The second batch arrived through the private arrival lane of the airport.

They did not look like tourists. They moved with the quiet pace of people who had already been briefed, checked, and cleared before their plane touched the ground. Two men carried small bags. One woman walked between them with nothing in her hands except a phone and a folded coat.

Three cars waited outside.

The cars were too expensive for local businessmen and too plain for anyone trying to show off. Black paint, dark glass, drivers who did not look back unless spoken to. The second batch entered without asking questions.

By the time they reached the hotel suite, the old man from World Zone was already waiting.

The first team had arrived earlier. Two of them stood near the wall, and one sat with a laptop open. The old man did not waste time with greetings. He waited until everyone was inside, then placed a file on the table.

"Maren Voss is dead," he said. "Rust Gate rejected our arrangement. Tobin Rell took the chair before our people could place anyone." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The woman opened the file first. Her name was Sella Marr, and her face stayed calm while she read.

One of the men leaned over the map. He was Idris Vale, the investigator sent with the second batch. His finger stopped on the forest road where the attack had happened.

"We begin here," Idris said. "The convoy, the route, the men who survived, and the man who took the chair."

"Tobin?" the old man asked.

"Yes. There is a very small chance he is clean. A leader dies. The right-hand line is cut. The left-hand man survives and sits before the night ends. In my experience, that is not luck."

The third man, Brant Cole, smiled faintly. "Then we break him."

Sella looked at him. "We learn first."

Brant did not argue. He only leaned back.

The old man studied all three of them. "This province was supposed to be a small entry point. Now our name has been hit before we even opened the door properly."

Idris closed the file.

"Then the war has already started," he said. "We only need to find where the first shot truly came from."

Far away from that hotel, Unit 14 was having a different kind of problem.

The official phone rang.

Davin looked at it for one second before picking it up. Usually, he called people. He chased reception desks, purchasing officers, assistants, and anyone who could put him in front of a manager. The official line did not ring first.

"Aster Core Components," he said, trying to sound calm.

The man on the other side introduced himself as a procurement manager from Halden Home Systems.

"We heard from FrostMire that you supplied compatible controller chips on short notice," the man said. "We want a meeting."

Davin straightened.

"Of course, sir. Give me your preferred time frame, and we can arrange it."

He expected next week. Maybe three days if the man was serious.

"Today," the man said. "If you can meet today, that would be best."

Davin did not answer for two seconds.

Sera noticed his face from the front desk and pointed at the receiver as if telling him to speak.

"Yes, sir," Davin said quickly. "This afternoon is possible."

The call ended, and Davin had barely placed the receiver down when Sera’s phone rang.

She answered it, listened, and her eyes moved toward Davin.

Then Davin’s phone rang again.

Inside the office, Kenji, Shinju, and Kiri were discussing the next delivery plan when the sound became impossible to ignore. They came out and saw Sera speaking on one phone while Davin stood with another receiver pressed to his ear.

Sera finished first.

"Something happened," she said. "Companies are calling us. Three meetings are already fixed."

Davin looked at Kiri while still speaking. "Sir, there is no way we can meet today. Our slots are already full. Tomorrow would be..."

He stopped when the voice on the other side became sharper.

"You do not want a trial period?" Davin asked.

Kiri walked over and took the receiver from him.

"This is Kiri Dalen," he said. "Yes, we can meet today. Send your address and product requirement."

Kenji stared at him.

"Can we handle that?"

"We will have to," Kiri said.

Kenji went back inside and opened the file Rivan had brought from Wil. Near the end of one company note, one line stood out.

Unusual demand may arrive in the coming days due to external supply pressure.

Kenji read it twice.

Kiri read over his shoulder and became quiet.

Shinju saw both their faces. Her first feeling should have been relief. Orders were coming. The company was moving.

Instead, her chest tightened.

Every time Wil’s side gave them something, it was useful. That was the problem. The timing was too clean. The files knew too much. The market moved right after the warning.

She told herself not to dig, and then another phone rang before she could convince herself.

In another office, Darien Holt watched the same market move on television.

Northline Capital Advisory was still half empty. Two new employees sat near temporary desks, one young man and one young woman, both pretending not to stare at the bags of files that had arrived that morning.

The news anchor spoke about a growing chip shortage. Companies dependent on imported chips were losing market value. Appliance makers, display manufacturers, and electronics suppliers were already reacting.

The young man looked at Darien.

"Boss, this is a good time. If the fall is temporary, we can make money from it."

Darien did not answer at once.

"If it is natural, yes," he said. "If someone caused it, then we do not know how far it will bend."

His phone rang with an unknown number on the screen.

Darien picked it up slowly.

Walter’s voice came through.

"You saw the news."

Darien’s back straightened.

"Yes."

"Good. Buy the stocks of the companies that fell because of the chip shortage."

Darien looked at the television again.

For the first time that day, he forgot to blink.