Aetherion's headquarters was a converted warehouse in the city's trendy tech district, a world away from the cold, sterile towers of TitanCorp. The space was a vibrant, chaotic hub of innovation, with exposed brick walls, open-plan workspaces, and the low hum of passionate, intelligent people trying to build the future. It was everything the old, pre-System Leo would have dreamed of. To the new Leo, it was simply a target environment, rich with vulnerabilities.
He walked in not as a corporate predator, but as "Leo Chang," a managing partner for a boutique Hong Kong venture capital firm, a persona he had constructed with the help of the System's Data Mirage skill. His suit was tailored but trendy, his shoes expensive but casual. He was the picture of new money looking for the next big thing.
His new gear was seamlessly integrated. The 'Analyst' Glasses felt light on his face, their lenses subtly scanning the room. As he was greeted by Aetherion's young, energetic founder, Elias Vance, a stream of data scrolled discreetly in the corner of his vision.
[Subject: Elias Vance. Founder & CEO. Age: 28. Education: Stanford AI Labs. Threat Level: High (Ideological). Vulnerability: Overly trusting of his team.]
"Leo! Great to finally meet you," Elias said with a warm, genuine smile, shaking his hand. "We're so excited to show you what we're building."
As Elias led him on a tour, Leo's glasses silently went to work, scanning faces, ID badges, and documents left carelessly on desks. His System cross-referenced the data, building a complete, real-time organizational chart of Aetherion. He identified the lead coder, the head of security, and the project manager for their core AI, 'Prometheus.'
Meanwhile, the 'Ambassador' Tie on his chest was a silent, voracious ear. It passively intercepted snippets of conversation, Wi-Fi handshakes, and Bluetooth signals.
[Fragment Intercepted: "...security patch for the main server is still waiting on approval..."]
[Fragment Intercepted: "...Elias is giving another VC tour. That's the third one this week..."]
[Fragment Intercepted: "...just push the alpha build to the staging server. No one will notice..."]
It was a treasure trove of low-level intel, painting a picture of a company that was brilliant and innovative, but also arrogant, sloppy with security, and desperate for funding.
They ended the tour in a glass-walled conference room. "So, what do you think?" Elias asked, his enthusiasm palpable.
"Impressive," Leo said, his voice a carefully calibrated mix of interest and professional skepticism. "Your 'Prometheus' AI is a genuine paradigm shift. But your security protocols seem… relaxed for a company handling such valuable data."
Elias laughed, a bit defensively. "We believe in an open, collaborative environment. We hire the best people and we trust them."
A fatal error, Leo thought.
As Elias launched into a passionate defense of his company's culture, Leo subtly placed his 'Signatory' Pen on the table, near the conference room's central data port. While Elias was distracted, sketching an algorithm on a whiteboard, Leo gave a silent, mental command.
The System interface in his vision confirmed the action.
['The Signatory' Pen: Activating Network Intrusion Mode.] [Target: Aetherion_Corp_Guest_WiFi. Exploiting known vulnerability CVE-2025-8814...] [Breach successful. Establishing persistent, low-profile backdoor...] [Firewall bypassed. Gaining read/write access to staging server...]
The entire process took less than ten seconds. It was a silent, invisible violation. By the time Elias turned back around, beaming with pride, Leo had already established a beachhead deep inside his digital fortress.
"Your vision is compelling, Elias," Leo said, picking up his pen and tucking it back into his jacket. He stood and offered a hand. "I'll be in touch with my partners. We have a lot to discuss."
He walked out of the vibrant, hopeful office, leaving behind a ticking time bomb that no one even knew existed. As he stepped into the awaiting town car, his phone chimed with a notification from the Shadow Board's encrypted channel. It was from Arthur Harrison.
[Status?]
Leo typed a single, cold, and confident reply.
[The door is open.]