Xu Kai didn't go home.
He sat in his car in the underground parking lot, engine off, hands gripping the steering wheel as the echo of Vice President Zhao's words replayed in his head.
Placed on hold pending review.
Not rejected.
But not approved.
Limbo was worse than failure.
His phone buzzed.
Lina.
Xu Kai answered immediately.
"Did it happen?" she asked, her voice bright with expectation.
Xu Kai closed his eyes.
"…Not yet."
Silence.
Then, carefully, "What do you mean, not yet?"
"They're reviewing something," he said. "Just internal noise. It'll pass."
Lina didn't respond right away.
Xu Kai felt his irritation rise.
In the past, she would have reassured him instantly.
"Xu Kai," Lina said finally, "people don't 'review' promotions at Horizon. Not like this."
Xu Kai's jaw tightened.
"You're overthinking."
"No," she replied. "I'm being realistic."
That word stabbed deeper than she realized.
Xu Kai ended the call without another word.
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
Who moved first?
His mind flickered to one name.
Leon.
He dismissed it instantly.
Impossible.
Leon was weak. Passive. Predictable.
A man like that didn't create ripples at Horizon Group.
Still… unease crept in.
Xu Kai started the engine.
Leon's phone rang as he stepped out of a convenience store two blocks from his apartment.
He didn't need to check the screen.
Lina always called when she felt cornered.
He answered.
"What do you want?" Leon asked calmly.
Lina inhaled sharply.
"You," she said. "I want to know what you're playing at."
Leon paused near the curb, watching traffic flow past.
"Playing?" he repeated. "You called me."
"You changed," Lina said. "You don't talk like this. You don't act like this."
Leon smiled faintly.
"That's true."
Her breath hitched.
"What did you do?" she asked quietly.
Leon didn't answer immediately.
The system pulsed.
[Emotional Dominance Opportunity Detected.]
[Target: Lina Chen]
Leon spoke.
"I stopped being useful," he said.
The line went silent.
"Leon," Lina said slowly, "Xu Kai is under pressure right now. This isn't the time for games."
Pressure.
Leon could hear it now—fear, buried beneath control.
"I heard," Leon said. "That's unfortunate."
"You sound pleased."
Leon didn't deny it.
"You're involved," Lina accused. "I know you are."
Leon leaned against a streetlight.
"You used to say I was invisible," he said softly. "Now you're watching me closely. Funny how that works."
Lina's voice sharpened.
"If you're trying to hurt Xu Kai, you'll hurt me too."
Leon's eyes darkened.
"No," he said. "You'll hurt yourself. I'm just not stopping you anymore."
Her breathing turned shallow.
"You don't get to decide that."
Leon replied calmly, "I already did."
The system chimed.
[Emotional Leverage Secured.]
[Authority Points +4]
Leon felt the familiar surge settle into him.
Lina spoke again, voice lower now.
"What do you want?" she asked.
Leon looked up at the night sky.
"I want distance," he said. "Stay away from me."
A pause.
Then a quiet, furious laugh.
"You think you're important now," Lina said. "You think you matter."
Leon smiled.
"I don't think," he replied. "I know."
He ended the call.
Across the city, Xu Kai's car pulled to a stop outside an upscale apartment complex.
He didn't go inside.
Instead, he sat there, scrolling through his contacts.
Then he made a call.
"Director Huang," Xu Kai said when the line connected, forcing calm into his voice. "I need to ask you something."
A pause.
"…No," Xu Kai said slowly. "Not officially."
Another pause.
Xu Kai's expression hardened.
"I see," he said.
He ended the call.
His gaze lifted to the building.
So the hold was real.
Xu Kai's grip tightened.
"If someone's moving behind my back," he muttered, "I'll drag them into the light."
His phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
Unknown:
Careful.
Desperation makes mistakes visible.
Xu Kai's eyes widened.
He stared at the screen.
Then typed furiously.
Xu Kai:
Who is this?
The reply came almost instantly.
Unknown:
Someone who knows how you climbed.
Xu Kai's breath caught.
He looked around the empty parking lot, pulse hammering.
For the first time since entering Horizon Group…
Fear crept in.
Leon slipped his phone back into his pocket.
The system interface shimmered.
[Warning:]
[Direct Attention Acquired.]
[Rival Awareness Level: High]
[Next Phase:]
Confrontation approaching.
Leon walked into the darkness, steps unhurried.
"Good," he murmured.
Because now…
Xu Kai was looking.
And once a predator locked eyes—
The hunt had already begun.