The cafe was deliberately chosen—anonymous, crowded, the kind of place where two people could meet without drawing attention. Aiden arrived early, taking a back corner table with a clear view of the entrance.
At precisely 3:17 PM, she walked in.
Jade Wu looked nothing like her online persona suggested. He'd expected someone shadowy, maybe intimidating. Instead, she was petite, maybe 5'3", with streaked purple hair, multiple ear piercings, and a vintage band t-shirt under a leather jacket. She carried a laptop bag covered in hacker collective stickers.
She spotted him immediately, sliding into the booth without preamble.
"Aiden Schols. The man himself." Her voice had a slight accent—American West Coast with hints of Mandarin. "You're younger than I expected."
"You're different than I pictured."
"Everyone says that." She pulled out a laptop, not bothering with pleasantries. "We have seventeen minutes before we should leave separately. So let's get to it."
"You said you know about the system."
"I said I know of the system. Big difference." Her fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up encrypted files. "I don't know what it is or how it works. But I know it exists. And I know you're not the first."
Aiden's heart hammered. "What?"
Jade turned the screen toward him. News articles, obituaries, financial records—a dozen different people across the last fifty years. All showed similar patterns: sudden success, uncanny business instincts, meteoric rise. And all ended badly.
"James Morrison, 1973. Made a fortune in oil speculation. Dead at 32—car accident. Yuki Tanaka—different one—1989, Japanese tech investor. Disappeared at age 28. Maria Santos, 2001, pharmaceutical genius. Suicide at 34, though her family disputes it." Jade's dark eyes locked on his. "See the pattern?"
"They all died young."
"They all died when they became too successful, too visible, too threatening to established power structures." She closed the laptop. "The system, whatever it is, gives certain people an edge. But there's a group—I call them The Society—that monitors for exactly this kind of anomaly."
"Malcolm Zhang."
"He's one of them. New money trying to become old money, so he's extra zealous about eliminating competition. But the organization goes way deeper—generational wealth families, political dynasties, people who see the world as their private game board."
Aiden felt cold. "How do you know all this?"
Jade was quiet for a moment. "My brother was like you. Ten years ago, he suddenly got brilliant at cryptocurrency before it was mainstream. Made millions. Then one day, his accounts were frozen, his reputation destroyed, and he hanged himself in his apartment." Her voice was steady but her hands trembled. "I've spent a decade learning to hack, to dig, to understand what happened to him. That's how I found the pattern."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Be smart." She pulled out a USB drive. "This has everything I've compiled. Their networks, known members, typical attack patterns. You'll need it."
"Why help me?"
"Because you're not like the others. They hid, operated in shadows. You stood up for that doctor publicly. You're dating multiple women and don't care who knows. You're visible, messy, human." She almost smiled. "Maybe that's the key they all missed. Maybe the system needs someone who won't hide."
Aiden took the drive. "What do you want in return?"
"A job. I'm tired of freelancing for crypto-libertarians with god complexes. And I want to help take down The Society. They've destroyed too many lives."
"It's dangerous."
"Everything worthwhile is." She stood, shouldering her bag. "I'll email you tomorrow with secure communication protocols. Don't trust your phone—they're probably monitoring already. Don't trust your office. Don't trust anyone you haven't vetted personally."
"Do I trust you?"
Jade's smile was sharp. "You don't have a choice. I'm the only one who understands what you're up against." She paused at the edge of the table. "One more thing—your viral video? That wasn't an accident. Someone made sure that footage leaked, that it spread. They're forcing you into the spotlight."
"Why?"
"Easier to hit a target you can see. Figure out who benefits from your exposure, and you'll know who's coming for you."
She left without another word, dissolving into the cafe crowd.
Aiden sat alone, turning the USB drive over in his hands. The system had made him powerful. But someone had been watching all along, waiting for him to rise high enough to be worth destroying.
His phone buzzed. The system interface flickered with new text:
ALLY ACQUIRED: JADE WUHacking Ability: Expert LevelLoyalty Assessment: High (Personal Motivation)Warning: Her Presence Will Accelerate TimelineRecommendation: Accept Risk. You'll Need Her.
For once, Aiden and the system agreed completely.