Zark's head pounded as he slowly drifted back into consciousness. The pain was sharp, throbbing in his skull as he blinked, struggling to clear his vision. The room was cold, the air thick with the stench of damp concrete. His wrists burned where the ropes dug into his skin. A faint memory flashed—Jason Cheng's men, the splintered door, the punches that took him down.
He shifted, trying to move, but pain exploded in his side.
"Ugh..."
The groan slipped out before he could stop it.
A sharp crack echoed in the room as one of Cheng's men backhanded him across the face. Zark's head snapped to the side, and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.
"Wake up."
The man's voice was cold, unfeeling.
"We're just getting started."
Zark's stomach clenched as another punch landed, driving the air from his lungs. He slumped forward, gasping for breath, his vision swimming in and out of focus.
"Please…"
His voice was weak, almost unrecognizable even to himself.
"I didn't… I don't know what you want..."
One of the men grabbed him by the hair, jerking his head back violently.
"How did you do it?"
The man snarled, his breath hot against Zark's face.
"How the hell did you break through our security?"
Zark winced, trying to focus, but his mind was foggy. The sharp sting of pain radiated from his scalp where the man gripped him.
"I just... hacked..."
His voice was barely a whisper, cracking under the weight of exhaustion.
A fist drove into his ribs, and Zark let out a strangled cry. His foot twitched involuntarily, a habit he couldn't control when under intense stress.
"'Just hacked?'"
Another man laughed darkly, stepping forward.
"You 'just' hacked one of the most secure systems in the world?"
He slammed a fist into Zark's side again, making him yelp.
"Tell us how you did it."
The first man's voice was quieter now, but the menace was unmistakable.
"Our system is untouchable. You shouldn't have been able to even get close."
Zark squinted, his vision blurring, the pain clouding his thoughts.
"I didn't mean to..."
He groaned, cracking his knuckles in reflex before he could think.
"I needed the money..."
The words spilled out before he could stop them. He wasn't thinking, only reacting.
"Money?"
One of the men sneered, stepping closer with a steel baton.
"You hacked us for money?"
The baton slammed into his knee, and Zark's scream echoed in the small, dark room.
"Please! Please, I didn't know who you were!"
He was desperate now, his voice rising with panic.
"I just needed rent... I didn't know..."
"Shut up!"
The man raised the baton again, but a voice interrupted from the doorway.
"Enough."
The room fell into an eerie silence. Zark's pulse pounded in his ears as the men stepped back. A new presence entered the room—Jason Cheng, calm, composed, and terrifying in his stillness.
Jason's footsteps echoed as he approached. Zark could barely lift his head to see him, bruised and battered as he was, slumping in the chair.
"So, you're awake."
Jason's voice was low but commanding.
One of the men grabbed Zark's hair again, forcing him to meet Jason's gaze.
"Let's try this again."
Jason leaned down, his eyes piercing through the dim light.
"How did you breach my system?"
His tone was controlled, but the threat simmered beneath his words.
"A system that's supposed to be impenetrable."
Zark swallowed, his throat dry and his mind clouded by the pain. His lips trembled as he tried to speak.
"I… I didn't mean to..."
Jason raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"You didn't mean to?"
He glanced at his men, almost amused.
"You broke into my system, stole from me, and now you're telling me it was an accident?"
Zark's breathing grew shallow, and his foot tapped softly against the cold concrete floor—a habit he couldn't shake.
"I… I didn't have money for rent…"
For a moment, Jason blinked, staring at him in disbelief.
"Rent?"
He repeated the word slowly, letting it sink in.
"You breached one of the most secure systems in the world… for rent money?"
He let out a short, humorless laugh, shaking his head at the absurdity of it.
"Incredible."
Jason muttered, turning to his men.
"This kid compromised my fortress because he couldn't pay rent."
The realization shifted something in Jason's expression. He crouched down to Zark's level, his tone softening with curiosity.
"Tell me, kid."
He spoke slowly, deliberately.
"How would you like to get out of this mess?"
Zark's heart pounded in his chest, the fear overpowering every rational thought.
"Please…"
His voice was shaky, barely audible.
"Please don't kill me... I'll do anything..."
Jason leaned in, a dangerous smile playing on his lips.
"I have a job for you."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"You do this for me, and I'll let you live."
Zark's eyes widened, confusion mingling with his fear.
"What… what do you need?"
Jason stood up, pacing slowly around Zark's chair, his presence looming over him.
"There's information I need from my rivals."
He spoke calmly, as if discussing a simple transaction.
"Hack into their system, get me what I need, and you'll walk out of here."
Zark nodded quickly, desperate for any way out.
"I'll do it… I'll do whatever you want."
Jason stopped, studying Zark carefully.
"What do you need to get the job done?"
Zark hesitated, his mind scrambling to focus through the fog of fear and pain. He cracked his knuckles again, the sound sharp in the quiet room.
"I need… a private room. Somewhere quiet, where I won't be disturbed."
Jason nodded, urging him to continue.
"And?"
"High-end PCs."
Zark's voice quickened as he rattled off the list.
"At least 64 gigs of RAM, multi-core processors, top-tier graphics cards. A few extra screens. Fast, reliable internet, no throttling."
He paused, catching his breath.
"Cooling system, good power supply, surge protectors. I can't risk overheating."
Jason's eyes gleamed with interest.
"Go on."
"Ethernet cables, USB 3.0 hubs, external storage—terabytes of it. And… I need access to a secure server."
Zark swallowed hard, knowing this was the critical point.
"Something offshore, untraceable. VPNs and proxies won't cut it for this."
Jason tilted his head, impressed by Zark's precision.
"You'll get what you need."
Zark blinked, almost in disbelief.
"And… complete isolation. No interruptions."
He hesitated, knowing he was pushing it.
"If I'm distracted, the whole thing could fall apart."
Jason smirked, clearly amused.
"A private room and all the toys you need, huh?"
He chuckled softly, leaning in closer.
"Fine. But remember…"
His voice darkened.
"If you fail me, the tools you're asking for will be the least of your worries."
Zark nodded, his mind already shifting into survival mode.
"I won't fail."
Jason turned to his men.
"Set him up. Far wing, locked down tight."
As Jason and his men left, Zark's relief was fleeting. He cracked his knuckles, knowing the truth—he had just made a deal with the devil. There would be no easy escape from this. His only way out was through the work he was about to do. And that terrified him.