Chapter 40: A day like any other.

"Hi, honey." Mateus opens the door for his girlfriend to arrive.

"Hi, honey, what did you do today?" After a tight hug, Elise enters the house as if it were her own.

"Hm... like every other day that I didn't have to go to work, sleep," she sighed as she remembered her current privileged life.

"Honey, I already told you that just sleeping isn't good," she murmured, dissatisfied.

"Well, the new Foundation is going well with you on the front line, I have a lot of free time these days," she sighed as she saw her girlfriend upset.

"You didn't want to be too active and decided to stay behind the scenes at the foundation, it was our project together," looking at him, Selene pouted.

"Honey, appearing in public is a no-no, I'd rather spend hours reviewing documents at the company than that," said Mateus.

"Well..." Selene sighed at the end.

"You would at least go on a date with me today, I want to go shopping, a new dress from a designer I love is on sale," she said as she turned to him.

Mateus and Elise went down to the garage, where an impressive collection of luxury cars awaited them. Elise looked around with an amused smile, taking advantage of Mateus's slight indecision when choosing the vehicle for the evening.

"Do you want to choose the car today?" he asked, offering her the chance.

She smiled, taking a careful look at the models. Her eyes lit up when she saw the elegant Aetherian V12, a car with perfect curves and a refined ivory leather interior, with state-of-the-art finishing. "How about the V12? I'm in the mood for something classic and elegant today."

Mateus nodded, approving the choice. "Perfect. Let's go with it."

Once they were both comfortably installed, he started the car and the smooth, powerful sound of the engine echoed through the garage. Elise quickly connected the audio system to her cell phone and chose a relaxing playlist of songs they both loved to listen to together.

The car glided through the streets of K-City, a modern and vibrant metropolis, illuminated by the lights of the buildings and the intense movement of the night.

The music flowed softly through the car, creating a cozy and intimate atmosphere. They both sang the lyrics softly, laughing and exchanging knowing glances.

Arriving at the mall, Elise fixed her hair before getting out of the car, and Mateus got out on the other side, coming around to offer her his arm.

As soon as they entered, they were immediately noticed; curious and admiring looks came from all directions. Mateus was already used to the attention, but he felt especially proud to be there with Elise, who naturally attracted even more looks.

"You always make an impact," he commented with a proud smile.

She gave a soft laugh, leaning towards him. "That's because I have the CEO of NeuroSys by my side."

They both walked calmly through the elegant hallways, looking at the window displays while chatting about fashion and new releases.

Elise pulled him to one of the more exclusive boutiques, where the dress she had mentioned was on display. It was a sophisticated piece, with a unique cut and details that exuded refinement.

The store attendant immediately recognized them and, with a smile, approached to offer assistance. "Miss Montavon, it's a pleasure to welcome you again. Would you like to try on the new model?"

"Yes, please," Elise replied cheerfully, as the employee led her to the fitting room.

As Elise tried on the dress, Mateus observed the movement around him. Other customers discreetly glanced in his direction, many whispering to each other. He kept his composure, accustomed to this kind of attention.

When Elise left the fitting room, Mateus needed a second to catch his breath. She looked stunning in the dress, which seemed tailor-made for her. He stood up, coming closer to take in every detail.

"Perfect," he said, unable to hide his admiration.

She smiled, a little shyly. "Do you really think so?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. We'll take it."

After some additional purchases, including some accessories that Elise couldn't resist trying on, they decided to end the night at one of the mall's bakeries, where they ordered a coffee and a dessert to share.

Elise looked radiant and satisfied, and Mateus felt happy just to be there, sharing simple and precious moments with her.

---

"Did you schedule the meeting with them?" Mateus asked Aether.

"Yes, ByteDance has confirmed that they will be ready for the meeting in an hour." Aether projected himself into a hologram next to him, analyzing the information from the company's team.

"Our AI has completed all testing phases," Mateus continued, visibly satisfied.

"99% complete... only 1% margin for error, which will be eliminated throughout the interaction with users," Aether replied, changing the hologram to display other available data.

"Tell the project manager to follow exactly what we discussed in the meeting," Mateus instructed, his gaze fixed on the data appearing on the hologram. "Collaboration with a company like theirs can take ours to a whole new level."

As he spoke, he gestured to highlight graphs that showed the potential growth and synergy between the two companies.

The sparkle in his eyes reflected the excitement about the opportunities that the partnership could bring.

Mateus knew that ByteDance was not only a technology giant, but also a source of innovations that could transform NeuroSys into a reference in the market.

"We need to ensure that every detail of our proposal is aligned with their expectations," he added, now turning to Aether with a determined expression. "We will optimize our resources and deliver impressive performance. This is just the beginning."