The room was quiet—too quiet. Tang Meilin lay against the headboard, one leg slightly elevated on a cushion as the afternoon light stretched lazily across the floor, inching toward her bed like a silent intruder. Zimei rolled onto her back beside her, tiny paws twitching in sleep. Meilin absentmindedly scratched under the puppy's chin. It should have been peaceful. It should have felt safe. Yet ever since Qingyuan Mountain, something inside her refused to settle. The forest had been too silent. The wind too deliberate. The footsteps too calculated. She slowly closed her eyes. That wasn't random.
Three firm knocks fell against the door.
Zimei lifted her head and barked softly. Meilin straightened, her fingers pausing mid-motion. "Come in."
The door opened and Commander Yan stepped inside, closing it carefully behind him. He did not sit immediately. That alone told her the news was not simple. Her hand stilled completely on Zimei's fur. "What did you find?" she asked calmly.
He walked forward and stopped near the small table. "Black Eagle Syndicate."
The name dropped into the room like a stone into still water. Meilin did not react outwardly, but inside, something tightened. So it is them.
"They are not just a gang," Commander Yan continued in his steady, precise tone. "They are a Underground mafia who controls every sector of country Y even their government." He placed a file on the table. "Black Eagle controls multiple import-export channels. On the surface, they operate through a legal corporation—Helios Strategic Holdings."
Helios Strategic Holdings. The name sounded respectable. International. Clean. Too clean.
"They specialize in military equipment supply," he continued. "Officially, they provide defense logistics and surplus redistribution to developing nations."
Surplus redistribution. Meilin's gaze darkened faintly. Such elegant words for blood trade.
"And unofficially?" she asked.
"They supply whoever pays," he replied evenly. "Rebel factions. Proxy war groups. Underground militia. Terror cells."
Silence stretched between them. Zimei shifted closer to her leg, as if sensing the change in atmosphere.
"They have influence inside political circles," Commander Yan added. "Key members of parliament. Import regulators. Customs chiefs. They don't just move weapons. They move decisions."
Meilin's fingers slowly curled into the bedsheet. In her previous life, she had heard whispers—but she had been naïve then. Protected. Unaware of how deep the roots truly ran.
"And the leader?" she asked quietly.
"No confirmed identity."
Of course. Her jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
"There are two operational heads," he continued. "One controls the underground network. The other manages Helios Strategic Holdings."
"And the real boss?"
"Hidden. Only a handful of core members have ever seen him."
A faint chill slid down her spine. A hidden king. A shadow moving countries like chess pieces. And they had made a move on Xingyuan Mountain.
Why?
Her mind began connecting threads rapidly. Was it coincidence? No. It never was. If Black Eagle had targeted that forest route, then they knew someone important would pass through. Her heartbeat slowed deliberately as her thoughts sharpened. Think. Carefully.
If it was aimed at the Tang family, then this was political. If it was aimed at—
Her breath paused.
Zihan.
A subtle tremor passed through her fingers. He was still building his path, still outside the visible core circles. If Black Eagle sensed his future influence, they would eliminate him early. Her stomach tightened painfully.
In her previous life, he had been kidnapped. Stripped. killed.
She had watched him fall.
She had been powerless.
Not this time.
Not again.
Commander Yan's voice cut through her thoughts. "What are your orders?"
Orders. The word steadied her.
She inhaled slowly, organizing her thoughts with clinical precision. First priority: containment. Second: protection. Third: surveillance.
"Double the security around Tang Residence," she said.
He nodded immediately.
"And…" She hesitated only for a fraction of a second. "As I previously instructed—keep two covert bodyguards on him."
Commander Yan did not need clarification. "Mr. Zihan."
"Yes."
"They follow him at all times?"
"Discreetly. No exposure."
"It's already arranged."
Relief flickered through her chest, brief and fragile. But it was not enough.
"If Black Eagle moves again," she said quietly, "I want to know "
"Yes."
He stepped back slightly. "You should rest."
Rest? With a shadow like that circling above them? A faint, almost ironic smile touched her lips, but she nodded nonetheless.
Commander Yan paused at the door. "Miss Tang."
She looked up.
"We will not let them touch you."
Her expression softened slightly. "I know."
The door closed, and silence returned.
But it no longer felt peaceful.
It felt like waiting.
Meilin leaned back slowly against the headboard. Helios Strategic Holdings. Two operational heads. One hidden king. And somewhere in that web—a thread connected to Zihan.
If they target him first…
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around Zimei.
No.
She would not allow history to repeat itself. Not when she had returned with memory. Not when she knew the storm before it arrived.
Her eyelids grew heavy—not from calm, but from mental exhaustion. Strategy required clarity. Emotion required control.
Tomorrow, she would begin making moves.
Tonight, she would rest.
Even if somewhere above the city, a black eagle circled patiently in the dark sky.