The black sedan peeled away silently.
Inside, a man in the back seat lowered his phone, the recording saved, encrypted, and transmitted.
Xu Kai never noticed.
He was too busy convincing himself he was still in control.
Leon didn't sleep.
He sat at his desk, city lights reflecting off the dark screen of his laptop as messages filtered in—short, precise, clean.
No names.
No unnecessary words.
Just confirmations.
The system interface hovered faintly above the desk.
[Unauthorized Influence Attempt Confirmed.]
[Evidence Integrity: High]
[Leverage Level: Lethal]
Leon exhaled slowly.
"Lethal," he repeated softly.
Not violent.
Final.
This was the kind of leverage that didn't explode—it rotted someone from the inside.
His phone vibrated.
Another message.
Unknown:
He contacted two intermediaries.
Both recorded.
Payment trail flagged.
Leon typed back.
Leon:
Archive everything.
Wait for my signal.
He closed the laptop.
The system chimed again.
[Authority Threshold Approaching.]
[Warning:]
Rapid ascension will attract countermeasures.
Leon smiled faintly.
"So be it."
He stood, rolling his shoulders once.
This wasn't a sprint anymore.
It was positioning.
Xu Kai's confidence didn't break immediately.
Men like him clung to hope even when the ground softened beneath their feet.
The next morning, he walked into Horizon Group with his head high.
He greeted colleagues.
Smiled at assistants.
Acted normal.
But the looks lingered longer.
Conversations stopped when he approached.
The building felt… colder.
Xu Kai sat at his desk, pretending to work while refreshing his email every few minutes.
Nothing.
No confirmation.
No reassurance.
At 10:17 AM, an internal memo circulated.
Subject: Compliance Review Notice
Xu Kai's heart skipped.
He opened it.
Not addressed to him.
But his department was listed.
His jaw clenched.
"This is still manageable," he muttered.
Then his phone buzzed.
A private message.
Director Huang:
Come to my office.
Xu Kai stood immediately.
Leon watched the city from his window, coffee steaming beside him.
The system interface flickered.
[Timeline Divergence: Increasing]
[Rival Stability: Degrading]
His phone buzzed.
Chen Yiming:
They've initiated a quiet review.
Huang is nervous.
Leon replied:
Leon:
Good.
Let him sweat.
He put the phone down.
This wasn't about striking loudly.
It was about forcing everyone to protect themselves.
And when people protected themselves…
They abandoned liabilities.
Xu Kai sat across from Director Huang, hands folded tightly in his lap.
Huang didn't offer tea.
That alone told Xu Kai everything.
"Xu Kai," Huang said slowly, "have you spoken to anyone outside the company recently?"
Xu Kai's throat tightened.
"Of course," he said. "Networking is part of the job."
Huang studied him.
"Be careful," Huang said. "Right now, careful is the difference between weathering this and being buried by it."
Xu Kai forced a smile.
"I understand."
Huang nodded once.
"You may go."
Xu Kai left the office, sweat dampening his collar.
As the door closed behind him, Huang leaned back in his chair and exhaled.
He picked up his phone.
And made a call Xu Kai never heard.
The system chimed sharply.
[Authority Level increased: 4 → 5]
[New Passive Unlocked: Situational Awareness (Low)]
[Effect:]
Increased perception of shifting power dynamics.
Leon felt it immediately.
Not voices.
Not visions.
Just an intuitive understanding of where tension was building.
He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Begin phase two," Leon said calmly. "Controlled release."
He hung up.
Outside, clouds rolled in slowly, dulling the sunlight.
Xu Kai stood by the office window, watching the city below.
For the first time in years…
He felt small.
His phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
Unknown:
You should've waited.
Xu Kai's hand shook.
He typed back.
Xu Kai:
Who the hell are you?
The reply came after a pause.
Unknown:
Someone who knows what happens next.
Xu Kai stared at the screen.
The office suddenly felt too quiet.
Too exposed.
Leon set his phone down.
The system interface shimmered.
[Countdown Initiated.]
[Event: Public Containment]
[Time Remaining: 48 Hours]
Leon leaned back in his chair, expression unreadable.
Because when the countdown ended—
Xu Kai wouldn't fall.
He'd be contained.
And that…
Was worse.