Somewhere in a dense Philippine forest, the moonlight filtered through the coconut trees, casting eerie shadows over a small rebel encampment. The sound of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl filled the humid air.
Inside a dimly lit hut, a group of armed men sat on makeshift benches, their rifles resting beside them. Some smoked, others cleaned their weapons in calm anticipation of whatever task lay ahead.
Suddenly, the creaky wooden door swung open, revealing a young soldier in fatigues, gripping his rifle tightly.
"Sir, we have a visitor."
The bearded leader of the group, a man with sharp eyes and a presence of authority, rose from his seat, gesturing for a few of his men to follow. They stepped outside into the open clearing, where a black SUV had just arrived, its headlights cutting through the night.
Standing by the vehicle were three men in black suits, their posture rigid, their faces unreadable. The leader of the rebels stepped forward, a wry smirk tugging at his lips.
"Welcome to our humble abode, Mr. McKnight."
The tallest man in the middle stepped forward. His expression was one of impatience, his voice cold and direct.
"I'll get straight to the point. Our client wants you to extract some important data. Eliminate anyone in your way."
He reached into his coat and handed over a tablet. The rebel leader's brows furrowed as he scrolled through images of a large mansion, a construction site beside it, and a basement-level facility.
A tense silence filled the air before he finally spoke."You want us to become thieves now? What exactly are we looking for?"
McKnight's expression didn't change."A server. Maybe a high-end computer. It will contain all the data our client wants. You don't need to worry about the specifics. Mr. Collum here—" he gestured to one of the men in black, "—will handle the extraction. Your job is to buy us time."
The rebel leader remained silent for a moment, his fingers tapping against the rifle slung across his chest.
"And what do we get in return?"
McKnight smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes."$5 million."
The leader shook his head immediately.
"I refuse." His tone was firm. "Unlike you, we can't exactly walk into a bank and withdraw that kind of money. We have no way of spending it without exposing ourselves. The military already has all our faces in their databases. Checkpoints are everywhere. We can't risk it."
McKnight's eyes narrowed slightly."Then what do you want?"
The rebel leader folded his arms."$5 million worth of military-grade weapons, ammunition, food, and water." He stared McKnight down. "That is our price."
McKnight didn't respond immediately. Instead, he pressed two fingers against his earpiece, muttering something in a low, foreign tongue. After a moment, he turned back, his expression unreadable.
"If you succeed, you'll get not just five, but twenty million dollars worth of military-grade equipment. Weapons, armored vehicles, rations, everything your organization needs to expand its influence."
A slow smile spread across the rebel leader's face."Of course. We'll be more than happy to take your commission."
McKnight nodded, then gestured to his men.Immediately, the two men in black unloaded several large crates from the SUV, stacking them in front of the rebels. When one of the crates was opened, the leader saw gleaming, state-of-the-art rifles inside.
"These weapons are 3D-printed. Untraceable. Reliable," McKnight explained. "Along with them, we're providing burner phones for encrypted communication. Use them and destroy them after the mission."
Another crate was opened, revealing stacks of military rations and cases of bottled water.
McKnight stepped forward, his voice dropping to a serious tone."You start tomorrow night. Consider these supplies an upfront payment."
The rebel leader nodded, listening intently.
"Exfil will be in Tuca Marinaut. You'll take a fishing boat, where you'll meet another boat in the middle of Lake Lanao for transfer. You must not linger for too long. Use suppressors to avoid attracting attention. We'll detonate explosives far from your mission site to create a diversion."
The rebel leader glanced at his men, then turned back to McKnight, his grin widening.
"Then it's a deal."
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Back at the Purnas Mansion basement studio, the dim glow of multiple monitors bathed the room in a cold blue hue. Richard and Jack sat at their workstations, eyes locked on the screens as streams of code scrolled endlessly. The air hummed softly from the cooling fans of the massive server racks lined up against the walls.
A soft but firm feminine voice suddenly spoke through the speakers.
"Sir, we have detected an infiltration attempt on one of our spoof systems."
Richard exhaled sharply, leaning back in his chair. His fingers drummed lightly against the desk.
"Just as I expected," he muttered. "So, I take it the spoof camera feeds are doing their job?"
"Yes, sir. The infiltrators believe they have access to our real network. However, all they're seeing is pre-recorded data loops."
Jack grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Idiots. They're chasing ghosts."
Lina's voice chimed in again. "Shall I trace their location?"
Richard nodded. "Yeah. Trace and plant a zero-day exploit in their system."
A brief silence followed before Lina responded instantly.
"Trace complete. The infiltration originated from Zamboanga City."
Richard's brows furrowed. "Hmm... Expected it to be Mindanao-based. They're outsourcing local groups to do the dirty work. Alright, we better be ready."
