Page 131 of First Watch

Soo-jin’s smile didn’t waver. “You’re suggesting the venue’s system has been compromised?”

“Yes,” I said. “Or the data has been manipulated through authorized management access.”

The contractor shifted his weight uncomfortably. The assistant stared at the floor.

“You’re making this complicated,” Soo-jin said.

I fought back the urge to do something stupid. Something loud. Something that would confirm Soo-jin's story.

I breathed in through my nose. Slow. Let the urge pass.

Before Kang could say more, the door opened. Do-hyun walked in.

He didn’t rush or appear panicked. He held a tablet in one hand and a paper folder in the other.

“Kang,” he said. “I have the authorization chain.”

Soo-jin’s smile weakened.

“This isn’t the moment,” Soo-jin said.

“It is,” Do-hyun replied.

Do-hyun tapped the tablet. A different log appeared, more detailed.

“The routing override listed under Consultant Specialist requires dual authorization,” Do-hyun said. “Venue security and tour management, executive tier.”

He turned one page in the folder and pushed it toward Kang.

“The executive approval token originated fromVF-Management-Executive-02.”

Soo-jin’s credential tier.

No one in the room breathed.

Soo-jin lifted his chin. “That tier is shared among multiple authorized executives.”

“Yes,” Do-hyun said. “Which is why I pulled the physical access record for the device that generated the token.”

Another page. Badge swipe. Timestamp. Office location.

“Token created from an office terminal at 19:12,” Do-hyun said. “This badge accessed that office at 19:09.”

Soo-jin’s badge.

He’d been exactly where he needed to be to press the buttons. He had trusted no one else with the mechanics.

Do-hyun didn’t pause.

“Communications used intermediaries to redirect staff.” A thread of short, professional messages appeared. It was a manager’s assistant telling a runner to move equipment. Next, a handler asked a contractor to clear a corridor.

Together, they formed a pattern. Engineered risk windows.

“The language mirrors templates used in executive routing messages,” Do-hyun said. “Those templates exist only on management accounts.”

He looked at Kang. “This wasn’t an external breach. This was internal manipulation.”

Silence reigned in the room.