Chapter 15: Old Friend and Dark Plan

After successfully escaping from Pino's hired thugs, Ben arrived at a train station in the Cempaka area, the capital city. His wounds still stung, but he needed to find a place to tend to them quickly. As soon as he exited the station, he stopped by a small clinic to clean his wounds and receive basic treatment. He couldn't stay there for long; once he was treated, he resumed his journey, looking for a new place to stay and planning his next steps.

As he walked through narrow alleys, Ben felt someone following him. He glanced at a store window's reflection and spotted two suspicious men watching him from a distance. Pino surely wouldn't let him go that easily. Swiftly, Ben turned into a darker alley and hid behind a pile of old cardboard boxes. When the two men entered the alley, Ben sprang into action, locking one of them in a chokehold until he passed out. The second man, startled, tried to fight back, but Ben, having survived countless street fights, struck his throat, sending him sprawling to the ground. Without wasting time, Ben searched their wallets for any useful information before leaving the scene before reinforcements arrived.

After walking for a while, Ben's stomach started growling. He decided to stop at a small eatery in Cempaka. While enjoying a simple meal, he heard a familiar voice. When he turned his head, he was shocked to see his middle school friend, Akhir, sitting at the next table. They locked eyes for a moment before Akhir stood up and approached him, his face full of confusion.

"Ben? Seriously, is that you?" Akhir asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

Ben gave a faint smile. "Yeah, it's me."

Akhir immediately sat across from Ben, his expression a mix of excitement and surprise. "Damn! I never thought I'd run into you here. How long has it been? Ten years? Twelve?"

"Something like that," Ben replied as he continued eating.

Akhir's eyes then fell on Ben's wounded hands. "Whoa, what happened to your hand? Were you in an accident?" he asked with concern.

Ben took a deep breath before sharing a fraction of his story—his involvement with Pino, how he got caught up in violence, and how he barely escaped death. Akhir listened attentively, occasionally shaking his head in disbelief.

"Man, Ben. This is like something out of an action movie," Akhir muttered.

"I never expected my life to turn out this way either," Ben responded.

After a long conversation, Akhir offered Ben a place to stay so he could rest and recover. Without hesitation, Ben accepted. Upon arriving at Akhir's home, Ben was introduced to his wife and two children. Despite their modest lifestyle, Akhir welcomed Ben with open arms. They spent the night talking about their struggles. Akhir shared that he worked at a bag shop, earning just enough to support his family.

Seeing Akhir's situation, Ben felt sympathy. He silently vowed to help him once he recovered. Akhir even offered him a job at the store in a mall, but Ben declined, knowing that Pino was still after him.

A few weeks later, once Ben's wounds had mostly healed, he decided to visit the mall where Akhir worked. On the way back, Akhir took him to a black market. There, stolen goods were sold—including bank accounts and employee badges from various government agencies. Ben's eyes landed on an ID badge from Pino's workplace. He realized this was his chance for revenge.

However, he had one big problem: he was out of money. Left with no choice, he used his last savings to buy a stolen bank account, hoping to use it as seed money. He told Akhir that he needed to move elsewhere for his safety. After securing a new place to stay, Ben began strategizing ways to make money.

He devised a plan to hack into phones connected to public WiFi networks. His method was simple: set up a fake network that looked like a real one, then collect data from connected devices. He didn't steal large sums—just small amounts that wouldn't raise suspicion. But when collected from numerous victims, the total became substantial.

Ben moved from one café to another, activating fake WiFi networks and skimming account details. Over three months, he accumulated a significant sum while carefully planning his attack on Pino.

When the time for revenge came, Ben visited Akhir to say goodbye. He handed his friend a large amount of money to start a business.

"Ben, where did this money come from?" Akhir asked, puzzled.

"Don't worry about it, Akhir. It's clean. Use it for your business," Ben said with a faint smile.

Akhir's eyes welled up with tears. "You're still the same as before—always thinking about others, even when you're struggling yourself."

Ben patted Akhir's shoulder. "Thanks for being my friend. Take care of yourself."

After saying goodbye, Ben returned to the black market to purchase fake IDs and the equipment needed to take Pino down. With unwavering determination, he headed to Pino's office. Before launching his plan, he rented a luxury hotel room near the building to finalize his strategy.

Disguised as a technician, Ben infiltrated Pino's office using the fake ID he bought from the black market. Using his hacking skills, he accessed the security system and planted a virus set to activate during office hours. But before leaving, he set a physical trap—a flash drive loaded with malware in the main server room. If anyone attempted to remove the virus, the malware would lock down all access and encrypt every file.

The next morning, Ben disrupted the office WiFi system, ensuring that any calls for technical support would be redirected to his phone. When Pino's office requested a technician, they unknowingly called Ben. Wearing a mask and technician uniform, he entered the office and accessed the main server.

With his expertise, Ben extracted all critical data, including records of Pino's illegal transactions and crimes. Once done, he returned to his hotel to prepare for his final move.

That night, Ben broadcasted all the evidence onto the office's computer screens—even the large lobby displays. The entire office erupted into chaos as employees panicked, seeing Pino's crimes exposed before their eyes.

Satisfied, Ben left the hotel and headed straight to the bus terminal to leave the capital. Sitting on the bus, he allowed himself a small, triumphant smile. His revenge was complete.

However, he knew this wasn't the end. The real journey had just begun, and even greater challenges awaited him.