"They once made sure I couldn't see tomorrow. Now I'll make sure they don't have a future." — Lin Chen
The skyline of Shanghai shimmered under the evening haze. Neon signs flickered like coded messages from another world, and from the penthouse of the Lin Group's new international headquarters, Lin Chen stood like a god surveying his domain.
The office behind him was deathly silent—only the low hum of servers and the occasional tick of the antique clock echoed. The moonlight traced his silhouette in silver, his reflection split into thousands across the glass panes of the observation wall. This city, once the site of his downfall, now bowed beneath his feet.
And yet, despite the silence and stillness, a storm brewed.
The system chimed softly in his mind.[System Alert: Terminal Mainline Quest Activated — "Hunter Protocol: Annihilate Erebus Command Core."][Estimated Risk Level: 97.9% — Mission Designation: Final Phase Initiation.]
He didn't flinch. Not anymore.
The Past Is a Loaded Gun
Hours earlier, Lin Chen had watched the final memory projection again—his father, cornered like prey, betrayed by trusted allies, and wiped out by Erebus agents under the pretense of a regulatory audit.
The image of his father's broken glasses on the floor had seared into his brain like a scar. Lin Chen could still hear the echo of the man's last words:"If you're going to fall, fall forward. Make them remember."
Tonight, he would fulfill that promise.
Global Power Shift
Since acquiring the rare mineral rights in the energy gambit against Theron Consortium, Lin Chen's influence had snowballed. Nations whispered his name. International regulators scrambled to keep up with the volatility his movements triggered in global markets.
His latest acquisition—Mirastar, a transnational AI-data logistics firm—wasn't just a corporate maneuver. It was a Trojan horse into Erebus's shadow infrastructure. Through Mirastar, Lin had access to their encrypted satellite paths, dummy shell corporations, and even their data relay schedules.
He was no longer just an upstart.He was the ghost in their machine.
Operation: Reversal
"Sir, we've tapped into the Erebus Kyoto node. We found movement—seven operatives flying to Budapest."
Xu Ran's voice came through the secured com-channel. He was once a rival—now Lin Chen's head of covert cyber-operations. Beside him, Li Qiao, the silent strategist, plotted trajectories on a glowing digital map.
"Let them fly," Lin Chen said. "We want them to feel like hunters."
He turned to the command module—six mirrored screens blinking with terminal codes."Run Phase Theta. Pull all rogue assets to standby."
He turned to the command module—six mirrored screens blinking with terminal codes."Run Phase Theta. Pull all rogue assets to standby.""Phase Theta confirmed. Collapsing Erebus fund structure in T-minus 8 hours."
The Prey Wakes
Somewhere in Prague, Erebus Executive Director Adelhardt watched the financial screens as red numbers bled across his portfolios.
"What the hell is happening?!" he roared.
A junior analyst whispered in terror, "It's him… the Black Knight. Lin Chen just dumped five hundred million in mirrored trades through Luxembourg and Singapore. He's collapsing our entire secondary structure—""Kill the nodes. Burn the shells. I want his assets frozen and his allies sanctioned within the hour!"
But it was too late.
Because Lin Chen wasn't just dismantling their system—he was rewriting the rules of engagement.
Face of the Future
Back in Shanghai, a press conference exploded across global headlines. Lin Chen, dressed in black, stood before a silver lectern, the media lights bouncing off his calm expression.
"We are entering a new era," he said. "An era where the games played in shadows will face the sun."
The screen behind him switched to a live chart—every major Erebus proxy firm hemorrhaging funds."I am not a mystery," he continued. "I am not a product of myth. I am what happens when you try to destroy someone and fail."