Three days later, Liam reopened his security company.
He didn't send invitations. He didn't put up ads. He called a few old clients. Some suppliers. People who had worked with his mother. Less than twenty people in total.
The office was on the third floor. The old sign was gone. A new one hung at the entrance. Black letters on white. Clean. Professional. XIAO SECURITY.
Mei had come back. He paid her three months in advance. She was at the front desk, handing out name tags to the guests.
The ribbon-cutting was simple. Liam stood at the entrance with a pair of scissors. No speeches. No fanfare.
Snip. Done.
"Thanks for coming today." He raised a glass of sparkling water. "Xiao Security is back in business. From now on, your safety is my responsibility."
An old client raised his glass. Mr. Chen. He had been with the company for five years. "Liam, your mother would be proud."
Liam nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Chen."
A supplier came up next. "You got new contracts lined up?"
"Working on it."
"Need any equipment? I can give you a discount. Thirty percent off for old times' sake."
"Appreciate that. I'll take you up on it."
The conversations were small. Comfortable. These were people who had known his mother. Who had trusted her. Who were willing to give him a chance because of her.
Then the elevator doors opened.
The sound cut through the room. The small talk stopped. Everyone turned.
Five men walked out.
The lead was bald. A dragon tattoo coiled around his neck, its tail disappearing into his collar. A cigarette dangled from his lips. Smoke curled up toward the ceiling. The four behind him were all over six feet. Arms thick as Liam's thighs. They spread out behind the bald man like bodyguards.
The bald man walked in. His boots left marks on the clean floor. He looked at the sign. He looked at the guests. He laughed.
"Xiao Security." He blew out smoke. "Lin Hao asked me to come by. Ask if you really want to keep this place open."
The room went cold.
Mr. Chen stepped back. His face was pale. Other guests moved toward the walls. Mei ducked behind her desk.
Liam put his glass down. He walked toward the bald man.
"How much did Lin Hao pay you?"
The bald man raised an eyebrow. "None of your business."
"Five thousand? Ten?" Liam stopped a few feet away. "He lost half a million three days ago. How much can he really pay right now?"
The bald man's cigarette hand paused. Just for a second.
[EMOTION DETECTED: UNCERTAINTY, NERVOUSNESS.]
Liam smiled.
"I'll give you twenty thousand. Cash. You go back and tell him the company is closed. Tell him you broke my sign. Tell him whatever you want. Just walk away."
The bald man stared at him. His eyes narrowed.
"You serious?"
Liam pulled out his phone. Opened his bank account. Turned the screen toward the bald man.
$92,000.
The bald man's eyes lit up. His men exchanged glances.
"Twenty. Right now." Liam said.
"Show me the transfer."
Liam tapped his phone. A few seconds later, the bald man's phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen. Then he looked at Liam. His expression changed. From aggression to respect. Or something close to it.
He put out his cigarette on the floor. Left a black mark.
"Man." He laughed. "You're something else. Lin Hao said you were done. Said you'd fold in a week."
"He was wrong."
"Yeah. He was." The bald man turned to leave. At the elevator, he looked back. "One thing. He might send someone else. Someone who doesn't take cash. You get what I'm saying?"
"I get it."
"Then get some muscle. That's what a security company does, right?"
The elevator doors closed.
The room stayed quiet for a long moment.
Then Mr. Chen let out a breath. "Liam, who was that?"
"Nobody. Just a delivery guy." Liam picked up his glass. "Drink up. We're not done."
No one left.
For the next hour, Liam talked to every guest. Shook every hand. Answered every question. By the end, he had three new contracts. Small ones. But they were a start.
The last guest left at six.
Liam stood at the window, looking down at the street. The city was lighting up. Cars moved through the intersections. People walked home from work.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
He let it ring twice. Then he picked up.
"Liam Xiao?" A woman's voice. Cold. Precise. Like a scalpel.
"Who's asking?"
"Serena Shen. Shen Group."
Liam's hand tightened on the phone.
Shen Group was the biggest investment firm in the city. Over ten million in assets. Serena Shen was the youngest daughter of the Shen family. She took over the firm two years ago, after her father died. In that time, she had doubled its value. She was cold. She was smart. And she never worked with anyone who lost money.
"What does Ms. Shen want with me?"
"I heard you took half a million from Lin Hao."
"I didn't take anything. He crashed his own trade. I just happened to be there."
A pause. Two seconds. Maybe three.
"I like smart people." Her voice didn't change. Still cold. Still precise. "Tomorrow. 3:00 PM. My office. I have a partnership to discuss."
"What kind of partnership?"
"The kind that makes people like Lin Hao very nervous. Does that interest you?"
Liam looked at his reflection in the window. His mother's face stared back at him. Her smile. Her eyes.
"3:00 PM." he said. "Send me the address."
"I already did."
The line went dead.
Liam checked his messages. An address. A time. And a single line at the bottom:
"Don't be late. I don't wait."
He put the phone in his pocket.
The system panel appeared.
[EMOTION VALUE BALANCE: 1,130]
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: EMOTION SENSE LV.2 — DETECT EMOTION SOURCES AND CONCENTRATION WITHIN 500 METERS.]
[NEW TARGET DETECTED: SERENA SHEN. EMOTION STATUS: CURIOSITY. CONCENTRATION: HIGH.]
Liam stared at the panel. Curiosity. Not contempt. Not dismissal. Curiosity.
That was new.
He looked back at the photo on his desk. His mother. Standing in front of this same office. The same window behind her. The same city below.
"Mom." he said quietly. "I think I just got an invitation to the big leagues."
He turned off the lights and walked to the elevator.
As the doors closed, he looked at the security camera in the corner.
The system flashed:
[LEVEL S EMOTION SOURCE DETECTED. SOURCE: UNKNOWN. DISTANCE: 300 METERS.]
[EMOTION TYPE: KILL INTENT. CONCENTRATION: EXTREME.]
Liam stared at the message.
Someone was watching. Someone wanted him dead.
He smiled.
"Come find me then."
The elevator doors closed.