The car door closed with a sound Lin Ze had only heard in movies.
Soft. Heavy. Final.
The black sedan glided out of Harbor Tower's underground parking like it owned the road. The city lights reflected across the hood in streaks of gold and white, and for the first time in his life, Lin Ze wasn't watching the city from a bus window.
He was inside it.
The driver didn't speak. He didn't need to.
Lin Ze sat in the back seat, posture stiff, sealed envelope resting on his lap like something alive. He didn't open it immediately. Not because he wasn't curious—but because he understood timing now mattered.
This wasn't luck.
This was placement.
When the car stopped at a red light near a luxury mall, Lin Ze finally broke the seal.
Inside the envelope were three things:
: A black card with no logo, only a serial number. : A slim phone, already powered on. : A folded document labeled "Public Identity – Temporary."
Lin Ze unfolded the paper.
His name was still Lin Ze.
But everything else had shifted.
A new residential address.
A new employer listed as "Harbor Asset Management – External Consultant."
A verified corporate email.
And a monthly compensation figure that made his chest tighten.
Not absurd.
Just… dangerous.
His phone vibrated.
A message appeared instantly, as if someone had been waiting.
: "First rule," : "Do not explain yourself." — S.Y.
Lin Ze exhaled slowly.
The car turned into the mall's private drop-off lane. Valets moved with practiced efficiency. Glass doors opened automatically.
This place was designed to make people feel small.
It failed.
Because the moment Lin Ze stepped out of the car, attention snapped toward him.
Not because of his face.
Because of the car.
People noticed cars like they noticed blood in water.
"Interesting," a female voice said nearby. "That plate number doesn't belong to anyone… until today."
Lin Ze turned.
She stood a few steps away, phone in hand, wearing a casual outfit that still looked expensive without trying. Long hair, confident posture, eyes that scanned him openly—not shy, not polite.
Curious.
And amused.
She lifted her phone slightly, pretending to check a message.
Click.
The sound was subtle.
But Lin Ze heard it.
"You took a photo," he said.
She smiled. Bright. Unapologetic.
"Correction," she said. "I took several."
Lin Ze frowned. "Why?"
"Because I'm fast," she replied. "And because you're new."
She stepped closer, close enough to smell light perfume and confidence.
"Lin Meiqi," she said. "Influencer. Media student. Professional observer of interesting men."
Lin Ze glanced at her phone. On the screen, a photo of him stepping out of the black sedan—clean angle, perfect timing.
"That could cause trouble," he said calmly.
Lin Meiqi's eyes sparkled. "Only if you're boring."
She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice.
"Men who come out of cars like that," she said, "either disappear tomorrow… or become headlines."
Lin Ze met her gaze. "Delete it."
Lin Meiqi laughed softly.
"No."
Her phone vibrated.
Her expression shifted—not fear, not surprise. Interest.
She looked at the message, then back at Lin Ze.
"Well," she said, tilting her head, "this just got better."
Inside Harbor Tower, thirty-eight floors above ground, Su Yanli looked at her tablet.
A live social feed refreshed.
A photo appeared.
Blurry enough to be unofficial. Clear enough to be dangerous.
Caption: : "Who is this man?" : "Spotted exiting Harbor Tower private vehicle."
Su Yanli's fingers paused.
Zhang Yu stood beside her. "Should we have it removed?"
Su Yanli studied the image.
Lin Ze's posture. The angle. The timing.
"No," she said.
She sent a message.
: "You let her take the photo." — S.Y.
Lin Ze's phone vibrated almost instantly.
He glanced at it, then looked back at Lin Meiqi.
"You wanted attention," he said. "Now you have mine."
Lin Meiqi blinked.
Then smiled wider.
"Oh?" she said. "So you're not running?"
"No," Lin Ze replied. "I'm choosing."
Lin Meiqi tucked her phone away.
"Good," she said. "Because I don't chase men who panic."
She leaned closer, voice low and deliberate.
"Then let's see," she said, "who claims you first."
Across the city, Su Yanli closed her tablet.
Her expression was calm.
But her eyes were cold.
"Fast," she said quietly. "Very fast."
She picked up her phone.
: "Tonight. Cancel my dinner." : "Prepare a gift." : "I'm reminding someone who invested first."