"Following the exposure of alleged privacy violations by Stella Technology's PWL male service robots, Gavriel, the former chief engineer of PWL, committed suicide out of fear of prosecution at his home this evening." "In his suicide note, Gavriel confessed to his crimes without reservation, claiming..."
The car traveled through the night as Soren turned off the car radio, restoring silence to the vehicle.
Estelle operated her mini-computer in silence, preparing to simulate a virus unit, while Crescent watched her screen without speaking, until the car stopped at the side entrance of Stella Technology Company, when he suddenly asked, "Is she in danger?"
"No," said Soren.
Stella Technology Tower was sealed off with warning tape; the late-night streets were empty except for one person waiting under the shadows of trees.
Estelle got out of the car and only when she approached did she recognize Marry, Aiden's secretary.
By now, Estelle had become accustomed to accepting Soren's incredible abilities. It was no wonder; if he didn't have a few informants within Stella Technology, he couldn't possibly know Aiden so well, and when she first met Crescent, it was on the way Marry was escorting her from the personnel department – thinking about it, Marry must have been working for Soren since then.
"It's been a long time, Manager Grey."
Estelle, holding her mini-computer, ducked under the warning tape and entered the grounds of Stella Technology Tower.
"The Eagla storage device is in the company's 1701 confidential room, which has its own emergency power supply system," said Marry."In five minutes, I will use Mr. Watson's authority to cut off the power to the entire building to help you avoid the infrared tracking in the confidential room. But I only have one-time access, and the maximum duration for a single power outage is 30 minutes – so, whether you succeed or not, you must leave the confidential room within 30 minutes."
"Thirty minutes is too tight, I'll do my best," said Estelle. "What would happen if I were tracked by the infrared sensors?"
"The Eagla storage device is the lifeline of Stella Technology, and the company's secrets are paramount; the infrared tracking system is directly linked to attack and self-destruct mechanisms. The walls of the confidential room are embedded with firearms and explosives; theoretically, an illegally intruding individual who is tracked would have no chance of survival."
Estelle fell silent for a long moment before nodding and saying, "I understand."
As she turned, Crescent suddenly darted under the police tape and ran toward her, saying, "I'll go with you."
"I only have one more access pass," Marry shook her head in refusal. "I can only take Manager Grey in herself."
Crescent's eyes flickered as he slowly released Estelle's hand. He remained silent, and Estelle looked up at him, reassuring him, "I'll be careful."
She reached up to touch his face, and Crescent lowered his head, burying his face in her palm. After a moment, she withdrew her hand, and Crescent stood there watching her and Marry enter the company building.
"I have the ability to discern lies." After she had walked away, Crescent spoke again in a cold voice. "Tell me, is she in danger?"
Soren fell silent for a moment.
"50%," he answered anew.
The building leading to the confidential room was layered with security measures, and Marry activated visitor access, as the system scanned Estelle's iris information as usual.
"Don't worry, I'll find a way to replace or delete these records later," said Marry."Stealing Mr. Watson's administrative access is something I've become very adept at doing now."
Estelle was amused by her, relaxing, and couldn't help but smile. "When did Soren recruit you?"
"What do you mean? I'm not someone who betrays their master for personal gain," said Marry. "From the beginning, I've always been General Manager Hoffman's person."
As they spoke, they arrived at the 17th floor, where Marry stopped and handed her the mechanical key to the confidential room. "This is as far as I can take you. I'll go to the control center to cut the power. Wait here until all the lights in the corridor go out, and then you can enter the confidential room. The Eagla storage device is inside the black box in the center of the confidential room."
"Manager Grey, you must come out within 30 minutes."
Marry turned and went downstairs. Estelle said nothing, gripping her mini-computer tightly. The corridor on the 17th floor of Stella Technology was long and empty, and she stood there quietly, hearing her own heartbeat.
Three minutes later, the entire building plunged into darkness. Estelle closed her eyes briefly and quickly opened the metal door to the confidential room.
