1

The Starworth city throbbed with the pulse of a million unheard voices, each a unique note in a cacophony of existence. Lucy Chen stepped out of her car, feeling the vibrant rhythm of concrete and steel through the soles of her shoes. She'd parked in a spot that was both legal and suspiciously quiet for the heart of downtown. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, a digital pattern of messages and notifications that demanded her attention.

Her eyes danced over the screen, skimming through the barrage of updates. The chilly morning air nipped at her cheeks as she walked briskly towards the gleaming bastion of justice that was her workplace. The station was a bastion of modernity, a stark contrast to the storied edifices that surrounded it. Two months had passed since she'd donned the badge of a cyber-crime investigator, and she was eager to tackle the day's puzzles.

The message that had jolted her out of her early morning reverie was from Captain Castillo. The digital time stamp read 10:58 AM, a silent countdown ticking away the moments before she was to face her superior officers. A knot of nerves coiled in her stomach, tightening with each step. Meetings like these were rare, reserved for high-stakes cases and major developments. The urgency in the message suggested this was no ordinary briefing.

As Lucy pushed through the doors of the cyber-crime division, the buzz of the station hit her like a wall of white noise. The air was charged with the scent of stale coffee and the electric hum of screens that never slept. Subordinates glanced up from their monitors, their eyes flicking over her with a mix of curiosity and respect. They knew she was the one who'd been handed the Spectre case. It was the kind of assignment that could either make or break a career, especially for a rookie like her.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she approached Captain Castillo's office, the sound echoing off the cold, sterile walls. His door was ajar, and she could see the silhouette of her superior through the frosted glass, his sharp gaze cutting through the room like a laser. She took a deep breath, straightened her blazer, and stepped inside. The room was smaller than she remembered, the walls closing in as the door clicked shut behind her.

The captain's eyes snapped up from his desk, the intensity of his stare piercing through the haze of paperwork. He nodded curtly, gesturing to the chair opposite him. She wished him good morning and took her seat, her palms damp against the cool leather. The air was thick with tension, and she could feel it coil around her like a living thing, tightening its grip with every second that ticked by.

Her gaze drifted to the man seated beside Captain Castillo. Dressed in a black hoodie and faded jeans, he was a stark contrast to the crisp uniforms and badges that adorned the room. His eyes were hooded, a veil of mystery shrouding them from the world. The man's fingers danced over a tablet, his nails tapping out a silent rhythm that matched the racing thoughts in Lucy's head. He looked up, and for a moment, their eyes met. There was something familiar about him, a ghost of a smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth, but she couldn't quite place it.

"This is Yang Lin," Castillo said, breaking the silence with a gruff cough. "He's the newest addition to our team. You're going to be working with him on the Spectre case."

The sound of Castillo's voice jolted Lucy back to reality, and she realized she'd been staring. She blinked rapidly and offered a professional smile to the mysterious man in the hoodie. "Nice to meet you, Yang," she said, extending her hand. His grip was firm, his skin cool and dry. She noticed the flicker of curiosity in his eyes, mirroring her own.

Yang's smile grew a bit wider as he leaned back in his chair, the tablet now resting on his lap. "The pleasure is all mine, Lucy Chen," he replied, his voice smooth and slightly accented. There was a hint of challenge in his tone, as if he could sense the unasked questions bubbling beneath the surface.

Castillo slapped a thick case file on the desk between them. "You two need to get acquainted, and fast. Spectre's latest threat is more serious than anything we've seen before." He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in. "If they make good on it, the fallout could be catastrophic."

The case file was a monolith of information, a testament to the shadowy figure's reach. As Lucy thumbed through the pages, her eyes widened at the scope of the hacker's crimes. High-profile executives, government officials, their darkest secrets laid bare for all to see. The evidence of a masterful mind at work was undeniable.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***