All Chapters of AWAKENED ADRIAN LACANSTER : Chapter 651
- Chapter 660
696 chapters
CHAPTER 651
He had barely noticed the cleaner before. To a man like Richard, people in blue jumpsuits were part of the furniture, tools used to keep the room presentable."Excuse me?" Richard’s face twisted into a scowl of pure disbelief. "Did you just talk to me?"Adrian didn't flinch. He didn't look away. He stood with his shoulders back, radiating a strange authority that didn't match his humble clothes. He nodded slowly. "Yes. I am talking to you.""The audacity!" Richard’s voice dropped to a low, vibrating growl. "Oh, so this is it, Lilith? You’ve brought in the help to insult me? Is this your final act as CEO?""No, Dad!" Lilith cried, her eyes wide with terror. She tried to signal Adrian to stop, but he ignored her."At least hear me out," Adrian said, stepping forward. He didn't wait for permission. "Look at the reports from before this crisis. Under Lilith’s leadership, Global’s stocks went up over one hundred and forty percent.The stats are right there in black and white. Many of the a
CHAPTER 652
For the first time, Richard laughed. It wasn't a happy sound; it was a mocking, jagged bark. "This company is crumbling to dust, and you think it will magically get the recognition of the Rhein Group? A thousand of this company put together wouldn't even attract a glance from them."He stopped laughing and looked Adrian in the eye. "But I love your guts. I’d love to see you crash and burn trying to chase a miracle. Alright. One week. I’ll give you one week to get this company back on its feet and to get that recognition. If you fail, both of you are banned from the industry forever.""Dad, that wasn't part of—""Do you want my offer, or do you want my security detail to throw your things into the hallway right now?" Richard snapped.Lilith looked at the door, where she could imagine her employees watching her get dragged out in disgrace. Then she looked at Adrian. She saw the absolute, terrifying confidence in his eyes."Miracle, I guess," she muttered under her breath. She looked at
CHAPTER 653
"I will," he said, pocketing the card. "Just stall her. Don't let her near that office until I give you the signal."The lunch break arrived, and the hallways of Global Corp emptied out as employees headed for the cafeteria. Adrian, dressed in his dusty blue janitor's uniform, pushed his mop bucket with a slow, rhythmic motion. To anyone passing by, he was just "Michael," the invisible man who cleaned the floors. He slipped into the advertising wing, checked both ways, and swiped the silver card against Fiona’s door.Click.He stepped inside, leaving his mop bucket in the corner to act as a doorstop. He sat at Fiona's desk, inserted the bypass card into the terminal, and watched as the screen flickered to life, bypassing the password prompts.Meanwhile, in the bustling lunchroom, Fiona was surrounded by her inner circle. She wasn't eating. She sat with her arms crossed, her face twisted in a permanent scowl. "I’m telling you," She snapped at the HR Director sitting across from her,
CHAPTER 654
Adrian didn't wait. He dropped his mop in the janitor’s closet, stripped off his blue shirt to reveal a plain black tee, and exited through the back service stairs. He pulled out his phone and called Lilith. "I have a lead. Aura Media. I'm going to the address now." The taxi ride took him to the outskirts of the city, far away from the glitzy skyscrapers of the business district. He expected a high-tech office building with giant screens and busy executives. Instead, the driver pulled up to a cracked curb in front of an old, crumbling industrial block on George Street. Adrian stepped out of the car. The building was a "ghost" it was a tall, hollow shell of concrete and broken windows. There were no signs for "Aura Media." There were no employees. The lobby was filled with nothing but dust and old newspapers. How could a company receiving $50 million a month operate out of a graveyard? Adrian walked into the empty hall, his footsteps echoing against the stained walls.
