The banquet had barely ended, but the shockwaves were still being felt. In the Lin household, unrest brewed beneath the luxury walls. Victor Lin sat in his private study, swirling a glass of brandy in his hand, his eyes narrowed in thought.
"How did Mae manage to do this?" he muttered. "When did she get so far?"
His assistant stood respectfully by the door. "Sir, even our best tech couldn't crack the data encryption behind Scentra's chief perfumer. All we know is that she's codenamed 'E.' And…"
Victor's gaze sharpened.
"…there are whispers that she's linked to the rise of Eonmatrix."
Victor slammed the glass onto the table, amber liquid spilling over polished wood. "Find out everything. I want to know who's behind this. Everything."
---
Elara was back in her lab, the lingering tension from the banquet already fading from her mind. Dressed in a white coat and gloves, she peered through goggles at a vial of translucent liquid. Her new goal was clear.
Scentra's next launch wouldn't just be skin-deep. It would be transformative.
"Let's create the luxury line," she said softly to herself, jotting down notes. "One drop should feel like magic."
Her fingers moved over her keyboard, formulas and memories from her transmigrated world surfacing effortlessly. Botanical blends, enchanted minerals, and rare compounds—she would blend ancient science with modern elegance.
---
Meanwhile, Mae was seated across from a silver-haired man in a high-end café. He wore a crisp gray suit and carried a refined air. The emblem of his international beauty conglomerate gleamed on his cuff.
"We don't want to acquire you, Ms. Mae," he said smoothly. "We want to partner. You keep ownership. We bring the global distribution muscle."
Mae smiled politely. "We appreciate the offer. But Scentra is still growing roots. We're not ready to branch into overseas hands just yet."
Elara joined them shortly after, her gaze assessing the man like glass cutting through silk.
"No disrespect," she said evenly, "but our foundation must be unshakable. We can't afford to lean on anything that can later become leverage."
The man's eyes flickered. "Very well. But the door remains open."
---
Across the city, in a high-rise bathed in blue LED glow, Lu Zeyan stood silently before a large screen. Elara's image was frozen on it. Her profile, achievements, and school records sat below.
"Dig deeper," he said to his assistant.
The young man hesitated. "Sir, there are traces of Shadow's old network protecting her digital identity."
Lu's eyes lit up with intrigue. "Shadow? That makes her far more interesting."
"She may be connected to them. Proceed with caution."
"I'll decide what caution means," Lu replied coolly.
---
Night had draped its cloak over the city when Elara slipped into a secured chat room through a proxy network. Her screen lit up with messages from her elite hacker group—codenamed 'Abyss.'
**Cipher:** _Got a ping from Gov Sector 9. A virus infected their military logistics. They want help._
**E:** _Send the data through Level 7 encryption. I'll take a look._
She began decoding, her fingers flying across the keyboard. Every stroke a dance of brilliance. Within twenty minutes, she identified the issue and sent back a clean fix.
---
The next morning, a confidential message landed in her inbox from the official.
**From:** Director Ye Liyuan
**Message:**
_Ms. Shadow
We appreciate your timely assistance with our cyber defense system. Your capabilities are beyond impressive. I would like to meet you in person._
_A seven-day cruise will be leaving from the Central Port next week. It is a government-organized summit for select business and defense representatives. Your name has been personally added to the guest list._
_I hope to see you there._
Yours,
Ye Liyuan
Director of Special Tech Ops
---
Elara read the message with a raised brow. "A cruise, huh?" she mused. "Sounds more like a chessboard."
She closed her laptop, her mind already making connections. Scentra. Eonmatrix. Shadow. The government. And now… the cruise.
Across the sea, far away, in a dark room lit only by monitors and sonar maps, a man tapped a glowing red dot on a 3D map of the cruise ship.
"We're in position," he said into a headset. "Proceed with infiltration protocol. Target Alpha will be onboard."
The storm was brewing.
And this time, it would sail on open water.