The first leak went live at 9:07 a.m.
A single anonymous post on a gaming forum — nothing special, nothing flashy.
Just a chart.
A chart showing every illegal transaction Helios Ventures had made through the league.
By 9:30, it had gone viral.
By 10:00, three sponsors had suspended funding.
By noon, the league was on fire.
And in the middle of it all, ECLIPSE's servers were trending.
Not for gameplay.
For revenge.
---
ECLIPSE Headquarters — Situation Room
Luna burst in holding her tablet. "It's everywhere, Captain! They're calling you the Ghost Hacker!"
Ashen whistled low. "Cool name, bad optics."
I didn't look up. "How bad?"
Luna's voice softened. "They think you did it."
Of course they did.
It was the perfect setup — expose corruption and blame the one person who could.
"Shut down our public feeds," I said. "Every stream, every PR channel. Now."
Ashen frowned. "You sure? That'll make us look guilty."
I finally looked at him. "We already look guilty. I'd rather look dangerous."
---
Later — Private Call
> Lao K: You didn't release the data, did you?
Me: No. Aurora's backup was offline. Someone else triggered it.
Lao K: Someone inside your team?
Me: Or inside yours.
The silence between us wasn't distrust — it was calculation.
Both of us knew this had gone beyond what either side could contain.
> Lao K: Ruo… if they come for you—
Me: Then they'll find out why I'm not easy to catch.
Lao K: That's not what I meant.
His voice dropped, quiet but heavy.
> Lao K: Just don't disappear again.
My throat tightened — but before I could respond, the line cut off.
Intercepted.
Ω was listening.
---
Press Conference — League Headquarters
Cameras flashed like lightning.
I stood at the podium, every reporter waiting for me to flinch.
"Miss Qin," one of them shouted, "did you or your team leak the Helios files?"
"No," I said simply.
"Then who did?"
I smiled faintly. "Someone who underestimated me."
The room murmured — confusion, curiosity, fear.
I leaned forward.
"Transparency terrifies people who live on secrets. If the league wants answers, they should start with their investors."
The broadcast cut suddenly — screen to static.
But it was too late.
Every feed had already replayed it a thousand times.
The Ghost Hacker had spoken.
---
Night — Rooftop of Lyra Tower
The city glowed like an open wound.
Lao K appeared beside me, hoodie up.
"You're making enemies faster than fans," he said.
"Enemies are easier to predict."
He gave a quiet laugh. "You sound like me."
"Maybe I'm learning from the best."
He looked at me — the kind of look that stayed even after you turned away.
"We can't go back now," he said softly.
I nodded. "Good. I was never planning to."
---
✨ End of Chapter Nineteen — "Daylight Gambit."
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