The rain that fell over City Z that night wasn't heavy, but it was cold. The kind of cold that seeps through the skin, sneaks into your bones, and reminds you that you're still human—fragile, warm-blooded, and mortal.
And tonight, Lin Chen almost lost his life.
03:12 AM – Rooftop of the International Trade Center
Blood dripped from the corner of Lin Chen's mouth, pooling at his collarbone. His left arm hung at an odd angle, dislocated. The bullet had grazed his ribs—not deep enough to be fatal, but enough to make breathing a shallow, agonizing act.
Opposite him lay the would-be assassin, unconscious and bleeding out.
[Ding! Threat neutralized: Umbra-Class Eliminator – Status: Captured Alive]Auto-Defense Protocol: Triggered – 78% successAlert: Host Vital Signs Unstable. Medical Aid Recommended.
But Lin Chen didn't move. Not yet.
He stared at the skyline. So many lights. So many lives. And Erebus had just tried to snuff his out—again.
Except this time, someone else found him before the system's emergency evac could activate.
03:19 AM – Black Mercedes Van
Li Chu's eyes were wide with panic. Her usually composed face was drenched from the rain, her hands trembling as she applied pressure to Lin Chen's wound with a sterile cloth. She wasn't supposed to care this much. She couldn't afford to.
But as she stared at his bloodied chest, her heart cracked.
"I told you not to walk into their shadows alone…" she muttered, more to herself than to him. "You idiot."
He chuckled—barely.
"And you… followed me."
"You're lucky I did." Her voice broke. "Another five minutes and you would've…"
She couldn't finish the sentence. She looked away.
04:00 AM – Lin Chen's Private Penthouse
Lin Chen was stabilized in the in-house medical pod. System nanobots had sealed the internal bleeding. He needed rest, but something was different when he opened his eyes.
Li Chu was still there.
She sat beside him on the edge of the bed, a towel around her shoulders, still soaked from the rain. She hadn't spoken for the past half-hour. Just sat there. Watching.
He turned to her weakly. "You okay?"
She flinched. Then her composure shattered like glass.
"No, I'm not okay, Lin Chen!" she burst out. "I just found you almost dead on a rooftop! Do you know what that feels like?"
"I've had worse," he murmured.
"That's not the point!" Her eyes burned, angry and wet. "You think you're invincible because of your system. But you're not. And I'm sick of pretending I don't care!"
He blinked. Slowly. "Li Chu…"
"No. Don't interrupt me. I don't know what this… thing is between us. But ever since you walked into my world, you've been unraveling it piece by piece. You mess with my plans. You break my rules. And now, you scare the hell out of me."
The silence that followed wasn't awkward. It was raw.
She looked at him—really looked—and then said the words she never thought she'd say:
"I don't want you to die. Not now. Not ever."
[System Alert: Emotional Wave Detected]
Subject: Li ChuEmotional Read: 83% Anxiety | 12% Guilt | 5%… Affection
Triggering Sub-Mission: "Thaw Her Ice" – Objective: Lower Li Chu's Psychological Defense ThresholdReward: +Intimacy Parameter | +Fate Entanglement Value | Unlock Memory Link Progression
Lin Chen's lips twitched into a faint smile.
"So… you do like me."
She rolled her eyes—but didn't deny it. "Shut up. You're still bleeding."
"You're crying."
She touched her cheek, surprised to find tears.
"I don't cry."
"You did this time."
"…Just sleep, Lin Chen."
Later That Morning – 09:00 AM
Li Chu stayed the whole night. When Lin Chen woke up again, she was sitting beside him with a tablet, running searches.
"What are you looking at?" he asked, voice hoarse.
She glanced at him, then hesitated. "Your past."
He stilled.
"You move like someone who's been hunted before. You never flinch when someone threatens you. And your survival rate is too perfect to be humanly possible. That system of yours… it's not just giving you money, is it?"
He said nothing.
She narrowed her eyes. "Who are you, really, Lin Chen?"
Before he could answer, the system pinged.
[Main Storyline Progression: +5%][Emotional Trigger Event: SUCCESSFUL]
New Memory Unlock Available — Request Pending for "Childhood Memory Fragment 2"
Estimated Activation: Within 48 Hours
Caution: Subject Li Chu may be involved in Memory Link. Correlation Probability: 67.3%
Outside – Citywide Impact
Meanwhile, the news of Lin Chen's victory over Theron Financial had reached every trading desk and capital consortium in the world.
Some applauded. Others panicked.
But Erebus?
They were recalculating.
[Incoming Message – Erebus Black Box Node #A12]
Status: SUBJECT LC-07 — Still alive. Unexpected interference.Emotional tether with Subject LF-01 detected.Probability of deviation: 21.9%Adjust kill order parameters.Next phase: Psychological Pressure Deployment.
10:12 AM – Li Chu's Apartment, Surveillance Room
Unknown to her, one of her own encrypted servers flickered.
A line of code activated—one buried deep in her old tech files.
It displayed one name.
"Project Eden – Participant F"
And below it, her own face.