Midnight. Shen Hao's Apartment.
The apartment was a mess—half-packed suitcases, shredded documents, flickering lights.
Shen Hao sat on the floor in a crumpled suit, phone in hand, trying number after number.
Blocked.
Disconnected.
No signal.
Bank account: Frozen.Social media: Wiped.Internal access: Revoked.Work ID: Inactive.
Everything was vanishing.
And in that silence, panic filled the air like static.
A soft ding.
His email finally loaded—one message.
"Puppet.You should've known better.Next time: Kneel.—LZ"
He threw the phone across the room.
Li Zhenyu. It had to be him.But how? When?
Morning. The Penthouse.
Zhenyu was pouring tea as sunlight streamed through the massive glass panels. Across from him, Li Ruolan, his elder sister, sat with a sly smirk on her lips, sipping from a matching porcelain cup.
She wore a tight black dress, clearly not meant for work. Her long legs were crossed, her eyes scanning him like he was prey.
"You've been busy," she said casually.
Zhenyu didn't look up. "Define 'busy.'"
Ruolan leaned forward, her tone sweet but sharp. "Shen Hao's collapse. Half a dozen proxies changing hands. A new shell company built in Shenzhen under a name suspiciously close to mother's alias. Need I go on?"
Zhenyu's jaw tensed—only for a moment.
"I never taught you to watch my moves."
Ruolan smiled, resting her chin on her hand. "No, dear brother. You didn't teach me anything. I just never stopped watching."
He raised a brow. "Do you want something?"
"I want your attention," she whispered, her eyes dark. "I want you to stop hiding pieces of yourself."
He stood slowly, walked to her, leaned down until his face was inches from hers.
"You wouldn't survive the parts I hide," he said softly.
Her breath caught—but her smile didn't break.
Meanwhile. Shen Jinghai's Private Villa.
A courier arrived with an unmarked package.
Inside: a stack of printed financial documents showing hidden withdrawals and unapproved stock movements from Shen Corporation.
Attached: a simple note.
"He is bleeding your empire while sleeping in your daughter's bed."
Shen Jinghai's hands shook with rage. "He wants war? I'll give him war."
He picked up the phone.
"Activate Project 'Phoenix Wake.' Reach out to Li Holdings. Let's see how loyal the boy's mother is."
Later that evening. The Penthouse.
Zhenyu stood shirtless on the balcony, a single earpiece in his right ear, watching the skyline glow like embers.
A voice reported:
"Sir, Shen Jinghai has contacted your mother's employer. He's trying to provoke a fracture."
Zhenyu's eyes narrowed. "Is she aware?"
"She refused the meeting."
Zhenyu's lips curled slightly. "Of course she did."
Behind him, the balcony doors opened.
Shen Yinyin, in a red silk gown, stepped out and wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"Hmm… you feel tense," she whispered.
"I'm planning someone's funeral," he said calmly.
She chuckled darkly. "Will I be invited?"
"You'll be in the front row."
Elsewhere. In a locked room.
Shen Hao paced, barefoot, eyes bloodshot. His mind was fraying at the edges.
"I can still fix this. I just need to show uncle… prove it was Zhenyu. He'll believe me. He has to…"
He picked up the burner phone.
"Uncle, please. Give me ten minutes. I found something... it's about Yinyin's husband."
Silence.
Then:
"Come at noon tomorrow. Alone."
Back in the penthouse, Zhenyu stood over his private tablet. He tapped once.
Call Initiated: Shen Hao's GPS Tracking Activated. Audio Live.Surveillance Layer: Green.Priority Status: Observe until destroy.
He closed the tablet and looked toward the glass.
"Let's see what truth you think you've found," he whispered.
The storm was beginning.
And Li Zhenyu was already holding the eye of it in his palm.