Location: A quiet bar in New York Time: 9 PM
Aiden Blake sat in the corner of the bar, swirling his cocktail. On his laptop screen were the names: Vincent Kang, Feynman, Angie.
Vincent Kang: Identity unknown. No official records.
Feynman: Multiple hacking offenses. Monitored by the FBI.
Angie: International con artist and identity fraud specialist.
Aiden scoffed.
"What are these people? Just a gang of criminals."
He tapped his fingers on the screen.
Recent infiltration of the Harrison City VIP event.
Traces of internal network access.
Possible links to political scandal.
He sighed and muttered to himself.
"No doubt they've messed with Dominic Scott. But why?"
Just then, the bar door opened quietly. Three silhouettes walked in from the darkness.
Vincent Kang, Feynman, and Angie.
Aiden raised an eyebrow.
"So they came to find me."
Still, he remained cautious.
Vincent walked over and calmly sat across from him. Feynman grinned and ordered a whiskey.
"Whiskey, straight."
Angie crossed her legs and took a seat with a graceful smile.
Aiden stared at them with mild disinterest.
"Just say it. Why'd you come to me?"
Vincent replied with a calm expression.
"We're looking for a way to take down Dominic Scott."
Aiden let out a short laugh.
"You? I looked into you guys, and frankly, you're hard to trust."
He turned his laptop around.
"Vincent Kang. No records. Legally, you don't even exist. What are you, a ghost?"
Vincent didn't flinch.
"Is lacking a record a crime now?"
Aiden chuckled in disbelief.
"No, but it means you're not trustworthy."
He flipped the screen again.
"Feynman. FBI's radar. Connected to numerous data breaches and financial fraud. Angie, you're a master of disguise and ID forgery. You're all just high-end criminals."
Feynman shrugged.
"I'm a hacker, not a con man."
Angie smirked.
"So you're admitting my disguise skills are top-notch?"
Aiden shook his head.
"Honestly, I still don't see why I should help you. Even if you take down Dominic, you'll be fugitives, convicts, or on the run again."
His eyes narrowed.
"So why should I side with you?"
Vincent looked him straight in the eye.
"What you want is the truth."
Aiden raised a brow.
"The truth?"
Vincent tapped the table.
"You know Dominic isn't just a businessman. You know he's selling weapons, manipulating wars, shaking regimes, all while using the media to create a polished image."
Aiden said nothing.
Vincent continued.
"You're with him now because he has power. But what if that power disappeared?"
Aiden swirled his drink.
"Interesting. But I'm not convinced."
At that moment, Feynman opened his laptop and began typing rapidly. A few seconds later, he turned the screen to Aiden.
"Check this out."
Aiden squinted at the screen. His expression changed.
Vincent spoke quietly.
"This isn't a conspiracy theory. It's real data."
The files showed Dominic's financial transactions, money laundering trails, and sensitive email contents.
Aiden took a deep breath.
"So you're not just common criminals."
Angie grinned playfully.
"Maybe now you'll see us in a better light?"
Aiden paused, then slowly raised his glass.
"I'll listen. But if you lie to me or try anything..."
He smirked.
"Remember—I can be just as dangerous as you."
Vincent smiled faintly.
"Good. Let's begin the real story."
******
"The Invisible Hand"
Location: A local TV station in New York Time: 7 AM
"Cyberattacks and financial crimes are becoming increasingly sophisticated," said the morning news anchor with a grave tone. A silhouette of a hacker flashed across the screen, with numbers and code streaming behind him.
"These attacks are targeting not just individuals but corporations and politicians."
The screen showed various cases:
Tens of thousands of dollars lost to hacking.
Financial crimes committed using fake IDs.
Government data breaches.
"Criminals now wield professional-level skills," the anchor continued.
"And recently, a similar incident occurred in Harrison City."
An anonymous informant appeared on screen.
"This wasn't just some petty hacking. These were pros. Every move was planned."
Aiden Blake watched the broadcast with a grim expression. He set down his coffee cup, focusing on the screen.
"This isn't just a public warning..."
Location: Aiden's office in New York Time: 9 AM
Aiden typed quickly, scanning social media trends. Posts were spreading rapidly:
"Cybercrime is getting out of hand." "Fraudsters with fake IDs might be among us." "They all need to be caught."
At first glance, it seemed like gossip. But certain keywords kept appearing:
"Dangerous people." "Those who hide their faces." "Unknown hackers."
Aiden narrowed his eyes.
"This… is deliberate."
He traced the keyword origins and realized:
"These aren't organic. Someone's orchestrating this."
Someone was pushing keywords like "fraud," "hacker," and "untraceable" to manipulate public perception.
Aiden tapped his chin.
"This isn't a coincidence. Someone's framing a narrative."
And he knew exactly who the targets were:
Vincent Kang, Feynman, Angie.
These stories emerged right after they crossed Dominic Scott. News and social media echoed patterns of their behavior, carefully disguised.
Aiden closed his laptop slowly.
"This isn't news—it's narrative manipulation."
He stared out the window, deep in thought.
"Vincent, what the hell did you just step into?"
Aiden grabbed his coat.
He had decided—he needed to dig deeper.
He had to find out if Vincent's group were really criminals.
He had to find evidence of Dominic's media manipulation.
And most of all, he had to determine if uncovering this story was worth the risk.
He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Rebecca, I need intel."
"What kind?"
"Hacking incidents in Harrison City. And anyone connected to them."
He added while walking:
"And check who Dominic Scott has been meeting lately."
On the other end, Rebecca sighed.
"Dominic Scott? You serious? He's dangerous. You know that."
Aiden chuckled.
"I'll judge that for myself."
He hung up and looked at his phone.
"Vincent, you're no ordinary criminal. But that doesn't mean you're on my side either."
His gaze turned cold.
"Yeah… I'll keep watching you."