From Idler to Tech Tycoon: Earth
Chapter 100: Jumpscaring the Internet.

Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Jumpscaring the Internet.

1 Day later.

It started with an article.

Just one.

No warning. No build-up. No cryptic marketing campaign or countdown clock.

The official Bytebull website posted a clean, white-page announcement with black minimalist font:

BREAKTHROUGH ANNOUNCEMENT:

Bytebull confirms successful development of high-capacity Solid-State Battery for next-gen applications.

Carbon Nanotube Semiconductor Integration

5x Energy Density vs Traditional Lithium-Ion

Room-Temperature Operation

Zero Liquid Electrolyte Leakage Risk

8-Minute Full Recharge Capability

Scalable Platform Design

Phoenix AI Battery Control System (Real-time balancing and terrain-reactive draw)

Projected Use: Electric Vehicles, Smartphones, Wearables, Portable Devices

Introducing: Bull EV Motors — Bytebull’s New Subsidiary

With the first production line: Bull ZS-1

[Watch Teaser Video]

[PDF: Comparative Analysis - Li-ion vs Solid State]

[Photos: Bull ZS-1 EV Render | Factory Floor Construction | Carbon Chip Schematic]

Within minutes, the article began circulating.

And then...

The internet detonated.

Twitter (2013-Style Reactions)

@FutureTech_Radar:

What in the cyberpunk hell is this?? BYTEBULL just went from games to EVs, batteries, and carbon nanotubes.

Who TF is running that company, a Bond villain?

@elonarchive (fan-run Musk account):

Solid-state batteries. CARBON nanotube semiconductors. Phoenix AI.

Bytebull just came out of Star Trek.

@realcarenthusiast91:

Just saw the Bull ZS-1 trailer. Looks like a Lambo and a Porsche had a kid raised by aliens.

@bytebullstans:

Me after reading Bytebull’s announcement:

[Attached gif: Vince Mcmahon fainting]

Reddit – r/technology

u/Quantum_Sleeper:

I used to download WW2:FL mods. Now they’re building EVs with solid-state batteries??

This is like if Bethesda suddenly built a Mars rover.

u/dryeraunt:

You guys do realize what solid-state batteries mean, right? Phones that don’t explode. EVs that charge in ten or in Bytebull’s case, 8 minutes.

This isn’t hype. This is the beginning of the end for lithium-ion.

u/flatspin99:

Calling it now: This will either change the world or become the most elaborate vaporware scheme since Theranos.

But I want it to be real.

Facebook Public Posts

AutoTech Weekly:

BREAKING: Bytebull just dropped the most disruptive tech trifecta since the iPhone.

Solid-state battery

Carbon semiconductors

Phoenix AI-powered electric vehicle

They’re now officially on every major investor’s watchlist.

Smartphone Daily:

With carbon-nanotube chips and solid-state power sources, Bytebull casually hinted at launching next-gen phones.

Apple. Samsung. Intel. Hope you’re watching.

YouTube Comments Under Bytebull’s Teaser Trailer (ZS-1)

@MotorStreamTV:

"Looks like something Batman would drive if Bruce Wayne was an AI developer."

@CodeJunkie:

"Wait—Phoenix AI handles terrain detection and power redistribution in microseconds? We’re actually living in a sci-fi novel."

@MemeLord101:

[Comment pinned by Bytebull]"Elon watching this like 👀"

Forums & Industry Analysts

TechCrunch Panel Digest:

"This is not just a tech expansion. This is Bytebull throwing down a gauntlet. They’re signaling to the world: We’re not a startup. We’re the goddamn future."

"Bytebull might be the most dangerous company in tech right now. Dangerous because they’re... quiet."

EVTalk Forum:

"Initial specs suggest 400-mile range minimum. Solid-state at scale could undercut the weight and cooling requirements of Li-ion.

Someone needs to wake up Ford, Nissan, and Toyota. Now."

Internal Reactions – Governments & Corporations (Unseen by Public)

Unnamed EU Automotive Consortium Email:

"We’re requesting a formal breakdown of Bytebull’s patent scope. If their claims hold, we’re 18 months behind minimum."

Intel Internal Memo:

"Monitor Bytebull semiconductor R&D. If they apply CNT to logic-layer efficiency, we may lose edge in post-5nm process nodes."

Russian Industrial Telecom (translated):

"Attempt to negotiate joint research terms with Bytebull Labs. Indirect offers preferable. Target AI subsystem for adaptation."

--------------------

Meanwhile, Richard sat calmly at Bytebull HQ, watching the storm unfold.

Lina stood nearby, arms behind her back, projecting media dashboards and global news trackers across a floating hologram.

