The entire place erupted. It was as if the reporters were in a battle of life and death with each other to ask their questions first.

Some of them even pulled the others back, so they could take the lead. After all, they realized that this was going to be in the headlines for a long time.

"I... I am not a businessman," Leo stammered into the microphone, his voice thin and fragile. He tucked a silver strand behind his ear, a gesture he'd practiced specifically to look vulnerable.

"I am not as talented as my brother. He had always been a compassionate man, whose compassion was only surpassed by his intelligence," he said weakly, making the place immediately go silent.

After the commotion died, he stated, "If taking the helm of Alpha Corp is what it takes to clear my brother's name, then I will carry that burden. Even if it crushes me..."

He leaned slightly into Blaze, the picture of a man needing a pillar of strength.

In the back, a skeptical reporter from Global News tried to ask a follow-up about the sudden appearance of a silver-haired heir, but she was quickly drowned out by her colleagues.

"Have some respect!" a reporter from a rival network hissed. "Can't you see he's grieving?"

The shift was immediate, especially with the massive support that Leo enjoyed from his fans.

Of course, quite a few of the comments were from Leo's own trusted staff members, who were pretending to be neutral audiences.

[JusticeSeeker_X: We people are truly doomed. We literally hunted his brother to death because he wanted to help the world? And now, we even suspect him? #JusticeForVanderlen]

[TechBroForLife: Look at how Blaze is holding him. The Hero Tower wouldn't protect a fraud. If Blaze says he's Reo, he's Reo. Case closed]

[MoonlightStarlight: I am literally sobbing into my bowl of cereal right now. Why is the milk so salty? Oh wait, it's my own tears. #SilverAngel #ProtectHim]

[VanderlenVixen: If Reo Vanderlen has a million fans, I am one of them. If he has one fan, it is me. If he has no fans, I am dead. If the world is against Reo, I am against the world. I don't even like kale, but I will eat a bucket of it in honor of his dead brother!]

[CapitalistCrier: I just sold my car to buy Alpha Corp stock. I don't care about the quarterly earnings! Can anyone tell me where I can buy them? Are they available in the secondary market? Any help would be appreciated]

[TrollFarm_069: Guys, I heard Reo is so pure that he once spent three hours apologizing to a spider for accidentally walking near its web. Leo was the brain, but Reo is the SOUL. My heart is literally melting!]

[LogicWho: To the reporter who questioned this innocent soul... How dare you? Stop being a hater and start being a human!]

Back on the podium, Leo noticed a reporter in the front row actually clutching her chest as if she were having a mild cardiac event. He decided to go for the kill.

"I... I shouldn't be here," Leo whispered, his voice trembling, specifically manipulated to make mothers everywhere want to bake him cookies.

"My brother always told me... 'Reo, you are too soft for this world.' And looking at your cameras... I think he was right."

He let his head drop, his silver ponytail sliding over his shoulder with the grace of a falling silk ribbon.

"HE'S TOO SOFT!" a cameraman yelled, dropping his neutrality. "WE'RE SORRY, REO! WE'RE SO SORRY!"

Blaze, whose hand was still resting on Leo's shoulder, looked at the madness, not knowing how to react. After all, he wasn't as good an actor as Leo. He could only keep an expressionless face.

"It's alright. It's not your fault. You're just doing your job. How can I blame you?" Leo innocently said, his expressions softening.

He took a deep breath, as he ended his emotional speech. "You can ask your questions now. I will answer everything, no matter how many painful memories those questions bring."

Just as he had expected, his words and his acting had already managed to sway everyone in his favor. Since he was willing to take questions, even those that were suspicious of him were swayed.

None of them asked any more questions that might have brought Reo's identity into question. Moreover, Leo's last sentence also did its job, and they didn't ask him about his past, trying not to bring forth any painful memories.

It was unclear if they were just being considerate, or if they had already seen the kind of comments that were being directed towards the reporters for questioning Leo.

"Young Lord Reo, after you take over the Alpha Corp, are you going to close down the bank that started all this? Will you co-operate with the Intergalactic Watchdogs?" A reporter asked.

"Alpha Bank will not be closed. Even if I have to sacrifice my life, I will protect the legacy of my brother. The bank will follow the same principle as before, with no changes."

The answer stunned quite a few people, but it impressed even more.

"What will Alpha Corp do with the Agency that had arrested your brother, only to later claim that he escaped?" Another reporter asked.

"Alpha Corp..." Leo came closer to the mic, and said, "...will drag the Agency to the Intergalactic Court of Justice! If they want to stop me, they better kill me! Because I'm not going to stop until I find the truth behind my brother's fate!"

After a brief period of silence, his voice grew louder as he continued in more clear words, "They better have good lawyers, and prepare the evidence to prove that my brother indeed escaped... If they can't..."

Leo went silent for a moment, before continuing with the line of thought that he actually wanted to tell everyone, to create a form of shield for the future.

"Who knows, to protect themselves, they might even make up stories like I'm Leo Vanderlen, so that they don't have to provide any proof of my brother's so-called escape."

"Even if that happens, I'm not going to back off. So I hope that you will also support me in this long battle, at least until the court gives a verdict!"

"You're taking the Financial Watchdogs to the Intergalactic Court of Justice? It has never happened before! When are you going to file the case? And are you certain that they will accept this case?"

"Don't worry. They will have to accept the case even if they don't want to," Leo answered.

"Because, the case won't just be filed by the Alpha Corp as a mere company. We will be supported by the Hero Tower, and our planet, which holds a seat in the galactic union,"

Every single person that heard those words, gasped in shock. Even Blaze was a little taken aback as they hadn't discussed anything like that.

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