Location: Longhai Grand Hall – The Reopened East Wing
Restored for one purpose: theater. The so-called "Truce Summit" between Lin Feng and Luo Zixuan would be held beneath golden chandeliers and in front of a curated press pool. Behind the red-draped curtains, a dozen hidden weapons gleamed—not blades, but narratives, surveillance feeds, and switch-controlled soundbites.
9:00 a.m. sharp.
The doors opened.
Lin Feng walked in alone.
No security, no entourage, just his shadow and the weight of the Ghostlight behind his calm.
Luo Zixuan smiled and stepped forward. "Mr. Lin."
"Mr. Luo," Lin replied.
They shook hands, cameras clicking like gunfire.
To the world, it looked like diplomacy.
To both men, it felt like playing chess on a field wired with mines.
Backroom – Surveillance Van #3
Su Qingyue monitored the audio feed with Mouse beside her. Every mic in the room had been tapped—some by them, some by parties unknown. Mouse leaned closer.
"Someone else is listening."
"Crimson Circle?" Qingyue asked.
Mouse shook his head. "No. Worse. They're relaying it through an offshore relay node. Old Circle registry tech."
A beat passed.
Then: "Same signal signature from the Ravel chip."
Her hands curled into fists. "So this isn't just about the present."
"It's a cleanup operation," Mouse murmured. "They're burning the past."
Inside the Summit
Luo's tone dripped with diplomacy. "We both want peace, Mr. Lin. The people are tired."
Lin Feng nodded, voice level. "Peace begins when exploitation ends."
"You're a difficult man to work with."
"I was never trying to be easy."
Luo leaned in, just enough for the cameras to miss. "We've buried people like you before."
Lin met his gaze. "You're welcome to try again."
And then he slid a folder across the glass table—Ravel's decrypted directive. Unfolded to one name:
Orchid Root
Luo's face didn't change.
But something in his eyes blinked—just once.
Recognition.
Elsewhere – Crimson Circle Records Vault
Xu Shanyue stared at a weathered, high-clearance personnel file. Her fingers trembled.
Name: Qiao Liyuan
Codename: Orchid Root
Status: Deceased – 16 Years Ago
Affiliation: WR-1 Inner Core
Final Project: "GHOSTLANTERN"
Guo Yuwei stood beside her, reading over her shoulder. "That's not possible. She died in the Tianlu collapse."
Xu's voice was cold. "Unless she didn't."
Because at the bottom of the file, two words had been added in pen—old, faint, but unmistakable:
"Reinstated – sleeper."
Grand Hall – Conclusion of the Summit
Lin Feng stood, extended a hand once more.
Luo took it.
The world watched.
But as their fingers met, Luo leaned in and said under his breath:
"She's not dead, Lin Feng. And she made you."
Lin didn't flinch.
Only smiled.
Because in his pocket was a signal—Mouse's text, just arrived:
CODE MATCHED. ORCHID ROOT IS ALIVE.