?Chapter 743:


    Over the years, he had glimpsed only fragments of Thomas’ enigmatic power, enough to know that countless factions bowed to his influence. As for the full extent of Thomas’ power, Kolton had no way of knowing. Still, he felt fortunate to have been chosen by Thomas and guided to where he stood today.


    Therge screen went dark once more.


    The room fell silent, save for the stato symphony of keyboards as the operatives pressed their vigil.


    “The first wave was likely a feint, sir,” one reported. “This second assault was their true gambit, but we’ve neutralized it.”


    “Well done,” Kolton replied, a relieved smile softening his features. “Stay vignt. They may yet have more in store. Keep thework under constant watch.”


    The operatives nodded in unison, their focus unbroken as they resumed their task.


    A surge of control coursed through Kolton, lifting his spirits and dispelling the fog of his earlier failure to ensnare Maia.


    In the dimly lit recesses of an underground base nestled beneath a bar, Chris stood with arms folded, his brow furrowed as he scrutinized a sprawling screen. When had Kolton acquired such an impregnable defense?


    After a moment’s reflection, he deduced that the shadowy power behind Kolton must have intervened.


    “Ready the next wave of attacks,” hemanded, his voice a low growl of determination.


    His phone buzzed to life, and as he answered, Maxwell’s voice crackled through.


    “New developments, Chris. Hawk reports that while prepping the second wave, he detected another force probing the cargo ship’s defensework. He’s asking if you’ve enlisted additional allies.”


    Chris’ brow tightened into a knot the moment he heard the news. As the architect behind ST, he had built it from the ground up with his own hands — he never leaned on outside help.


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    “No, this is the kind of matter that must stay in-house,” he said firmly. “Have Hawk dig deeper — see if he can smoke out who’s behind that force.”


    Maxwell was caught off guard for a second.


    “You didn’t loop in anyone else? And you didn’t step in personally either? Then who in the world has the chops to pull this off? Hawk just told me the other side’s encryption is fortress-level stuff. They’re hopping IPs and masking their trail like ghosts in a storm. He tracked them as far as an overseas server before the trail went cold.”


    For a fleeting moment, Chris’ thoughts brushed past another group as formidable as ST. But he quickly shook off the notion. That crew was known for stirring the pot, not for lending a hand.


    Whether friend or foe, it was too early to tell. But from the breadcrumbs scattered so far, their goal seemed to mirror his own: stopping the cargo ship from leaving port on schedule.


    “Put them on the back burner for now,” Chrismanded with resolve. “Tell Hawk to stay on the offensive. Our missiones first. Chasing shadows can wait.”


    “Got it!” Maxwell answered without missing a beat and ended the call.


    Meanwhile, on Maia’s end, a call came through from one of her team members.


    “Boss, do you think the Cooper Group brought in those ST devils? The cargo ship’s firewall is way tougher than I expected!”


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