**Arc 2: Chapter 13 – The Opportunist**
The morning sun streamed through Jae-min's window, rudely waking him before his alarm. He stretched lazily, his body protesting after the long night. His phone buzzed on the bedside table. A quick glance told him it was from So-ra.
**"Urgent: Meet me at the café ASAP."**
Jae-min frowned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. So-ra wasn't one for melodrama, but the abrupt message left him uneasy. He quickly got ready and headed out.
---
The café was unusually quiet for a morning, save for a few regulars lost in their books or laptops. So-ra was in their usual corner, her laptop open and her expression grim. She barely looked up when Jae-min slid into the seat across from her.
"What's going on?" he asked.
She turned the laptop toward him. The screen displayed another post on the developer forum, but this time it wasn't from Min-jun.
**"Advanced AI Mod Collaboration Opportunity – Seeking Developers"**
Jae-min scanned the details. It was a recruitment call from a company claiming to be inspired by So-ra's mod, but their pitch included ideas suspiciously similar to hers—ideas she hadn't even released yet.
"This isn't just coincidence," So-ra said, her voice tight. "They've been watching me, probably since the Min-jun fiasco."
Jae-min leaned back, processing. "So, what do we do?"
So-ra hesitated. "I'm not sure yet. If I confront them, they'll deny everything. And if I ignore it, they'll steal my ideas outright."
---
Elyra materialized next to Jae-min, leaning over to inspect the screen. Her face was unreadable, but her tone carried an edge of amusement.
"Looks like someone's trying to capitalize on your hard work," she said to So-ra, though only Jae-min could hear her.
Jae-min resisted the urge to respond out loud, instead shooting Elyra a glance. She smirked knowingly and folded her arms.
"Can the system dig into this company?" Jae-min thought, hoping Elyra would pick up on his unspoken words.
She nodded. "Already on it. Give me a few minutes."
Jae-min turned back to So-ra. "Let's not panic yet. We need more information before deciding how to handle this."
So-ra sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I just… I can't go through another fight like the one with Min-jun. It's exhausting."
Jae-min reached across the table, resting his hand on hers. "You're not alone in this, remember? We'll figure it out."
---
By the time their coffee arrived, Elyra had her answer.
"The company is a small startup," she said quietly to Jae-min. "Their founder is an opportunist—a guy named Han Joo-sung. He's been known to skim ideas from freelancers and small developers, tweaking them just enough to avoid lawsuits. He's slimy but smart."
Jae-min relayed the basics to So-ra, omitting the part where Elyra was the source.
"So, he's a parasite," So-ra muttered, her eyes narrowing. "Great."
"Not exactly," Jae-min said. "He's a businessman. If he thinks he can make money off your work, maybe we can use that against him."
So-ra frowned. "How?"
"Let's meet him," Jae-min said. "If he's looking for collaborators, why not let him think he's got one?"
---
It didn't take long to set up a meeting. So-ra sent a message to the contact email in the forum post, expressing interest in a potential partnership. Within hours, Han Joo-sung replied, eager to meet.
The meeting was scheduled for later that afternoon at a trendy office space downtown. Jae-min accompanied So-ra, posing as her business partner.
Han Joo-sung was exactly what Jae-min expected—polished, charming, and utterly insincere. His smile was too wide, his handshake too firm, and his enthusiasm too forced.
"So glad you reached out," Han said, ushering them into a sleek conference room. "I've been following your work for a while. Truly groundbreaking stuff."
So-ra didn't smile. "Cut to the chase. What do you want?"
Han chuckled, unbothered by her bluntness. "Straight to business. I like that." He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "I want to invest in your talent. Your AI concepts are revolutionary, but they lack the resources to scale. That's where I come in."
Jae-min leaned forward, feigning interest. "And what's the catch?"
Han spread his hands. "No catch. Just a simple partnership agreement. You contribute your expertise, I handle the funding and marketing, and we split the profits."
So-ra snorted. "And by 'split,' you mean you take the lion's share while I do all the work."
Han's smile faltered for a fraction of a second before he recovered. "That's not how I operate. I value my partners."
"Funny," Jae-min said, his tone deceptively light. "Your reputation says otherwise."
Han's expression turned icy. "I don't know what you've heard, but I assure you, I'm an honest businessman."
"Right," So-ra said, standing. "Thanks for your time, but I'm not interested in being exploited."
Han stood as well, his tone turning sharp. "Careful. Opportunities like this don't come around often."
"Neither do people like me," So-ra shot back.
---
Back on the street, So-ra exhaled deeply, tension draining from her shoulders.
"That guy's a snake," she said.
"Agreed," Jae-min said. "But at least now we know what we're dealing with."
Elyra appeared beside him, smirking. "Not bad. But if you really want to take him down, you'll need to hit him where it hurts—his reputation."
Jae-min glanced at her, then at So-ra. A plan was already forming in his mind.
"Let's expose him," Jae-min said.
So-ra raised an eyebrow. "Expose him how?"
"Leave that to me," Jae-min said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
For the first time in days, So-ra smiled back. "Alright. Let's do it."