After a few days, the Vito mission was coming to an end.
Alex entered the studio, his movements as precise and professional as ever. Lassen, as usual, was slouched in his armchair, a book in hand. He didn't even glance up as Alex approached the table.
"Master" Alex began, placing the phone in front of him. "The $100,000 payment for the report has been received. The additional $250,000 for the corrections will follow once they validate everything."
Lassen lazily turned a page of his book, nodding absentmindedly. "Good. Anything else?"
"They are satisfied with the work so far," Alex continued. "But they are also intrigued. I think they're considering future collaborations with SpectraSys."
"Of course," Lassen murmured, a faint smile playing on his lips. "People love a good mystery. Let them wonder."
Alex hesitated briefly. "There's something else. One of their technicians has started digging into SpectraSys and my background. So far, all attempts have failed, thanks to the protections put in place by the system."
Lassen smirked, finally lifting his eyes from his book. "Let them dig. They'll find nothing but shadows."
[Oh, such confidence coming from someone who didn't lift a finger to set up those protections] the system interjected, its tone heavy with sarcasm.
"Hey" Lassen shot back "delegation is an art. Not everyone is as good at it as I am. Besides, I trust you."
[Truly, your genius is beyond comprehension, host. It's a miracle the world can handle such brilliance] the system commented, deliberately ignoring the second part of Lassen's statement.
"Exactly" Lassen replied with mock seriousness, sinking deeper into his chair. "Anything else, Alex?"
"Not for now, Master. Vito seems satisfied, and I've ensured everything remains discreet" Alex responded calmly.
"Perfect" Lassen said, returning to his book. "Keep it that way."
---
Meanwhile, at Vito's headquarters, the atmosphere in the boardroom was a mix of relief and curiosity. The CEO sat at the head of the table, flanked by the Technical Director and the Operations Manager.
"The report was exceptional" the Technical Director admitted. "Whoever this SpectraSys team is, they're far ahead of anything we've encountered before."
The CEO nodded thoughtfully. "I want to keep working with them. See if we can secure a long-term contract. But first, I want to know more about them. They're too competent for this to be a simple coincidence."
"One of our engineers has tried to trace their origins" the Operations Manager said cautiously. "So far, it's like trying to grab smoke. Their systems are airtight."
"Keep trying" the CEO ordered. "If they're this good, I want them working for us—or at least under our control."
---
Back at the studio, Lassen stretched, closing his book with a satisfied sigh. He glanced at Alex, who was silently reviewing updates on his laptop.
"System" Lassen said abruptly, his tone casual. "How much money do I have now?"
[Including the payment from Vito, you currently have $100,000 in liquid assets, with $250,000 pending. And yet, you continue to do absolutely nothing productive with that money.]
Lassen burst out laughing. "Productive? I'm doing exactly what I want. That's real success."
[Ah, yes, my apologies. How could I forget that reading a novel is an underrated form of genius?]
"And that's why you're my favorite system" Lassen replied, a faint smile on his lips, before reopening his book.