Two weeks in, and the dust from General Valderama's fall had finally settled. The headlines were bored of the "Gala Massacre," and for the first time in five years, Chano didn't feel like he was looking over his shoulder every time a car backfired.
Under Bella's corporate wing, a new beast had been born: Aragon Aegis. Located in a sleek, "nothing-to-see-here" warehouse in Taguig, it looked like just another tech startup to the neighbors. In reality, it was a digital fortress.
The "Normal" Morning
Chano was currently in the middle of the office floor, but he wasn't hunting ghosts. He was sweating over a high-end ergonomic office chair that refused to go together.
"Master, the bolt goes on the left! The left! Pucha, you're hurting my soul!" Elijah's voice boomed through the studio-grade speakers. He'd officially moved his entire life into a room down the hall filled with neon RGB strips and enough beanbags to cushion a fall from a skyscraper.
"Elijah, stay in your hole. I've got this," Chano muttered, wiping grease onto his jeans.
"Sus, 'tol. You can dismantle a government in twenty minutes, but a swivel chair? That's your final boss?" Philip teased, strolling in with a box of pepperoni pizza. Philip was now the "Head of Field Operations," which basically meant he got paid to ride the company's new tactical bikes and make the interns nervous.
Marco, looking sharp in a tactical polo, checked his watch. "Chano, Bella's coming up. She's bringing the 'Lead Architect' for the Aegis grid."
The New Addition
The glass doors hissed open. Bella walked in with her usual billionaire swagger, but the woman beside her turned every head in the room—even Marco's.
Rina Takahashi was tall, with wavy chestnut hair and eyes that looked like they could scan a QR code from fifty paces. She wore a pencil skirt and a crisp white blouse, clutching a tablet like it was a detonator.
"Team, meet Rina Takahashi," Bella announced. "Structural engineer and Smart City specialist. She's building our new underground fiber network."
Rina stepped forward, her gaze landing on Chano. She didn't look impressed. She walked over, adjusted her glasses, and stared at his half-finished chair.
"So, you're the 'Master'?" Rina's voice was silky, but it had a sharp, clinical edge. "Your posture is a disaster. Your barong at the gala was a tragedy. And you're using a 4mm hex key on a 5mm bolt."
She snatched the tool from his hand. With a few expert twists and a satisfying click, the chair was perfect. "Efficiency is beauty, Master. I hope your code is cleaner than your handiwork."
The Food Court "Date"
That afternoon, Bella insisted on a break. Instead of a five-star lounge, Chano dragged them to a chaotic mall food court—his version of "keeping it real."
It was a surreal sight. Bella Aragon, the woman who owned half the skyline, was trying to figure out how to balance a plastic tray. Rina was busy sanitizing the table with what smelled like industrial-grade bleach. And then there was Chano, sitting between two of the most powerful women in the city, just trying to eat his extra rice.
"I don't understand the logic of this environment," Rina sighed, poking her sizzling sisig like it might bite back. "The hygiene levels are... sub-optimal."
"It's called 'living,' Rina," Bella said, surprisingly relaxed. "Chano says if we stay in the ivory tower too long, we forget who we're actually protecting."
Rina looked at Chano. "He's very... quiet."
"Quiet but dangerous," Bella replied with a small, knowing smile.
Chano felt his phone getting warm in his pocket. Looking at the reflection in his water glass, he could see Rina's fingers dancing across her tablet. She'd just installed a "Shadow-GPS" tracker on his device. A little test.
The Master's Counter-Move
"I'm gonna grab some napkins," Chano said, standing up.
Rina glanced at her screen. The blue dot—the "Master"—moved toward the napkin station exactly as he did. She allowed herself a tiny, triumphant smirk. He's a legend, but he's still human.
While at the station, Chano surreptitiously tapped his watch, tethering his signal to a greasy-looking guy nearby who was busy taking "sneaky" photos of shoppers with a pinhole camera. Chano returned to the table.
"Pucha, 'tol, did you go for napkins or did you go to the factory?" Philip joked.
"Crowded," Chano replied. He patted his pockets. "Wait, I left my power bank at that gadget shop. I'll be right back. Don't eat my fries."
Chano walked toward the North Wing. Rina watched her tablet. The blue dot moved with Chano... 50 meters... 100 meters. He was heading deep into the mall.
Suddenly, the greasy man at the next table stood up and headed for the basement.
[EXECUTE: SIGNAL SWAP]
On Rina's screen, the "Chano" dot suddenly pulled a sharp U-turn, bypassed the gadget shop, and started hauling toward the parking garage.
Rina froze. Why is he going to the basement? Is he meeting a contact? Is he lying to us?
Her competitive streak flared. "Excuse me," she said, standing up. "I think I left my card at the last shop. Be right back!"
The Confrontation
Rina sprinted through the mall, following the signal into a cramped, dim stall in the basement filled with pirated DVDs. She burst in, eyes blazing.
"Got you, Master—!"
She stopped dead.
Instead of Chano, she was staring at the pervert from the food court. He was currently haggling over a stack of "uncensored" videos. The man turned around, a creepy, toothy grin spreading across his face.
"Wow... beautiful girl! Hihihi!" the man giggled, wiping a bit of drool. "You want to watch with me? This one is special edition!"
Rina backed away in pure disgust. Suddenly, her tablet buzzed. The blue dot vanished, replaced by a large, pulsing blue 'X'. A message scrolled across:
"Rina, if you're going to track me, you're still way too green. Go back to the lab and build an encryption I actually can't break. By the way, the guy you're following has terrible taste in movies. See you at the car. — Master."
Rina's face went from pale to a burning, deep crimson. She looked up and saw a security camera in the corner. It tilted down and gave her a mockingly slow nod.
The Aftermath
Back at the Maybach, Chano was leaning against the door, tossing a coin. Bella was watching him with a raised eyebrow as Rina appeared a moment later, looking like she wanted to set the entire mall on fire.
"Find your card, Rina?" Bella asked.
"I found... a system failure," Rina hissed, glaring at the back of Chano's head as she climbed into the car.
Chano caught her eye in the rearview mirror and gave her a tiny, silent wink.
"Master," Elijah's voice whispered in his ear. "I think you just started a world war with that girl. Good luck!"