Lucien LaRue’s office was filled with excitement and anticipation. The tech division of SilverWave Innovations, one of the top tech companies in Arland, was buzzing with energy.
Known for its cutting-edge technology and ambition to dominate the global market, SilverWave had set its sights on something—to humiliate NovaTech and the BiteWave app.
Lucien sat at the head of a large, polished conference table, surrounded by his best developers, programmers, and analysts. A stack of documents detailing the stolen data from NovaTech lay in front of them.
They had been working tirelessly to decode, restore, and analyze the files Steven had provided. Everything seemed to be going according to plan.
One of the lead developers, Gregor, was hunched over his laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard as he oversaw the process. The data was pouring in—the backend code, the architecture, the unique algorithms, everything they needed to create their version of BiteWave.
“This is it,” Gregor said, his voice brimming with excitement. “We’re getting everything we need. With this data, we can build an app that blows BiteWave out of the water.”
Lucien smirked, watching as the progress bar inched forward on the massive screen dominating the wall. “Not just blow them out of the water,” he said, leaning back in his chair with a self-satisfied grin. “We’ll humiliate them. We’ll show the world what real innovation looks like.”
The team chuckled, nodding in agreement. They had all been briefed on the plan; SilverWave would create a superior version of BiteWave, using Novatech’s technology against them.
It was the ultimate power move, a way for SilverWave to establish itself as the industry leader and take a huge slice of the market.
“The restoration is almost done,” Gregor said, a glint of triumph in his eyes. “Just a few more seconds…”
The room fell silent as the final percentage ticked to 100%, and the screen flashed with the message:
Data restoration complete.
An applause broke out, and a few team members patted each other on the back. They were already imagining the headlines—how SilverWave had outpaced NovaTech, creating a better, faster, and more intuitive version of BiteWave.
But as the files were finally decrypted and opened, something unexpected happened.
The screen went black for a split second, and a loading bar appeared with the title: “Welcome to BiteWave—But Not Quite!” in bright, neon letters.
Lucien’s eyes narrowed. “What is this?” he asked, a hint of confusion. The developers exchanged puzzled glances as the loading bar filled. Suddenly, the screen cut to a video of Ethan grinning cheekily at the camera.
“Hello, my friends!” Ethan’s voice boomed through the speakers, his tone mockingly cheerful. “I see you’ve taken a little peek at our precious data. I hope you’re enjoying yourselves, but I have a small message for you.”
The camera zoomed in on Ethan’s face as he held up a sign that read: “Nice Try!” and flipped it over to reveal: “But You’ll Get Nothing.”
The screen then burst into a loop of ridiculous animations—cartoon pies flying across it, a dancing lobster doing the cha-cha, and sound effects of comical laughter echoing through the room.
The SilverWave team froze, their smiles dropping as they realized they had been tricked. Lucien’s jaw clenched, and a vein in his forehead twitched as Ethan’s image winked and waved goodbye, the screen filling with exaggerated fireworks and confetti.
“Wait, what is this?” Gregor said, furiously clicking around the screen as he tried to bypass the video. But no matter what he did, the video kept looping, each new scene more ridiculous than the last.
One segment showed Ethan wearing a chef’s hat, pretending to cook a meal while juggling flaming pans with exaggerated sound effects. In another, Ethan held up a poorly drawn diagram of BiteWave’s “secret” algorithms, which was nothing more than random doodles of food items and smiling emojis.
“Turn it off!” Lucien barked, his face turning a furious shade of red. “I don’t want to see another second of this nonsense!”
Gregor frantically tried to close the window, but every attempt to stop the video made it worse. A loud honking noise blared from the speakers, and the screen flashed bright red: “Security Breach Detected—Say Goodbye to Your Data and…servers!”
Panic erupted as the team scrambled to shut down the system, but it was too late. The prank video was doing more than just annoying them—it triggered a fail-safe that started deleting every single file they had just painstakingly restored and corrupting their servers, too.
The data they thought they had stolen was vanishing before their eyes.
“No, no!” one of the junior developers cried, hands in his hair as he watched the files disintegrate into nothingness. A triumphant jingle played over the speakers, and a large cartoon image of Ethan’s face appeared with a wink, holding a sign that read: “Better Luck Next Time!”
Lucien’s fury reached a boiling point. He slammed his fist onto the table, echoing across the room. “Shut it down! Now!”
Gregor yanked the power cable from his laptop, and the screen finally went dark. The room was silent except for the developers’ heavy breathing as they sat in shock, trying to process what had just happened.
