE is fundamentally secure. Its AGI core prevents conventional attacks. We are so confident in its integrity that we are issuing an unprecedented bounty."
Jenna looked up, her tablet forgotten. "A bounty? How much?"
Elian's grin was sharp, confident. "One hundred million dollars. Or euros, whichever they prefer."
Jenna gasped. "Elian! Are you insane? One hundred million?"
"For anyone," he continued, ignoring her, "who can successfully compromise NEXUS.ONE's core security. Not just find a bug, but achieve persistent, unauthorized access to user data or system controls."
Muse processed, then projected the draft of the release onto the wall.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEXUS.ONE Announces $100,000,000 Security Challenge
TALLINN, ESTONIA – [Current Date] – In a move set to redefine cybersecurity standards, Quantum Nexus, creators of the revolutionary NEXUS.ONE operating system, today announced a unprecedented $100,000,000 (One Hundred Million US Dollars or equivalent Euros) bounty to any individual or group who can successfully compromise the core security of its platform.
This challenge underscores Quantum Nexus's unwavering confidence in NEXUS.ONE's fundamentally secure architecture and its advanced AGI-driven protection protocols. "We believe in a future where technology empowers, not compromises," stated Dr. Elian Rho, CEO of Quantum Nexus. "NEXUS.ONE's self-optimizing security, powered by its unique AGI, renders traditional vulnerabilities obsolete. This bounty is not just a challenge; it's a testament to our commitment to absolute user safety and a call for transparency in an often opaque digital world."
The $100,000,000 bounty will be awarded to the first party who demonstrates persistent, unauthorized access to NEXUS.ONE's core system controls or user data without user consent. Full terms and conditions, including submission guidelines and verification protocols, are available on NEXUS.ONE.
"Let the world try," Elian said, looking at Jenna, his expression utterly resolute. "Let them throw their best. We'll shut down the FUD, put a target on our back, and use it to prove our strength. $100 million is a small price to pay for global trust and utterly silencing our competition."
Jenna stared at the release, then at Elian. She knew he was right. It was a terrifyingly brilliant move. It would either cement their dominance or crash and burn spectacularly. But with Muse, she found herself believing in the spectacular.
"Alright," she said, a slow, determined smile spreading across her face. "Launch it. Let's see how they handle that."
Elian gave Muse the mental command.
"Global distribution confirmed. Releasing Security Challenge. Impact analysis commencing."
Within minutes, the internet exploded again. The chatter about NEXUS.ONE wasn't just about its speed or its AGI anymore. It was about the audacity. The sheer, terrifying confidence of a hundred million dollar dare. It dwarfed every other tech story. Every CEO's frantic meeting was now about this.
The corporate storm had just escalated into a global cyber-gauntlet.