DISTRICT IV – MILITARY SECTOR – 03:11 A.M.
Zhang Wei's suite reeked of power.
Imported marble floors. Rare crystal decanter. Full wall holoscreen playing a muted news cycle praising him for his "stability protocols." A fresh medal from the Peacekeeper Council lay forgotten beside his tactical boots.
He didn't hear the vent cover drop in the corner.
Didn't hear the ghost slip in behind him.
But the System did.
[Target: Zhang Wei – Proximity Achieved][Phase One of Vengeance Initiated: Ruin His Power][Skill Activated: Shadow Walk – Silent Movement in Darkness]
Su Chen crouched in the shadows, watching.
Not ready to kill.
Not yet.
This wasn't about blood.Not at first.
This was about identity.
He approached the primary console — the one linked to Zhang Wei's command codes, surveillance grid, blackmail cache.
[System Interface Override: Accessing Encrypted Folders…][Security Clearance Bypassed – Zhang_Wei_Private: OPENED]
Hundreds of files unspooled before Su Chen's eyes.
— Surveillance of secret Peacekeeper meetings— Recorded betrayals— Bribes— Audio logs of Zhang plotting to destabilize other Commanders— And one file labeled: YUE_CONFESSION.mp4
Su Chen paused.
Played it.
On screen: Lin Yue, six months ago, crying in a sterile room.
"I loved him. But… Zhang said he was a threat to peace. That his ideals would make things worse. I—I helped kill him because I thought the world would be safer without Su."
Su didn't blink.
Didn't pause.
He simply smiled.
"You gave up love for safety. How boring."
TEN MINUTES LATER – NEARBY SIGNAL TOWER
Su Chen uploaded the file to every neutral news node still running in the broken parts of the city. Hacked a dozen anti-establishment networks. Laid it as bait across the underworld's darknets.
And included a little message on each:
"Zhang Wei: The Peacekeeper Who Executes the Honest.""Confession Inside.""Play it before it gets deleted."
By the time Su Chen vanished, three million people had clicked.
And five major factions had declared investigations.
DISTRICT IV – COMMAND TOWER – 07:00 A.M.
Zhang Wei stared at the screen in silence.
The footage was everywhere.
Not just Lin Yue's betrayal—but his manipulations. His voice, his schemes, exposed. Raw. Unfiltered.
"What the hell is this!?" he roared.
His advisors fumbled for answers.
"No breach on record, sir!"
"No indication of signal leakage!"
"The footage is… authentic."
Zhang's hand trembled. "This is a setup. It has to be—"
Then he heard a whisper from behind.
His office was sealed.
No one should be there.
But the voice came anyway.
"Tick, tick, tick."
He spun.
Nothing.
Only the scent of burnt wires.
And his reflection in the window — blinking red eyes staring back.
UNDERGROUND SAFEHOUSE – SU CHEN'S BASE
Su Chen stood in front of a crude map plastered with notes, images, red string lines.
Zhang Wei's face sat in the center.
Lin Yue's just beneath it.
And surrounding them—five other faces. Each one once close to him. Each one who turned away when he needed them most.
[System Update: Phase Two Success][Zhang Wei: Political Standing -33%, Public Trust -57%][Trait Unlocked: Kingbreaker (Passive)]Your actions spread unrest. Public targets suffer increased backlash. All reputation systems weakened around you.
[Next Target Unlocked: Mentor Huang]
Su Chen stared at Huang's photo. The old man who once taught him how to lead.
The man who taught him "emotions cloud judgment."
The man who watched him get betrayed.
And did nothing.
"Your turn, old man," Su Chen muttered.
He grabbed his coat.
Lit a cigarette.
"Let's see how wise you sound… when I rip the throne out from under your spine."
DISTRICT II – HUANG'S TEMPLE OF ORDER
Far away, Huang sat cross-legged before a holographic shrine.
He opened his eyes.
Felt the shift.
A cold wind through data streams.
"So," he whispered, "you're still alive."
He folded his hands.
Smiled, sadly.
"And now… the world begins to pay."
End of Chapter 6