The restaurant was quiet by design.
Private room. Neutral lighting. No logos. No witnesses.
A place where real conversations happened.
I arrived five minutes early. Not to wait—but to observe.
[Scanning…]
[Target: Victor Han][Industry: Logistics & Infrastructure][Psychological Profile: Aggressive Opportunist][Current Weakness: Overexpansion | Liquidity Strain]
So even giants bled.
The door opened.
Victor Han walked in with the confidence of a man used to being feared. Expensive watch. Relaxed posture. Eyes that measured value faster than people.
He paused when he saw me.
"…You're calmer than I expected," he said, sitting down.
"I've had a productive afternoon," I replied.
He smiled thinly. "You were fired this morning."
"Yes."
"And now you're meeting me?"
I met his gaze. "You asked to talk."
The system pulsed.
[Negotiation Phase Initiated]
Victor leaned back. "I'll be honest. I didn't come to console you. I came because timing matters."
"Your northern hub is bleeding cash," I said calmly. "Your subcontractors are stalling. And your bank just revised your risk rating."
His smile froze.
"That's confidential."
"It's predictable," I corrected.
Silence stretched.
The system overlaid a probability curve in my vision.
[Opponent Emotional Shift: Defensive → Curious]
Victor laughed once. Short. Sharp.
"So," he said, "what do you want?"
I placed a single document on the table.
A proposal.
"You're bidding for the government logistics tender next quarter," I said. "You won't win without operational restructuring."
His eyes flicked to the paper. "And you think you can provide that?"
"I already did," I said.
He frowned. "Excuse me?"
"You cut costs by renegotiating three subcontractors," I continued. "Two will comply. One will resist. I know which one—and how to break the deadlock."
The system updated.
[Outcome Probability if Proposal Accepted: 89%]
Victor stared at me for a long moment.
"You were just fired," he said slowly. "Why would I trust you?"
I didn't raise my voice.
"I'm no longer bound by corporate politics," I replied. "I have nothing to protect except results."
That landed.
Victor tapped the table once. "What's your price?"
"Temporary authority," I said. "Decision power over one operational unit. Thirty days."
"And payment?"
I smiled faintly.
"Success-based."
His eyebrows rose. "You're either desperate—or dangerous."
The system flashed.
[Optimal Response Detected]
"I was desperate this morning," I said. "Now I'm just accurate."
The room went quiet.
Finally, Victor reached for the document.
"You get thirty days," he said. "No extensions."
I stood. "You won't need them."
Three hours later, my phone buzzed again.
This time, it wasn't a message.
It was a notification.
[Major Contract Influence Achieved][Authority Level: Temporary Executive][System Upgrade Pending]
I stepped outside.
The city lights reflected off glass towers—the same towers where decisions were made, reputations destroyed, and power quietly traded.
Somewhere above me, my former company's board was still celebrating my exit.
They thought they had removed a liability.
They had just released competition.
I adjusted my cuff and walked into the night.
The game had officially begun.