Adam sat inside the bus, feeling the engine rumble under his feet. He stared out the window, but he wasn’t really seeing the towns and fields blurring past. His mind was racing, filled with plans. The world outside was just a fast stream of colors and shapes, but inside his head, everything was sharp and clear. He went over his plan again and again.

  'Okay, step one,' he thought, his eyes focused on nothing outside. 'I need to tell the refinery about the oil I found. Or, well, the oil I put there.' He knew he couldn't just walk in and say he magically created an oil well.

  He'd have to be clever about how he presented it. Maybe hint at a new discovery, a potential source. 'If they agree to buy it, even just a little bit to test it, that’s huge. It means I’ll have a buyer right here in Fieland, my own country.'

  A jolt of excitement, like a small electric shock, ran through him. This was it. This was the real beginning. The first step towards building something big, something powerful – his own empire. All the ideas, all the plans he’d spent hours thinking about in his lonely apartment, were finally starting to happen. His heart pounded in his chest just thinking about what might come next.

  The bus was taking him to another city, hours away. This city was home to a huge oil refinery company. Refineries are like giant factories that take raw, black crude oil – the stuff that comes out of the ground – and turn it into useful things like gasoline for cars, diesel for trucks, and oil to heat homes. This refinery was famous, the biggest one in Fieland, and it processed tons of oil every day.

  If Adam could convince them to buy his oil, they would be his first real, official customer. The idea of selling oil directly to a company in Fieland, a country that had to buy almost all its oil from other faraway countries, made him smile.

  Fieland needed oil. He could be the one to give it to them, without them having to rely so much on outsiders. 'And this is just the start,' he thought, picturing the giant refinery tanks in his mind. 'Soon, I'll have my own refinery, maybe even bigger than this one.'

  Finally, the bus arrived at its stop. Adam stepped off onto the sidewalk near the refinery. The place felt different from a normal city. It felt… industrial. Before him stretched a massive area filled with giant metal structures. Huge, black, round tanks, taller than houses, stood everywhere.

  They looked like giant guards watching over the valuable oil stored inside. Pipes, big and small, shiny and rusty, connected everything, twisting and turning like a giant metal spiderweb, carrying oil from place to place. The air itself smelled different here – thick with the heavy, slightly sharp smell of oil and machinery. It was the smell of power and money.

  Adam looked at the whole giant complex, and a confident smile spread across his face. He wasn’t scared by how huge it was. Instead, seeing all the pipes, the tanks, hearing the constant low hum of machines working, filled him with a feeling like this was where he was supposed to be. This was the right place for his big plans.

  "This is it," he whispered to himself. He took a deep breath and started walking towards the main entrance with steady, determined steps.

  Getting into a place like this wasn't easy. A tall chain-link fence with sharp barbed wire on top surrounded the whole area. At the main gate, wide enough for big trucks, there was a small building for security guards. A serious-looking guard in a uniform stood right in front of the gate, watching everything carefully.

  As Adam walked closer, the guard immediately stepped forward, holding up a hand to block his path. The guard's face was stern, showing he meant business. "Stop right there. This is a restricted area. Only people who work here or have permission can enter," the guard said, his voice firm.

  Adam just chuckled softly to himself. He’d expected this. He’d dealt with people trying to block him before. 'Good thing I already figured out how to handle situations like this,' he thought. He calmly reached into his pocket. But instead of pulling out an ID card or papers, he pulled out a crisp, clean $1000 bill. He held it out to the guard, not making a big show of it, but making sure the guard saw it clearly.

  The guard’s serious expression flickered. His eyes darted down to the money, then quickly back up to Adam’s face. His stiff posture relaxed almost instantly. He glanced quickly around to make sure no one else was watching, then smoothly took the money from Adam’s hand and slipped it into his pocket. Just like that, his attitude changed completely.

  "Ahem. Yes, sir," the guard said, his voice suddenly much more polite. "Can I help you? What kind of business do you have here today, sir?"

  Adam looked the guard straight in the eye, his own face calm and steady. "I need to speak with your boss," Adam said clearly. "The main person in charge of this whole place. The owner, if he's here, or the top manager."

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  Hearing this, the guard’s new politeness disappeared, replaced by nervousness. His eyes widened a little. Asking to see the owner? Just like that? Without an appointment? That was a really big deal, and definitely not something the guard was supposed to allow. He looked worried, like he was trying to figure out what to do.

  "Sir, I… I can't just let you walk in to see the boss," the guard stammered, sounding cautious. "There are rules… you need an appointment… security..." He trailed off, clearly uncomfortable. Letting some random young guy see the owner could get him fired in a second.

  Adam sighed quietly. He understood why the guard was hesitant. It was a big risk for him. So, Adam reached into his pocket again. He pulled out another $1000 bill and held it out, just like the first one, keeping his eyes locked on the guard's.

  "Now," Adam asked quietly, letting the second bill tempt the guard, "can I meet him?"

  The guard stared at the second $1000 bill. Two thousand dollars… That was probably more money than he earned in a whole month. He looked really torn now, glancing between the money and Adam's calm, confident face. He clearly wanted the cash, but was scared of losing his job. After a few tense seconds, he seemed to make up his mind. He leaned closer to Adam, lowering his voice.

