Chapter4: Loose Ends
Location: A quiet alley near the docks, midnight.
Chenyi walked briskly, his breath fogging in the cold night air. His hands were buried deep in his jacket pockets, clutching a small envelope—payment for the information he'd passed to Mark earlier.
The docks lay in eerie silence, broken only by the groan of wood against water and the distant hum of machinery. Salt stung the air, and somewhere a chain clattered softly. Chenyi's gut twisted. The feeling of eyes on his back refused to leave him.
He cast a quick glance over his shoulder. Nothing. Only shadows.
"Relax, man," he muttered, quickening his steps.
The Shadow Strikes
The sound of footsteps came too late.
A figure slid from the darkness, swift as a blade unsheathed. A hand clamped over Chenyi's mouth, dragging him back. Cold steel pressed against his throat—unforgiving, deadly.
"Shh," a voice whispered, calm and composed. "You've been talking too much, Chenyi."
Terror flared in Chenyi's eyes. He tried to speak, a muffled plea against the palm that silenced him.
"This isn't personal," the voice went on. "But loose lips sink ships, and I can't have my name floating around."
The knife's edge dug deeper. Chenyi froze, his body stiff with dread. In his last breath, realization dawned—he had never stood a chance.
Steel cut through silence. Blood bloomed. Chenyi collapsed, lifeless on the cold stone.
The figure wiped the blade clean, then melted back into the darkness, leaving behind nothing but stillness.
The Aftermath
Location: Leo's office, the next morning.
Mark burst in, his face grim. "Boss, we found Chenyi."
Leo looked up from his paperwork, his jaw tightening. "Where?"
"Near the docks." Mark swallowed hard. "He's dead."
Leo leaned back slowly, his voice flat, almost detached. "Oh Then...
Mark frowned, unsettled by the lack of reaction. "Boss… there's something about it. Something too noticeable."
Leo's eyes flicked up. "Go on."
"Knife to the throat," Mark said. "Clean. Professional. Whoever did it didn't leave a trace."
Leo's mind turned sharp and cold. This wasn't random. Chenyi had been silenced—deliberately.
"Exactly what I was trying to say," Mark added quickly.
"Did he say anything else before he left last night?" Leo asked.
Mark shook his head. "Just what he told us about that guy at the Skycracker Club. Kai."
Leo's eyes narrowed, a storm gathering in them. The pieces were aligning, and every one pointed to the same name.
"Keep an eye on Kai," Leo ordered, his voice low and steady. "Where he goes, who he talks to—everything. If he's behind this, I'll know."
Kai's Perspective
Location: Kai's apartment.
Kai leaned back in his chair, sipping tea while the morning news flashed across his tablet.
Body Found Near Docks: Police Investigating Possible Gang-Related Incident.
The headline was exactly as he expected. A faint smile touched his lips. Chenyi had been a loose end, and loose ends were dangerous.
His phone buzzed.
It's done.
Kai typed back: Good work. No more loose ends.
He set the phone down, the steam from his tea curling upward as if nothing had happened. The city stirred beyond his window, but his mind was already three steps ahead.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he wanted. And Leo—blind, suspicious Leo—was walking straight into his web.
Leo's Suspicion
As the day dragged on, Leo stood at his office window, staring out at the sprawling city. His empire had been built on information, on knowing every move before it was made. But Kai—Kai was different.
Too calm. Too careful. Too clean.
If Kai had orchestrated Chenyi's death, it was only the beginning. The question wasn't if he was hiding something. The question was how deep it went.
Leo's grip tightened on the glass in his hand.
He hated being in the dark. And Kai would pay for keeping him there.