The stage was too bright.It wasn't just light; it was a physical weight. It felt like a thousand needles of white fire pressing into my skin. In the simulation, light was a setting. In the "Real" world I had tried to write, light was a weak, cold sun. Here, the light was **Attention**. Every photon carried the gaze of a billion people, and it was heavy enough to crush my bones.I stood in the center of a circular platform made of polished diamond. Below me, stretching into a distance I couldn't even see, were the Shareholders.They didn't look like people. They looked like gold statues. Their suits were sleek, covering them from head to toe, with masks that were smooth and featureless. They didn't cheer. They didn't clap. They just **stood**. They were a sea of gold, silent and hungry, waiting for the "Product" to speak."Look at them, Kaima," Julian whispered, leaning close to my ear. His voice was projected through the stadium speakers, booming like the voice of a god. "They love y
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