Shanghai
The aircraft landed smoothly.
A few minutes later, a black luxury sedan left the airport and merged into the traffic.
Xin sat in the rear seat.
His eyes quietly observed the city through the tinted windows.
Four years.
It had been four years since he had last set foot here.
The familiar skyline looked different now.
New towers had appeared.
Old buildings had disappeared.
Even the roads seemed busier than before.
"This place has changed a lot."
His voice was calm.
The driver nodded respectfully.
"Yes, Mr. Xin."
"There has been a lot of development in recent years."
Xin continued looking outside.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who rented the building that used to be our headquarters?"
The driver immediately answered.
"Initially it was going to be rented to several domestic companies."
"But the entire property was eventually acquired by an international company."
Xin finally looked away from the window.
"Hmm?"
"Which company?"
The driver hesitated for a moment.
Then spoke.
"Reaper Group."
A faint surprise appeared on Xin’s face.
"Reaper?"
The name was not unfamiliar.
In recent years it had become impossible to ignore.
The company had expanded aggressively across multiple industries.
Its growth was almost abnormal.
"They made huge profits after entering the market."
"I once considered investing."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"But neither do they accept outside investments..."
"Nor are they publicly listed."
His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest.
"I wonder which powerful family is behind them."
For a moment he looked toward the distant skyscrapers.
Then his attention shifted elsewhere.
"Anyway."
"Let’s go meet Ghost first."
The driver’s grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
His hand trembled almost imperceptibly.
"We are already near the location, Mr. Xin."
"Just as you instructed, the observation point has been prepared."
Xin nodded.
"Good."
The driver continued.
"This could be a trap."
"Right now the target is not inside the apartment."
"So we decided to wait until nightfall."
"He should eventually return."
Xin smiled.
A patient smile.
The smile of a hunter who believed his prey had already stepped into the cage.
"Good."
"We wait."
Outside the car.
Shanghai continued its busy day completely unaware of the storm quietly approaching.
...
Earlier
Ancient Warrior Order Base
The operations room was unusually quiet.
Several warriors and analysts worked around the large displays.
Darius stood beside the communication console.
The call continued connecting.
A few seconds later.
Someone finally picked up.
"Hello?"
A young woman’s voice echoed through the speaker.
Miles immediately recognized it.
Years had passed.
But some voices never changed.
"Wang Yi?"
A brief silence followed.
Then came a cautious reply.
"Who am I speaking with?"
Miles smiled faintly.
"You once said you would invite me there in the future."
"Did you forget already?"
Another silence.
Longer this time.
Then suddenly.
A voice filled with disbelief.
"Troubled Kid?"
"Are you Troubled Kid?"
Several people in the room exchanged confused looks.
Only Miles smiled.
"Now I regret never telling you my name."
"You are still calling me Troubled Kid?"
A soft laugh came from the other side.
A laugh carrying years of memories.
"I thought I would never hear your voice again."
For a brief moment.
Neither of them spoke.
As if both had returned to that peaceful art school in Shanghai.
Back when life had been simpler.
Back before everything fell apart.
Miles finally broke the silence.
"My name is Miles."
Another short pause.
Then Wang Yi spoke softly.
"Miles."
"A good name."
A faint smile appeared on her face even though no one could see it.
Then her voice became serious.
"I know why you called."
The warmth slowly disappeared.
Only guilt remained.
"I am sorry."
"Because of me, all of this is happening."
Her voice became quieter.
"I never knew that bastard would come back."
The sadness was obvious.
The self blame.
The worry.
The guilt she had been carrying for years.
Miles listened silently.
Then asked the question that mattered most.
"You are safe, right?"
"Is there any chance they know about the village?"