He pushed his chair back and grabbed a long ethernet cable from the side of the desk. Stepping over to the open doorway leading to one of their server racks, he quickly connected the cable to one of the active 42U racks stationed just outside their basement office. The soft hum of the servers intensified slightly as the connection was established.
"You're connected, Lina. Proceed."
Through Richard's earpiece, Lina's voice came through. "Acknowledged, sir."
Immediately, streams of complex data flashed across the screens as Lina worked her magic. She began copying and modifying one of the 3DV (3rd Diluted Version) AI frameworks, injecting a zero-day exploit into its codebase.
Jack watched intently, then smirked. "Modify a trigger system."
Richard glanced at him. "For what?"
"If they redeploy it into another machine, let it spread through their entire network." Jack's grin widened. "These assholes wanna mess around? Let's make them find out."
Richard chuckled, nodding in approval. "Make it worm itself through every connected device. Once it fully integrates, we'll have complete backdoor access to their systems."
Lina's voice returned. "Adjusting parameters. The AI framework is now equipped with a self-replicating payload. Upon redeployment, it will spread through their network infrastructure, allowing persistent surveillance and control."
Jack leaned back, arms crossed. "They're about to have a very bad day."
Richard smirked, eyes gleaming. "They wanted to steal from us? Now we own them."
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Jack leaned against the basement doorway, arms crossed. His expression was tense but focused.
"Alright, bro. What's the plan now that we know they're coming?"
Richard smirked, his fingers tapping lightly on the server rack. "Simple. We tell Grandpa our plan. We've got at least a week, so..." He cracked his knuckles. "Let's welcome them with open fucking arms."
Jack exhaled, shaking his head with a grin. "You're insane, man."
Without another word, the two ascended the stairs to the first floor of the mansion, where the warm glow of the kitchen lights contrasted the tense atmosphere. Estello sat at the dining table, deep in conversation with Anita. They sipped coffee, oblivious to the storm brewing outside their world of casual discussion.
Richard cleared his throat. "Grandpa, I have something to tell you."
Estello looked up sharply, sensing the seriousness in his grandson's tone. "Go on."
Richard took a breath and laid it out. "One of our security systems was infiltrated. Someone accessed our logs and camera feeds." His tone grew sharper. "We traced the suspects to Zamboanga City. I don't know exactly what they're planning, but I'd bet anything they're going to storm this place within the week."
Estello's face darkened. His chair scraped loudly against the floor as he shot to his feet. "WHAT?! Are you absolutely sure?"
Jack sighed, rubbing his temples. "We're not one hundred percent sure, but let's be real, Grandpa. The AI's making waves. The media is ramping up fear-mongering, Bytebull's stock has been steadily dipping, and now we have a direct cyber attack? It's not a coincidence. Someone wants it, and they're willing to take it by force."
Estello slowly sank back into his chair, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "I knew this day would come… but not this soon." He gritted his teeth. "We need to inform the authorities—both the police and the military. The army's already increasing their presence in Mindanao; they'll be able to—"
"No." Richard cut in firmly, his gaze unwavering. "Grandpa, listen to me. I have a plan."
Estello narrowed his eyes. "You always have a damn plan, Richard. But this isn't some business maneuver—people's lives are at stake!"
Richard nodded. "I know. That's why we're going to let them in."
The room fell into a heavy silence. Anita's cup froze mid-air, her expression a mixture of shock and horror. Jack just closed his eyes and shook his head, waiting for the inevitable explosion.
Estello slammed his hand on the table. "ARE YOU CRAZY?! You want to invite armed intruders into our home? People will die, Richard!"
Richard held up a hand to calm them down. "No, not if we do it my way. Look, I've already planted something in one of the servers—a bait. If their target is the AI, they'll prioritize getting in and out without attracting attention. Since the president just deployed additional military forces in Mindanao, they'll know they have to move quickly and quietly."
Estello rubbed his temples, exhaling deeply. "Even if that's true, it's too risky."
Richard pressed on. "That's why we need to make sure no one's here when they come."
Estello's gaze sharpened. "What are you suggesting?"
"A one-week paid leave for everyone." Richard gestured towards the window, where the construction tents and dormitory lights flickered in the night. "You've been working them overtime for a month straight, Grandpa. No one will question a break."
Jack added, "It makes sense. We evacuate everyone under the guise of a well-deserved vacation. That way, no workers, no casualties."
Richard nodded. "And in the meantime, we set up our own trap. If we alert the authorities now, they might spook and call off the attack. Then what? We'll never know when they'll try again."
Estello stared at his grandson, gears turning in his head. He knew Richard was smart—too smart. This wasn't a reckless plan. It was calculated, methodical.
Finally, after a long pause, Estello sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. "Fine. But all of us leave. No exceptions." He gave Richard and Jack a hard look. "I'm not risking either of you getting caught in the crossfire. We'll frame this as a family vacation and company-wide leave. No one stays behind. Understand?"
Richard and Jack exchanged a look.
"Understood, Grandpa."