The old man's footsteps gradually faded into the night, and the abandoned Sham Shui Po textile factory returned to deathly silence. Leo, Ah Zhe, and Chen Xi sat around the worn office table, the mysterious envelope before them seeming particularly ominous under the LED lighting. The white dove wax seal reflected weak glimmers in the light, as if silently telling some hidden secret.
"What do you think is in that letter?" Ah Zhe broke the silence, his voice echoing somewhat hollowly in the vast factory space.
Leo stared at the envelope while Odin's system continued analyzing the biometric data received moments earlier:
`DNA match rate: 85.7%`
`Advisory: This item demonstrates direct genetic correlation with user`
This data left him both confused and curious. Why would an envelope brought by a strange old man have such a high genetic match rate with him?
"I don't know," Leo said hesitantly. "But Odin says…" He paused, realizing he had almost revealed the system's existence. "I have a feeling this letter is very important."
Chen Xi carefully examined the wax seal's details: "This dove symbol is very intricate—not something an ordinary person could create. And using wax sealing is an ancient method, usually reserved for important internal organizational documents."
"Should we open it now?" Ah Zhe asked.
"No," Chen Xi shook her head. "That old man specifically said tomorrow's meeting—there might be a reason. If we open it now, we might miss important information."
Leo nodded in agreement. Though curiosity tormented him, instinct told him this letter should wait until tomorrow's meeting to be opened.
"New China Tea Restaurant…" Leo murmured to himself. "Why specifically there?"
"Do you go there often?" Chen Xi asked.
"Yes, I eat breakfast there every morning. For many years now." Leo recalled those ordinary mornings. "Sometimes I'd see an old man sitting in the corner doing crossword puzzles, but I never spoke to him."
Ah Zhe looked thoughtful: "Could it be the same old man who came tonight?"
"I'm not sure. Tonight's old man… felt somewhat different," Leo frowned in thought. "But if it really is the same person, he might have been observing me for a long time."
This thought sent chills through all three. If that old man had indeed been observing Leo for an extended period, what did that mean? Protection? Surveillance? Or something else entirely?
As night deepened, the three took turns keeping watch. Leo lay on his military cot, staring at the mottled water stains on the ceiling, his mind constantly replaying the day's events. From the eerie message at Kwun Lung Lau's printing facility to the military safe house's compromise, to this mysterious appointment—everything seemed so surreal.
Odin's system continued running at the edge of his consciousness, analyzing collected data. The system seemed particularly interested in that letter, constantly attempting to analyze the wax seal's chemical composition and manufacturing process.
`Analysis result: Wax seal contains trace special metallic elements`
`Hypothesis: Possibly used for identity verification or anti-counterfeiting`
`Recommendation: Keep envelope intact until appropriate moment`
The next morning, Hong Kong sunlight streamed through broken windows into the factory, casting mottled shadows on the floor. The three ate simple dry rations before planning their afternoon operation.
"I'm not comfortable with you going alone," Chen Xi said bluntly. "Though that old man seemed harmless, Leviathan might use this opportunity to set a trap."
"How should we arrange it?" Leo asked.
Chen Xi spread a map of the Prince Edward Road West area on the table: "I'll wait at the bus stop across from the tea restaurant—I can clearly see the restaurant's main entrance. Ah Zhe, you go to the newspaper stand next to the restaurant, pretend to buy newspapers. If there's any abnormality, we'll send coded messages via phone."
Ah Zhe nodded: "Got it. But if there really is danger, how do we rescue?"
"The tea restaurant has a back door leading to the rear alley," Chen Xi pointed to the map. "If emergency evacuation is needed, Leo, you go straight out the back door—we'll meet you in the alley."
After finalizing their plan, time slowly approached 3 PM. Leo carefully placed the mysterious letter in his inner pocket, ensuring it wouldn't be lost.
"Remember," Chen Xi instructed before they departed, "stay alert at all times. If that old man asks you to go elsewhere, absolutely don't follow."
At 2:45 PM, the three left via different routes toward Prince Edward Road West. Leo deliberately took a circuitous path, ensuring he wasn't being followed, before approaching the target location.
New China Tea Restaurant seemed somewhat quiet during the afternoon hours, with only a few customers enjoying afternoon tea. Leo took a deep breath outside the door, feeling Odin's environmental scan:
`Environmental assessment: Moderate safety level`
`Detected known friendly signals: 2`
`No obvious threats detected`
He pushed open the restaurant's glass door, and the familiar wind chimes rang out. Several customers looked up briefly before returning to their conversations. Leo's gaze swept across the entire restaurant, settling on a familiar figure in that well-known corner.
An elderly man with graying hair sat there, a cup of milk tea and a copy of Ming Pao before him as he concentrated on crossword puzzles. That position was exactly where Leo remembered the mysterious old man always sitting.
But today's old man looked somewhat different. Last night's message deliverer at the abandoned factory had given an impression of formality and mystery, while this person appeared gentle and approachable, like any retired elderly man whiling away time in a tea restaurant.
Leo walked toward that corner, and the old man seemed to sense his approach, looking up. When their eyes met, Leo saw complex emotions—affection mixed with nostalgia and a deep underlying guilt.
"Mr. Li, please sit down," the old man indicated the seat across from him, his voice gentle and familiar. "My name is Chen Shouyi. You can call me Uncle Chen. I imagine you have many questions you'd like to ask."
