The guards roughly shoved Erik into the solitary confinement cell.
The heavy door slammed shut behind him, leaving him in near-total darkness.
The cell was small and cold, with cracked stone walls that dripped with moisture.
A faint ray of light peeked through a small window near the top, barely illuminating the damp, moldy floor.
There was nothing inside. No bed, no mattress.. Just an old, rusted bucket for him to relieve himself in.
Erik stood there for a moment, his breath steady, taking in his new surroundings.
"You really put on a show out there.. Erik Stevens." A voice echoed as a man emerged from the shadows of the cell's corner.
Hearing the voice, Erik spun around his eyes landing on a man he recognized instantly.. Xu Wenwu, the legendary leader of the Ten Rings.
He was momentarily stunned to see him, but masked it with an air of indifference acting as though he didn't know him.
Wenwu stood there calm and collected, dressed in a black tailored suit with a crisp white shirt underneath.
His expression was unreadable, his presence imposing.
He looked exactly like Tony Leung, the actor who portrayed him in Shang-Chi.
"How do you know my name?" Erik asked, locking eyes with Wenwu his voice steady but filled with fake curiosity.
Wenwu's lips curled into a faint smile, his gaze unwavering. "I know far more than just your name." He replied smoothly. "I've been hearing about you for quite some time." There was a weight in his voice, a sense of purpose that hung in the air between them.
"Who are you ?" Erik asked calmly.
"My name is Master Khan, but I speak for the Son of Heaven, the supreme ruler of all." Xu Wenwu said with a serious expression.
How to lie, without actually lyin... Erik thought admiringly as he eyed Xu Wenwu. He kept his expression neutral, pretending to be intrigued by the mysterious figure in front of him
"The lord, is a man greatly feared by the criminal underworld.. A man who could offer you a path." Xu Wenwu said, his voice resonating. "A way out of your current circumstances, should you choose to accept it."
"And what path can this 'Son of Heaven' offer?" Erik asked with a cold tone.
"A path to supremacy, to absolute power... The path of the Ten Rings!" Xu Wenwu said, his gaze steady as he fixed his eyes on the boy.
"Absolute power?" Erik asked, feigning curiosity.
"Yes little one.. It is not gold, nor titles, nor armies. Those can be taken, bought, or destroyed. True power… is the ability to shape the world in the shadows, and to see it bend to your will." He folded his hands behind his back, gaze distant yet sharp. "We are the invisible hand that tilts the balance. When a ruler stumbles, we remove him. When a kingdom rots, we cut away the decay. The world believes its fate is written by kings and governments… But the truth is, it is written by us."
"Ten Rings? Is that some kind of criminal organization?" Erik asked calmly.
"No.." Xu Wenwu corrected softly, almost as if amused.. "No, criminals are men ruled by their appetites-Greed, anger, fear. They act without vision. They can be crushed, surpressed or killed. We are not criminals. We are not a nation. We have no borders to defend, no flag to worship. We are an idea. Ideas… Do not die."
"And what is 'the idea'?" Erik muttered, his gaze steady as he met Xu Wenwu's intense stare.
"Stability. Order. The world is chaos, driven by petty leaders and fragile empires. We have seen them rise and fall for thousands of years, each convinced they will be the last to crumble. The Ten Rings remove the unworthy… And replace them with those who can serve the greater design." Wenwu said, his lips curving into a smile.
"So, you guys control everything?" Erik asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Control is a crude word. We… Guide. A good leader does not force the river to change its course — He digs the channels so it flows where it must. For over a thousand years, We have built an order that does not fade, does not waver, does not lose itself in petty politics. We only ask for loyalty… And results. Join us, and you will see what the world truly looks like from above. You will never be powerless again." Responded the asian man looking at the boy.
"And if I refuse?"
"Then you will live your life at the mercy of lesser men… Until one day, they take from you everything you thought was yours.. That is not a threat. It is a promise the world always keeps." Xu Wenwu said with conviction, turning his back and heading toward the door.
I know that.. Thought Erik, eyes blazing with anger for a second.
"Tomorrow, you'll be released. If you're tired of this meaningless existence and crave something more, there's an ancient Paifang, a chinese gateway structure on the eastern slopes. If you can find it follow the road to the top of the mountain."
He knocked twice on the door, signaling his departure.
"Mmh.." Erik uttered, looking at the man's back.
And with that, Xu Wenwu left. The door clanging shut behind him.
- Few Minutes Later - In theHelicopter -
Xu Wenwu sat in the helicopter, his gaze fixed on the majestic mountains and sprawling landscape below.
The rugged terrain beneath him was both beautiful and unforgiving, covered in a light dusting of snow that thickened as the helicopter ascended.
The peaks stretched towards the heavens, almost touching the clouds, a reflection of nature's raw power.
"Sir" Chancellor Hui spoke from the seat beside him, interrupting the serene moment. "As you requested, the boy will be freed tomorrow."
"Good!" Xu Wenwu replied without shifting his gaze from the window, his expression calm almost meditative.
"The last four mens we paid to attack him.." Hui continued "Will be released next week, as agreed."
Xu Wenwu simply nodded, his eyes still tracing the mountain's slopes covered in deep snow, knowing the challenge that lay ahead for the boy.
"Sir, do you think he will succeed in climbing the mountain?" Hui asked, his voice tinged with curiosity as he too stared out at the towering mountain where their headquarters was hidden amidst the peaks.
The snow thickened with each passing minute, the wind howling stronger the higher they climbed. It was a dangerous journey, cold enough to break a grown man let alone a child.
"If he is foolish enough to refuse to eat merely because he fears the chance of choking.." Xu Wenwu said calmly "Then he is not worth our time."
Hui nodded thoughtfully, silence falling between them as they continued their ascent, the mountains looming ever closer.
The helicopter droned on, carrying them toward the next phase of their carefully laid plans.