Aiden arrived at the imposing Star Comp. building, his reflection shining in the polished glass windows that reached the sky. He parked his BMW at the main entrance, and before the engine had cooled down, a valet hurried toward him.
Aiden tossed his keys in a carefree motion and headed toward the entrance without looking back.
As he passed through the lobby, Aiden scanned his badge on the reader next to the revolving door, which opened with a soft release sound. Employees and visitors watched him discreetly, some murmuring as he crossed the space with firm steps.
At the entrance to the main elevator, Ada was already waiting for him, holding a folder of reports and holding a tablet in her hands. At 50 years old, the woman exuded authority and experience.
Aiden raised an eyebrow as he approached. "Ada. How did the negotiation with Sys Corp. go?"
Without hesitation, Ada handed over a cup of coffee she had in her hands, calmly replying: "They refused again. They don't want to sell, even with so many cases backlogged."
Aiden took a small sip of his drink before smiling "Great... looks like I'll have to go back to the old ways."
Ada sighed lightly and pressed the elevator button, glancing at him sideways. "Is it really necessary? We could let the case go through to the end."
The elevator door opened with a soft ding, and the two stepped inside. Aiden leaned against the wall, watching the numbers on the panel as the elevator ascended.
"This will take time, Ada," he replied. "I've heard that Mr. Lyco is in contact with some important figures in the judiciary. His bribery methods could earn him a temporary exit."
Ada, her posture impeccable as ever, looked at Aiden. "If that's true, we could hack into Sys Corp.'s database and collect evidence of bribery. We'd send it straight to the police chief."
Aiden chuckled softly, the sound ironic. "The police chief of M City? I don't think he's as clean as he seems."
Ada frowned slightly. "So what do we do? Just wait?"
Aiden ran a hand over his chin as the elevator approached his floor. His eyes gleamed with cold determination.
"We can't afford to wait. The market is reacting to Sys Corp.'s stock after all the allegations. The stock has plummeted, but that won't last forever. We need to acquire the company before they find an exit."
"And how will you do that?" Ada asked curiously.
Aiden smiled as the elevator door opened. "We have a few tricks up our sleeves. We'll make the right offer… or create a situation they can't refuse."
The two of them stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hallway that led to Aiden's office. The walls were decorated with contemporary artwork, and the floor gleamed with the finest marble.
When they reached the door, Ada held up her tablet, ready to enter new instructions.
"Put forward the necessary actions to secure a meeting with Sys Corp.'s major shareholders by tomorrow," Aiden ordered, opening the door to his office.
"And Ada…" He paused, looking over his shoulder. "Prepare a plan B. Something that involves all of your… skills."
Ada nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Understood, young master."
Aiden walked into his office, closing the door behind him.
Aiden stood in his large office, the comfortable silence broken only by the soft sound of his pen moving across paper. In front of him was a detailed report on the progress of an Artificial Intelligence technology developed by one of Star Comp.'s subsidiaries, called StarTech Innovations.
He looked at the numbers and graphs, noting the progress of the AI that, so far, seemed promising. But a sense of dissatisfaction washed over him. Raising an eyebrow, Aiden muttered,
"It's in the final stages, but it's still not good enough."
With a flick of his fingers, he pressed a button on his desk, activating the call system. Leaning back in his leather chair, Aiden waited.
After a few seconds, there was a soft knock on the door, followed by the entrance of a mature-looking man, who looked to be about 49 years old. His bearing was that of someone who was accustomed to acting with respect and, at the same time, with a certain authority.
"Have you called, Young Aiden?" the man said respectfully.
Aiden looked up and smiled slightly. "Uncle Arthur, good morning."
Arthur, Aiden's assistant and father figure since childhood, smiled back. It was rare to see old Arthur lose his good humor. "Good morning, kid. So, is there anything new going on?"
Aiden sighed heavily, causing Arthur to raise an eyebrow. "Uncle, we've talked about this, haven't we? In the company, I'm the CEO."
Arthur chuckled softly, but without losing his poise. "So? You're still the snot I saw growing up."
"Just because I'm your assistant now doesn't make you a respected CEO," Arthur said with a mischievous smile.
Aiden couldn't help but chuckle. "Always with the jokes, huh? Just don't make me sweat here."
Aiden wasted no time and continued the subject. "How's Lys doing? Is that brat still traveling the world?"
Arthur sighed, but with a gentle smile. "That girl is in Italy now... She called me to let me know and hung up quickly, as always."
Aiden raised an eyebrow with an ironic smile. "But... Uncle still has plenty of bodyguards to protect her, right?"
Arthur sighed again, this time more heavily. "Yeah, sure... But don't tell her that. She doesn't like it one bit."
Arthur quickly got back to the serious subject. "Now let's get real. What do you want, kid?"
He picked up the folder with the AI report and handed it to Arthur. "This project is a failure. We need a new one. StarTech has invested a lot of time and money in this, and it's not what we need."
Arthur took the folder, looked at the report and began to read it calmly. His expression became more serious as he read the data.
"Hm... This was a total waste of time," he said, shaking his head. "All that money over the last few years..."
"Yeah," Aiden sighed heavily. "I want a new project starting in the next two weeks. And increase the budget by 10% for the team."
Arthur looked at him thoughtfully. "So you already know what you want, huh? It's all on your radar."
Aiden nodded firmly. "The AI we're developing needs to be much more efficient, much more intelligent. We need to move to a level of sophistication that's no longer just about processing data, but about how it interacts with and learns from its environment in real time. StarTech needs to excel. We don't have time for failure anymore."
Arthur frowned and, after a pause, closed the folder and placed it back on the table. "Okay. Let's do that. But… do you have a plan for the team? They're not going to accept this budget increase without a solid justification."
"Bring me their best," Aiden replied confidently. "And make sure they understand the urgency of this. I want the team to move fast, without excuses. We need to take advantage of the market's waning interest, but also our ability to move quickly."
Arthur nodded, pulling out his phone and starting to type quickly. "Understood. I'll coordinate the meeting with the people in charge and make sure the budget is approved. You will have the best in charge of this project."
Aiden stood up from his chair, walking to the window. He looked at the city outside, thoughtful. "This AI... will be what takes us further. We cannot fail, Arthur. We cannot."
Arthur watched him for a moment, knowing the weight behind Aiden's words. He had grown up watching the dedication and ambition of the young man, who was now becoming a powerful man.
"Don't worry, young Aiden," Arthur said with a smile. "We will make it happen. For you, there are no limits."
Aiden looked back at him, with a smile of confidence. "That's right, uncle."