Basement of Silence, Blood of Truth
The basement parking of Z.Y Empire was drowned in silence.
Not the peaceful kind—
but the kind that pressed against the ears, heavy and suffocating.
Zain Yan stood beside his black Lamborghini, one hand resting on the cold metal of the car door. The dim yellow lights above cast sharp shadows across his face, making the darkness in his eyes appear even deeper. His jaw was clenched, lips pressed into a thin, merciless line. He hadn't removed his suit jacket, but the aura around him felt stripped of all civility.
Footsteps echoed sharply.
Qian approached in long, hurried strides. His breathing was uneven, and the tightness in his eyes betrayed an anxiety he rarely allowed to surface. He stopped a few feet away, instinctively scanning the empty parking lot before lowering his voice.
"We followed your instructions," Qian said quietly. "Saud has been secured… in the old Shenzhen warehouse near the docks. Bound. Isolated. No witnesses."
Zain's eyes flickered.
A terrifying glint flashed through them—brief, lethal.
"Good," he said.
He opened the car door and slid into the driver's seat with controlled precision. The engine hummed low, like a restrained beast.
As Qian got into the passenger seat, Zain spoke again—his voice calm, almost detached.
"Tonight, he pays for every bullet that pierced my mother's chest."
The car roared to life.
Above Ground: Laughter Before the Storm
Upstairs, in the creative department, the atmosphere couldn't have been more different.
Soft chatter, the hum of computers, and occasional laughter filled the open office. Anya sat at her desk, reviewing slides for her next presentation, her fingers moving steadily over the keyboard—though her mind lagged behind.
Xia lounged casually on her chair beside her, blowing gently on her freshly painted nails.
"Anya," Xia said lazily, waving her hand in the air to dry the polish, "why do you look like you're attending a funeral? Relax. It's just work."
Before Anya could reply, Xia leaned closer, lowering her voice theatrically.
"By the way, did you notice? Boss Zain and Qian just rushed downstairs like their lives depended on it. I bet it's either a billion-dollar deal… or they're off to dispose of someone."
She laughed, clearly joking.
But Anya froze.
Her pen slipped slightly between her fingers.
For reasons she couldn't explain, a sharp wave of anxiety crashed into her chest. Her heartbeat quickened, loud and uneven, as if trying to warn her of something unseen.
"I don't know why," Anya murmured, unconsciously pressing her fingers together, "but something feels… wrong today. Since morning. Even my right hand keeps twitching."
Huan Jing, standing nearby with a tablet in hand, looked up and immediately sensed the shift in Anya's mood. She stepped closer and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You're just shaken from yesterday," she said gently. "Anyone would be. That man can terrify even the bravest souls. Come on—let's finish early today. We'll go out, clear your head."
Anya nodded, forcing a small smile.
But the unease refused to leave.
The Warehouse: Where Humanity Ends
The old warehouse near the port looked less like a building and more like a slaughterhouse forgotten by time.
The air was thick with the stench of rust, oil, and something far worse—decay. Flickering lights barely illuminated the cavernous space. Chains hung from the ceiling, clinking softly whenever the wind slipped through the broken walls.
Saud was suspended from a large iron hook, his wrists chained above his head. His feet barely touched the ground. Blood dripped steadily from his wounds, splattering onto the concrete floor in grotesque patterns.
His body trembled—not from cold, but from terror.
Footsteps echoed.
Zain Yan emerged slowly from the shadows.
He had removed his suit jacket. His white shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing forearms tense with restrained violence. In his hand was a small, curved surgical scalpel, its blade gleaming blue under the hanging lamp.
"Saud…"
Zain's voice was barely above a whisper.
Yet it carried death within it.
"Do you remember what happened to your partner, Rako?" Zain continued calmly, circling him. "He refused to speak. So I had both his legs cut off with a saw. Twelve hours. He screamed for twelve hours… until the last drop of his blood dried on the floor."
Saud whimpered, his body shaking violently.
Zain leaned close, the blade brushing lightly against Saud's neck, not cutting—yet.
"I promise you something worse," Zain murmured. "A death so terrifying that your soul will tremble even in your next life."
His eyes hardened.
"Now tell me—who pulled the trigger on my mother eleven years ago?"
Saud broke.
"D-Dragon King…" he stammered, tears streaming down his face. "He was our master. Lu Kang was his most loyal dog—until he betrayed him!"
Zain's expression twisted.
The scalpel pierced Saud's cheek.
"Lies," Zain hissed. "Lu Kang is the Dragon King."
"No!" Saud screamed, pain twisting his features into madness. Then—he laughed. A broken, hysterical sound.
"You think you can win?" he gasped. "Lu Kang isn't just a name. But even he is afraid… afraid of the Dragon King. He betrayed him, and now the Dragon King is searching for Lu Kang's most precious possession."
Zain's grip tightened.
"What possession?"
Saud coughed blood.
"A person," he whispered. "Lu Kang's weakness… his niece. He hid her for years so the Dragon King couldn't reach her. And that girl… she works in your office—"
BANG.
A deafening gunshot tore through the air.
A sniper's bullet shattered Saud's skull, splattering blood and fragments across Zain's pristine white shirt.
Saud was dead before his body finished swaying.
Silence returned.
But the words echoed like thunder in Zain's mind.
Decision of the Devil
The Lamborghini tore through the streets, tires screaming against wet asphalt.
Inside the car, Zain's hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Qian finally spoke, his voice cautious.
"Zain… if Anya doesn't know who her uncle really is… she seems innocent."
Zain didn't look at him.
"There is no innocence in this world," he replied coldly. "If she carries Lu Kang's blood, then she is my enemy."
His jaw clenched.
"In this war between the Dragon King and Lu Kang, Anya Lu will be the sacrifice."
A Quiet Night, A Fatal Dawn
Rain tapped softly against Anya's window.
She stood there, watching the droplets slide down the glass, a faint smile on her lips. For the first time in days, she felt hopeful—believing her family, especially Uncle Lu, would soon be closer. That life might finally become easier.
She had no idea.
That the man she would face the next morning was no longer her silent protector—
but her greatest nightmare.
Zain Yan had made his decision.
Tomorrow's sunrise would not bring Anya Lu a new beginning.
It would drag her into a waking nightmare.