Engines hummed through the mist, their growl muffled by distance and concrete. Four SUVs fanned out in the southern quadrant of Longhai Docks, black windows swallowing streetlight. Men in tactical gear emerged—silent, swift, coordinated.
But the warehouse ahead wasn't empty.
Lin Feng watched from a rooftop across the street, a pair of compact binoculars in hand. Beside him, Qian Juxiao tapped his earpiece twice, then gave a nod.
"They're not local mercs," he muttered. "Patterned sweep, clean signals. Someone with real resources sent them."
"Not to reclaim the tunnels," Lin Feng replied. "To erase them."
A low thud echoed across the water—one of the men had breached the warehouse side door.
"Time?" Lin Feng asked.
"Thirty seconds."
"Good."
He leaned into the comm. "Now."
Inside the Warehouse
As the first mercenary stepped into the central corridor, the overhead lights flickered—then snapped off. In darkness, a soft click sounded beneath his boot.
Too late.
With a roar, the floor erupted. Flash charges detonated in a sequence that stunned but didn't kill. Gas canisters rolled across the concrete, hissing out a white mist laced with industrial-grade dye and synthetic irritants—designed to disrupt equipment, visibility, and tracking tech.
The squad retreated into confusion. Coughing. Cursing. Orders clipped and scrambled.
A speaker above crackled to life with Lin Feng's voice—calm, even amused.
"You brought fire to bury ghosts. But ghosts don't burn. They linger."
Rooftop Overwatch
Qian Juxiao grinned. "Beautiful."
Lin Feng didn't smile.
"This was a warning. They weren't sent to take me down—just to erase the map. They thought I'd never be here in person."
"You think Luo Zixuan knows?"
"No. He assumes. He doesn't know me yet." Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. "But he's about to."
Two Hours Later – Luo Zixuan's Private Estate
An envelope lay on his desk. No name. No seal.
Inside, a single photograph.
It showed the southern warehouse, dyed white from the counter-gas, and a single message sprayed across its side in crimson paint:
"Bury steel, and I'll build empires on your ashes."
Luo's jaw tensed. He looked at Greycoat.
"Escalate."
Greycoat nodded once. "To what level?"
Luo's voice was like ice.
"Personal."
Elsewhere – Crimson Enclave Balcony
Xu Shanyue stood beneath moonlight, a glass of untouched wine in her hand.
Guo Yuwei approached from the shadows. "It's started."
She nodded slowly.
"The city is choosing who to bleed for next."
"And if it bleeds too much?"
She turned her head, eyes glowing cold.
"Then we'll decide who's worth saving."