SHADOWS OF THE DRAGON.
Sunset in Jakarta, filled with the city's skyline beginning to light up.
Orange light reflected through the glass windows of skyscrapers, creating a tense yet beautiful atmosphere.
Back in the CEO's office at XQO Holdings, the man sat at his desk after the routine meeting.
He stared at the Anihc acquisition documents mentioned by Malaka, a trusted stockbroker and informant.
The documents had grown cold, untouched by his hands.
He pondered with a blank stare, twirling a pen in his hand, a sign of the inner tension he was beginning to feel.
His thoughts were now divided between work and Lyna, who had cried in his arms that morning.
The exhausting work he had to continue contrasted with his little adoptive daughter, who always cried when she saw him.
His mind was haunted by memories of how he had adopted Lyna from the Kasih Sayang orphanage.
"Rey, Grace, why did you leave so soon, abandoning a daughter in this cruel and suffering-filled world?" the man gripped the black pen tightly as he remembered his old friends.
"You know, your company was destroyed from within, your home burned to ashes," he said with a sigh. "I thought your misfortune would end there, but fate had other plans."
The man stood, looking down at the streets where cars were starting to head home. "Your one-year-old daughter somehow survived the fire and ended up in the orphanage I fund."
A photo of three figures in high school uniforms appeared on the man's phone wallpaper, a memory or past he couldn't erase.
He turned to gaze at his wallpaper, happy memories of the past resurfacing. "We once promised to conquer the world together, but you left me first, leaving me to conquer it alone."
The man sighed deeply, no tears falling, only the piercing feeling he always carried wherever he went.
"Rest in peace there; your daughter is safe with me," he said, sitting back in his warm chair. "I won't promise revenge on those who destroyed you both, but I'll realize our dreams in my own way."
The room fell silent again after the man sat speechless, contrasting with the noisy traffic outside the building.
At the same time, the corridors of XQO Holdings echoed with bustling sounds. Near Secretary Tysa's office, Tysa was still focused on her laptop.
The busy atmosphere of employees heading home in the evening filled the halls.
The company phone in Tysa's room rang softly. She picked it up. "This is Secretary Tysa. How can I help you?" the woman asked in a tone as soft as her skin.
"Come to my office now, Miss Tysa," came a heavy voice, apparently from a man.
Tysa recognized the voice better than anyone in the building. "Very well, Mr. Director. I'll head to your office right away," she said calmly.
"Thank you, Miss Tysa," the man said before hanging up.
Tysa sighed. "Overtime again tonight." She stood and stepped out of her office. "A secretary's duties are heavy; I should have studied law in college."
Secretary Tysa was summoned again to the CEO's office at XQO Holdings, after being called earlier that afternoon to deliver the director's schedule. She wondered what he wanted this time.
On her way, she received a mysterious message on her phone with a short code: "The seventh dragon has risen; prepare yourself, Miss Tysa Alvred."
She glanced around to ensure no one was watching. She looked anxious but hid something as she approached the CEO's office.
Tysa knocked softly on the door. "Come in," a voice reached her from inside. She opened the door and entered.
"Please sit, Miss Tysa," said the man before her.
Tysa nodded lightly, sat in a warm chair, crossing her legs gently, and the man stared sharply into her eyes.
Tysa fidgeted with her fingers to avoid seeming suspicious. "What is it, Mr. Director?" she asked the man before her.
"I want you to investigate Malaka further. Does he have deeper reasons for offering the Anihc acquisition than he's letting on?" the man said calmly.
Tysa's left hand rose to touch her glasses. "Very well, Mr. Director. I'll carry out your orders," she said firmly.
The CEO of XQO Holdings now asked Tysa to dig deeper into Malaka, suspecting the stockbroker and informant had a hidden agenda.
Tysa agreed and prepared to execute his command, but there was a subtle tension in her demeanor, as if she knew more than she revealed.
"But is the Nine Dragons behind all this, Mr. Director?" Tysa accidentally mentioned "Nine Dragons" in her conversation with the CEO.
This made the man look at Tysa with full suspicion.
"How do you know about this if it's connected to the Nine Dragons, Miss Tysa?" The man pressed her to explain what she meant by mentioning the Nine Dragons.
Tysa shook her head slowly. "I didn't mean anything by it, Mr. Director." But she evaded with an excuse: "Just business rumors I overheard among the employees."
"Very well then, you may return to your office, Miss Tysa," the man said, as if he didn't want to dig deeper into how his secretary knew about the Nine Dragons.
Tysa bowed respectfully to the man. "Thank you, Mr. Director." She then stood and walked out of the room.
The man watched Tysa's back as she left the room.
The story shifts to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Jakarta, where the moon revealed itself.
A dark atmosphere began to envelop the building, illuminated only by flickering neon lights.
Two figures now faced each other, creating a tense yet solemn atmosphere.
Malaka, a stockbroker, a trusted informant among the elite from all corners of the country.
He met tonight with the figure behind Vylare Limited's power, an elderly man with a cunning reputation named Surya Wijaya.
"Mr. Wijaya, pleased to meet you," Malaka shook hands with Vylare's CEO, a subtle smile trying to hide something.
"I'm pleased to meet you too, Malaka," Surya said calmly. "Tell me the information you have."
Malaka nodded. "We have information that hasn't surfaced yet," he said, gazing at the light.
"What is it?" Surya asked, growing more curious about the information Malaka wanted to share.
Malaka now looked at Surya. "However, sir, you also know we sell information according to its price," he said, fidgeting with his fingers.
"Very well, that's easy for Surya Wijaya," he said arrogantly. "Now, tell me what information you have?"
Malaka leaned close to Surya's ear, offering secret information about Anihc, revealing that the company held key technology that could transform the digital energy market.
