Unveiling the List
Gerard and Jian secure their prize, but the real battle is just beginning. The list reveals secrets that Madam Wei has fought to bury—powerful names that hold the key to her empire. Meanwhile, Gerard establishes his first true safehouse and prepares for his next move. But as he sharpens his weapons, so does the assassin lurking in the shadows.
---
Escaping the Warehouse – A Quiet Exit
The hum of the city never reached the abandoned warehouse district.
The only sounds were the faint echoes of distant sirens and the sharp crunch of Gerard's boots against the concrete.
Jian sighed as they walked toward a waiting car—an old, nondescript sedan that blended into the night.
"That could've gone smoother."
Gerard didn't respond. He was still thinking about the assassin.
The man had been fast, precise, and completely devoid of hesitation.
Gerard had survived, but that wasn't enough.
He should have killed him.
The system had confirmed it. A million-dollar reward.
He had hesitated.
That wouldn't happen again.
Jian opened the passenger door and slumped into the seat. "Next time, let's pick a mission without a trained killer hunting us, yeah?"
Gerard slid into the driver's seat, starting the engine. "No promises."
The warehouse disappeared into the rearview mirror as they sped into the city.
---
A Safehouse – Establishing a Base of Operations
Gerard knew better than to return to any known locations.
They needed a base—somewhere secure, off the grid, and impossible for Madam Wei to trace.
Jian had an idea.
"I know a guy."
"You always know a guy," Gerard muttered.
Jian grinned. "And yet, you still follow me. That says something."
The location wasn't in the heart of the city—it was in the shadows of it.
A high-rise apartment complex, half-abandoned, still under construction.
From the outside, it was just another incomplete project left to rot.
Inside? A haven for people who didn't want to be found.
The owner, a former triad enforcer named Bo Hai, barely glanced up when Jian handed him a wad of cash.
"Top floor. No neighbors. Don't start shit."
Gerard nodded.
The apartment was empty—just bare concrete walls, exposed pipes, and dust-covered floors.
But it was high, isolated, and easy to defend.
It would do.
Jian dropped onto an old couch left behind by some previous tenant. "Welcome home, Walker."
Gerard set the briefcase down. "Let's see what we risked our lives for."
---
The List – The Secrets Madam Wei Buried
Gerard flipped open the stolen folder.
Inside, pages of names, transaction records, and coded messages filled the space.
Each name was marked with a symbol—some circled, some crossed out.
Jian whistled. "Damn. Lin Bao wasn't kidding. This isn't just dirt on Madam Wei—this is her entire network."
But as Gerard scanned the names, his stomach tightened.
There—buried among the list of politicians, businessmen, and criminal leaders—was a name he never expected to see.
Chen Walker.
His father.
---
A Past That Should Have Stayed Buried
Gerard's fingers tightened around the paper.
His father had been a strict, disciplined man. Military to his core.
A man who never bent, never compromised.
So why the hell was his name on a list of Madam Wei's associates?
Jian noticed the change in Gerard's expression.
"You know someone on that list?"
Gerard's voice was low. "It doesn't matter."
Jian watched him carefully but didn't push.
Instead, he leaned back, hands behind his head. "So what's the play? We run to Lin Bao and hand this over?"
Gerard didn't answer immediately.
No.
If he handed this over now, he wouldn't control how it was used.
And he needed control.
"We hold onto it. For now."
Jian raised an eyebrow. "Dangerous game."
Gerard finally looked up. "I don't play."
---
Assassin's Report to Madam Wei's Inner Circle
Inside the dimly lit dojo, the assassin stood before a row of wooden training dummies.
A long, serrated knife in one hand.
A pistol in the other.
He moved with the precision of a man who had spent years perfecting death.
Each strike was calculated.
Each bullet was precise.
The door behind him opened.
A woman in a black business suit stepped inside.
One of Madam Wei's inner circle.
She didn't bother with introductions.
"You failed."
The assassin didn't respond.
She continued. "Madam Wei doesn't accept failure. You were supposed to kill him, not let him walk away."
Finally, the assassin spoke, his voice calm.
"Something is wrong with Li Xian."
The woman frowned. "Explain."
The assassin turned slightly, his grip tightening around his blade.
"He shouldn't have been able to match me. The real Li Xian had no combat training. He was a spoiled rich boy, a businessman—not a fighter.
What I fought was something else."
The woman's expression darkened.
"Are you suggesting he's not Li Xian?"
The assassin exhaled slowly. "No. I'm saying something changed.
Whatever happened in that asylum, he came out different. Stronger. Faster. Unnatural."
The woman studied him for a long moment.
Then she smiled coldly.
"Then perhaps you weren't hunting a man."
The assassin sheathed his knife.
"It doesn't matter."
He turned to face her, his voice even.
"Tell Madam Wei she won't need another assassin."
"I won't fail again."
---
A War is Brewing
Back at the safehouse, Gerard stood by the window, watching the city lights below.
The list was burned into his memory.
Madam Wei had built an empire of secrets and shadows.
Now, he had the first tool to destroy her.
Jian stretched. "So, what's next?"
Gerard's expression was cold.
"Next, we make the first move."
He turned back to the list, scanning the names.
And then—he found the perfect target.
A weak link in Madam Wei's chain.
Someone who would break under pressure.
Gerard picked up his knife, testing the weight in his hand.
"We pay him a visit."