The Longhai Docks had once been a gateway to the city's soul—goods, people, secrets flowing in and out like blood. Now, it was half-shuttered, its bones rusting in salt air and silence. Lin Feng stood alone beside the forgotten warehouse noted in Lin Ke's file. A gull shrieked overhead. Somewhere nearby, someone lit a cigarette. He didn't turn.
"You were followed," said a voice behind him.
"I know," Lin Feng replied.
Qian Juxiao stepped into view, glancing at the cracked concrete underfoot. "You told me not to come."
"You came anyway."
"Because the ones watching you today aren't from the Crimson Circle. They're private—extraction-level. Lin Ke wasn't offering you a project. She handed you bait."
Lin Feng nodded. "And whoever bites first tells me who really wants me gone."
He turned toward the water. On the other side of the docks, men were gathering near a cluster of rusted shipping containers—too organized to be squatters, too cautious to be dockworkers.
"Mercenaries?" Qian asked.
"No," Lin Feng said. "They're pawns. The hand moving them isn't Crimson. It's Silver."
Qian's gaze darkened. "Luo Zixuan?"
"Or someone above him. The ones who benefit from us chasing crimson shadows while silver chains tighten."
That Night – Jiangyin Clubhouse
Xu Shanyue ran her finger over a report. Satellite imagery of Longhai Docks. Dots marked movement. A red triangle tagged Lin Feng's location.
"You tracked him," she said to Guo Yuwei without lifting her eyes.
"We always track anyone who receives a Crimson-marked folder."
She exhaled. "And you saw what happened?"
"He waited. They came. He didn't flinch."
Xu closed the file. "He's baiting us. Or baiting them through us. Either way…"
Guo hesitated. "You said you'd send a message."
"I'm going myself."
His eyes widened. "That breaks tradition."
"Tradition doesn't survive fire." She stood, her eyes steel. "And Lin Feng is becoming fire."
Next Morning – Longhai Docks
The early fog clung low over the asphalt as Lin Feng returned. This time, he wasn't alone.
Su Qingyue stood beside him, dark coat flaring in the breeze, a silent shadow. She hadn't asked why he called her. She only came. Her eyes scanned the waterline with quiet calculation.
"Xu Shanyue will come," Lin Feng said.
"You're sure?"
"She's not just the face of the Crimson Circle," he murmured. "She's the hinge. If she moves, something opens. Or slams shut."
Minutes passed. Then, a car door opened at the dock's edge.
Xu Shanyue stepped out, alone.
Her heels clicked sharply against the concrete as she approached. The fog parted for her.
"You should be careful," she said softly. "These docks have mouths. And sometimes, they whisper to the wrong people."
Lin Feng smiled. "Then let's make sure they whisper the right story."
Their eyes locked—no venom, no flirtation. Just mutual clarity.
Xu drew something from her coat pocket: a folded map. She handed it to him.
"This is the old underground network beneath Longhai. Forgotten even by most city planners. If you're going to build power here," she said, "know where the ghosts live."
Lin Feng accepted it. "Why help me?"
"I'm not," she said quietly. "I'm choosing which enemy I want to face."
Then she turned and walked into the fog again.