"Heh, you corporate types really are cold-blooded. Just to climb a rung higher, you'd kill not only your own staff but even innocent bystanders."
Thorne's tone was laced with amusement, but Hank merely sneered in response.
"Right back at you. Didn't you orchestrate that little stunt where you abandoned your own goons, making them carry high-concentration radiation sources that could blow at any second just to create a distraction?"
These two scumbags—birds of a feather and barely human—ruthlessly jabbed at each other's weak spots. While trading barbs, they were also subtly reminding one another: I know where the bodies are buried.
Listening to the fake laughter echoing back, both men mentally cursed at the exact same time:
"Son of a bitch!" x2
The fake laughter died down. They grunted in unison, mutually deciding to drop the subject. Thorne was the first to break the silence.
"Tell you what. As a gesture of good faith for our partnership, I'm sending you a little gift."
With a few taps of his finger, a short audio file was transmitted to Hank's phone.
Perplexed, Hank opened the file. A bizarre, screeching noise blasted out, startling him so badly he nearly dropped the device. He scrambled to regain his grip before shouting angrily:
"What the hell is that?"
Hearing the commotion on the other end, Thorne burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying Hank's panic before offering an explanation.
"A while back, a terrifying monster showed up on my turf. Purely by accident, one of my boys discovered that this specific sound attracts it."
Even bringing it up now sent a shiver of lingering dread down Thorne's spine.
"Every time that sound plays, without fail, the thing bursts out from underground a short while later and obliterates everything in the vicinity. No one escapes."
Hank frowned. Leaving aside whether this superstitious-sounding nonsense was true, what was the point of summoning such a monstrosity?
"And what exactly do I need a thing like that for?"
Ignoring Hank's disdain, Thorne just chuckled heartily.
"When you eventually find yourself backed into a corner within TOPS, give it a try. Just remember to crank the volume all the way up."
"Damn it!"
Hank realized immediately that Thorne was making a dig at him, implying he had zero chance of actually climbing the corporate ladder. He cursed under his breath.
Outsiders didn't understand, but as a TOPS insider, Hank knew that if his actions were exposed, the Black Core wouldn't let him off the hook.
The mere thought of the Black Core's terror made Hank shudder. He didn't dare dwell on it. Instead, he said:
"Anyway, I'll be waiting for good news. Once you pull this off, even a gang from the Outer Ring will find the doors to TOPS thrown wide open."
He didn't give Thorne a chance to reply, hanging up immediately.
The moment the connection was severed, the expressions on both men's faces shifted instantly.
Hank stared at his phone, his expression dark and volatile. After a moment, however, he seemed to rationalize it. He sneered.
"Morons. You really think you can make contact with the board of DGA Entertainment? You think you're fit to join TOPS? Once I achieve my goal and get a seat on the board, stains like you will be wiped away without a second thought!"
Even though he'd been discreet, there was no way he could completely hide his maneuvers from the higher-ups on the board.
Yet, they hadn't made a move against him. Some were even helping to cover his tracks.
That meant his plan had their tacit approval—or at least, they were willing to sit back and watch.
Hank knew he was like a gambler at the table, clutching his last chip, ready to go all-in.
If he succeeded, he could eliminate Evelyn, who held leverage over him. Then, using the memory manipulation tech he'd acquired from that mysterious organization, he would force the unruly Astra Yao into submission.
Once she was brainwashed and he became the only one who could control her, his rise to the top would be unstoppable!
They didn't know about the tech he had; they thought he was just using coercion and bribery. If it worked, great. If it failed, he could still use the situation to intimidate Astra, who was getting harder to control.
As for Evelyn? To the board, she was just a bodyguard—completely expendable.
Taking zero risk themselves, they sat in their ivory towers, quietly waiting to see how the chips would fall.
But that... that was his opportunity!
"As long as I have that woman in the palm of my hand, the next seat on the DGA Entertainment board is mine!"
Thorne also sneered as he lowered his phone. A subordinate standing nearby, who had overheard the conversation, asked hesitantly:
"Boss, are we really going to join TOPS?"
Thorne took a deep drag of his cigarette. Exhaling a long plume of smoke, he stared out at the desert sands under the setting sun and scoffed.
"Of course. This dump in the Outer Ring... it's got nothing but this 'freedom' everyone hypes up. But you can't eat freedom."
Glancing at the file he'd compiled—evidence of his communications with Hank that he'd deliberately saved—Thorne sneered.
"But with this leverage, that old geezer won't dare cross us once we succeed. We'll be tied together whether he likes it or not."
The subordinate's eyes lit up in realization. He gave a thumbs-up.
"Right! That's genius, Boss!"
Thorne nodded, soaking in the praise.
"Don't worry. We might be aiming for TOPS, but we're doing this properly. We're taking every cent of that ransom. When this is over, everyone gets paid!"
"YEAH! Long live the Boss!!!" xN
Leaving aside the double-crossing schemes of the two "partners," the plan was set. Thorne pulled out his phone again.
He dialed a number previously saved as "Kelly," but which was now tagged in his contacts as "Traitor."
Naturally, the person on the other end was the undercover agent, Jane.
The call was picked up almost instantly, as if she had been waiting for it.
From three stories up, the faint hum of traffic drifted in from the street below. Then, a sultry female voice came through the receiver.
"What's up, Boss? Change of plans? Or did something go wrong?"
Hearing her voice, Thorne's lips curled into a sinister grin.
"How's the gear? You got everything packed?"
"Of course. Locked and loaded. We move out in ten minutes. But Boss, are you sure you're not joining us?"
Watching the team, which had been split into two groups, Jane was probing for information on the different timings to ensure she could catch everyone in one fell swoop.
She was also stalling, giving her new "puppet" teammates time to trace Thorne's location through the active line.
After all, she preferred to lure the entire gang into an ambush and take them down at once, rather than just arresting the foot soldiers for evidence and having to hunt the leader down later.
That approach had too many variables; the risk of the target escaping would be far too high.
____
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