Lucien’s cold, furious glare swept across the team. “Find out what went wrong,” he hissed, his voice low and dangerous. “I want to know how he did this. I want every trace of his meddling wiped from our system. Do you understand me?”
The developers nodded quickly, not daring to make eye contact. Lucien’s calm demeanor had vanished, replaced by a barely controlled rage.
“Ethan Cole,” Lucien muttered, his eyes narrowing. “You’ll pay for this.”
In the silence that followed, the only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioning, as if mocking their failed attempt to bring NovaTech down.
Lucien’s attempt to curry favor with the Petrova family took a sharp downturn the moment he began clashing with Ethan. He thought he was playing the game, but it quickly became clear that Ethan was already several steps ahead, toying with him from the start.
Frustrated and humiliated, Lucien was determined to have his revenge. He called upon the Ascendants under his command, vowing to make Ethan pay dearly for making a fool of him.
***
Ethan leaned back in his chair, his eyes darting over Mr. Halen’s message. He was meeting with Jessica, but this message made him pause. After days of anxious waiting, the update he had been waiting for finally arrived, the recruitment was complete.
Mr. Halen reported the new additions to their force. Seven Middle Star Soldier Ascendants, capable and reliable, are a solid core of power. There were also twenty-three Higher Star Apprentice Ascendants, talented individuals who had shown great potential.
The rest of the recruits were a mix of various Lower to High Stars Apprentice Ascendants. This diverse group would make for a well-rounded unit.
Mr. Halen also said the Ascendants would arrive in less than two hours.
Ethan’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. This was exactly what he needed to move forward with the next phase of his plan. With a team like this, he had a capable force that could be molded, trained, and turned into something formidable.
He quickly sent Mr. Halen the coordinates of the new warehouse location. This warehouse would be their training center, a far better facility than the one Mr. Halen currently operated.
It was more secure, spacious, and equipped to handle the needs of a growing force. Jessica had already arranged the space, meticulously planning where each piece of equipment would go.
Ethan typed a quick message to Mr. Halen.
Ethan: [Perfect work, Mr. Halen. I’ve sent you the warehouse location where we’ll set up the training center. It’s already prepped, but I might need more gear if you can access any additional equipment. Let me know what you can get.]
He paused briefly before sending the message, thinking of the Ridge Rovers FC. They, too, would benefit from more advanced training equipment, but he didn’t want to reveal that detail to Mr. Halen.
It was better to keep things need-to-know for now.
“Jessica, I need you to get Lena,” he said without preamble. “Tell her that the Ascendants are arriving in less than two hours. She should know what to do next.”
Jessica’s eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise at Ethan’s order. However, she recalled that Ethan mentioned Lena as a big help connecting him to Mr. Halen. “Alright. I’ll give her a call,” she replied.
She took out her phone and dialed Lena’s number. Ethan checked the final list of equipment and supplements delivered to the warehouse. Within moments, Lena’s voice came through the speaker.
“Lena, it’s Jessica,” she began. “We need you at the warehouse. I’ll send you the location.”
Lena’s response was immediate, her tone professional and steady. “Understood. When should I be there?”
Jessica glanced at Ethan, who replied without missing a beat, “They’re arriving in two hours.”
“Got it,” Lena said firmly. “I’ll be there.”
After hanging up, Jessica shared Lena’s response with Ethan.
Ethan nodded and went back to finalizing his arrangements. As Jessica watched him work, she could see he was in his element, moving smoothly from task to task without hesitation.
After twenty minutes, Ethan stood up. “We’re heading to the warehouse now,” he said as he grabbed his coat. “I want to check on a few things before they arrive.”
Jessica nodded and followed him out of the office. While walking, she updated, “The mansions are ready, by the way. I’ve assigned the rooms and coordinated the cleaning staff. They’re all set.”
“Good,” Ethan said with a hint of satisfaction. “But we’re starting at the warehouse. I want them to see the training facility first.”
Jessica looked curious. “Why? The mansions are impressive—wouldn’t that make a good first impression?”
Ethan gave a small, confident smile as he stepped into the car. “It’s not about luxury. It’s about showing them the resources and support they’re getting. The training center is more than just equipment—it’s about creating a sense of purpose from day one. I want them to walk in and understand that this isn’t a typical assignment.”
Jessica nodded, understanding the strategy without needing further explanation. Ethan was focused on something deeper than impressing them with material wealth—he was creating a sense of belonging and expectation.
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Thank you for sending me gifts and Golden Tickets. You guys are the MVPs!
