Attacking a shadowy PMC through conventional means was impossible. But Mo Chen didn't think conventionally. She thought in terms of assets and consumption.
Her first move was against Kraken's financial plumbing. Using the intelligence from the Thorne files, she identified one of their key shell companies—a firm called "Aether Holdings" that acted as a primary money conduit.
She didn't hack them. She didn't blackmail them. She burned them.
She used her personal funds to anonymously short-sell Aether's stock on a massive scale. Then, she launched a targeted burning spree. She purchased a controlling stake in a small, nearly bankrupt tech blog and used it to publish the damning Thorne documents that linked Aether to Kraken's shady operations. The story went viral. Aether's stock plummeted.
The short sale netted her a profit of $5 million. It was legitimate profit, not system conversion. But the system rewarded her anyway.
[Strategic financial asset devaluation initiated by host. Equivalent physical asset value destroyed: $15 million. Bonus conversion applied. Personal funds increased by $75,000.]
The system was adaptive. It recognized that she had effectively "destroyed" the value of Aether Holdings, even if the company still legally existed. It was a loophole, and she intended to drive a truck through it.
She then took the $5 million profit and used it to buy up Aether's remaining assets at a fire-sale price—mostly real estate and equipment. And then, she burned it. She demolished the buildings and melted down the equipment.
It was a hostile takeover followed by immediate liquidation through annihilation. She wasn't acquiring wealth; she was harvesting it for the flames.
Kraken felt the blow. Their money flow was disrupted. They now knew someone was hunting them.