The storm had passed, but Tianxu City had never felt more tense.
At the Gallant Villa, silence blanketed the halls. Chen Yu stood in the central courtyard, the moonlight reflecting off the marble beneath his feet. His coat swayed gently in the night breeze. The world around him felt still—but his mind was anything but calm.
Behind him, soft footsteps approached.
It was Ruxue.
She didn't speak right away, just stepped beside him and looked up at the stars.
"You haven't said a word since the meeting with Qin Xuelin," she said softly.
"I'm thinking," Chen replied.
"You always are," she said with a faint smile. "But I worry… that you're starting to carry everything alone."
Chen turned to look at her. Under the moonlight, Ruxue's eyes shimmered with something unspoken.
"I chose this path," he said. "No one else needs to suffer for it."
"And yet," she whispered, "we already are."
For a brief moment, the wall around Chen cracked.
He reached out and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Ruxue's ear. She blinked, surprised by the gesture—but didn't pull away.
"You and Meiyun… I haven't said it, but having you two here—" He paused, choosing his words carefully. "It helps."
Ruxue lowered her gaze, heart pounding. Before she could respond, the door to the courtyard slid open again.
Meiyun stood there in a long robe, arms crossed.
"Sorry to interrupt," she said, tone cool but not unkind. "Shield Security has finished the sweep. No irregularities, but we've doubled surveillance in a ten-block radius."
Chen nodded. "Good."
"You still feel like someone's watching?" she asked.
"I do," he replied. "And I trust my instincts."
Ruxue and Meiyun exchanged a glance. Neither of them doubted him anymore.
Chen stepped away from the courtyard and walked inside.
Back in his study, the air was thick with quiet tension.
On his desk lay a map of Tianxu, marked with red pins and blue lines. Every one of them represented a move, a plan, a piece of the puzzle he was assembling to bring the Win Family down.
He clenched his fist.
"They think they're untouchable," he muttered. "Let's see how long that illusion lasts."
Just as he was about to sit down, his phone buzzed.
Another message.
This one was from Zhao Lingyun.
"You're building an empire, I know. But don't forget you're human too. If you ever need someone to remind you of that… I'll be here."
Chen stared at the message for a long moment.
A strange warmth stirred in his chest, but he pushed it down. There wasn't room for feelings right now.
Still, he didn't delete the message.
Instead, he saved it.
Meanwhile – A Secret Location in the North
In a dimly lit hall beneath a mountain temple, three figures stood around a massive scroll suspended mid-air. On it was the name: Chen Yu—circled in red.
One of the men, dressed in ancient robes, tapped the scroll lightly.
"So, he's the one making waves in Tianxu City."
"He's taken down three of the Win Family's fronts in under a week," another said. "His rise is too fast, too perfect."
A third man, older and seated in the shadows, let out a cold breath.
"He's from the Chen Family, isn't he?" the first asked.
"Yes," the one by the scroll replied. "The lesser-known branch."
Then the old man chuckled.
"Ah, the Chen Family…" he mused. "It is said they've birthed a dragon after a hundred years."
The room fell silent.
A dragon—meant not in the literal sense, but a once-in-a-century genius. Someone destined to shake the world.
And yet, the old man leaned back, amusement in his voice.
"So what?" he said. "They're still a small family. A regional power at best."
The others looked at each other, hesitant.
"Should we intervene?" one asked.
The old man's eyes glinted beneath the dim lanterns.
"No," he said. "Let the dragon stretch its wings. The sky is vast. If he flies too close to the sun… he'll burn."
He waved his hand.
"Leave him be—for now."
And just like that, the scroll dimmed. The lights flickered. The conversation ended.
But somewhere across the world, forces were shifting.
Back at Gallant Villa – Midnight
Rain began to fall again.
Chen Yu stood at the balcony, letting the wind strike his face. Behind him, Ruxue had fallen asleep on the couch, a book in her lap. Meiyun had returned to her room after finalizing the nightly reports.
Chen lit a cigarette, eyes on the horizon.
A war was coming.
And he was ready.
He had allies now—Qin Xuelin, though tentative, had agreed to stay out of his way. Shield Security was watching his back. His control over the economic veins of Tianxu grew stronger every day.
But more than that…
He had something no one else did.
A will that refused to bend.
A fire that wouldn't die.
And behind that calm exterior, a storm raged.
Chen Yu exhaled, smoke trailing into the night.
"Come then," he whispered. "All of you."