The city above was restless.
But below it—beneath Longhai's bones—Lin Feng moved like a shadow reborn.
Old boots. Unmarked gear. Flashlight off.
He'd memorized the emergency corridors years ago—not from maps, but from the mouths of retired tunnelers, engineers who'd once wired the city's veins before politics sealed them.
This wasn't a rescue.
It was a reclamation.
Sector K-9 – Periphery Vault Access
Mouse's whisper crackled in Lin Feng's earpiece.
"You're a hundred meters from the surveillance gap. Two guards posted. Motion-triggered lights."
Lin Feng pressed into the wall, fingers brushing the concrete.
"Where's the blind spot?"
"Drainpipe overhead. Four seconds to swing across before camera sweep."
He didn't wait for a countdown.
One silent leap.
One quiet landing.
A knife drawn—not to kill, but to silence.
Two guards folded without noise.
Holding Chamber – Behind an Electrified Gate
Qian Juxiao looked bruised, bound, and smiling.
"You're late," she muttered through swollen lips.
Lin Feng knelt beside her. "You didn't scream. So I knew you were still fighting."
Her voice cracked. "They're going to move me—probably into something permanent."
Lin Feng picked the lock, hands steady. "Not anymore."
The door clicked open.
Then—
Alarm.
Control Room – Silver Circle Watch Hub
A red light flared.
"Unauthorized breach. Tunnel Sector K-9. Subject Zero is inside."
Luo Zixuan stared at the feed in disbelief.
He turned to Greycoat. "You said he wouldn't come."
Greycoat's jaw tensed. "He shouldn't have known—"
"He knows everything," Luo snapped. "And he still walks toward the flame."
He stepped forward, eyes gleaming.
"Lock him in. Seal the vents. I want to burn him beneath the city he thinks he owns."
Back in the Tunnel – Escape Route Alpha
Flames began to spread through the ventilation shafts.
Not random.
Accelerants.
This wasn't protocol—it was arson with a motive.
Qian coughed, still clutching Lin Feng's shoulder as he carried her.
"You're not going to make it carrying me," she rasped.
He didn't answer.
Just gripped her tighter.
Through fire. Through memory. Through a darkness older than the city itself.
Then—
A hatch ahead.
Burst open from the other side.
Xu Shanyue stood in the smoke, hand extended.
"Come on, Ghost of Longhai," she said. "This city still owes you a few exits."
Minutes Later – Rooftop Above
They emerged into night air like revenants.
Qian Juxiao collapsed into Mouse's arms.
Su Qingyue stared, breathless.
Lin Feng stood still, skin burned, coat smoking.
Xu Shanyue stepped back, her voice low.
"You've proven your point."
"No," Lin Feng said. "This isn't about proving."
He turned toward the city skyline.
"It's about ending them."