The holographic interface materialized before Aiden as he sat in his newly furnished office at Schols Ventures. The sleek downtown space still smelled of fresh paint and leather, but the system's urgent red warning cut through his satisfaction.
DANGER ALERT: Corporate espionage detected. Malcolm Zhang has deployed three agents within your organization.
Aiden's enhanced perception immediately kicked in, his mind racing through the faces of everyone he'd hired in the past month. The system highlighted three names with damning evidence—financial records showing mysterious deposits, encrypted communications, meeting logs that didn't align with their stated positions.
"Marcus," Aiden called through the intercom, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through him. His best friend appeared moments later, concern etched on his features.
"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Aiden turned his laptop screen toward Marcus, displaying the fabricated résumés the system had helped him uncover. "We have rats in the walls. Malcolm Zhang isn't content with losing that tech investment to me. He wants to destroy what I'm building from the inside."
Marcus leaned closer, his eyes widening as he recognized two of the names—a junior analyst and a secretary, both hired just three weeks ago. "How did you find this?"
"Let's just say I have good instincts," Aiden replied, unwilling to reveal the system's existence even to his closest friend. "Call security. Have them detained quietly. I don't want to tip off the third one until I know exactly what they've already stolen."
As Marcus rushed out, Aiden activated his enhanced business analytics ability. Data streamed across his vision—confidential files that had been accessed, encrypted emails sent to external addresses, and most damning of all, a planned hostile takeover bid that Malcolm was preparing based on stolen financial projections.
The system chimed again: Recommended action: Turn the infiltration against your enemy. Use the third agent to feed false information.
A slow smile spread across Aiden's face. Malcolm had made a crucial mistake—he'd underestimated the poor scholarship student he'd been investigating. That error would cost him dearly.
By evening, Aiden had orchestrated a masterful counter-move. The two captured spies were given a choice: cooperate and face no legal consequences, or refuse and deal with both law enforcement and Malcolm's wrath when he discovered they'd been compromised. They chose cooperation.
The third spy, a senior investment advisor named Richard Chen, remained unaware of his exposure. Through him, Aiden began feeding Malcolm carefully crafted misinformation—fake expansion plans, falsified financial weaknesses, and fabricated investor concerns.
"You're playing a dangerous game," Sophia said that night when he explained the situation. They were in his penthouse, the city lights twinkling below them like earthbound stars. She'd brought her laptop, ostensibly to work on her AI project, but her worried glances kept finding him.
"Malcolm started this game," Aiden replied, pouring them both wine. "I'm just playing to win."
"And what happens when he realizes you've turned his own spy against him?"
Aiden's charisma-enhanced confidence radiated as he met her eyes. "By then, it'll be too late. He'll have committed resources based on false intelligence, made moves that expose his own vulnerabilities. The system taught me something important—sometimes the best defense is making your enemy defeat themselves."
Sophia shook her head, but admiration flickered in her expression. "You've changed so much from the guy I met in the library. Sometimes I wonder if I even know you anymore."
He crossed to her, taking her hands in his. "You know the parts that matter. I'm still the same person who wants to fund your research because I believe in your brilliance, not because I expect anything in return."
"Except maybe my heart?" she asked softly.
"That was never a transaction," Aiden insisted. "That's something you give freely, or not at all."
The system pulsed with approval in his peripheral vision, but for once, Aiden barely noticed it. The look in Sophia's eyes was reward enough.