The night was falling in dense hues, and the reflection of the city lights shone on the hood of Aiden's car. He drove back to his mansion, relaxed, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on his cell phone, checking messages from Star Comp. It had been a productive day. The plan to acquire Sys Comp. was going better than expected.
Suddenly, the headlights of two black cars appeared in the rearview mirror, moving quickly towards him. Aiden frowned and took his foot off the accelerator, trying to understand what was happening. One of the cars accelerated alongside him and swerved sharply, blocking the road in front of him. The other stopped behind his car, sealing off his escape route.
Aiden's heart raced, but he kept his cool.
"Hm... That's interesting," he muttered, turning off the engine with unusual serenity.
The doors of the black cars opened simultaneously, and eight armed men got out. They were all dressed in black, wearing masks, their weapons gleaming in the streetlights.
"Get out of the car! Now!" one of the men shouted, pointing his gun directly at Aiden.
Aiden glanced in the rearview mirror and gave a cold smile. He knew this was no ordinary robbery. These men were there for a specific reason. Unhurriedly, he opened the door and got out of the car, his hands raised in a gesture of apparent surrender.
"Calm down, gentlemen. What's the problem?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
One of the men, apparently the leader, approached and shoved him against the car.
"This isn't about talking, kid. You messed with the wrong people. Now you're going to pay for it."
Before Aiden could react, another man approached with a stun gun, shooting him in the chest. The pain was intense and immediate. His body fell to the asphalt, paralyzed, as he heard the hurried footsteps around him.
While Aiden was restrained, another man made a phone call. Minutes later, a third black car arrived at the scene. Two more men got out, dragging a hooded figure out of the trunk.
It was Matthew, the person in charge of Star Comp's construction projects. He looked like he had been captured hours before, and his condition was deplorable. His clothes were torn, his face covered in cuts and bruises.
"Please... This has nothing to do with me," Matthew begged, his voice weak.
The men ignored him and threw him to the ground, in front of Aiden, who was beginning to regain consciousness.
"Look closely, Baskerville. This is the fate of those who work for you," the leader declared.
Matthew, lying on the ground, looked at Aiden with eyes full of despair.
"Mr. Baskerville... I tried... I tried..."
"Shut up!" one of the men yelled, kicking Matthew hard in the abdomen. The groan of pain echoed across the empty road.
Aiden was forced to watch as the men brutalized Matthew. They dragged him to one of the cars and tied him to a makeshift chair.
"We'll show your boss what happens to those who cross the line."
The first blows came fast: punches to the face, kicks to the abdomen, and even blows with the butt of a gun. Each impact drew a cry of pain from Matthew, while Aiden watched, his eyes narrowing in anger with each passing second.
"You think that's going to intimidate me?" Aiden said, his tone defiant despite the pain that still pulsed through his body.
The leader of the men turned to him, smiling behind his mask.
"Intimidate? No, Baskerville. This is just the beginning. You could be next."
Aiden, even though he was tied up and seemingly vulnerable, knew he wasn't helpless. He had silently activated the emergency alarm on his watch moments before he was restrained. Star Comp. wasn't just a technology company; it was an empire with resources that included state-of-the-art security.
As Matthew was beaten, Aiden analyzed his captors' every move. He knew that within minutes, his security team would be there.
"Do you realize who you just provoked?" he asked, his voice thick with irony.
"Shut up, Baskerville. You're not in charge here," one of his captors snapped.
But before he could say anything else, the distant sound of approaching engines cut through the silence of the night.
Three black SUVs appeared on the road, speeding toward the scene. Aiden's captors looked at each other in confusion as the vehicles screeched to a halt and armed men climbed out.
"Identify yourselves!" one of the captors shouted, raising his weapon.
But they didn't have time to react. Aiden's bodyguards, all trained in tactical combat, neutralized the captors in a matter of seconds. Accurate shots knocked the weapons from their hands, and quick blows incapacitated them.
Aiden, still tied up, smiled as his men freed him.
"You took your time," he joked, massaging his wrists.
Matthew was released soon after, although he was so weak he could barely stand.
"Mr. Baskerville... Thank you..." he mumbled, before collapsing in the arms of one of the bodyguards.
Aiden walked over to the leader of the captors, who was lying on the ground, his mask removed and his face covered in blood.
"Who sent you?" he asked, his voice cold as ice.
The man remained silent, but Aiden didn't need an answer. He already knew that this was Lyco's doing.
"Take him. I want answers by dawn," he ordered the security guards.
The SUVs quickly drove off, leaving the captors' cars abandoned on the road behind.
As he drove back home, Aiden, instead of feeling angry, felt invigorated.
