Damn it, they've noticed.
Rowan cursed inwardly. There was no chance of leaving through the front door now.
He swept his gaze across the office, searching for another way out. There was an emergency exit door, but it was wired to an alarm system. The moment it opened, the entire floor would be alerted.
The footsteps outside were getting closer. The security team had already finished checking the office next door.
He had seconds to decide.
Then he remembered something Silver Moon had taught him during training. Sometimes, the most dangerous place was the safest.
Without hesitation, Rowan slipped behind a massive bookshelf. There was a narrow gap hidden behind it, just enough to conceal a person if they stayed perfectly still.
The moment he settled into position, the office door opened.
Three security officers entered, each carrying scanning devices. Their movements were methodical as they began sweeping the room.
"This is the chairman's office. It's unlikely anyone would break in here," one of them muttered.
"Orders are orders. We check every room," another replied.
The scanners emitted a low hum, searching for abnormal life signals. Rowan slowed his breathing to the faintest whisper and used his mental power to suppress his presence. It was a technique he had learned at the Giant Axe Arena, one that allowed him to mask even the subtle signs of life.
The scanner passed right by the bookshelf.
No alarm.
The guards moved on, checking the desk, the cabinets, even the restroom.
Minutes stretched like hours.
Finally, they seemed satisfied.
"Clear. No one here," one of them said.
They turned to leave.
"Wait."
One of the guards suddenly stopped.
"Do you smell that?"
Rowan's heart clenched.
He realized immediately what had gone wrong.
The faint cologne he wore to maintain Lin Feng's identity.
"It does smell like perfume," another guard said, frowning. "But the chairman doesn't use any."
The three men exchanged looks and began searching again, this time more carefully. Slowly, step by step, they followed the scent.
Toward the bookshelf.
Rowan knew it was only a matter of time now.
Silently, he gathered his mental energy. The Starblade began to take shape, invisible but deadly. If it came to a fight, he would not hesitate.
But he also knew that once combat began, his identity would be exposed, and the mission would collapse.
Just as the tension reached its breaking point, chaos erupted outside.
"Emergency! A guest in the banquet hall has collapsed! Evacuate immediately!"
The shout echoed down the corridor.
The three guards froze, then immediately turned and rushed out of the office.
Only after their footsteps faded did Rowan allow himself to breathe again.
Relief washed over him.
Silver Moon.
That had to be her doing.
He did not waste the opportunity.
Slipping out from behind the shelf, he exited the office swiftly and silently.
By the time Rowan returned to the tech department, his heartbeat had yet to settle.
That had been too close.
Far too close.
He sat at his workstation, maintaining the appearance of working late, but his mind was already analyzing the data he had obtained.
The files were more than enough.
They proved beyond doubt that Victor Meteor had been collaborating with multiple hostile forces. Not just information leaks, but large-scale coordinated actions.
Far bigger than they had anticipated.
An hour later, the banquet ended.
Silver Moon, still in her Suya persona, left with the rest of her colleagues. Outwardly, she looked composed, elegant, and perfectly at ease.
Only she knew how dangerous the situation had truly been.
The next day, Sunday, they met at a secure location.
"That was too close," Silver Moon said, her tone serious. "Aelia Stoneheart is clearly suspicious. And those men from Shadow Trade are not ordinary businessmen."
"Your signal saved me," Rowan replied. "Otherwise, I'd have been caught. How did you create that distraction?"
Silver Moon gave a faint smile.
"I slipped a harmless compound into a guest's drink. It mimics food poisoning symptoms. Enough to cause panic, but no real harm."
Rowan let out a breath.
Effective and precise.
"Still, it was worth it." He held up the micro-storage device. "We've got hard evidence. Victor Meteor is working with multiple hostile factions. Intelligence exchanges, financial transfers, operational planning. Everything."
Silver Moon reviewed the files. Her expression grew increasingly grave.
"This is bigger than we thought," she said quietly. "We need to report this to headquarters immediately."
"So the mission is complete?" Rowan asked.
She shook her head.
"Not yet. We have proof, but we still don't know how many people inside the Meteor Group are involved. And…"
She paused.
"I think our cover may already be compromised."
They both understood the risk.
Continuing meant danger at every step.
Leaving now meant losing the chance to dismantle the entire network.
Rowan's gaze hardened.
"We continue."
Silver Moon met his eyes, then nodded.
"Then from now on, every move we make could decide everything. The mission, and our lives."
The next morning, Rowan returned to the Meteor Group as Lin Feng.
He approached Tony with a troubled expression.
"Supervisor Tony, I need to take a week off."
Tony blinked in surprise.
