Mark “The Grand Architect” stood at the podium, addressing the council of elites who sat before him. His voice echoed through the grand hall, the air filled with the scent of luxury and power.

“We’ve had a successful year of harvest,” Mark began, his tone casual as if discussing stock reports. “Our estimates were exceeded by 15%. This year, we harvested approximately 12% of the global population.”

There was a murmur of approval from the room.

“The numbers are, of course, remarkable,” Mark continued. “In Europe alone, 300 million were processed. In South America, the figures were slightly lower, but still impressive—180 million. Asia? Nearly 900 million. The program has functioned exactly as designed.”

He smiled, the corners of his mouth twitching as if suppressing laughter.

“And, thanks to the fertility mandates, we’ve kept the population stable enough for next year’s cycle. We’ve also noticed a significant increase in birth rates, ensuring that next year's harvest won’t see a drop in numbers.”

The room hummed with quiet approval as Mark continued listing the statistics like a corporate CEO presenting his quarterly results.