The villa's doors opened to reveal three new figures. Alex greeted them with a professional smile as he guided them inside. Behind him, Elias waited impatiently, notebook and pen in hand.
"Welcome," Alex said, gesturing for them to enter. "Did you have a smooth trip?"
The first to speak was a man in his forties, wearing thin glasses and a neatly trimmed beard.
"Daniel Renard. Integrated circuit design engineer. Thank you for having us."
The second was a woman with short red hair, clutching a folder as if it contained secrets of vital importance.
"Clara Morel. Semiconductor materials specialist. I hope this facility lives up to your promises."
The third, a casually dressed young man, seemed more interested in the screens and equipment around the room than in introductions.
"Yann Giraud. Processor architect. Can we get started already?"
Elias stepped forward, shaking their hands one by one.
"Nice to meet you. We don't waste time here. Follow me—I'll show you the lab."
---
The three newcomers froze for a moment as they entered the workspace. The room was packed with brand-new equipment—soldering stations, precision etching machines, and analytical instruments. Elias watched their reactions with a satisfied smile.
"Impressive," Clara murmured, brushing her fingers along one of the machines. "But why set up something like this in such a discreet location?"
Daniel nodded. "And why the high-level security? Who's funding all this?"
Alex spoke up before Elias had to answer.
"You'll be paid very generously not to ask those kinds of questions. Your only job is to build what we've described. Understood?"
Clara raised an eyebrow but held back any comments. Yann, meanwhile, was already studying a motherboard.
"Doesn't matter who's funding it, as long as I have what I need to work," he said, focused.
---
Elias quickly gathered the team around a table and spread out his plans.
"We're going to build a unique processor—not just a copy of what's already out there, but something completely new. High performance, low power consumption, and most importantly, independent of foreign suppliers."
Daniel froze, his eyes widening.
"You mean… creating something entirely new? That's impossible! We're talking years of research and development."
Clara nodded. "Even with the best tools, we can't invent this in a matter of months."
Yann, who had been quiet until now, leaned forward to examine the plans.
"Wait… These schematics… You're joking, right?" He looked at Elias in disbelief. "This is… revolutionary. But are you serious? Could this actually work?"
Elias smiled.
"It's not impossible. It's hard—but doable. We already have the foundations. What we're creating won't rely on any existing design. We're starting from scratch."
Silence fell over the room as everyone processed the scale of the project.
Clara was the first to speak.
"Alright. If that's what you want, I'm in. But don't expect this to be easy."
"I don't expect it to be easy," Elias replied. "I expect it to be groundbreaking."
---
As the team moved components and began testing, Lassen watched from a connected camera, legs crossed on his chair.
Adrian entered the room quietly, carrying a cup of coffee.
"Master, they seem motivated. Elias is already pushing them to go above and beyond."
Lassen flipped another page of his novel.
"Good for them. They're doing their job, and I'm doing mine."
Adrian smiled.
"Speaking of work, what should I tell the authorities if they start asking questions about the progress?"
Lassen shrugged.
"Tell them everything's under control. And if they want more details, they can talk to Alex. I'm busy."