The city outside Lin Chen's penthouse window was wrapped in the golden hues of dusk. The lights below flickered like a sea of restless fireflies—vivid, bustling, full of secrets. Lin Chen stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, expression unreadable. His fingers slowly clenched into a fist as a familiar system chime echoed in his consciousness.
[Ding—Mainline Memory Node Identified.]
Triggering Optional Sub-Scenario: "Fragmented Projection: Incident #0412."
Warning: Emotional instability expected. Viewer discretion advised.
Lin Chen's breath caught for a moment. "0412"… April 12th.
His pupils narrowed as a surge of old pain surged from the depths of his chest. That date was seared into his mind—the day his father, Lin Zhentian, had been destroyed in the financial world. The day his family was torn apart. The day he lost everything.
Would you like to initiate the projection?
[Yes] | [No]
He didn't hesitate. Yes.
The system interface faded, and suddenly, the room darkened. A blue-tinted holographic field emerged in the center of the room, forming a fully immersive 360-degree memory reconstruction.
The lights dimmed.
And the nightmare began.
The conference room appeared first—luxurious, high-ceilinged, surrounded by men and women in dark suits. The air was tense. His father, Lin Zhentian, stood at the far end of a long mahogany table, eyes steely but fatigued. Across from him were his adversaries, masked in polite hostility: executives, lawyers, and—most notably—a man Lin Chen had never seen before.
Or rather, had never remembered seeing before.
A tall, silver-haired man in a jet-black suit. His left hand bore a tattoo resembling a twisted infinity symbol. The air around him was cold, almost unnatural.
[Data Tag Matched: Erebus Operative - Codename: "Vicar"]
Lin Chen's heart raced.
He knew Erebus was involved in his downfall, but this was the first time the system confirmed a member was present during the incident.
—
"You see, Mr. Lin," Vicar said with a measured smile. "It's not personal. It's strategic. Your refusal to join our capital circle makes you… inconvenient."
Lin Zhentian's jaw tightened. "I'd rather burn my company to the ground than let parasites like you use it to launder your dirty money."
The room fell silent. The other businessmen flinched, avoiding eye contact.
"And that," Vicar said, chuckling softly, "is why you lose."
A dossier slammed onto the table. "Shell companies, foreign assets, fake accounts. We buried you before you even walked into this room. All we needed was your signature—willing or… coerced."
The system paused the scene.
[Memory Clarity Option Available: Decrypt Visual Artifacts?]
Lin Chen selected Yes, and the blurred edges of the image sharpened.
He saw now: the board members who betrayed his father. Three of them were still active today—two heading major tech investment firms, one recently appointed to the national regulatory commission.
[Target List Updated: Eligible for "Strategic Disruption Missions."]
The scene resumed.
Lin Zhentian's breathing grew heavier. "If you think threatening me will work—"
"It's not just you," Vicar interrupted calmly. "We know where your wife shops. Where your son studies. Accidents happen every day in this city."
And that's when it happened—Lin Chen, standing in the present, watching it unfold—felt the rage explode inside him.
His father didn't break. Didn't sign. But the pressure… the despair… it was all there. The look in his eyes—the burden of protecting everything he loved and knowing he would lose.
—
The memory skipped.
A scene at home.
His father hunched over, a glass of untouched wine beside him. A younger Lin Chen—sixteen, naive, full of dreams—walked in, carrying his schoolbag.
"Dad, are you okay?"
Zhentian forced a smile. "Of course, son. Just thinking."
"About what?"
"About how some men die standing… and how that might be the only thing we can pass on."
The projection ended.
The system overlay faded. The lights returned to the room.
But Lin Chen couldn't move.
He stood there for what felt like an hour.
Silent.
Then the system pinged again, softer this time.
[Mainline Memory Node Completed.]
Emotion Analysis: RAGE 87%, PAIN 76%, CALM 4%.
Would you like to channel Emotional Energy into a system modifier?
[Yes] | [No]
He clicked Yes.
Converting… Allocating…
New Temporary Module Unlocked: "Emotion Surge – Blood Oath Mode."
Duration: 1 Hour
Effect: All resource acquisition rates +100%. Ability precision +25%.
Lin Chen clenched his fists.
That silver-haired man… "Vicar."
He had a name now.
He had a face.
He had targets.
Later that night, Lin Chen returned to the data vault buried beneath his smart estate—a facility only accessible via retinal scan and biometric pulse.
He began compiling dossiers. One by one.
Erebus-linked board members. Dirty capital circles. Betrayers.
Each name was now more than just a line in a report. Each face burned into his memory. Each one marked.
[New Chain Quest Available: "Revenge in Real-Time"]
Phase 1: Disrupt Former Board Member Liang Shaowen's Tech Conglomerate
Phase 2: Expose Laundered Assets of Tri-Capital Group
Phase 3: Track "Vicar." Codename Archive Now Unlocked.
A grin tugged at the edge of Lin Chen's mouth, but it wasn't one of joy.
It was cold.
Calculating.
Deadly.
Midnight.
He stood on the balcony again, wind in his hair, staring at the city lights below.
"So this is what you feared, Father," he whispered. "This machine of power… where no justice exists unless you forge it with your own hands."
"I'm ready."
A quiet ping sounded again from the system.
System Evolution Progress: 92%
System Upgrade Threshold Approaching…
He looked to the stars, eyes burning like steel.
"If Erebus thinks I'm just another pawn in their game… they've forgotten one thing—"
"Pawns can reach the other side of the board too."