In a brightly lit office somewhere in the capital, a group of strong, hardened assassins cowered in fear. The mission had failed - and here, failure was unacceptable.
"We tried our best boss - but they had expert help"
BANG!
The person who delivered the news crumpled to the floor, holding his right arm.
"If that was your best, then you don't need to keep your arm." The cold voice of their Leader cut through the air. " You are telling me a wounded Aegis, "on death's door", as you reported it, was able to hide a hostage and also escape with his team?! Isn't that telling me that you are all useless?!"
No one came to help up their bleeding team mate. He gasped, pressing his hand deeply against the wound, trying to muffle his cries of pain.
"Who helped them?"
No one dared to speak.
"Their tech support" the same messenger reported bravely, his voice catching and trembling because of the pain. "We… we suspected he had one more team member in the shadows. We were right. This was him. He controlled the grid and set up a code to erase on breach."
There was an oppressive silence. No one dared to meet their Boss' cruel gaze.
The door opened and assistant Han Zeyu strode in. In their team, only assistant Han had this much authority - to actually dare to disturb their boss in the middle of a meeting. And rightfully so. As their boss' right hand man, he handled everything within the organization and was their lead operator.
Rumor had it that Han Zeyu was once an excellent soldier. An elite - one of the top operatives, who carried out dangerous missions unflinchingly. However he was betrayed. And, none of his team or even the military came to rescue him. It was their boss who, almost at the cost of his career, had mobilized a team to rescue him from behind enemy lines.
Since then, Han Zeyu's loyalty to their boss was absolute. He became Black Lotus' core team member, setting up sleeper cells and training agents with expertise he had honed from his time at the military.
He was known for being cruel and ruthless. When his cells were methodically dismantled by Aegis, he showed absolutely no mercy and terminated the compromised agents instantly to avoid being traced back to the core team. To this day, the rise of The Black Lotus can be heavily attributed to Han Zeyu.
So when Han Zeyu burst in with urgent news, the team knew things were starting to get worse.
"The code is alien" he reported. "It not only destroys on contact, it also can trace and track. Two of our mainframe data was wiped out before we could catch it" he finished.
Their boss' eyes narrowed. "You not only failed but also made us suffer losses?! A waste of space." and shot their bleeding comrade right in between his eyes. "I need the details of their tech expert within the next 48hrs" he ordered the rest.
The assassins fled, no one daring to even approach the still-warm corpse of their fallen comrade. Han Zeyu didn't flinch. He quietly waited for his boss to gather his thoughts.
"Any further clues on Aegis' identity?" he asked Han Zeyu.
"We've confirmed it's not him." replied Han Zeyu evenly. "During this time, our spies watched the Sanatorium closely - no one left. Doctors visited and treatments proceeded as normal."
"Then who are you Aegis?" he murmured deep in thought. This time, he had recklessly gambled and had almost exposed his contact at Central Command. He knew it was risky. But he had thought it would eradicate the new team before it was formed. Or atleast expose Aegis. Instead, they had lost - spectacularly.
"Let's continue vigilance. And, shift focus on their tech talent - we want that on our team" he commanded. Defeat did not dishearten him. It just sharpened his focus.
In fact he had quite the track record of winning against mighty opponents. His lips turned up in a cruel smirk at what his last opponent was now reduced to - frequent visits to the Sanatorium, shunned by society, and not even respected by family.
"I will end you too Aegis" he muttered and walked out, leaving the corpse to continue bleeding on the carpet - a grotesque contrast to the well lit, airy office.
In City C, "the tech talent" who was being desperately scouted was… rather annoyed. For a moment she had been tempted to hack back into her team's feeds and help them - but decided against it.
They wouldn't fully trust her yet. And, such overt tactics would only make them more cautious. It would also just paint a target on her back. Currently, when she was still getting stronger, she wanted to lay low.
Knowing her help so far would definitely get the out, she merely left a note to Ghostwire on the Darknet.
"Code is parasitic. It will infect and dismantle enemy encryption on contact. Backdoor self-cleans in 48 hours. You're safe."
Her job done, she began shutting down her systems.
Does that mean I get the recommendation? She mused. Probably not. They would've made it out - who knows if they are allowed to talk about this. "Looks like I have to scout around for more projects" she murmured.
It was getting late. Given that she didn't have a project to do, she decided to sneak back to the Lu house.
When she came to the front lawn, she saw the Pei family's sleek black car in the drive way. Huh, he must be getting pretty desperate, she thought.
Lu Mian silently went around the back, avoiding the security cameras and the guards. It was childishly simple.
She reached the cherry blossom tree that would lead her right up till the second floor bathroom. Slinging her back pack to her back, she quickly shimmied up and landed softly inside the bathroom.
From downstairs, she could make out voices floating up.
"Yan ge, I really don't know where she went - she just ran away" came the sobbing voice of Lu Xinya from the main hall.
Quick as lightning, Lu Mian went to her room and locked the door from inside. She changed her make-up outfit and in 3 minutes, the brooding teenager became a lovely young girl who was getting ready for bed. She silently padded to the door and continued listening.
"Yan'er, don't worry. We will discipline her well. The girl is simply too willful for her own good." came the majestic voice of Grandma Lu. Despite the harsh words, Lu Mian could make out the jubilant undertone in her word.
They must've made the switch! She thought relieved.