"If it's war you want, Lyco... Then it's war you'll get."
Two days later, Star Corp.
The silence in Aiden's office was broken by the steady sound of a keyboard. Matthew, now sitting in front of a series of monitors, was completely focused. Despite his injuries, his determination burned brighter than ever. He had received direct orders from Aiden.
Aiden watched from his chair, a glass of wine in his hand, as Matthew prepared the attack.
"Matthew, are you in shape for this? You're still recovering," Aiden asked with a slight wry smile.
"Mr. Baskerville, a little pain has never stopped me before, and it won't now," Matthew replied, his eyes never leaving the screens.
Aiden smiled and nodded.
"Then do it. I want to see how much Angel can take."
Matthew began by reviewing Mystic Corp.'s financial reports and public records. He knew that Mystic Corp. was solid in its operations, but it also had vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Among the information available, he found three attack points:
1. Mystic Corp. had a dependence on international contracts, particularly with technology companies in Asia.
2. Mystic Corp. had acquired two startups in the past year, but reports indicated that those acquisitions were not yet profitable.
3. Angel's leadership was often criticized for being inexperienced, and this had caused the stock to fluctuate in the past.
With this information in hand, Matthew began formulating a plan.
The first step was to leverage Star Comp's financial resources. Matthew started by buying large blocks of Mystic Corp. stock, making it look like investors were betting big on the company. This artificially drove up the stock price, catching the attention of smaller traders.
"They're going to fall like hungry fish," Matthew said as he watched the charts rise.
Once the price reached a peak, he began selling the stock in small batches, creating a cascade of selling. This created a domino effect, with other investors starting to sell their shares as well, fearing a bigger drop.
In parallel, Matthew used anonymous contacts to spread negative rumors about Mystic Corp.'s recent acquisitions. Rumors began to gain traction on financial forums:
"Mystic Corp.'s acquired startups are about to file for bankruptcy."
"Mystic Corp. has lost a major contract in Asia!"
These rumors were enough to generate distrust in the market, increasing stock volatility.
Matthew then moved on to the next step: attacking Mystic Corp.'s dependence on its international contracts. He used inside information from Star Comp. to identify Mystic Corp.'s key suppliers and customers in Asia.
Using shell companies, Matthew began offering these suppliers more advantageous contracts, encouraging them to cut ties with Mystic Corp. Some companies were already unhappy with the terms imposed by Angel and seized the opportunity to negotiate with new partners.
At the same time, Matthew spread false news to Mystic Corp.'s customers, suggesting that the company was facing serious financial problems. This led to contract cancellations and a drastic reduction in market confidence.
As the financial chaos unfolded, Matthew knew that the most devastating blow would be to directly attack Angel, the public figure of Mystic Corp. Using an army of social media bots, he began a campaign to discredit his leadership.
The comments ranged from genuine criticisms of his inexperience to fabricated accusations:
"Angel is only where she is because of her father."
"Mystic Corp. is falling apart under her leadership."
"Investors are jumping ship before it's too late."
In addition, Matthew hired independent journalists to publish articles questioning Angel's ability as CEO, using manipulated data to support their claims.
In the hours that followed, Mystic Corp.'s stock plummeted. The share price, which had started the day at 150 credits, fell to 75 credits within hours. Investors panicked, selling their holdings at any price to minimize losses.
"Half the market value has evaporated, sir," Matthew said, looking at Aiden with a satisfied smile.
"Good job. Keep monitoring, but don't let the decline be irreversible. We need Mystic Corp. intact enough to buy it when the time comes," Aiden replied, taking a sip of wine.
Meanwhile, at the Lyco mansion, Angel was in her conference room, surrounded by advisors and lawyers. They were all talking at once, trying to find a solution to the crisis.
"This is sabotage! There is no other explanation!" Angel shouted, throwing a report on the table.
"Miss Lyco, we need a public statement immediately," one of the advisors suggested.
"And say what? That we are losing control? No! That will only make things worse!"
Angel knew she was in an untenable position. With her father hospitalized and the company facing an unprecedented financial attack, she felt the weight of the entire Lyco empire on her shoulders.
Matthew ended the day by selling the last batches of stock that Star Comp. had purchased at the beginning of the attack. In doing so, he secured a profit of almost 2 billion credits for the company, in addition to having reduced the market value of Mystic Corp. by half.
Aiden, observing the results, smiled with satisfaction.
"That was just a warning. Let's see how they react before we take the next step."
Matthew, still with bruises on his face, replied:
"Mr. Baskerville, it was a pleasure. But I suggest we increase our security team. Angel won't let this go easy."
"Let her try. We're just getting started."