"Public sentiment is trending +86% positive," she reported. "Skepticism confined to fringe commentary. Analysts overwhelmingly project industrial disruption within five years."

Richard sipped his coffee and muttered, "It’s moving faster than I thought."

"Sir," Lina said, "Too fast."

Richard continued. "We have no choice, we’ve got a projected timeline to hit."

1 Week Later

SpaceX Factory, Los Angeles

The industrial echoes of the floor surrounded them—hydraulic lifts, welders, and rolling modular carts pulsing beneath massive LED lights. SpaceX’s signature aroma—burnt alloy and ionized air—lingered over the raw steel structures of in-progress rockets.

Richard Santamo followed calmly behind the facility escort, dressed in charcoal-gray with a subtle black dress shirt underneath—formal, though not corporate. His shoes tapped evenly against the polished concrete until the escort stopped ahead and turned.

"Mr. Musk is expecting you."

The office doors parted.

Inside stood Elon Musk, standing by a workstation embedded into a custom aerospace panel, tablet in hand.

He looked up. "Ah. Mr. Santamo."

Richard extended a hand. "Mr. Musk. A pleasure to finally meet you."

They shook—firm, composed, measuring.

"I’ve read the latest on Bytebull," Elon said, setting the tablet aside. "Your Phoenix AI system... that’s impressive work. Fastest integration cycle I’ve seen outside of military simulations. Honestly, I’m surprised you’re not under DARPA lockdown."

Richard smiled faintly. "We move fast. And we keep a low profile where it matters."

Elon gestured toward the floor-to-ceiling glass that overlooked part of the factory’s assembly corridor. "Walk with me?"

"Of course."

They strolled past glass partitions, behind which teams of engineers fine-tuned Merlin engines and heat-dissipation modules.

"I wanted to congratulate you," Richard said. "First successful reusable-stage landing. Even if it hit a little hard."

Elon grinned. "Yeah. It was rough, but it stayed in one piece. First time in aerospace history."

"A future built one prototype at a time."

"That’s the only way I know how," Elon replied.

They stopped beside a scaled model of the Falcon Heavy.

Elon crossed his arms. "I saw the announcement on your Twitter feed. Solid-state battery, production-ready. At first I thought it was a concept push... then I checked the filings."

He looked directly at Richard.

"I have to admit—I’m impressed. And surprised. Truly solid-state opens a new realm of possibilities. Thermal stability, energy density, safety. You realize what you’ve just done, right?"

Richard nodded slowly. "The impact wasn’t lost on us. The moment we verified long-cycle durability under thermal stress, investor response went exponential. We were receiving unsolicited funding offers within forty-eight hours."

Elon’s tone grew more serious. "And you’re not monopolizing it?"

Richard shook his head. "No. We chose to patent the technology properly. It doesn’t help anyone if we hold the industry hostage. The world changes faster when innovation spreads."

"Not everyone in your position would’ve done that," Elon said.

"They offered manufacturing rights almost immediately," Richard continued. "Chinese industrial groups. Russian defense-tech firms. Even two major European consortiums sent pre-contract offers."

Elon scoffed. "They’re already trying to reap a fruit that’s yet to ripen"

"Of course, I declined them respectfully," Richard confirmed. "My priority right now is developing the domestic sector—establishing local infrastructure, building technical capacity, creating jobs where they matter. Jumping to global scale this early would sacrifice control."

Elon tapped the rail with his fingers, thinking.

"Most founders would take the deal. Triple their valuation overnight."

"I’m not most founders."

"That’s what makes this conversation worth having."

Richard paused. "You wanted a partnership."

Elon smiled, but it wasn’t amusement. It was precision.

"Yes," he said. "We both know the world is heading toward full electrification. You’re entering the EV market. I’ve already been in it long enough to know how rough the terrain is. But you—" he glanced at Richard, "—you’re a real genius. In just a year, you’ve built everything that would’ve taken at least decades."

Richard didn’t deny it.

Elon continued. "We may compete on product lines. That’s inevitable. But on the back end? On shared infrastructure, battery research, cross-licensing AI components? There’s opportunity there. Not just financial. Structural."

They both stopped near a finished production of the Tesla Model S.

"You know," Elon added, "when we first built the Model S, our biggest headache wasn’t performance—it was batteries. Supply chain. Safety. Temperature regulation. You’ve just solved that problem in not even a year."

Richard gave a small, reflective nod. "I had a good team. And a bit of foresight."

There was a pause. Then Elon spoke, more quietly.

"I’m not in this for profit, Richard. Not ultimately. Money matters. But if I had to choose between wealth and Mars... I’d take Mars."

Richard studied him. "You really believe humanity can become interplanetary in your lifetime."

