Aura-Link, The Office Boy’s Rise to Global Supremacy

Chapter 3

The marble floor of the Sterling Tech lobby reflected the light from the crystal chandeliers hanging majestically from the thirty-foot ceiling. To others, this place was a symbol of London's technological advancement, a temple for geniuses and billionaires. But for Rian, this lobby was nothing more than a vast expanse he had to ensure remained gleaming before the executives' expensive shoes could soil it. That morning, his head still felt like it had been struck by a sledgehammer. Every time he blinked, his right eye throbbed, sending waves of heat radiating to the base of his brain.

Rian tried to focus his gaze on the mop bucket and his dull blue uniform, which felt itchy against his skin. However, the Aura-Link system in his eye wouldn't let him rest. As soon as he turned toward the glass revolving doors ahead, a flood of data immediately invaded his vision.

[Object Detected: Type-7 Biometric Security Sensor]

[Status: Active - Security Flaw: Encryption Protocol Has a 0.02 Second Lag]

[Suggestion: Do Not Stand Too Close if You Wish to Avoid Being Scanned as an Anomaly]

"Damn it, be quiet," Rian whispered while massaging his temples. His voice was drowned out by the hurried footsteps of the crowd of employees beginning to fill the lobby.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, a very familiar and very hated, presence was detected by his system. A glowing red label appeared in his line of sight, locking onto a target walking arrogantly from the VIP parking area.

[Target Detected: Julian Vance]

[Position: Mid-Level Operations Manager]

[Arrogance Level: 94% - Mental Status: Seeking Validation]

[Heart Rate: 110 BPM - Side Effects of Illegal Stimulant Use Detected]

Julian walked with long strides, his left hand holding a large cup of hot latte while his right was busy pressing a phone to his ear. He seemed to be berating someone on the other end of the line, his flushed face contrasting sharply with his impeccably smooth, expensive gray suit.

Rian tried to get out of the way, pulling his bucket to the edge of a large column so as not to block the manager's path. He lowered his head, hoping to remain just an invisible part of the decor, as usual. However, the Aura-Link system suddenly gave a rapidly flashing yellow warning.

[Warning: Target Trajectory Will Change.]

[Intent Analysis: Intentional Provocation. Probability of Collision: 99.9%.]

Before Rian could process the warning, Julian suddenly veered off course. Without any logical reason, the man intentionally slammed his shoulder into Rian.

Splash!

The coffee cup in Julian's hand slipped, but instead of falling to the floor, its steaming hot contents drenched the front of Rian's uniform. The brown liquid soaked into his cheap polyester fabric, stinging the skin of his chest with a shocking burn.

"Whoa! Look what you did, you piece of trash!" Julian shouted. His high-pitched voice immediately drew the attention of everyone in the lobby. The employees who had been passing by suddenly stopped, forming a circle of spectators silently enjoying the free show.

Rian winced, clutching his burning chest. "You ran into me, sir. I was already standing off to the side."

Julian laughed dismissively, a dry laugh full of contempt. He intentionally raised his voice so it could be heard all the way to the reception desk.

"Ran into you? You're just a floor cleaner, Rian! Your job is to be a ghost, not to get in the way of people who actually work for this company! Look at my shoes! These are genuine crocodile skin; they're worth more than your life!"

Julian pointed at the tips of his shoes, which were actually only hit by a few splashes. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy the moment, crushing someone's dignity in public to mask his own stress.

[System Suggestion: Passive Response Will Result in a 40% Drop in Social Status.]

[Social Dominance Protocol Active. Please Follow Visual Instructions.]

Rian felt a strange vibration in his spine. His right eye suddenly presented a silver reticle that locked exactly onto Julian's pupils. A new information window opened beside the manager's face, displaying a series of secret numbers and transaction records that no one was ever supposed to see.

"Forgive me, sir," Rian said. But this time, he didn't look down. He slowly straightened his back.

"Forgive you? An apology won't wash my shoes, idiot! Get on your knees and clean this with your hands, now!" Julian barked, pointing harshly at the floor.

Some office staff began to whisper; a few felt pity, but most looked at Rian with the same look of disgust as Julian. To them, Rian was just an insect that could be stepped on at any time.

[System Instruction: Lower Voice Frequency to 80 Hz. Stare into His Eyes Without Blinking. Use Keyword: Project X-104 Contingency Fund.]

Rian took a deep breath. Something cold and calculative began to take over his consciousness. He took one step forward, entering Julian's personal space, which made the man gasp slightly and instinctively step back.

"Look into my eyes when I speak, Julian," Rian said. His voice sounded different, deeper, more authoritative, and possessing a tone of command that made the lobby suddenly fall silent.

Julian frowned, his face flushing red with anger. "What did you say? Did you just call me by my name without a title? Do you want to be fired this very day, huh?!"

Rian didn't budge. His pitch-black, glowing right eye seemed to pierce directly into Julian's skull. In his vision, he could see Julian's stress level spike sharply from 85% to 92%.

"I said, look into my eyes," Rian repeated, sharper this time. "You're very nervous this morning, aren't you? That coffee spilled because your hands were shaking, not because of me. You're afraid because Sterling Tech's internal audit just found a discrepancy of four hundred thousand pounds in the Project X-104 Contingency Fund. Money that was supposed to be used for satellite development, but somehow ended up in an offshore casino account in the Cayman Islands."

The sentence dropped like an atomic bomb in the middle of the lobby.

Julian's face, which had been burning red, suddenly turned deathly pale, as white as paper. The hand he had been pointing at the floor was now…