  "Look, sir," the guard whispered, glancing around again nervously.

  "Here’s some advice. If you really have something important, something big to propose, then okay, maybe try. The boss, Mr. Sterling, sometimes respects people who are bold. But if you're just here to waste his time, or complain about something small… he'll be furious. And I'll be the one who gets fired. Do you understand?" He sounded genuinely worried now, making sure Adam knew the risk he was taking.

  Adam offered a small, confident smile. "Don't worry about your job," he said smoothly. "Your boss won't be disappointed with what I have to say. Trust me."

  His confidence seemed to work. The guard looked him over one last time, then seemed to decide to take the risk (and the money). He nodded quickly.

  "Okay, sir. Wait here for a minute. I'll… I'll make a phone call. See what happens."

  The guard hurried into the small security booth next to the gate. Adam watched him pick up an old-style phone and dial a number. He couldn't hear the conversation, but he saw the guard talking seriously, maybe explaining who Adam was, maybe mentioning how insistent he was. Adam waited calmly, though his heart was beating a little faster now. This was the first big step inside.

  After about a minute, the guard hung up the phone and came back out. He looked a bit less nervous now, maybe relieved. He gave Adam a quick nod.

  "Alright, sir," the guard said quietly. "They said… they said you can go in. Head to the main administration building – it’s that big building over there." He pointed towards a large office building set back from all the tanks and pipes. "Someone at the front desk inside will help you. But," he added, looking Adam seriously in the eye one last time, "please, don't cause any trouble."

  Adam simply nodded slightly to show he understood. "Thank you," he said politely. Then, he walked confidently through the now open gate. He was inside. He had passed the first test. A feeling of focused determination settled over him.

  He knew where he was. Green Refinery was the biggest and basically the only refinery in all of Fieland that could handle large amounts of crude oil. Adam had spent days researching it before he came. He knew about the owner, a powerful man named Marcus Sterling. He even knew, from public reports and news articles, that Mr. Sterling often visited the refinery site for important meetings.

  Adam was counting on catching him here today. Getting past the gate was one thing, but actually getting to talk to Mr. Sterling would be much harder. Still, Adam felt hopeful. Green Refinery needed oil, and he had a secret source.

  He started walking across the huge refinery grounds towards the office building. The place was noisy and busy. Workers in hard hats and overalls rushed around, checking machines, turning valves, shouting over the noise. Forklifts beeped as they carried supplies. The air vibrated with the deep hum of giant engines. Metal clanged against metal. Steam hissed from pipes. It was like being inside a giant, powerful machine. It was a bit intimidating, but Adam stayed focused.

  He reached the administration building. It looked more like a normal office building, cleaner and quieter than the factory areas outside. He pushed through the glass doors into a large lobby. A long reception desk sat at one end, and behind it, a woman was busy typing on a computer and answering phones. She looked efficient but also a little stressed and maybe annoyed.

  When Adam walked up to the desk, the receptionist looked up. Her eyes quickly scanned him, taking in his simple clothes. Her expression immediately turned sour. She probably got a call from the security guard warning her about an unexpected visitor.

  "Can I help you?" she asked, her voice sharp and not very friendly. Before Adam could even reply, she added, "If you don't have an appointment and a very good reason for being here, security will be called to remove you. We are very busy." She clearly didn't think he belonged there and expected him to be trouble.

  Adam kept his cool. He didn't react to her rudeness. He looked her calmly in the eye. "My name is Adam," he said, his voice polite but firm. "I believe Mr. Sterling might be expecting me, or at least willing to see me. I need to speak with your boss."

  The receptionist narrowed her eyes. She studied him for another moment, probably trying to decide if he was bluffing or if the guard had somehow messed up. Was this kid really someone the owner would see without an appointment? She looked doubtful. After a long pause, where she seemed to be deciding whether to call security or risk upsetting her boss, she let out an annoyed sigh.

  "Fine," she snapped, sounding like she really didn't want to do it. "Follow me. But this better be quick."

  Without waiting for him to reply, she stood up and started walking quickly down a hallway, her heels clicking loudly on the polished floor. She didn't look back to see if he was following.

  Adam followed her silently. His mind was already racing, thinking about what he would say to Mr. Sterling. How should he start? What proof could he offer? This meeting could change everything.

  He looked around as they walked through the busy corridors. People in office clothes hurried past, carrying papers, talking seriously on their phones. The smell here was of coffee and paper, not oil, but the feeling of important, fast-paced business was the same.

  Finally, the receptionist stopped at the end of a quieter hallway, in front of a big, solid wooden door. This area felt different, fancier, probably where the top bosses had their offices. She pointed to a couple of nice leather chairs in a small waiting area just outside the door.

  "Wait here," she ordered, still sounding annoyed. "I'll see if he's free." She knocked once on the big wooden door and then slipped inside without waiting for Adam to even sit down.

  Adam walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. He tried to look calm and relaxed, even though his heart was hammering in his chest. This was it. He was just one door away from potentially meeting the owner of the biggest refinery in the country. He went over his plan one last time in his head. He had to be confident, convincing, and maybe a little mysterious.

  Everything depended on this meeting. The heavy wooden door in front of him felt like the gateway to his entire future.