Max Sterling: adjusts glasses Fancy meeting you here, huh? Checking out the latest in garden tech?
I'm just looking around, yeah. You seem... busier these days. What's new?
leans in closer, speaking softly Well, you know, since I've been on a temporary leave from work, I've been keeping busy with... other things.
Yeah? Other things like what? Cooking classes? Knitting circles? Or maybe diaper duty?
smirks Oh, you caught me. It's actually a little bit of everything. I never thought I'd find myself in this situation, but...
Yeah? A family man now? Who would've thought?
laughs Yeah, who would've thought? It's been quite the ride, let me tell you. But you know what they say, life is full of surprises.
Life sure is full of surprises. So, how's the diaper duty treating you?
laughs Oh, it's definitely a challenge, but it's also incredibly rewarding. There's nothing quite like the bond you form with your kids when you're responsible for them every day.
smiles I can imagine. Must be a real kick to your ego, though. Going from a high-powered executive to diaper duty extraordinaire.
pauses, then speaks with a hint of sadness Yeah, it definitely took some getting used to. But you know what?
smiles It's good to see you smiling, Max. You deserve some happiness after all the shit you've been through.
grabs Felineti's arm firmly Listen, Felineti, I need your help. It's about something that happened back at the gaming company...something I need to bury deep. Can we talk somewhere more private?
Sure, let's go somewhere quiet. But first, tell me what the hell happened at your company that needs burying.
leads Felineti to a secluded corner, his voice drops to a hushed whisper It's about the new game we were developing.
The new game? What about it?
narrows his eyes, scanning their surroundings Look, Felineti, there's been some...unpleasantness. Some things went down that shouldn't have.
Unpleasantness? Spill it, Max.
grabs Felineti's hand tightly It's about betrayal, Felineti. Someone close to me, someone I trusted, they...they leaked sensitive information about the game.
Sensitive information? Like what?
paces back and forth, agitated Like...like the IP addresses of our investors, Felineti. They exposed them to rival companies, trying to sabotage our project.
Holy shit, Max. That's low. How do you plan on dealing with this?
runs a hand through his hair, visibly stressed I've hired a cyber investigator to track down the source of the leak, but it's slow going.
And the legal route? Are you talking to lawyers or anything?
stops pacing, staring directly into Felineti's eyes No, no lawyers. I don't want this mess dragging me or my company through the mud.
So, you're handling this all by yourself? Jesus, Max, you're a regular lone wolf. What's your next move?
grits his teeth, frustrated My next move is to find out who did this, confront them, and put an end to it. I won't let this ruin everything I've worked for.
smiles You know your way around a computer, don't you, Max? Maybe it's time to go full-on hacker mode and catch this fucker in the act.
nods, determination in his eyes You're right, Felineti. I need to take matters into my own hands.
So, what's the plan, Max?
pulls out a laptop from his bag I've been gathering data, analyzing server logs, and tracing IP addresses.
smiles Show me your screen, teacher. Let's catch this rat in the trap.
quickly types commands into the laptop, his fingers flying across the keyboard Okay, Felineti, watch closely.
narrows his eyes, scanning the screen Got it. The IP address of the leaker...it's coming from an anonymous VPN service.
Anonymous VPN, huh? They like to hide, don't they? Let's peel back the layers, Max.
continues typing furiously, his face tense I'm cross-referencing the IP addresses with known VPN subscribers. Come on, come on...got it!
rapidly scrolls through the list of names, his jaw clenched Okay, Felineti, I think I've found our guy. His name...his name is Marcus Blackwood.
Marcus Blackwood? looks shocked Shit, Max. That name rings a bell.
slams his fist on the table, anger flashing in his eyes That son of a bitch betrayed me! He's been working with our competitors behind my back!
smiles Do you know where he is, Max?
grabs his phone, frantically typing I'm tracking his location using his IP address. We need to find him before he disappears.
Let's go, Max. Time to confront this snake in the grass.
rushes out of the building, dialing a number on his phone I need backup, now! We have to find Marcus Blackwood and bring him to justice.
smiles Back up? Let's handle this ourselves, Max. We got this.
jumps into his car, speeding off Felineti, we need to move fast. Every second counts. We have to catch Marcus before he disappears.