Leo sat down, carefully studying this elderly man who called himself Chen Shouyi. He appeared to be in his seventies, with a kind face but sharp eyes. Most notably, when he looked at Leo, his gaze revealed complex emotions.
"Who are you? Why did you want me to come here?" Leo asked directly.
Chen Shouyi set down his pen and studied Leo's face intently: "You really resemble your father. Especially when you're angry—your expression is exactly like his." He paused. "When your father was young, he loved the pineapple buns with iced lemon tea here. He said the lemon tea's sourness could balance the pineapple bun's sweetness, just like investments need to balance risk and return."
This statement shocked Leo. Such intimate details couldn't possibly be random guesses.
"You… you really knew my father?"
"Knew him?" Chen Shouyi smiled, his expression heavy with deep nostalgia. "Your father and I were blood brothers."
He withdrew a yellowed photograph from his pocket and placed it on the table. The photo showed two young men in 1980s clothing, standing on some university campus. Leo immediately recognized one as his young father, while the other, though decades younger, was unmistakably Chen Shouyi.
"This photo was taken in 1985, when your father and I had just joined the Pigeon Society," Chen Shouyi said, his fingers gently caressing the photograph. "We both believed we could change the world through technology."
Leo took the photograph, seeing his father's brilliant smile—a version of his father he had never witnessed. In his memories, his father had always been melancholy and silent.
"In 1995," Chen Shouyi began narrating, "we received an assignment to investigate a financial group called Leviathan. Your father handled technical analysis while I conducted field investigation. We discovered Leviathan wasn't an ordinary financial company, but a product of the Balance organization's schism."
"February 14th, 1996—we were discovered. Surrounded in a Tsim Sha Tsui warehouse. Your father used himself as bait so I could escape." Pain flashed in Chen Shouyi's eyes. "October 28th, 1997—your father really did pass away. Before dying, he called me and said, 'Shouyi, remember your promise.'"
Leo felt his chest tighten. October 28th—exactly his father's death anniversary.
"From that day forward, I've been protecting you," Chen Shouyi said gently. "For eighteen years, I've come here every day just to see you and ensure your safety."
"Every day?" Leo could hardly believe it.
"You come for breakfast every morning at 8:15, ordering Set B with iced milk tea. You sit in that seat," Chen Shouyi pointed to Leo's usual position, "because you can see the entrance from there. This is a protective habit your father taught you."
Leo's mouth fell open in shock. He had thought choosing that seat was instinctive—it turned out to be his father's teaching.
"Do you know how many times someone tried to harm you in these eighteen years?" Chen Shouyi asked.
"They did?"
"At least a dozen times. In 2003, someone tried to arrange a traffic accident—I dealt with the driver. In 2008, someone tried to poison your food—I replaced the utensils. In 2012, someone attempted kidnapping—I called in a false alarm."
Each example sent chills down Leo's spine. All these years, he hadn't been safe—someone had been protecting him from the shadows.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Leo asked angrily. "Eighteen years! You watched me for eighteen years!"
"Because of your father's instructions," Chen Shouyi said calmly. "He said unless absolutely necessary, never disturb your normal life. He wanted you to be an ordinary person."
"But now it's different." Chen Shouyi withdrew a package from his jacket. "Leviathan has discovered you. You can no longer be ordinary. Your father left things for you—now it's time to give them to you."
Leo accepted the package, finding inside a Go manual and stack of notes. The Go manual's cover read "Li Family Traditional Stone Patterns," while the notes' first page bore "To my beloved son Tianlang."
"Your father believed in value investing," Chen Shouyi explained. "He said truly valuable things would always yield returns in the long run."
Chen Shouyi opened the Go manual: "In 1990, when everyone was speculating on Japanese stocks, your father bought shares in a small Taiwanese semiconductor company. Everyone said he was foolish, but ten years later that company became TSMC, increasing a hundredfold."
Leo flipped through his father's notes, seeing dense analyses. His father used Go thinking to analyze investments: "Every move must prepare for the future; every investment must consider long-term value."
"Patience is most important in investing," Chen Shouyi said, "just like how I've protected you for eighteen years—truly valuable things are worth waiting a lifetime for."
These words deeply touched Leo's heart. From anger to confusion, he now felt profound gratitude. An old man had protected a stranger's child for eighteen years out of loyalty to a friend's promise.
"Uncle Chen, thank you," Leo said with a choked voice.
Chen Shouyi patted his shoulder: "You're my brother's son—you're my son too."
In this touching moment, Chen Shouyi's expression suddenly grew serious: "However, I need to tell you something. You're not the only 'Architect's Son.'"
"What do you mean?"
"The Balance organization had several core members who, like your father, combined research achievements with genetic codes to pass to the next generation. Your father created Odin, but there are other systems." Chen Shouyi's voice grew low. "And these 'Architect's Sons' all face the same danger you do."
Leo felt the world spinning again. He wasn't alone, but the threat was greater.
"Where are they?"
"Some have been found by Leviathan; others remain hidden," Chen Shouyi looked at him. "But now it's time to gather you all. Because Odin alone can't defeat Leviathan—you must unite to have any chance of winning."
Outside the tea restaurant, Hong Kong's afternoon sunshine remained brilliant, but Leo knew a greater storm was approaching. He was no longer a solitary warrior, but a member of an army hidden for decades.
Suddenly, Chen Shouyi's phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen, his face instantly turning pale.
"We need to leave now," he said urgently. "They've found this place."