The neon lights of Kuala Lumpur city flickered against the glass wall, making the night skyline looked like a distorted painting. Standing at the edge of a rooftop, Li Chuan spun a USB drive between his fingers, his eyes fixed on the streets below. The noise of the city felt distant, like another world.
"Confirm want do like this ah?" Su Man folded her arms, standing behind him. Her tone got that skeptical vibe. "'Night Falcon' not normal gangsters, wei. If they suspect the fake news, we all die faster than makan nasi lemak."
Li Chuan chuckled softly. "The more cautious they are, the easier they fall into their own trap. They always think they control the information, but what if we make them think they missing something?"
Shen Qiu leaned against the rusty railing, smirking. "So your plan is... we make them believe some unknown force already got the black box, then force Li Feng to come out and settle it himself?"
Li Chuan nodded. "Ya, exactly. But it cannot be just any random 'force'. It must be something believable. Something that they worry but won't straight away send whole army to hantam us."
Su Man tilted her head, thinking. "You planning to use whose name?"
Li Chuan lifted the USB drive slightly. "'Phantom Shadow'."
Shen Qiu choked. "Siao ah? You want pretend to be 'Phantom Shadow'? You really don't want your life already?"
"Phantom Shadow" was one of those whispered names in the underground world. No one really seen their people before, but rumors say they collect top-secret intel and use it for trades, blackmail, and worse. 'Night Falcon' had clashed with them before, but not openly. There was always this... cold war thing happening between them.
Su Man tapped her fingers on the railing. "Actually... this one got potential. 'Night Falcon' always paranoid Phantom Shadow is tracking them. If we make the news real enough, confirm Li Feng won't ignore."
Li Chuan smiled slightly. "Then we just need to give them some 'proof'."
One hour later, inside their safehouse in Puchong, Shen Qiu's fingers flew across the keyboard, filling the screen with scrolling data. He was crafting a "perfectly real" email.
The content was simple:
"The black box has been secured by Phantom Shadow. Transaction will be conducted in three days."
Attached was a single photo: a dimly lit table, the black box placed on it, with a sequence of numbers faintly visible in the background. This was key—the numbers followed a format used in an old leaked Phantom Shadow transaction.
Shen Qiu hit enter.
"Sent. Target email is one of 'Night Falcon's' usual underground market accounts."
Li Chuan nodded. "Good. Now we wait for them to bite."
Li Feng sat in a dimly lit room inside a secret hideout near Petaling Street, adjusting the bandages on his shoulder. After the failed warehouse deal, he had barely escaped, but the bullet wound slowed him down.
A black-clad subordinate approached, handing him a tablet. "Boss, you better see this."
Li Feng scanned the email, his gaze darkening.
"Phantom Shadow?"
The subordinate hesitated. "Could be trap."
Li Feng's fingers tapped the screen rhythmically. "If it's a trap, only got two possibilities—police or rival forces."
He exhaled slowly. "Check Phantom Shadow's movements. Three days. I want to know if this is real or not before then."
Back at the safehouse, Li Chuan lowered his binoculars. Across the street, inside a small office building, one of 'Night Falcon's' informants was making urgent calls.
"They took the bait." Li Chuan's lips curled. "Now, before they uncover the truth, we just need to get Li Feng's biological data."
Su Man took a deep breath, stretching her arms. "This game... getting more interesting."