Chapter 197: Elevator Plan

"Atlanta really is interesting," The collector commented as he lazily leaned back on his couch.He and Victor had arrived together the same day Victor had given the tracker to Ethan Carter, the money hungry mole.

Each had different plans for coming to Atlanta, but both involved OmniTech Corp.

Victor looked at the report before him, it seemed Lillian Hayes truly was alone. Besides a few guards here and there.

"So, Victor," the collector looked at him, "what’s your next move."

Victor turned towards him

"Observation phase is done," he said, "she leaves the building at predictable times, travels with only one car, one driver, and a single guard. They rely too heavily on that penthouse elevator."

The Collector hummed, "So? Snatch and grab?"

He was amused if anything, he wanted to see how much of his brain Victor was using.

All he saw out of all this was Victor miserably failing but that was exactly what he needed to see, how.

How badly would Victor Langley be destroyed?

How much of a curiosity OmniTech’s CEO was.

"What we need is pressure," Victor continued confidently. "A clean grab. Quick. In and out. No unnecessary noise. She’s valuable — as leverage, as a bargaining chip, and as a way to bring OmniTech to its knees."

The Collector’s eyebrow twitched upward.

Leverage. He almost laughed.

The man really had no idea.

Victor leaned forward, pointing to a red-circled picture of Lillian stepping into her elevator.

"She always goes straight up, with no extra stops. We jam the internal line, cut the power to the elevator entirely, and trap her between floors. Then we breach the top."

"And then?" the Collector asked mildly.

"Then," Victor said, "I’ll have her."

Those words hung in the air for a moment.

The Collector stared at him for a long second, then slowly smiled.

Such confidence.

Such... stupidity.

He rested an elbow on the armrest, adjusting his cufflinks with leisurely grace.

He wasn’t going to correct Victor, all he wanted was to know how much of an interest OmniTech was.

Yes, the collector had given Victor the idea for going after the queen, but a man with even half a brain would figure out that this was a trap.

Lillian Hayes had just been rescued from a kidnap, so did he think OmniTech’s CEO would not put some kind of safety measure in place?

The Collector’s eyes glimmered with quiet amusement as Victor continued outlining his ’foolproof’ plan.

’Lillian Hayes had just been rescued from a kidnapping,’ the Collector thought dryly, ’and he thinks OmniTech’s CEO wouldn’t reinforce every inch of her life?’

He didn’t voice it, of course.

He simply watched Victor walk headfirst into his own grave.

"Power to the elevator shaft can be cut directly through this junction," Victor said, tapping the map, "you have both the positions and experts. The men will be in and out before OmniTech even notices—"

He stopped when the Collector let out a soft, almost bored laugh.

Victor frowned, "What?"

"Nothing," the Collector waved dismissively, "proceed."

Victor frowned, irritation flickering in his eyes.

But he pushed forward.

"We jam the emergency line, lock the elevator between floors, and breach from above," he continued, "no civilians, no witnesses, and we get her isolated before any backup arrives. By the time OmniTech gains the chance to respond, she’ll be long gone."

"Bold," the Collector murmured.

Victor ignored the comment and continued, "and our people will keep an eye out for OmniTech’s move, as long as he’s agitated, he bound to make mistakes."

Victor paused, looked at the now standing collector and said, "and if the mistake is sloppy enough, it would give us an opening to find out exactly who he is."

"Is that so?"

The Collector’s voice was mild, almost pleasant — which somehow made Victor’s confidence waver for the first time.

Victor straightened his back and crossed his arms.

"Yes," he said firmly. "The CEO has been reactive ever since Lillian’s kidnapping. Emotional and irrational, hence the reason he going for the hospital."

"And with the hospital scandal and the bots collapsing, he’s stretched thin. If we force his hand, he’ll slip, everyone does."

"Mmm," the Collector mused, turning away slightly. "Everyone does."

He walked toward the window of the penthouse suite, looking down at Atlanta’s glowing skyline, "Atlanta really is interesting."

