The jet roared through the night sky, slicing across the thick layers of clouds as Cloud River City slowly disappeared beneath the darkness.
Inside the cabin, Lin Cheng sat in silence, eyes closed, fingers lightly resting on the armrest.
But his mind was in chaos.
LinFeng.
That name carried more weight than any corporate empire, any political force, any shadow family.
It was the name of betrayal.
The name of blood.
The name of a wound that had never healed.
The Ghost from the Past
Fifteen years ago, when Lin Cheng had fallen from grace, when his father died under suspicious circumstances, when their family company collapsed overnight, there had been one person who vanished without a trace.
His half-brother.
Lin Feng.
At the time, authorities claimed Lin Feng had died in a car accident on a mountain highway.
No body was ever recovered.
No conclusive evidence was produced.
And soon after, every trace of Lin Feng disappeared.
Lin Cheng had always known.
Lin Feng was alive.
And now, the Shadow Families had confirmed it.
Worse.
Lin Feng was standing among them.
Meaning—
The betrayal had gone far deeper than he ever imagined.
StormintheCabin
Chen Guoan sat across from him, tension etched into his face.
"Boss… that message—"
"I know," Lin Cheng said quietly.
Su Manli, seated beside the window, slowly turned.
"Lin Feng," she whispered. "Your brother."
"Yes."
A heavy silence filled the cabin.
Chen Guoan clenched his fists.
"That means the Shadow Families have already infiltrated your bloodline."
"Not infiltrated," Lin Cheng corrected calmly.
"They cultivated it."
His voice carried terrifying coldness.
The Hidden Truth of His Father's Death
Fifteen years ago.
Lin Cheng's father, Lin Guohua, had been on the verge of signing a national-level industrial expansion contract.
It would have propelled the Lin family into the highest elite circle.
Then, overnight—
False evidence surfaced.
Tax evasion.
Bribery.
Smuggling.
The company collapsed.
Lin Guohua suffered a heart attack and died within days.
Their family estate was seized.
Their political backing vanished.
Lin Cheng was forced into the gutters.
And now, after returning to the past, everything pointed toward a single truth:
The Shadow Families orchestrated it.
And Lin Feng…
Had been their inside man.
TheStrategicSilence
When the jet landed, Lin Cheng did not immediately return to Sky Dominion.
Instead, he ordered a detour.
A private underground intelligence facility hidden beneath an abandoned shipping yard.
This was the darkest part of his empire.
A place even Chen Guoan rarely entered.
Inside, dozens of screens glowed in the darkness, displaying intelligence streams from across the country.
Lin Cheng stood before the central console.
"Activate bloodline investigation protocol."
Within seconds, facial recognition systems, border records, underground finance flows, military logistics channels, and political personnel files synchronized.
One name lit up in red.
LIN FENG
Status: Active
Alias: Feng Luo
Current Position: Strategic Adviser — Black Dragon Family
Security Level: National Classified
Su Manli inhaled sharply.
"Black Dragon Family… they're the strongest among the Shadow Families."
Chen Guoan swallowed.
"They placed your brother at the core of their power."
Lin Cheng's eyes were bottomless.
"So he sold everything."
TheCall
As if summoned by fate, Lin Cheng's phone vibrated.
Unknownnumber.
He answered.
A familiar voice flowed through.
Soft.
Cold.
Mocking.
"Brother."
Lin Cheng's fingers tightened slightly.
"You'realive."
A faint chuckle.
"Iknew you'd figure it out."
Lin Cheng remained silent.
Lin Feng continued, "Fifteen years. You crawled back from nothing. Impressive."
"Why?" Lin Cheng asked quietly.
There was a pause.
Then—
"Because Father was weak."
The words cut like knives.
"He wanted integrity. Justice. Morality. Those things are poison."
Lin Feng's voice grew colder.
"I chose power."
The Fractured Bond
"You betrayed him," Lin Cheng said.
"I liberated myself."
Lin Cheng: "You sold our bloodline."
Lin Feng: "I elevated it."
A slow breath escaped Lin Cheng.
"So you orchestrated his death."
Silence.
Then a soft exhale.
"I merely… allowed events to unfold."
That was confirmation.
For a moment, murderous intent surged violently.
But Lin Cheng suppressed it.