Elon met his gaze. "Not can. Should. If we don’t—everything we are dies with us. Climate collapse. Political implosion. Even an asteroid."

Richard’s voice dropped. "You want to escape the system."

"No," Elon said. "I want to replace it. If humanity refuses to evolve, then Mars becomes the reset switch."

Richard was quiet for a moment. Then he chuckled, quietly.

"You’re an optimist."

"I’m a builder. That’s all."

Richard looked out across the factory floor. "Let’s build it, then."

He offered his hand.

Elon took it.

That handshake, firm and silent, carried no press release, no stock bump, no viral tweet. Just two builders, quietly shifting the weight of the future between their palms.

Elon Musk walked beside him, calm but animated.

"The future is here," Elon said. "But most people won’t believe it until they actually see it."

Richard nodded once, hands behind his back. "They’ll believe when in time. People are just tired of false promises. Like a wise man once said, actions are stronger than words."

They paused beside a prototype chassis on a rotatable platform.

Elon pointed at the open rear panel. "We’ve been planning to push toward full AI-assisted autonomy. Initially through vision and radar, later expanding to full-scale neural net inference."

He glanced at Richard. "Phoenix AI—your work—is ahead of anything I’ve seen. We’ve tested a few open-source models, but honestly? They can’t keep up."

Richard let a small smile form at the corner of his mouth. "That’s intentional."

"I figured." Elon grinned. "So here’s what I’m offering: a licensing agreement for Phoenix AI integration in upcoming Tesla autopilot systems. And a production contract—solid-state battery cells. Our teams will help fund the gigafactory construction under Bull EV Motors. We’ll get shared access to the pack designs and participate in long-term scale production."

He paused, watching Richard closely. "I want to invest in your EV infrastructure. And if time is merciful to me... maybe I’ll build a Tesla megafactory in the Philippines, one of these days. Or maybe something bigger from one of my companies."

Richard said nothing at first.

Just that smile—his signature quiet grin. Calm. Collected. Calculating.

Elon exhaled and chuckled. "That look again. You’ve got something brewing."

Richard just nodded toward the window where a Falcon 9 stood tall in distant view. "Maybe I’ll join you in the sky. One day."

Elon’s eyes narrowed in amusement. "Rockets?"

"Something along those lines."

"Well," Elon said, turning more serious again, "if you do, and when you’re ready, I’ll connect you with my preferred contractors. Aerospace-grade carbon composite suppliers, cryo fuel contractors, avionics specialists. The list’s long, but I’ve vetted them. You’ll need it."

Richard extended a hand.

"Appreciated."

Elon shook it. "Let’s build the future together."

-----------Later that Day------------

They walked the factory floor as Elon elaborated on Tesla’s roadmaps: a lightweight model optimized for cities, a gigafactory fully run on solar and wind, and advances in charging time reductions. Elon’s eyes sparkled every time he said "possibility," and Richard, quietly walking beside him, saw it clearly now.

Elon wasn’t just a businessman.

He was a builder dreaming loud enough to wake the world.

Same Day, 6:42PM — Twitter

@elonmusk

Productive meeting today with Richard Santamo, founder of Bytebull and Bull EV Motors.

Excited for what this partnership could bring to the future of electric vehicles. 🚘🔋⚡️

Immediate Global Reactions

Bloomberg Tech

Tesla and Bytebull: The Two-Front War on Oil Begins

Reuters

Solid-State Collaboration: Tesla to Cooperate on Battery Production with Bytebull Subsidiary

CNBC

Philippine Company at the Center of Global Battery Revolution—U.S. Officials Quietly Cheer

Backroom Effects: Washington D.C.

Within twelve hours of Elon’s tweet, senior advisors in the White House situation room were circulating a new directive:

RE: Bytebull-Tesla Alliance

Strategic tech advantage established via private sector.

Consider increased Pacific cooperation and regional reassurance measures.

That evening, President Barack Obama, in quiet coordination with the Department of Defense, authorized the deployment of additional carrier strike groups to the South China Sea.

Officially?Joint training and strategic freedom of navigation exercises.

Unofficially?It was a nod. A signal.

The Philippines had become a vital partner.

Manila, Malacañang Palace – 24 Hours Later

President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III stood at the press podium, national flag gently waving in the breeze behind him.

"The Republic of the Philippines proudly recognizes the work of Bytebull and its subsidiary Bull EV Motors.With the partnership established with international firms, and the ongoing development of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, we are stepping into a new industrial era.

Our nation’s military modernization program will also benefit, as we announce the acquisition of additional FA-50 jets and future procurement of F-16 fighters, reinforcing our capacity to defend our sovereignty."

Behind the cameras, his aides knew the subtext.

Bytebull’s tech boom was more than economic. It was geopolitical.

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