Victor frowned, stood up and walked towards the glass, "you don’t believe this’ll work?"

"Not in the least bit," the collector muttered, "but still, continue with your elevator plan, it should be interesting enough."

Victor swallowed, but forced confidence back into his voice.

"You’re overestimating him, he’s one man," he said, "a CEO barely properly in the field, who’s biggest advantage is hiding behind a veil, the moment someone tugs properly at that veil, it falls."

"I see," the collector muttered with a smile, "then I can’t wait for you to tug this veil down Victor."

With that, he turned and walked towards the door as he muttered, "there’s a couple of things I need done before leaving Atlanta, good luck on your elevator plan."

The collector walked away with a smile on his face, leaving behind a frowning Victor.

Human stupidity really was entertaining, but he couldn’t stay and watch the show, after all, there was something he needed done by himself.

Victor watched the collector leave with a dark look on his face, how low had he fallen to just accept an obvious mockery without saying anything.

But that wouldn’t last for long, He would use the man’s resources, use his experts, use his influence, and once Victor regained what he lost, once OmniTech was dragged into the open and its CEO was exposed,

He wouldn’t need the Collector anymore.

In fact, Victor imagined the moment vividly:

He would stand above both OmniTech and the Collector.

He would pull every string.

He would restore the Langley name, no, elevate it beyond anything he had previously achieved.

And OmniTech? That faceless phantom CEO hiding behind a corporation?

He’d drag the bastard into the light, strip away every layer of protection, and make him kneel.

He’d make him pay for his son’s death, he’d cause him to regret ever being born.

He grabbed his phone and dialed.

The call was answered on the first ring.

"Sir?"

"Move Phase Two forward," Victor said without hesitation, "tonight."

The man on the other end inhaled sharply, "tonight, sir? That’s earlier than—"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Victor snapped.

"...No, sir. We’ll be ready."

"Good. And tell the breach team this is silent entry, they should make sure there’s no loose ends, and I want her alive and unharmed."

"Understood."

Victor ended the call and set the phone down slowly, staring at the city lights below.

All he could see right now was the face of one man,

A man Victor kept underestimating because he refused to believe someone that his that much could be that far ahead of everyone.

But everyone had a breaking point.

Victor smirked.

"And when I take her," he whispered to himself, "you’ll step out of the shadows to get her back, won’t you, mister CEO?"

He leaned forward, hands braced against the glass as he stared down at the city.

"And when you do... I’ll finally know who you are."

**

While Victor went over his elaborate plan, the collector got into his car and the driver drove away.

He still had an amused look on his face as he thought of Victor’s plan.

Xu and Jian had already failed miserably and those two had a lot more connections, so what made Victor, a man who had lost everything and was relying on someone else, think he could succeed?

The man pulled his phone out of his pocket, and dialed a number, the phone rung only once before the person quickly picked up,

"Sir?" The person on the other end respectfully said.

"Keep an eye on Victor Langley for now," the man said, "I have a feeling that OmniTech might just reveal himself while dealing with this nuance."

"Yes sir," the person on the other end answered.

"Oh and Daniel," the collector added, "do no interfere, even if he’s in danger, your part in this is already done."

"Yes sir," Daniel on the other end, nodded.

He was the reason the collector had discovered the mole known as Ethan Carter in OmniTech.

With that, the collector ended the call but paused before putting the phone in his pocket, he opened a messaging app and sent the text,

[Car is waiting. I’ll meet you at the private exit.]

He slipped the phone back into his pocket, eyes drifting to the skyline again.

Victor believed he was about to uncover OmniTech’s CEO.

A naïve ambition.

The Collector had far more interesting plans unfolding — ones Victor couldn’t even begin to imagine.

And the woman he was about to pick up from her international flight?

She was the spark.

The opening move in a game much larger than this petty elevator scheme.

As the car sped toward the airport’s private terminal, he rested his elbow against the window and let his grin widen.

"Atlanta is about to become a lot, lot more interesting."