CHAPTER 7Ink & Algorithms
The ledgers were written in a mix of elegant Mandarin and coded shorthand. Luna lost herself in the work—the smell of old paper, the careful script, the stories hidden in columns of numbers. She found discrepancies almost immediately: shipments logged as "ceramics" that didn't match the weight or value, payments with no clear recipient.
She worked for hours in silence, aware of Leo's presence across the room. He was a statue of concentration, his eyes flickering across screens, his fingers moving in precise gestures. Occasionally, he'd murmur commands to the AI system in a low voice.
Once, she caught him watching her. Not with curiosity, but with… calculation. As if he was trying to solve a complex equation she represented.
"Why did you keep the crane?" she asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
He didn't look up. "Sentiment is inefficient."
"But you kept it."
A pause. "It was evidence."
"Of what?"
"That not everything can be digitized. Some truths exist only in physical form." He finally met her eyes. "A lesson I occasionally need reminding of."
The door slid open again. This time, a younger woman entered—mid-twenties, with sharp features and an even sharper suit. She carried a tablet like a weapon.
"Leo, the Berlin servers are showing unusual activity patterns," she said, her eyes briefly flicking to Luna before dismissing her entirely.
"Elara," Leo said. "Run a level four diagnostic. If it's a probe, trace it. If it's an attack, contain it."
Elara nodded, already typing. "And the meeting with the Japanese consortium?"
"Reschedule. I'm occupied."
Elara's eyes cut to Luna again, this time with a glint of something—annoyance? Jealousy? "Understood." She left without another word.
"Your operations manager?" Luna asked.
"Elara Chen. Competent. Ambitious." Leo's tone was neutral. "She's been with the company for five years."
"She seems… dedicated."
"Dedication is useful. Blind loyalty is dangerous." He stood, suddenly. "Come. The tea ceremony."