Aiden woke up early, with the same calm and confident air he always had. The clock read 6:30 when he finished his breakfast, already planning the next steps. The fight for control of Sys Corp. and the weakening of Angel's subsidiary Mystic Corp. were just beginning. He knew that Lyco was dangerous and that the fight would not be easy.
Sitting in his office with the computer on, Aiden analyzed the market metrics of both companies. He had already studied the initial impact of the drops in Mystic Corp. shares caused by Matthew and intended to increase the damage.
"It's not enough to weaken them, we have to completely destabilize them" he thought.
He logged into the financial market control panel and initiated several mass sell orders of Mystic Corp. shares, spread across different accounts so as not to arouse suspicion. This would create panic among investors, generating a chain reaction.
At the same time, Aiden contacted a team of financial analysts from Star Comp., instructing them to publish detailed reports that highlighted the risks and weaknesses in Mystic Corp.'s recent projects.
"I want each report distributed to key shareholders and the information to reach the economic news platforms today," he ordered.
Aiden also knew that Mystic Corp.'s system had security flaws. He discreetly hired a team of professional hackers to exploit these vulnerabilities and undermine the company's internal systems.
Meanwhile, Lyco was being transported back to his mansion after being released from the hospital. Sitting in a wheelchair, he looked like a shadow of the powerful and intimidating man he once was. His expression, however, still displayed the determination and hatred that had sustained him.
The butler opened the doors of the mansion to welcome him.
"Welcome back, sir. I will prepare everything for your comfort."
"Comfort is not a priority right now," Lyco replied irritably as the nurses helped him inside. "Call my lawyer, the CFO, and anyone else who can help me save the company. I want everyone in the conference room in 20 minutes."
The butler quickly complied, while Lyco was led into the office to gather his thoughts.
Twenty minutes later, the conference room was full. Angel, his daughter, was present, as were the top executives of Sys Corp. and Mystic Corp.
Lyco glared at everyone with a fierce expression, even while confined to the wheelchair.
"We are being attacked from all sides, and I will not allow this empire to crumble while I am alive. I want to know who is behind this and I want a plan to turn it around."
The company's lawyer, a middle-aged man named Martins, spoke up
"Sir, we have evidence that the recent actions against us in the market were orchestrated by Aiden Baskerville."
Angel clenched his fists at the name, while Lyco pounded on the table.
"That bastard! He's already taken so much from me. Now he wants to destroy my daughter too? I won't allow it."
The finance chief intervened
"Sir, our losses have already exceeded 12 billion credits, and we're having trouble stabilizing the stocks. Many investors are bailing out because of the negative reports and the mass selloff."
"Then buy back the stocks! Use whatever reserves we have, but stabilize the price immediately," Lyco ordered.
Martins hesitated before suggesting:
"We can try to bribe some local politicians and members of the judiciary to make any legal action against the company more difficult. That will give us time to react."
"Great idea," Lyco replied. "Connect me to the city mayor. He owes me favors. I want him to pressure the financial authorities to stop any investigation into Mystic Corp. and Sys Corp."
Angel, who had been silent until then, finally spoke up.
"Dad, this won't work if we don't deal with Aiden directly. He's playing on multiple fronts, and we need to counter him intelligently."
Lyco looked at her with admiration and nodded.
"Do you have something in mind?"
"Yes. We can divert his attention by launching a smear campaign. We'll use our media connections to spread rumors about alleged unethical practices by Star Comp. and its subsidiaries. If we can plant doubts among investors, he'll have to focus on clearing the company's name instead of attacking us."
Lyco smiled for the first time since her heart attack.
"Do it. I want him to feel the weight of our revenge."
Meanwhile, Aiden was in his office, looking at the financial reports of Sys Corp. and Mystic Corp.
"They're trying to buy back the stocks," he realized as he analyzed the buying patterns in the market.
He chuckled lightly and contacted the hackers he had hired again.
"I want you to destabilize their financial systems. Make it look like funds are being misappropriated or that there are accounting irregularities. That will discourage investors even more."
At the same time, he contacted Ada.
"Ada, make sure that today's reports are distributed globally. I want all the major financial platforms to be talking about the fragility of their companies."
"Of course, young master, but they may try to smear Star Comp. in response."
"Let them try. I've already anticipated that. We have enough evidence that the accusations will be false, and once we expose this, they will lose even more credibility."
As the hours passed, the effects of Aiden's actions began to intensify. The stocks of Mystic Corp. and Sys Corp. fell to historic lows. Many investors were calling for Lyco to be replaced as CEO, and even Angel was beginning to feel the pressure.
The smear campaign that Lyco and Angel had planned had little impact, as Aiden immediately responded with overwhelming evidence of his innocence, further enhancing his reputation in the market.
At the end of the day, Aiden was in his office, looking at the charts and reports. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, savoring his victory.
"The game isn't over yet, Lyco. But you're running out of moves," he thought with a satisfied smile.