The Manila rain fell in soft sheets as Wei Xai Yuu navigated the bustling streets, her hoodie pulled over her head to shield her from the drizzle. Despite the chatter of vendors and the honking of jeepneys, her thoughts were elsewhere.
The files from TianLing Corp were incomplete, riddled with gaps that told her someone had deliberately wiped them clean. Yet, the fragments she had managed to extract hinted at something bigger than she had anticipated—a global network of influence, with Black Lotus at its heart.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Kurt Lee: "Lunch? I’m at the café across from the library."
Wei smiled faintly and typed back: "Be there in 10."
---
At the Café
Kurt was waiting at a corner table, his trademark grin lighting up his face when he spotted Wei.
“You’re late,” he teased as she slid into the seat across from him.
“I had things to do,” Wei replied, her tone light but distant.
Kurt studied her for a moment. “You’re always so mysterious, Xai. One day, you’re going to have to let me in on your secret life.”
She gave him a wry smile. “And ruin the mystique? Never.”
Kurt laughed, but his expression turned serious. “Hey, are you okay? You’ve seemed… distracted lately.”
Wei hesitated. She wasn’t used to people prying into her life, but with Kurt, it was different. He was persistent, but he cared.
“I’m fine, Kurt,” she said finally. “Just busy.”
Before he could press further, a familiar figure entered the café. Wei’s heart skipped a beat when she recognized him—Leo Zhang.
He caught her gaze and smiled shyly, walking over to their table.
“Hi, Wei,” he said softly.
“Leo,” Wei replied, surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“I… uh… study here sometimes,” he said, glancing nervously at Kurt. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Kurt raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “No interruption at all. Have a seat.”
Leo hesitated before sitting down, his eyes darting between Wei and Kurt.
“So,” Kurt said, leaning back in his chair, “how do you two know each other?”
“We’re in the same economics class,” Leo said quickly.
Kurt smirked. “Ah, classmates. Makes sense.”
The tension at the table was palpable, but Wei didn’t seem to notice. Her mind was already back on the files and the enigmatic figure who kept sending her messages.
---
Meanwhile, in Shanghai
Tian Ling stood on the balcony of his penthouse, the city lights stretching out before him. A glass of wine in his hand, he stared out at the skyline, his thoughts consumed by the Empress.
“Sir,” his assistant said, approaching cautiously, “we’ve found something.”
Tian turned, his eyes sharp. “What is it?”
“We traced one of her proxy servers to Manila. It’s not much, but it’s a start.”
Tian’s lips curled into a smile. “Manila. Interesting. Keep digging.”
“Yes, Mr. Ling.”
As his assistant left, Tian’s mind raced. He was one step closer to finding her, and when he did, he wouldn’t let her slip away again.
---
Nightfall in Manila
Wei sat at her desk, her monitors glowing as she sifted through the encrypted files. Her focus was unbroken, her mind working at lightning speed to piece together the puzzle.
Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. It was another message from Specter.
Specter: “You’re in deeper than you think, Empress. Be careful.”
Wei frowned. Was this a warning or a threat?
Before she could reply, another notification popped up—an alert from her system. Someone was trying to breach her firewall.
“Not again,” she muttered, her fingers flying across the keyboard.
The intruder was skilled, their attacks precise and relentless. But Wei was ready. She countered every move, her adrenaline spiking as she realized who it was.
Specter.
“Let’s see how far you’re willing to go,” she whispered, launching a counter-attack.
The digital duel lasted for what felt like hours, both hackers pushing their limits. But just as Wei thought she had the upper hand, Specter sent her a message:
Specter: “You’ve impressed me, Empress. But this is just the beginning.”
And then he was gone, his traces wiped clean.
Wei leaned back in her chair, her chest heaving. Whoever Specter was, he wasn’t just a rival—he was a threat.
---
Closing Scene: Yuki Hamamatsu
Thousands of miles away, in a high-rise apartment in New York, Yuki Hamamatsu watched his monitors with a smirk. The Empress was everything he had heard and more—smart, relentless, and unpredictable.
“She’s better than I expected,” he murmured to himself, shutting down his system.
Yuki stood and stretched, his tall frame casting a shadow across the room. He didn’t care about Black Lotus or the files she was chasing. His interest was in her.
“You’ve got my attention, Empress,” he said, his voice low. “Let’s see how long you can keep it.”
---
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