CHAPTER 655
On the other end of the line, Adrian heard the sound of a glass shattering. Lilith was furious. "Can you imagine?" she hissed, her voice trembling. "I knew I should have fired that woman the moment I took over! She has been bleeding us dry while acting like a loyal employee. She will pay me back every single penny if I have to strip it from her skin!" "Don't act yet," Adrian warned, his tone commanding. "Anger won't get the money back. We have the 'where,' but we don't have the 'who' or the 'how.' We don't have the final proof of the offshore account where this money is being stashed. "If we move now, she’ll just claim it was a clerical error or blame a third party. We need to catch her red-handed." "How?" Lilith asked, trying to steady her breathing. "How do we find a hidden account in a web this thick?" "We need a hacker," Adrian replied. "Someone who can tear down their website’s firewall and pull the back-end data. "Once we have the transaction logs and the destination
CHAPTER 656
The massive television screen in the living room suddenly hummed to life. It didn't show a show or the news. It showed a static-filled image of a glowing green mask with hollow eyes."Who dares to hack the Green Shadow?" a distorted, metallic voice boomed through the house speakers.Clara shrank behind Adrian, trembling. Adrian stepped forward, his face hardening into a mask of stone. "Who are you? And how dare you hack my home?""Who am I?" The voice laughed, and the remaining lightbulbs sparked, casting long, dancing shadows. "You tried to reach into a system protected by on behalf of my most elite clients, and you ask who I am? You were sloppy. You forgot that when you try to hack a ghost, you leave your own front door wide open."The green mask on the screen seemed to lean forward."I am the Green Shadow. And I have just taken complete control of every device in your life. Now... shall we see what secrets you are hiding?"The Green Shadow’s mask flickered on the television screen
CHAPTER 657
One of the men pulled out a high-tech handheld scanner and passed a beam of green light over Adrian’s face. The device emitted a sharp ping, and a small holographic display showed a green checkmark. "Michael. You’re on the list. Move through."Adrian looked at the solid brick wall, confused. But then, the person behind him,a young man with neon-blue hair and a high-end tablet stepped forward. As he hit the wall, the bricks rippled like water. It wasn't stone; it was a perfect, high-definition 3D projection. Adrian took a breath and stepped through.The sensation was like walking through a cold liquid. On the other side, the silence of the alley was replaced by a deafening roar.He had entered a massive, subterranean arena that looked like a high-tech gladiatorial stadium. Hundreds of people filled the rising tiers of seats, their faces illuminated by the glow of thousands of screens. High above, in private glass booths, wealthy men in expensive suits smoked thick cigars and sipped go
CHAPTER 658
Suddenly, the distorted, metallic voice of the Green Shadow boomed through the speakers, silencing the crowd. "This new player... he dared to challenge me in his own home. He thought he could outrun a shadow. So, I decided to give him a chance to compete.""His odds are zero, his experience is unknown, but let’s see how long he lasts in the open field. It’s one thing to hack from your bedroom like a coward; it’s another to survive the arena."Adrian didn't blink. He locked his eyes on the camera lens above him, staring as if he could see right through the green mask of the man hiding behind the curtain."Enough talk," the MC shouted, his hand raised. "Seven players! One goal! Let the game begin!"The sound of the buzzer was drowned out by the aggressive clack-clack-clack of mechanical keyboards. The six veterans moved like lightning, their fingers dancing over glowing keys. Adrian, however, sat perfectly still. He didn't touch his keyboard. He just watched the scrolling lines of co
CHAPTER 659
Suddenly, Ghost-Code and Binary Beast’s stations exploded in a shower of blue sparks. Their screens turned a brilliant, terminal red."SYSTEM TRACED," the speakers boomed.Adrian’s station hummed softly, returning to a calm, cool blue. The smoke cleared instantly."Shit! He caught us both!" Binary Beast yelled, throwing his headset onto the floor in a rage."Ghost-Code and Binary Beast are OUT!" the MC screamed, his voice reaching a fever pitch. "The newcomer has made it to the final round! I don't believe it! Michael and Viper are the last men standing!"The VIP section was in an uproar. Men who had bet hundreds of thousands against Adrian were now whispering frantically. "Who is he? How did he loop a dual-trace in under three seconds? That’s not possible!"Viper stood up, his face red with fury. He kicked his chair back, the metal screeching against the floor. "Hey, boy!" he shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Adrian. "Want to give up now? Wanna run home to your mama? Get up and
CHAPTER 660
Suddenly, Ghost-Code and Binary Beast’s stations exploded in a shower of blue sparks. Their screens turned a brilliant, terminal red. "SYSTEM TRACED," the speakers boomed. Adrian’s station hummed softly, returning to a calm, cool blue. The smoke cleared instantly. "Shit! He caught us both!" Binary Beast yelled, throwing his headset onto the floor in a rage. "Ghost-Code and Binary Beast are OUT!" the MC screamed, his voice reaching a fever pitch. "The newcomer has made it to the final round! I don't believe it! Michael and Viper are the last men standing!" The VIP section was in an uproar. Men who had bet hundreds of thousands against Adrian were now whispering frantically. "Who is he? How did he loop a dual-trace in under three seconds? That’s not possible!" Viper stood up, his face red with fury. He kicked his chair back, the metal screeching against the floor. "Hey, boy!" he shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Adrian. "Want to give up now? Wanna run home to your mama?