Chapter 1 – The Stroll Before the Storm
The room glowed in soft neon blue, reflected off tempered glass and brushed steel. Screens lined the far wall, each alive with streams of code and cascading data. In the center of it all sat Li Feng, fingers gliding across the keyboard with precision born from years of silent obsession.
Lines of text scrolled, a system security audit in progress. He leaned back in his chair, watching his custom-built interface complete the final vulnerability scan.
A notification blinked:
["Report compiled. Upload complete."]
A deep breath escaped his lips. The sound of quiet satisfaction.
He wasn't just another hacker scraping for cash — Li Feng was the name whispered in encrypted chats, the ghost corporations paid not to see. For someone who'd grown up in an orphanage, with nothing but a hand-me-down laptop and a stubborn will, he'd carved his way to the top of the digital underworld.
The apartment reflected it — walls lined with hardware trophies, ambient lights that shifted hues with the rhythm of his music, and a skyline view of the city's heartbeat through a floor-to-ceiling window.
Yet amid all that luxury, it was quiet. Too quiet.
Li Feng stared at the glass reflection — a man in his late twenties, lean but athletic, sharp features softened by fatigue. His hair fell slightly over dark eyes that had seen too many screens and too little sun.
He rubbed his neck and murmured,
"Maybe I really have been cooped up too long." He stood, grabbed his jacket, and stepped out.
MS City
The city at night was alive — rain-slick streets glistening under streetlights, faint jazz leaking from a nearby café, and the low hum of engines passing by. Li Feng slipped his hands into his pockets, letting the drizzle tap gently against his face.
For the first time in weeks, he felt the world again.
The smell of asphalt. The chatter of strangers. The pulse of life beyond glowing monitors.
He smiled faintly.
"Maybe I should do this more often."
He turned into a quieter street when a sudden voice cut through the air — hurried, desperate.
"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!"
A young woman dashed toward him, eyes wide with panic. She grabbed his arm tightly.
Li Feng blinked. "Uh—"
"I—I'm sorry—" she began, voice trembling. Then she froze, eyes darting past him. "Please," she whispered quickly, clutching his sleeve, "pretend you know me. Please."
Three men were walking toward them from the corner—unhurried, but with purpose. Their footsteps echoed faintly against the pavement, too steady, too synchronized to be coincidence.
Li Feng's mind clicked into place almost automatically.
Three targets. Coordinated movement. Eyes fixed on her… and now me.
He smiled lightly, slipping an arm around the girl's shoulder. "There you are," he said, as if nothing were wrong. "You said you'd just grab a drink."
Her relief was almost palpable. "Y-yeah. Sorry, I didn't think you'd come looking for me."
The men stopped a few meters away. The one in front—broad-shouldered, with an expensive watch that didn't match the rest of his outfit—looked Li Feng over with lazy disdain.
"This your guy?"
"Yeah," she said, clutching tighter at Li Feng's arm.
The man chuckled. "Cute. We just wanted to talk, that's all. You mind, friend?"
Li Feng's gaze flicked to him, then to the two in the back. One was pretending to check his phone, the other tracing circles on the ground with his foot, slowly angling to the side. The rhythm was deliberate.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he smiled faintly, tone even.
"Look, I don't know what's going on here, but I'd suggest you stop. There are cameras on this street, and the police patrol comes by every twenty minutes."
"Cameras?" the leader laughed. "Sure. And maybe a satellite too?"
Li Feng shrugged. "Maybe. I do some consulting in cybersecurity. I know how fast they can trace faces these days. You don't want that kind of heat."
That made them pause—just for a second. Then the man to his left snorted, muttering, "Big talk for a guy playing pretend."
Li Feng's expression didn't change. "You can test it if you want. But I'd rather end my night with a walk than a police statement."
The leader's smile flattened. "Funny guy. Thing is, we're not done talking."
He took half a step forward. The others mirrored it.
The girl stiffened. Li Feng noticed one of them subtly glancing at his wristwatch, another's eyes flicking to the sleek earbuds around his neck. It wasn't just about her anymore.
They're casing me now.
He adjusted his stance slightly, casual to the untrained eye.
"It doesn't look like you plan on letting me go," he said quietly.
The leader's grin widened. "Smart man."
Li Feng sighed. 'What a night to go on a stroll'
Before the man on the left could complete his slow sidestep, Li Feng moved. A quick pivot—his fist snapped into the man's jaw before he could react. The man reeled back, cursing. The leader lunged, swinging wide. Li Feng ducked under it, grabbed his coat, and drove a knee into his gut.
The girl screamed. One of the thugs drew a knife, slashing wild. Li Feng twisted away, the blade grazing his side. Pain flared hot and sharp.
It didn't matter. He struck back, catching the man's wrist and shoving him into a wall. For a moment, it looked like he might win.
Then came the flash.
The leader, staggering but upright, had pulled something from his pocket. The gun's report split the air like a whipcrack.
Li Feng froze, blinking once, twice, before his legs gave way.
He fell backward, world tilting in slow motion—neon lights, the girl's scream, blood on his hands.
A single thought flickered dimly before the dark closed in:
"Heh... Guess I should've stayed inside after all..."
---
Hello, Author here,
Thanks for reading — Leave a comment to tell me what you think about this chapter, and drop a Power Stone if you're enjoying Li Feng's story so far! Let's grow this story together.