Above them, the dim light of the safe house flickered as Wu Tian spread a map across the table. The faint smell of mildew and old paper did little for the tense atmosphere in the room. Chen Yan leaned over the table, his brow furrowed as he studied the map's layout of the luxury hotel.
Here it is, Wu Tian said, tapping a corner of the map. Private suite on the top floor. That's where Luo Ming's meeting with Qian Hua is happening.
"Qian Hua," Lin Xia repeated. "What do we know about him?
"A corrupt businessman," Jiang Li said, arms crossed. "He bankrolls half of Luo Ming's operations. Without his money, Luo Ming's empire crumbles. But Qian's not a fool. He'll walk if he thinks Luo Ming's losing control."
Chen Yan nodded, piecing together the plan in his head. "Then we need to make him think exactly that. Wu Tian, do you have those forged documents?"
Wu Tian handed Chen Yan a slender folder. "These make it look like Luo Ming's been skimming profits and planning a double-cross. Plant them somewhere Qian will find them, and the rest will take care of itself."
"And if we get caught?" Lin Xia asked, her voice tight.
Jiang Li shot her a sharp look. "We won't. If everyone does their job."
Chen Yan stepped in before the argument could escalate. "This has to go perfectly. If we mess up, Luo Ming will know we're targeting him, and the fallout will be brutal." He turned to Lin Xia. "You sure you want to do this?" Lin Xia looked back into his eyes steadily. "I'm not sitting on the sidelines anymore."
---
Under neon lights, the city bathed the luxury hotel in glitter, its sleek facade an ode to wealth and power. Chen Yan adjusted the fake ID badge on his loaner-staff uniform as he hopped through the employee entrance, his eyes adjusting to the inside light. Jiang Li pressed in right behind him, his face unreadable.
“Stay sharp,” Wu Tian’s voice crackled through their earpieces. “You’ve got about fifteen minutes before the next security patrol. Don’t screw this up.”
“Relax,” Chen Yan muttered. “We’ve got this.”
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The service elevator carried them to the top floor, where Jiang Li and Chen Yan slipped into the shadows near the suite’s entrance. Guards stood at either end of the hallway, their postures alert.
"Security's tighter than expected," Jiang Li whispered.
Chen Yan tapped his earpiece. "Wu Tian, can you create a diversion?"
"Already on it," Wu Tian replied. A moment later, an alarm sounded from the service elevator, and the guards turned their attention toward it.
"What the hell?" one of them muttered, heading toward the source of the noise.
"Go," Jiang Li hissed, pushing Chen Yan forward.
---
The private suite was a spectacular show of wealth, everything covered in either gold accents or expensive art. Chen Yan and Jiang Li moved swiftly into the study where the meeting would be held.
Chen Yan found a desk in the corner, the drawers slightly opened. He pulled them open all the way, scanning what was inside before slipping the forged documents inside.
Done, he whispered, now we get out.
"Not so fast," Jiang Li said, motioning for Chen Yan to stay low. Voices echoed from the adjoining room as Luo Ming and Qian Hua entered the suite.
"You've got to reassure me, Luo," Qian Hua said, his tone sharp. "Your operations have been chaotic lately. I'm not putting my money into a sinking ship.
Luo Ming’s voice was calm, but there was a hard edge to it. “Relax, Qian. Everything is under control. The recent disruptions are nothing but minor setbacks.”
“Minor setbacks?” Qian scoffed. “I’ve lost three shipments in the past week because of your ‘minor setbacks.’ You’d better have answers.”
Chen Yan’s heart raced as he and Jiang Li listened from their hiding spot. Jiang Li’s eyes flicked toward the exit, silently urging Chen Yan to move.
---
As they slipped out of the study, a guard stepped into their path. His eyes widened in recognition. “Hey! You’re not supposed to be here!”
“Run!” Jiang Li barked.
Chen Yan sprinted, his heart rate skyrocketing as the shouted warning of the guard set off others. The suite boiled over into chaos as Chen Yan and Jiang Li sprinted through the hallways of pulsating lights, dodging oncoming security personnel.
"Wu Tian, we need an exit!" Chen Yan yelled.
"Staircase!" Wu Tian said, "Left, then right." Locking the elevators.
Chen Yan turned left; Jiang Li closely followed. Guards gave chase, and shouts grew louder. In a flash, one guard pounced toward Chen Yan, but he leaned to one side and turned up his Iron Fist skill. With a powerful punch into the man's gut, it sent him crumpled onto the ground, buying Chen Yan and Jiang Li a few precious seconds to get further away.
The stairwell door slammed shut behind them, and Chen Yan doubled over, gasping for breath. Jiang Li leaned against the wall, looking dark.
"That was too close," Jiang Li said.
"But we made it," Chen Yan replied.
"For now," Jiang Li muttered. "Luo Ming's not going to let this slide. We just put a massive target on our backs."
Chen Yan straightened, determination burning in his eyes. “Then we’ll deal with it. One step at a time.”
---
Back at the safe house, the group gathered to review the mission. Wu Tian grinned as he replayed footage from the suite’s surveillance cameras, showing Qian Hua storming out of the meeting in a rage.
"He found the documents," Wu Tian said. "And judging by that reaction, he bought the story."
"Good," Jiang Li said. "But don't get cocky. This is just a small victory. Luo Ming will double down on finding us now."
Lin Xia turned to Chen Yan, her expression troubled. "How far are we going to take this? At some point, someone's going to get hurt-or worse."
Chen Yan faltered, her weight settling in upon his shoulders. "We have no other option. If we quit now, everything would've been done for naught."
---
From within the depths of his own private office, Luo Ming was studying the CCTV of how Chen Yan managed to slip away. His jaws were tight, his hand already reaching for the phone.
"Contact The Broker," Luo Ming said, his voice cold. "I want a meeting. It's time we deal with this little pest."