The meeting ended with a handshake, firm and unspoken, sealing the unprecedented alliance. Adav left Calcutta immediately, returning to Pune, his mind already spinning with the next steps. The pact with Bose was his first deliberate step into the political arena, a move dictated not by emotion, but by the cold logic of the Codex's projections.
His first political move was subtle, almost imperceptible to an outsider. He began to secretly channel funds through various shell companies to Bose's burgeoning network. These funds weren't for direct revolutionary activities, not yet. Instead, they were meticulously directed towards nationalist publications that Bose either controlled or could influence.
Adav, with the Codex's help, began subtly shifting the narrative in these publications. While still advocating for self-rule, the message started to pivot. Less emphasis on spiritual awakening or passive resistance, and more on economic self-sufficiency, industrial power, and technological advancement. Articles appeared detailing the economic exploitation by the British, but also highlighting the successes of Indian-owned enterprises like "Adav Steel" as proof of India's inherent capacity for greatness.
He funded scholarships for bright Indian students to study engineering and sciences, secretly directing them to work in his burgeoning industries upon graduation. He provided resources for local community development projects, earning goodwill and loyalty in key regions. Every rupee spent was a calculated investment, designed to build a silent, loyal base of support for the new, economically driven vision of independence.
Bose, meanwhile, energized by Adav's pragmatic vision, began to refine his own public speeches. He still spoke with passion, but now his rhetoric was imbued with a new, potent argument: that political freedom was inseparable from economic might, and that India must first build herself into an industrial powerhouse to truly break free.
The British, observing these subtle shifts, initially dismissed them as minor deviations within the fragmented nationalist movement. They failed to see the silent, methodical hand of Adav, orchestrating a fundamental change in the very heart of India's awakening. They saw a fiery orator; they did not see the unseen architect, building the very foundations of the future beneath their feet. The pieces were moving into place, preparing for the dramatic shifts that the looming global conflict would soon bring.