"You joined the Shadow Families."
"They raised me."
"They gave me the power Father never could."
Lin Feng laughed lightly.
"And now… they want us to fight."
BrotherAgainstBrother
"At the Shadow Council," Lin Feng said calmly, "I argued that killing you would be a waste."
Cheng: "So you proposed the trials."
Feng: "Yes."
Cheng: "Why?"
Another pause.
Feng: "Because I want to defeat you myself."
Lin Cheng closed his eyes briefly.
"When?"
Feng: "Soon."
"Very soon."
The call ended.
SkyDominionMobilizes
Back at Sky Dominion headquarters, war mode was activated.
Red alert.
Full lockdown.
Chen Guoan immediately convened emergency command.
"Tianhai, Eastern Star, Northern Crest, and now Black Dragon Family. They're converging."
Su Manli's fingers danced across the screens.
"They're mobilizing capital at a national scale. This isn't suppression anymore."
"It's eradication."
Lin Cheng stood at the center of the storm.
"Then we escalate."
The Birth of the Lin Faction
For the first time, Lin Cheng activated Project Blood Empire.
A structure he had never dared use in his previous life.
One designed for only one purpose:
Absolute domination.
Within hours, Sky Dominion began absorbing independent power groups.
• Retired generals
• Disgraced political elites
• Underground financial kings
• International arms intermediaries
• Exiled clan heirs
Each owed Lin Cheng a life.
Each swore blood allegiance.
The Lin Faction was born.
Not corporate.
Not political.
But imperial.
GuQingyu'sDilemma
Inside Eastern Star's headquarters, Gu Qingyu stared at the intelligence feed.
Her perfect composure cracked for the first time.
"He's forming a shadow empire."
Her adviser whispered, "Chairwoman… Lin Cheng is building a power system beyond corporate warfare."
Gu Qingyu's eyes gleamed.
"This man… is rewriting the rules."
For the first time in her life—
She hesitated.
Tianhai'sPanic
In Tianhai's underground chamber, Li Tianhao smashed a porcelain cup against the wall.
"Impossible!"
"He's not supposed to have this level of backing!"
His subordinates stood trembling.
"The Lin Faction is recruiting elites at terrifying speed. Three major underground organizations have sworn loyalty in the past twelve hours."
Li Tianhao's face darkened.
"Contact the Shadow Families."
"We need full authorization."
ShadowCouncilConvenes
High above the clouds, in a floating mountain fortress, the Shadow Council gathered.
Eight thrones.
Nine shadows.
One additional silhouette stood in the darkness.
Lin Feng.
"The chessboard has shifted," the woman spoke calmly.
"The younger brother grows too fast."
Lin Feng folded his arms.
"Then let me stop him."
A low chuckle echoed.
"Careful," a voice warned. "He may surpass you."
Lin Feng smiled faintly.
"Then I'll kill him."
EmotionalTempest
Late that night, Su Manli found Lin Cheng standing alone on the rooftop.
The city stretched endlessly beneath him.
"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.
Lin Cheng didn't answer at first.
Then—
"He was my only family."
Su Manli's heart clenched.
"I once believed that blood meant loyalty."
His voice was quiet.
"Now I understand."
"Power decides blood."
Su Manli stepped closer.
"You still have me."
Lin Cheng turned slightly.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, the war, the empires, the bloodlines—all faded.
Only two souls remained.
"I won't lose you," Lin Cheng said.
"Never."
TheFirstClashApproaches
At dawn, emergency intelligence flooded in.
Chen Guoan burst into the room.
"Boss! Black Dragon Family mobilized their enforcement division!"
"Elite kill squads are moving toward Cloud River City!"
Su Manli's face turned pale.
"They're coming for you."
Lin Cheng's gaze hardened.
"Let them."
"Activate Blood Empire Phase One."
"Tonight…"
He stepped toward the rising sun.
"...the world will learn who truly rules the darkness."
TheAssassinsDescend
Satellite footage displayed dozens of black vehicles racing across provincial highways.
Elite mercenaries.
Former special forces.
Professional killers.
All converging on one location.
Sky Dominion Tower.
Chen Guoan whispered.
"This is war."
Lin Cheng smiled coldly.
"No."
"This is extermination."