The cyber-operation against Horizon Dynamics was a masterpiece of subtle sabotage. Under Mo's remote guidance, Ye Xia's new team of digital mercenaries created a complex web of fake financial data, news articles, and market analyses. They then used sophisticated phishing attacks to inject this data into the streams Horizon Dynamics used to train its AI models.
The poisoned data was designed to be plausible but subtly wrong. It would create "blind spots" in the AI's predictive algorithms, specifically around the types of events Ye Xia knew were coming—the corporate scandals and tech breakthroughs of the next few years.
Weeks passed. Ye Xia monitored Horizon Dynamics' public statements and stock performance. There were no obvious signs of trouble. Yun Zhong continued to boast about the company's potential.
Then, the first failure occurred. Horizon Dynamics released its first major market prediction: a bullish forecast for a solar energy company based on "proprietary data analysis." Ye Xia, however, knew that in her past life, that same company had been revealed to have falsified its efficiency reports, causing its stock to collapse.
She waited. A month later, the scandal broke. The solar company's stock imploded, exactly as she remembered. Investors who had followed Horizon's advice lost millions.
The financial news channels roasted Horizon Dynamics. Their credibility was shattered overnight. Yun Zhong was forced to issue a public apology, his face a mask of fury on television.
It was a victory. A small one, but significant. Ye Xia had successfully defended her greatest advantage.
She received a message from Mo.
[The poison is working. Phase one complete. Yun Zhong is wounded. He will now be more reckless. Be ready for phase two.]
Ye Xia allowed herself a small, cold smile. The hunter was now the hunted. And she was learning to set traps he couldn't even imagine.