Chapter 20

The mood in the tech department was heavy. On the main screen, the performance curve of the Aether System was plummeting straight down-it was honestly painful to watch. A bunch of engineers crowded around the control console, keyboards clacking like crazy-but it wasn't doing a damn thing. "Deputy Director Miller, if this keeps up, the core database is gonna lock up completely!" one of the senior techs called out anxiously. Angelina frowned hard. "I've tried every fix I can think of, but there's deep-level encryption. Every time I attempt a data rollback, it triggers a stronger countermeasure." That made the whole room go quiet. The engineers exchanged looks, all seeing the same problem mirrored in each other's eyes. Right then, Calliope followed a younger employee into the department. Lucien was right behind her, his gaze instantly locking onto Angelina. Angelina quickly stepped up when she saw Calliope. "Calliope, thank god you're here!" she said in relief. "I've been trying to repair