"A week? That's unusual for you. What happened?"
Rowan lowered his voice, letting concern show.
"I just received an emergency message from home. My mother is critically ill and needs surgery. I have to go back."
Tony's expression softened immediately.
"That's serious. Family comes first. Don't worry about work, I'll reassign your tasks. When are you leaving?"
"This afternoon."
"Go take care of it. Modern medicine is advanced. She'll be fine."
"Thank you."
After completing the leave procedures, Rowan returned to his desk.
On the surface, he was organizing files.
In reality, he was observing.
Something had changed.
Several unfamiliar faces had appeared in the office. They wore standard employee uniforms, but their posture, their awareness, their movements were different.
Not technicians.
Security.
"They've tightened internal surveillance," Rowan realized.
Last night's incident had put them on alert.
At 3 PM, Rowan packed up and prepared to leave.
On his way to the elevator, he passed Silver Moon.
She stood in the lobby, speaking with clients in her Suya identity, composed and professional as ever.
Their eyes met for a brief moment.
She gave the slightest nod.
Signal received.
A client noticed Rowan.
"Suya, who is this?"
"Oh, this is Mr. Lin Feng from our tech department," she said smoothly. "Mr. Lin, these are clients from the Sirius System."
"Pleasure to meet you," Rowan said politely. "I'm afraid I have urgent matters to attend to. Please excuse me."
"No problem," Silver Moon replied with a warm smile.
They parted naturally, without the slightest hint of anything unusual.
After leaving the building, Rowan did not head straight to the spaceport.
Instead, he took a long, indirect route across Carol Star, ensuring no one was following him.
Only then did he board a commercial ship bound for the Virtual Universe Company headquarters.
Three hours later, Rowan arrived.
He went straight to the field operations division.
The Observer and Samuel were already waiting.
"Startrace, welcome back," the Observer said. "I hear you've brought something important."
Rowan handed over the storage device.
"Confirmed evidence. Communications, financial records, operational plans."
Samuel inserted the device into the analyzer.
Moments later, a holographic display filled the room.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"This is worse than we thought," the Observer said grimly. "This isn't just corporate espionage. They're preparing military action."
Samuel pointed at one document.
"Look here. They plan to attack several of our border facilities within three months. Their goal is to seize our core technologies."
"And this," the Observer added, pulling up another file. "They're working with Shadow Trade, the Blood Raven Pirates, and the Void Hunter Syndicate. This is an alliance."
Rowan nodded.
"Silver Moon identified several suspicious clients as well. Many of them are tied to these groups."
Samuel exhaled slowly.
"Then the question is how deep this goes. Taking down Victor alone won't be enough."
The Observer turned to Rowan.
"You have technical expertise. I want you to work with our cybersecurity division. Track every individual involved."
"No problem," Rowan said immediately.
"Follow me."
They entered a vast circular chamber.
Machines lined the walls, and at the center stood a massive holographic system. Dozens of specialists worked at their stations, representing multiple species.
"This is our cyber warfare center," the Observer explained. "Intelligence, analysis, digital offense and defense."
A young woman approached them.
Short silver hair. Sharp eyes. A faint energy fluctuation surrounded her.
"Startrace, this is our chief network specialist. Codename Ghost."
Ghost studied Rowan briefly, then nodded.
"I've heard you have mental abilities. That will be useful. Let's take a look at your data."
For the next several hours, they worked side by side.
Ghost's skill was exceptional.
She broke through encrypted layers, traced data origins, and mapped communication routes with frightening precision.
"Interesting," she said, pointing at a data stream. "All these transmissions pass through the same relay node."
Rowan leaned closer.
"Where?"
"Let me check."
Her fingers flew across the keyboard.
"Floor 85. Meteor Group headquarters. Financial department."
Rowan's eyes sharpened.
Marcus Darkstream.
"Not just that," Ghost continued. "All communications use the same encryption algorithm. The key updates every seventy-two hours."
Rowan's thoughts clicked into place.
"That means…"
"Someone is centrally managing the network's security," Ghost said, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "Find that person, and we find everyone."
"How?"
"By reverse tracing the key generation source."
She activated another system.
"Each encryption key has a unique signature. Like a fingerprint. If we identify it, we can locate its origin."
The process was complex.
Massive calculations. Endless data streams.
Even with his implanted knowledge, Rowan struggled to keep up.
But his mental power made the difference.
He processed data faster, maintained focus longer, and supported Ghost's work with precision.
"Your ability is impressive," Ghost said without looking up. "You've tripled our efficiency."
Six hours later, they finally hit something.
A true breakthrough.
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