And she was right! Pei Yan couldn't take the pressure from his investors. He had tried desperately to get in touch with Lu Mian, who had totally cut off all communication with him.
Given the way the past few conversations had gone, he was a bit annoyed at her behavior as well. He had hastened with his father to the Lu household to talk some sense into her.
Knowing she had run away was the final straw. His Pei family couldn't afford such a scandal right now.
So he decided to make the engagement official with Lu Xinya - and once things settled down, he would just marry Lu Mian. Pei Yan didn't think anything was wrong with this plan at all.
She forced me into this, he thought grimly. Scaring me and threatening me with pointless lies - did she think he Pei Yan was useless? The switch in engagement should scare her enough to come back to him. And Lu Mian would be getting the title of Young Madam Pei - the official wife, later. He didn't think she was loosing out. On the contrary it was him who had to accommodate her willfulness and clean up her mess.
"It's all my fault. I was too lenient with her. I am the step mother after all and couldn't be too harsh." chimed in Aunt Xu downstairs. Lu Mian could almost see her dutifully dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief.
"Enough." Barked her dear father. "Yan'er don't worry. Let us take care of that unfilial child. For now, you focus on the company. The switched engagement will make it easier…"
"I will switch it back out once it all dies down" interjected Pei Yan. "I do intend to marry Lu Mian - using Xinxin in is just a stop gap measure." he said firmly, not realising how superficial he sounded.
Hmph. who wants to marry you!? Thought Lu Mian sourly. She knew Pei Yan had feelings for her, in his own way. However, she found them too shallow and self serving.
If at all she had a relationship, it would be a relationship of equals, where her goals and objectives are just as important as her partners'. I will probably be single for life she guessed and turned her attention back to the conversation downstairs.
Lu Xinya flushed red at Pei Yan's thoughtless words. What does he take me for she thought furiously. Lu Mian what do you have that makes him so crazy. Just you wait. I will make him mine.
Aunt Xu wasn't having it either. "Now, Yan'er where will our Xinxin put her face if you cancel her engagement. As a girl, her reputation is her most important thing…"
"Let's leave the youngsters sort it all out" interjected Father Pei hastily, trying to find a way out. He understood the importance of having Lu Mian as the daughter in law. The girls' contracts were impeccable. Since she started writing them, his company had a 100% win rate. But, like Pei Yan, he wanted to save the company right now - and played the card of a benevolent elder.
"Grandma Lu, old Lu, we will make the announcement tomorrow. Thank you for hosting us - it was inconsiderate of us to barge in" and the Pei family hastened out.
Once she heard the door shut, Lu Mian calmly walked downstairs in her night robe. It was her father who saw her first. "There you are! How dare you run away? Unfilial girl…"
"What do you mean I ran away?" enquired Lu Mian politely. "Teacher Zhao reprimanded me about my math scores and I was trying to work on them".
She knew fully well none of her dear family would've bothered to come up and check her room. They would've been more than happy to just take Lu Xinya's word for it.
"Sister! How could you lie? You clearly ran away - I saw you.."
"Then how did I get through the main door without you noticing me?" Lu Mian asked mildly. "You can lie.."
"I am not lying" yelled Lu Xinya furiously. She couldn't afford to have her good girl image tarnished right now.
"All right all right. Stop yelling" Grandma Lu mediated. "Mianmian, why didn't you come down when the Pei family was here? It was your own fault that they didn't like you and wanted the engagement switched. Don't go asking them to switch it back."
Lu Mian smiled like a shark. "I wouldn't. I already heard Pei Yan say he would marry me. I will just wait till he revokes his engagement with you sister." she replied sweetly.
Lu Xinya clenched her fingers, and in an ungaurded moment, glared at Lu Mian with pure hatred.
"Nonsense. Two sisters in the family fighting for the same man. If word got out, where would we put our face…" began Grandma Lu.
"Oh people already know don't they Grandma?" Lu Mian looked at Aunt Xu "Someone promoted the video at the noodle shop…"
"Mianmian as a girl you should be more reserved." said Aunt Xu hastily. "You shouldn't spew lies. Even your teacher Zhao has a misunderstanding about me…"
"What's Aunt Lu referring to, I don't understand" cut in Lu Mian blandly. Teacher Zhao is just upset my scores are down." she lied with a straight face. "I am not doing well as I used to and he wants me to withdraw from the Olympiad so I can focus on the College Entrance Exams."
"Your scores are down?" enquired her father horrified. "You should be like your sister and work harder. Why, she's even participating in the Nine Strings festival and will bring honor to our family. If you were half like her, the Pei family wouldn't despise you."
"That's why I am asking father to sign the Olympiad papers." she said trying to look pitiful. "I took the papers when Teacher Zhao wasn't looking - if I can win, then…"
Father Lu took the forms and checked the date "The exam is in 2 weeks! How dare you think you can win? Stay home and prepare for the Gaokao."
In the background, Grandma Lu and Aunt Xu exchanged looks. If this girl wants to jump into a pit, they wouldn't stop her.
"Sign it" ordered Grandma Lu abruptly. "Let her try - we don't want to be accused of oppressing her". They could fan the flames when she lost and make her even more hated. "And make sure you tell Teacher Zhao it was all your idea" she added fiercely.
Lu Mian murmured a vague response and fled with the signed form in her hands. She hoped Teacher Zhao would find her a guardian soon. Staying in this family was too exhausting!