The Tycoon's Odyssey

Chapter 299: 299:Threatening

The day began like any other for Rajiv, a 23-year-old who spent his afternoons scrolling through his social accounts, commenting on the latest controversies, and sneering at his self-made list of target individuals he 'needed' to hate.

Today, he and his friends had their sights set on a specific target: Suri Barret, a celebrity they had collectively decided to take down. They'd formed a small online group for this exact purpose, gathering each day to unleash their frustrations and project their twisted fantasies onto public figures from behind the safety of their screens.

It wasn't a fruitless job either. As self-proclaimed 'keyboard warriors,' they often earned a round of money for their relentless targeting.

With a smug grin on his face, Rajiv's fingers eagerly tapped on the board as he prepared for the day's session.

He spoke aloud, eyes gleaming with anticipation, "Let's see how much this woman can take. This is gonna be interesting."

Despite launching a staunch attack till now there wasn't much response from Suri's side, something that baffled him a bit, nonetheless, they just needed to push ahead, after all that was their work.

Just as he logged into his social media account, ready to post his made-up stories, he was met with an abrupt notification:

[Account Disabled for Violating Terms.]

"WHAAATTTT?" Rajiv shouted, feeling a rush of anger and panic flooding his veins. He tried refreshing the page repeatedly and even tried logging in again, but the same message stared back at him.

"The fuck is going on?" he muttered, his voice trembling.

Desperately, he checked his email—and when he opened it and saw the sender of the mail, all the blood from his face seemed to have drained away.

The subject line read:

Notice of Legal Action for Cyberbullying and Online Harassment.

Dear Rajiv Singh,

We regret to inform you that your social media account has been permanently suspended due to repeated violations, including the targeting, harassment, and defamation of individuals. Your actions contravene the [Cyberbullying Prevention Act], [Online Harassment Protection Law], and [Defamation Act].

This conduct is subject to criminal investigation as per Article 66-B, and the findings may be presented in a court of law.

You are hereby advised to cease all defamatory activity immediately and failure to comply will result in further action, including formal charges and potential penalties. Legal representation is recommended.

Regards,

Cybersecurity and Law Enforcement Division

_____

"What is going on?"

Rajiv's hands trembled, and his stomach twisted in dread as he finished reading the email. "They're…they're actually coming after me?" he muttered, his voice cracking.

"This can't be real!"

He felt sick. He had been engaged in these tasks fearlessly because he was sure that there wouldn't be any consequences. Now, out of nowhere getting a notice from cybersecurity made him wet his pants in fear.

His mind was overwhelmed by intense fear and he didn't know what he could do. He didn't want to go to jail and neither could he talk about this to his parents knowing well that they would kill him.

"Wait! What about others?"

"No, I can't be dragged down in this alone. They were all in this too…I need to drag them down to…" He screamed and started calling for others.

But little did he know that he wasn't alone.

Dozens of his friends, and many others who had made a habit of harassing Suri and other celebrities, had received similar notifications.

Some tried to bypass the bans by creating new accounts, but even those accounts were instantly flagged and removed. The word spread quickly among the group: every attempt to regain access was met with a ban. It seemed like the system was watching their every move, shutting them down before they could even start.

Soon, accounts that were created by the same users solely to spread hatred and partake in all the bullying were blocked one after another decisively, prompting panic to spread among the group.

Little did they know that the worst was yet to come.

_____

The next day at the news station Prime Central News, anchor Meera Tandon was preparing for a highly anticipated panel discussion on Suri Barret.

Meera and her team had gathered a few celebrities and directors, ready for a discussion about Suri's recent controversies, fully expecting another boost of ratings from the ongoing scandal.

Just as they were finalizing the notes, a courier arrived with an unmarked disk and a note.

Meera dismissed it as typical tabloid tactics—threat messages and bribes were a routine of the business. But when her producer insisted on checking the disk for the disk's content.

What they saw on the screen left them stunned and the entire atmosphere shifted.

The screen was filled with explicit, undeniable evidence of slander, biased reporting, and even the private indiscretions and financial transactions of those who had been invited to the panel.

Each figure's personal wrongdoings were exposed in disturbing detail, making it clear that they'd been under intense surveillance.

As the contents of the disk continued to play, the room grew colder. Every member of the Prime Central News team sat frozen, their eyes fixed on the screen in disbelief. They had prepared for another sensationalized discussion about Suri Barret, assuming they'd drum up engagement and spike their viewership. But this was entirely something else.

Meera Tandon, the seasoned anchor with decades of experience, found her hands trembling slightly as she turned to her producer, Rahul Nair. "Is… is this real?" she whispered, her voice almost breaking.

Rahul, equally stunned, nodded slowly. "It has to be. There's no way they could fake this level of detail. This is… our own private records. This stuff… we've never shown this to anyone."

Sanya Mehra, another producer, leaned in close, her voice trembling with fear. "This is a nightmare! They have everything—our conversations, backstage footage… things no one should ever have access to."

"What's the worst part?" a younger assistant muttered nervously, her eyes wide with horror. "It's not just about Suri. This… whoever is behind this has dirt on every one of us. If this goes public…"