Chapter 13 - The Counter-Offensive
The following morning before dawn, Vance Global launched a devastating, preemptive counter-offensive across international financial markets.
Instead of passively defending their mainframe against Victor’s ongoing cyber assault, Julian’s elite team deployed an aggressive, autonomous algorithmic counter-virus that traced the attack vector right back to its physical origin point in Zurich, Switzerland.
Simultaneously, their automated trading systems short-sold the primary stock holdings of all known shell corporations tied to Victor’s syndicate.
Within hours, billions of dollars in unverified syndicate assets were frozen solid by international banking regulators under emergency anti-money laundering protocols.
At Oakridge High, Leo tried valiantly to maintain a normal daily routine, sitting in AP Economics while pretending his mind wasn't anchored halfway across the globe in corporate boardrooms.
Chloe noticed his deep distraction during the lecture and slipped a handwritten note across the wooden desk:
*'You look like you're plotting a hostile government coup today, Vance. Everything okay?'*
Leo smiled faintly, picking up his pen and scribbling a quick reply:
*'Just complicated family business.'*
However, the fragile illusion of normalcy was shattered instantly when the classroom overhead projector suddenly flickered violently.
The screen cut away from the economics presentation to display a live, encrypted video feed of a masked man sitting in a dark, opulent office overlooking a rainy skyline.
The entire classroom gasped in terror as the masked figure spoke through the speakers with a chilling, digitally distorted voice:
*'Julian Vance, your little parlor tricks in Zurich won't save you from what's coming. Tell your precious son Leo that his little parking lot stunts have consequences far beyond a foolish high school bet.'*
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The video feed abruptly cut to black, leaving the students and teacher paralyzed with pure terror.
Principal Miller rushed into the classroom seconds later, shouting frantically for an immediate school-wide lockdown as deafening emergency alarms began to wail across the campus.
