Cedric and I stood in disbelief as we surveyed the documents laid out before us. It was as if River had handed over the keys to his company on a silver platter to anyone who stumbled upon his secret stash.
"You can't be serious with this!" Cedric exclaimed.
"Even I'm starting to think that River was a secret agent for the rival company," I replied.
As we looked through the documents, we couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation.
It was as if River had put up a sign saying -
'Free Company Information - Please Steal!'
"There's no way to save the company until and unless you decide to make a major change and rectify the loopholes which he couldn't," Cedric said.
"Maybe we should just burn it all down and start over," I suggested.
"…"
As Cedric pulled the personal drawer, I couldn't help but think that this was a scene straight out of a spy movie. And then, with a click, the office desk's board separated in two as if it was a gate.
I walked over to the desk and looked below to find a square-shaped glass with a translucent chip in its corner and some files kept by its side.
"Should've made a safe at home," I chuckled.
I walked over to the desk and spotted a square-shaped glass with a mysterious-looking chip in its corner, a sleek black and gold handgun, and some files scattered nearby.
"Damn, River was hiding some serious hardware here," I remarked, eyeing the shiny firearm.
"Woah, that's a Desert Eagle and not just any Desert Eagle, it's a custom-coloured one," Cedric noted, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Is it really that impressive?", I inquired,
Cedric replied, "Not only is it remarkable, but it's also the most expensive Desert Eagle on the market - the limited edition Magnum Research Sapphire model. The sapphire grip, encrusted with 10 carats of diamonds and 23-carat gold body, gives it a whopping price tag of around 8.5 million Aurums."
I muttered with fascination, "Incredible."
I then asked, "So, I'm guessing we need to acquire bullets for this?"
Cedric responded, "Even if we could acquire them illegally, it would be quite difficult. The gun only has 9 default rounds loaded, but I'm assuming he managed to obtain a 44 Magnum magazine with the capacity to hold 8 rounds through an auction."
I jested, "Well, arranging bullets for a gun like this should be a walk in the park for you, right?"
Cedric acknowledged, "Indeed, sir. However, it's important to note that these guns are futile against weavers. Regardless, I will do as you ask."
"Oh, come on, I'm definitely not going to use it against weavers," I retorted.
"No...I meant you cannot use this on civilians or any domestic animals," he clarified.
"Listen, Nerdy, this world has a population of over ten billion. What difference does it make if I kill thousands of people?" I questioned.
"Just focus on the task at hand," I continued before he could argue any further.
Shaking his head, Cedric picked up the square-shaped glass and files placed beside it and analyzed them. After fifteen minutes of scrutiny, he came to a conclusion.
"This is not just any ordinary glass," he declared.
"Then what is it? A transparent stone?" I inquired.
"No, it's a transparent high-definition display," he replied.
"So, it's something new?" I asked. "I mean, these things shouldn't be impressive. I've seen plenty of them in movies."
"Of course, this is a revolutionary product that can literally change the technology industry. However, it's still in the prototype phase," he explained.
"Prototype, you say?" I raised an intrigued eyebrow.
Cedric nodded with an air of conviction and started muttering to himself.
"This could be the very reason why River was targeted. I'm positive that most of his enemies are aware of the existence of this product. If we can't complete it using normal methods, we can always resort to using Qi…"
"…Next time you bellow out a whole paragraph, I'm going to surgically insert a speaker in your vocal cords," I said.
"S-sorry, sir."
I nodded, "All right, let's focus on the task at hand. Speaking of which, we've got most of the company secrets figured out. Now all we have to do is root out the traitors and get some sweet revenge."
"I have a simple solution for that," he said, starting to unbutton his shirt.
"Hey, hey, hey, what the hell are you doing, Cedric?" I exclaimed, trying to suppress a grin.
"Let me tell you, I am straighter than a ruler, and I'm definitely not interested in seeing your six-packs. I prefer volleyballs over baseball bats",
Cedric looked at me, bewildered.
"Sir, I have a camera on the top button of my shirt. I'm taking the button out and placing it here to keep surveillance," he said, holding up a tiny camera.
"Oh," I replied.
With a strong tug, Cedric yanked off a button and deftly concealed it behind a row of wine bottles. After adjusting his shirt, we quickly stashed away the documents in the safe and sealed it shut.
"Good to go," I declared.
Cedric chimed in, "I've linked the camera footage to your device so you can monitor it at any time."
I nodded in approval and pushed open the door to the bustling office. The air was abuzz with lively chatter and the clink of cutlery as people enjoyed their lunch breaks.
Suddenly, a young woman burst through the crowd towards us, her long black hair and brown eyes catching our attention. She was dressed in a sharp black coat and classic assistant dress, exuding both beauty and professionalism.
"Sir, I'm so sorry for the delay. I came running as soon as I heard of your arrival," she gasped for air.
"No problem at all. I'll be here regularly from tomorrow. I've placed some vital documents in my office, so please make sure no one enters. Though, even if they do, they won't be able to find them easily. It's always better to be safe than sorry, right?" I replied.
"Leave it to me, sir. And who might he be?" she inquired, gesturing towards Cedric.
Before he could say anything, I interjected,
"He's my driver."
Cedric's mouth hung open at this sudden declaration.
"I was caught up in an accident and suffered an injury. So, for the time being, he's in charge of escorting me," I added.
"I'm sorry to hear that, sir. If you need any assistance, please don't hesitate to let me know," she said with a warm smile.
"Any assistance?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?" she replied.
"A-All right, I'll keep that in mind", I said.
"Let's go… 'driver'", I said, emphasizing the word driver.
"Yes sir," Cedric replied, his voice filled with frustration.