Surya's eyes widened forward. "Is this accurate, Malaka?" he asked, confirming the truth.
"Mr. Wijaya, rest assured, our information is reliable," Malaka said with a wide smile like the crescent moon tonight.
In his heart, Malaka wanted to manipulate Surya into bidding for Anihc faster than XQO Holdings could acquire it.
But Surya wasn't a fool easily tricked; he was suspicious. "Give me proof, or I'll cut your tongue," he demanded proof while threatening the broker.
Malaka stood and slowly walked away from Surya. "Wait a moment, Mr. Wijaya. I'll fetch the proof," he said.
Surya Wijaya merely nodded, but his heart was still filled with caution.
Malaka returned and showed stolen documents from XQO Holdings, obtained somehow.
Malaka explained that "the Nine Dragons is a secret alliance of major Indonesian companies that once dominated the economy, but now it's fragmented. Anihc is one of the 'dragons' that fell," he said firmly.
Surya examined the documents closely, ensuring they weren't fake. "The Nine Dragons, eh? Interesting. How much do you want for this information, Malaka?" Vylare's CEO asked.
"Two billion for the down payment, Mr. Wijaya," Malaka said with a smile. "Add one billion after you successfully acquire Anihc Corporation."
Surya stared at Malaka's masked face. "Very well," he said briefly but meaningfully.
The two shook hands after reaching their agreement. "Pleased to do business with you, Mr. Wijaya," Malaka said in a measured tone.
"Likewise, Malaka," Surya replied. "Let me know if you have more information, especially about the Nine Dragons."
Malaka nodded lightly. "Very well, Mr. Wijaya. We'll inform you when we have it," he said calmly.
Surya Wijaya promptly left the warehouse after concluding his deal with Malaka.
"This is just the beginning, and prepare for XQO Holdings to crumble," Malaka laughed loudly, making some of his tense henchmen stiffen.
The crescent moon watched amid the sparkle of tonight's stars.
A gentle wind howled in the luxurious apartment of the Taksaka family in Jakarta, at night.
A warm atmosphere with minimalist yet elegant decor adorned the apartment.
The CEO of XQO Holdings returned to the place where exhausting responsibilities didn't exist.
He opened the apartment door, his eyes finding Lyna drawing in the living room, accompanied by the caregiver he had chosen.
Lyna ran toward him upon seeing her adoptive father return. "Welcome home, Papa," she said with a wide smile.
The man caught his adoptive daughter in a warm embrace.
"What are you drawing, sweetheart?" he asked after Lyna brought him the picture.
The child showed a drawing of a family. "Look, Papa," she said with a smile.
Lyna continued, "This is me, Papa, and my two parents I've never seen."
The man was touched, nearly tearing up, but also tormented by memories of the past.
Lyna then asked, "Why is Papa always so busy and rarely home? I get lonely with only Auntie the caregiver," she said, glancing at the woman standing before the man.
The man said, "Papa promises to make more time going forward."
"Promise?" Lyna replied enthusiastically.
But his phone rang before he could promise. "Wait a moment, sweetheart."
He handed Lyna to her caregiver. "Watch her for a bit, Jane," he said.
"Yes, sir," Jane replied and picked up Lyna.
The man then answered his phone, an emergency call from Raka about an information leak at XQO Holdings.
The man was forced to leave Lyna again, making the child sad and pouting.
"Forgive Papa, sweetheart."
"But, Papa..."
The man approached and kissed his adoptive daughter's forehead. "Papa promises this is the last time, sweetheart. Take care of her, Jane."
"Papa, don't go..."
"Yes, sir. It's okay, young miss. Auntie is here," Jane said to comfort Lyna.
The man then walked away heavily, leaving his small family behind.
The story shifts to the CEO's office at XQO Holdings, in the midst of a silent night. The atmosphere was quiet, with only the desk lamp lit.
The Head of Information, Raka, arrived at the CEO's office with an urgent report.
"There's evidence that someone inside XQO leaked secret documents to Malaka, Mr. Director," Raka said to the man before him.
Raka then showed data pointing to Elizabeth, the CFO.
"That woman is always interested in money; every time I talk to her," Raka added.
The man said, "Is there stronger evidence, Mr. Raka?"
Raka shook his head lightly. "No, Mr. Director. This is all we've got," he said in a low tone.
"Very well, thank you for your hard work today, Mr. Raka," the man said, full of praise for XQO's Head of Information.
Raka bowed respectfully. "In that case, I'll take my leave, Mr. Director," he said in a low tone.
"Carry on, Mr. Raka. Be careful going down; I hear this building is haunted," the man said half-jokingly.
"Mr. Director, it could be," Raka replied, hearing his CEO's joke.
The two shared a light laugh. Raka then left the CEO's office and headed to his own on the floor below.
The man gazed at his now-silent office. He also had to decide whether to confront Elizabeth now or wait for stronger evidence.
"Forgive me, sweetheart. It seems I won't be home tonight," he murmured.
While drinking water, he realized that the Anihc acquisition could fail if he didn't act quickly and make a decision tonight.
The large window in the CEO's office now filled with the beautiful view of Jakarta glittering at night.
The man gazed far at Jakarta, still thinking about his adoptive daughter, Lyna, the XQO Holdings he had built, and the threat from Malaka regarding acquiring Anihc Corporation.
"Jakarta, beautiful city that always has surprises, never boring to see your beauty tonight, friend."
He took his phone and called someone. "We have to settle this now, before another dragon rises."
"Understood, sir," someone replied in a heavy voice. "We'll clean it up tomorrow."
The man then looked at an old book that always accompanied him. "Thank you."
He ended the call, sat back in his chair, twirled his pen while his mind worked as usual.
The crescent moon merely watched from above the XQO Holdings building.
To be continued.