Chapter 7 — Two Butterflies on a Golden Web
1. After the Night at Lenox Tower: The Old Lion's Calculations
Michael Rothschild's private study, hidden somewhere within Vatican City, felt more like a subterranean citadel, holding centuries of the family's secrets. Ancient tomes lined the walls, interspersed with priceless works of art; secret passages known only to him and state-of-the-art security systems were interwoven like a spider's web. He sat, a fine cigar smoldering between his fingers, gazing with satisfaction at two profiling dossiers displayed on a holographic screen. One was for Kai, the "Kingdom Builder"; the other, for Lilith Rothschild, currently under his 'protection.'
Their meeting at Lenox Tower a few days prior was merely the opening move on a grand chessboard he had been designing for years. Kai, the enigmatic prophet of genius, and Lilith, the family heretic possessing a potential greater than anyone. How to leverage these two unpredictable 'wild cards' to achieve the ultimate goal of the Rothschild family's eternal prosperity – that was his sole preoccupation now.
Mister Jones, his loyal majordomo and one of the few privy to the family's deepest secrets, approached soundlessly and reported.
Jones: "Chairman, the 24-hour surveillance on Kai's Parisian hideout continues. No significant movements yet, but we've detected minute data exchanges between his AI, 'Micah,' and Lilith's AI, 'Cassandra.' It appears they are in the initial phase of probing each other."
Michael Rothschild let out a long plume of cigar smoke, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest.
Michael: "Probing, you say… Heh, like wild beasts cautiously circling each other's territory. Excellent. This young man, Kai, is far more… 'ominous' than I initially anticipated. In his eyes, I saw the same kind of dangerous brilliance my great-grandfather possessed when he predicted the outcome of Napoleon's Battle of Waterloo a day in advance. And Lilith… that child inherited both the family's blood and the curse of prophecy. If those two join forces, they might just create a variable that even Babel's vaunted 'Kairos Engine' cannot predict."
Jones: "However, Chairman, it remains uncertain if we can perfectly control them for the family's benefit. Especially Miss Lilith…"
Michael: (Raising a hand to silence Jones) "Control? Jones, we are not like those fools at 'Babel,' trying to control the world through brute force. We merely… orchestrate, ensuring the world flows 'normally,' and 'predictably.' That is how our 'money' can multiply most safely and efficiently. Those 'Babel' imbeciles foolishly try to become gods and alter the very order of the world, but we simply need to manage this grand casino called Earth as its largest shareholder and the House, ensuring all games are played fairly—favorably to us, of course."
His eyes glinted coldly.
Michael: "However, that 'Kairos Engine' of Babel's is far too dangerous. It's an unpredictable variable that could shatter this intricate 'order of money' we've built over centuries. Like a mad drummer suddenly crashing into a finely tuned orchestra, wouldn't you say? That is why, while we keep a close watch on their technology, we also need a new card to keep them in check. And that card, my dear Jones, is Kai and Lilith."
Jones: "In that case… are you saying we should continue to provide Miss Lilith with full access to 'Cassandra,' while simultaneously monitoring and recording her every move? So that whatever actions she takes with Kai can ultimately be utilized for our family's next grand design?"
Michael: "Precisely that, Jones. Lilith may believe she is flying freely within the palm of our hand, but everything she sees, everything she hears, and every 'miracle' she might create with Kai will ultimately become mere fertilizer for the greater glory of our family. They may genuinely wish to save the world, but shouldn't a true Rothschild be able to convert even their purest passions into monetary value and enjoy it? Hahaha…" The old lion's sinister laughter echoed softly in the secret study.
(2. The Parisian Bunker: A Tense Dance of Two Geniuses)
Meanwhile, after their encounter at Lenox Tower, Kai and Lilith were engaged in a subtle game of probing and analysis from their respective bunkers.
Kai, with Micah's assistance, meticulously re-analyzed Lilith's PGP key and the traces of the 'Templechain Network,' but her true identity remained shrouded in a deep fog. He could only surmise that the level of her encryption techniques and information network was beyond imagination, and that behind her stood the Rothschild family, or perhaps, an even greater, more shadowy power.
Kai: "Micah, this woman, Lilith… she's no mere information broker or hacker. The game board she moves on is far larger and more complex than we initially thought. It's like… we've only been shown the tip of a colossal iceberg."
Micah: "I concur, Master Kai. Her AI, 'Cassandra,' also exhibits patterns unlike any AI I have analyzed to date. It seems to possess an algorithm that transcends mere computational power, something akin to 'intuition' or 'prescience.' Perhaps… something similar to your own 'inspiration,' Master. Extremely intriguing, but simultaneously, an extremely dangerous opponent."
Lilith, too, was meticulously analyzing Kai's past exploits and investment patterns through Cassandra. She had already discerned that he was no simple genius investor, but a dangerous entity who understood Babel's system precisely and was exploiting its vulnerabilities, perhaps with a goal similar to her own. But his true objective, and the limits of his abilities, remained veiled in mystery.
Cassandra: (Through Lilith's earpiece, her voice calm yet sharp) "Mistress Lilith, supplementary analysis on Kai. Over the past five years, he has used at least seventeen different anonymous identities, and his cash flow is perfectly laundered through hundreds of ghost accounts worldwide. His AI, 'Micah,' as far as we can ascertain, is equipped with at least a 5th generation custom quantum processing core, and his information gathering capabilities in certain fields appear to surpass even our 'Cassandra.' And… the most peculiar point is this: immediately preceding all his major investment decisions, his brainwave patterns exhibit extremely high gamma wave activity, rarely observed in ordinary humans, along with an inexplicable energy emission. As if… he is communicating with some external entity."
Lilith: (Biting her lip with interest) "Communication with an external entity… Heh, so he wasn't an ordinary man after all, Mister Kai. Perhaps… he is the very 'Joker' I've been waiting for, the one who can finally change the dynamics of this tedious game."
Without revealing everything to each other, they were each, in their own way, sketching out the contours of the colossal shadow that was the 'Babel Empire,' their common enemy. It was like two master swordsmen, poised in a fog, blades aimed at each other's hearts. In this tense dance of probing, they were sizing up each other's weaknesses, even as they vaguely sensed a shared destiny to wield their swords together against a much larger foe.
(3. Michael's Next Move: Lithuania, a New Game Board)
A few days later, Michael Rothschild was in his study with Jones, looking down at a new chessboard. A black knight was in his hand.
Michael: "Jones, it seems about time we put those two tigers in the same cage. Whether they tear each other apart, or join forces to try and tear us apart, either way, it's a game we can't lose, wouldn't you agree?"
He placed the knight on a specific square on the board, near the Lithuanian border.
Michael: "Send a message to Lilith. 'Hungry wolves are gathering in Kaunas. But a banquet fit for a lioness is also prepared there. A clever huntress would not miss such an opportunity.' As for our young friend Kai… well, it would be far more amusing to let Lilith herself cast the bait for him. Hahaha…"
His low laughter echoed again, chillingly, in the dark study. Kai and Lilith, two powerful butterflies, had now begun their perilous dance upon the golden web spun by the old spider, Rothschild. And their dance was but the prelude to a colossal storm soon to break.