The Mask of Power

The day began like any other for Xiao Ning, as the soft morning light seeped into his apartment. He moved with his usual sluggishness, the poison weakening his body in the daylight hours. But beneath his calm exterior, his mind was sharp, already calculating his next move, both in his secret work as an assassin and in the corporate world where he quietly wielded immense power.

No one at the software house knew the truth. To them, Xiao Ning was nothing more than a mid-level developer, competent but unremarkable. But behind the mask of this ordinary worker, he controlled one of the most influential corporate empires in the city, Ni Magic, a group of companies that spanned multiple industries, from tech innovations to cutting-edge defense technologies. Xiao Ning’s day job was simply a front, a way to stay under the radar while steering the ship of his vast empire from the shadows.

Xiao Ning arrived at the office, dressed in his usual understated clothes, blending seamlessly into the crowd of employees. As he entered the building, he nodded briefly to the security guard who waved him through without a second thought. His colleagues were already at their desks, typing away at computers, immersed in code. To them, he was just one of them.

But the moment he sat down at his workstation, his fingers tapped out a different sequence of keys on his keyboard. The screen flickered, and then a hidden system appeared, a direct line to his board of directors at Ni Magic.

His assistant, Mr. Zhen, appeared on the encrypted video feed. “Good morning, Sir,” Zhen said with a respectful nod. “The board has submitted the quarterly reports for your review. The merger with the new tech startup is on track, and we’ve completed the acquisition of the defense company you targeted. The global market is responding favorably.”

Xiao Ning scanned the reports, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the data. “Good. Ensure that the integration is seamless. We don’t want the competition catching on to our moves until it’s too late.”

“Understood,” Zhen replied, ever efficient. “And your other instructions?”

“Proceed with the new software development division. I want the AI prototype ready for testing by next quarter. We’ll need it for our defense contracts.”

Zhen hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “And the matter of the charity initiative? The board is asking for your confirmation. They weren’t sure if—”

“Approve it,” Xiao Ning interrupted, his voice steady. “I won’t allow this company to operate without giving back. The children’s education fund will go forward.”

It was one of the few things that mattered to him outside of his missions—using his vast wealth to support causes that had been close to his heart since childhood. His father had always stressed the importance of balance: in martial arts, in life, in power. Wealth wasn’t enough; it had to be used for something more meaningful.

The call ended as quietly as it had begun, and Xiao Ning returned his screen to the normal work mode, just as one of his coworkers passed by.

“Hey, Xiao!” the coworker said cheerfully, leaning over his desk. “You coming to the team lunch later? We’re hitting that new dumpling place!”

Xiao Ning smiled politely, adjusting his glasses. “I’ll try to make it,” he said, though both of them knew he rarely did.

The coworker laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. “Come on, man! You’ve got to be more social. Don’t spend all day buried in code.”

“I’ll do my best,” Xiao Ning replied, his tone friendly but noncommittal. His coworkers never questioned why he avoided social gatherings. He was the quiet, hardworking guy—good enough at his job to be left alone, but not so outstanding that anyone bothered to dig deeper.

Meanwhile, across the city, Bing Rong was deep into her own mission. Another night, another chase. The elusive assassin Night Owl had been spotted again, and this time, she was determined to catch him. As she poured over the intelligence reports in her office, her frustration grew. Every lead they’d followed seemed to evaporate into thin air, as if the man they were chasing could vanish like a shadow.

Her thoughts flickered briefly to Xiao Ning. She hadn't seen him in days, not because she didn’t want to, but because the growing weight of their engagement hung over her like a storm cloud. How could she move forward with someone who, while kind and decent, didn’t seem to understand the world she lived in? The dangers, the stakes. She needed someone who could challenge her, someone who wasn’t just stuck in the mundane routine of a nine-to-five life.

But tonight, there was no time for personal reflection. She would capture Night Owl. She had to. It was becoming an obsession, and every failure to apprehend him was a personal affront to her reputation as the best in the Police Intelligence.

As the sun set, Xiao Ning left the software house, slipping quietly into the evening air. He returned to his apartment, but his mind was already on the mission ahead. Another target. Another night as Night Owl. He could feel the poison weakening, the strength returning to his body with the fading daylight.

Before he left, Xiao Ning paused to check his phone—a simple message from Mr. Zhen: Ni Magic's accounts are in perfect order, Sir. All business dealings are secure.

Satisfied, Xiao Ning slipped into the shadows, his transformation complete. By day, he controlled an empire from the shadows, and by night, he became one of the most feared assassins in the world. Both identities carefully kept apart. Both equally important.

And both leading him closer to the woman he loved, who still believed she deserved someone better. Little did Bing Rong know, the man she sought was the very man she was engaged to.

Tonight would be no different. He would complete his mission as Night Owl, and by morning, he would return to his quiet office life. The balance of power and secrecy that he maintained so carefully would hold—at least for now.

But Xiao Ning knew that every secret had its breaking point.

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