Chapter 295

Chapter 295

Richard's gaze turned even icier.

He knew the enemy's name and origin now.

A madman playing God.

And Margaret was that lunatic's so-called "masterpiece."

...

Top floor of Margaret New Energy Group Building.

Margaret had just finished deploying her team when red alerts tore through the command center again.

"Ms. Kennedy! Massive signal drift detected in global positioning systems! Multiple civilian GPS satellites have gone dark!"

"At least fifteen cargo ships in Greywater Strait have lost autopilot control!"

"Major global financial data links under heavy interference—all high-frequency trading suspended!"

Emergency reports flooded in like an avalanche.

On the holographic Earth model, vast swaths of blue data streams turned red. Shipping and communication lines collapsed one after another.

This wasn't an attack on Margaret New Energy Group.

This was The Shadow demonstrating his power to the world.

He was telling everyone that the global broadcast wasn't a bluff.

Ark had the capability to bring modern civilization to its knees.

The command center erupted in chaos. Only Margaret stood before the crimson glow, face pale but eyes blazing with fierce determination.

Personal mysteries, family vendettas—all of it was overshadowed by the global crisis in this moment.

Anger and confusion gave way to fighting spirit.

She stared at the chaotic Earth model like she was studying a chessboard.

"He wants the world to stop. We're going to make damn sure it keeps spinning."

Her voice cut through the noise, reaching every person in the room.

"Tech team, abandon server defense. Route all computing power into global public networks and reconstruct temporary positioning channels!"

"PR department, contact national shipping and communications agencies. Share our backup channels and algorithm models—free of charge!"

"Legal, draft tech-sharing liability waivers immediately. Get them to all partners at light speed!"

A rapid-fire series of clear, decisive commands cut through the panic.

The team sprang into action, keyboards clicking and orders flowing once again.

Fear was replaced by the fierce resolve to fight back.

Margaret returned to her office and closed the door, reaching for the encrypted phone.

Just as she was about to dial, it rang.

Richard.

"I know." His steady voice came through. "His name is Ebon Stark."

Ebon Stark.

The name hit like a bullet finding its target. Margaret didn't ask for details.

"Got it," she replied calmly.

"Stay put. I'm coming over."

"No need." Her refusal was swift. "You can't get past my security system. Online communication is more efficient."

She walked to the center of the strategy room, watching the red data streams representing global chaos.

Richard skipped the argument. "He has a mobile base called Ark. It's at sea."

"Figured as much." Margaret's gaze moved across the holographic Earth model. "To cripple satellites and undersea cables, you need the optimal attack nodes that only the open ocean can provide. If he wants to play God, naturally, he'd need his own piece of the ocean."

Her composure sent a chill through Richard.

"Can you find it?"

"He's showing off." Margaret pulled up new data models. "Any abnormal energy output leaves 'holes.' Creating this much chaos is like lighting a torch in the darkness."

Her voice took on an icy edge:

"One of Starlink's original design goals was global energy monitoring. The weapon he's using to attack us is exactly the key I need to find him."

"How long?"

"Six hours. Reconstruct algorithms, filter global energy signals, pinpoint Ark's anomalous fluctuations."

"What can you give me in six hours?"

"Coordinate range, accurate within fifty nautical miles."

Richard's breathing was audible.

Fifty nautical miles—precise enough for the vast ocean.

"Perfect. You find the location, I'll handle snuffing him out."

"He can control shipping systems. Conventional vessels can't get close."

"Then we'll use the most unconventional approach."

Richard's voice was ice-cold. "I'll turn everything that moves in those waters into my eyes. Fishing boats, cargo ships, yachts, and drilling platforms. He can hack autopilot systems, but he can't hack a captain's compass and steering wheel."

One hunting prey in the digital ocean with technology, the other casting a net across the real ocean with power.

This divorced couple had found a strange but efficient harmony through their common enemy.

"Richard."

"Yeah?"

"About me... after this is over, I'll give you the full explanation."

Richard's low laugh carried helplessness, admiration, and a trace of pride.

"I'll be waiting. But first, let's go rip the head off that bastard who thinks he's the Creator."

The same sentiment, spoken by both Fiona and Richard, created a strange chemical reaction.

Margaret hung up, the knot in her chest dissolving into battle-ready determination.

She turned to face her team:

"Everyone, listen up."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it struck each heart like a war drum.

"Tech team, abandon external sharing. Route all Starlink computing power into internal loops. Iterate algorithms by the second—find the ghost in the global energy spectrum."

"Intelligence team, contact all sources. I want a list of every non-commercial registered vessel over fifty thousand tons from the past 24 hours."

"Command center, tap into global marine weather data. Focus on cyclonic current changes in the Pacific Ridge over the next 12 hours. Ark needs harsh conditions for cover."

Clear, decisive orders.

The precision machine that was Margaret New Energy Group's top floor roared to life with unprecedented efficiency.

Red data streams were rapidly integrated and analyzed, and blue counterattack forces began to penetrate the crimson tide.

Margaret stood at the command platform, the entire world reflected in her eyes.

In this moment, she wasn't anyone's "masterpiece" or "artwork."

She was the commanding general of this war.

...

At the old estate, Richard set down the phone.

He glanced at the sighing old man in the courtyard, then walked out into the rain.

Under his black umbrella, his profile was cold and hard as carved stone.

He dialed the encrypted satellite line.

"It's me."

"Mr. Neville."

"Activate Poseidon Protocol. Notify all Pacific fleets to alter course and converge on the target area. Contact Pacific Fleet commanders from Celestria, Virestia, and Lumaria. Tell them we've discovered a terrorist organization base threatening global shipping. We need maritime blockade and satellite reconnaissance support."

The voice on the other end hesitated. "Simultaneously contacting three major naval powers... this requires the highest authorization..."

"No buts." Richard cut him off. "The Neville Group covers all expenses. Real-time intelligence sharing, source is Ms. Kennedy from Margaret New Energy Group."

...

Time stretched into something thick and viscous in the command center.

Six hours passed.

Massive data streams were torn apart and reassembled by computing power.

On the holographic Earth model, only keyboard clicks and server hums filled the air.

Margaret stood at the command platform, her pupils reflecting nothing but flowing data.

"Found it!"

The tech team leader's shout cut through the stillness.

Everyone turned to the central screen.

In the nebula of data formed by global energy signals, a tiny point of light flickered at frequencies that defied physics.

Its power output was terrifyingly stable, like a heart beating in the deep ocean.

"Coordinates locked. 142.7 degrees east longitude, 16.3 degrees north latitude. Signal source approximately 2,600 feet below sea level."