[LOCATION: NETHER-CORE TOWER — LOBBY]
[TIME: 08:30 AM]
Mei Lin smoothed her skirt for the tenth time.
It was a cheap suit. Polyester. Itched in the heat. But it was the only one she owned.
She sat on a folding chair in the middle of the most terrifying lobby she had ever seen. The floors were black marble. The air smelled like ozone and... something metallic. Copper?
And the statues.
Two ten-foot-tall iron giants stood by the elevators. They looked so real. Like they were watching her.
"Miss Mei?"
Mei Lin jumped.
A man in glasses was standing over her. He looked exhausted. Pale skin, dark circles, nervous twitch in his left eye.
Han. The Operations Manager.
"Yes!" Mei Lin stood up too fast, dropping her resume. She scrambled to pick it up. "Sorry. I'm nervous. I really need this job."
Han looked at the resume. Then he looked at the front door. Then he looked at the "statues."
"You're human," Han said. It wasn't a question. It sounded like a diagnosis.
"Yes, sir. Is that... a problem? The ad said 'Equal Opportunity Employer'."
"It's not a problem," Han muttered. "It's a liability. Listen, kid. This isn't a normal logistics company. The turnover rate is... high. The hours are weird. The clients are aggressive."
"I can handle aggressive!" Mei Lin said, desperate. "I worked retail during the Lunar New Year sales! I have thick skin!"
Han sighed. He looked like he wanted to tell her to run.
Ding.
The elevator opened.
A man walked out.
He didn't walk like a manager. He walked like he owned the gravity in the room. Charcoal suit. Perfect tie. Eyes that seemed to absorb the light.
Mei Lin felt a sudden pressure in her chest. She stopped breathing for a second.
"Mr. Han," the man said. Voice smooth. Cold. "Is this the applicant?"
"Yes, sir. Mei Lin. 19. No criminal record. Human."
Ren Wu looked at her.
He didn't smile. He inspected her like he was checking the structural integrity of a bridge.
Mei Lin trembled. She thought about her grandmother. The hospital bills. The empty fridge.
She forced herself to look him in the eye.
"I'm a hard worker, sir. I type 90 words per minute. I organize files. I make good coffee. Please."
Ren held her gaze for three seconds.
Then, the pressure vanished.
"5,000 Spirit Silver a month," Ren said. "Full health insurance. Dental included."
Mei Lin's jaw dropped. "Five... thousand?"
That was five times the minimum wage in Sector 9. That was 'save her grandmother' money.
"But there are rules," Ren continued. "Rule one: You do not go into the basement. Rule two: You do not ask clients personal questions. Rule three: If the alarm sounds, you hide under the desk and cover your ears."
Ren extended a hand.
"Welcome to Nether-Core, Miss Mei."
Mei Lin shook it. His hand was cold.
"Thank you, sir! I won't let you down!"
"I know," Ren said. "Han, get her a badge. We open in ten minutes."
[LOCATION: THE FRONT DESK]
[TIME: 02:00 PM]
Mei Lin loved this job.
The phone barely rang. The computer was brand new. The air conditioning was amazing.
She hummed a pop song as she organized the "Invoices" folder. She didn't read them closely. They had weird codes like [LIQUIDATION FEE] and [SOUL TAX], but she figured that was just logistics jargon.
Behind her, the elevator chimed.
Lingshan walked out.
Mei Lin smiled. "Hi, Miss Lingshan! Can I get you anything?"
Lingshan stopped. She was wearing her usual black suit.
She was also dragging a heavy black trash bag that was shaped suspiciously like a person. It left a wet trail on the marble.
Mei Lin blinked. "Is that... trash?"
Lingshan stared at her with empty eyes. She didn't speak. She just nodded once.
"Oh! The janitors must have missed it," Mei Lin said cheerfully. "Do you need help? It looks heavy."
Lingshan shook her head. She effortlessly hoisted the 200-pound bag over her shoulder and walked out the front door toward the dumpster.
"Such a dedicated employee," Mei Lin thought. "So strong."
She went back to typing.
SLAM.
The front doors flew open. They didn't open; they were kicked.
A man stormed in.
He was huge. Seven feet tall. Red skin. Tusks jutting from his lower jaw. He wore armor made of scrap metal and road signs.
A heavy iron scroll was strapped to his back.
Iron-Blood Messenger.
Mei Lin froze. Her retail training kicked in.
"W-Welcome to Nether-Core," she squeaked. "Do you... have an appointment?"
The giant ignored her. He marched to the center of the lobby. He smelled like burning tires and old blood.
He reached for the scroll on his back.
But to Mei Lin, it looked like he was reaching for a weapon.
"Sir!" Mei Lin stood up, trembling. "Please! You can't bring weapons in here!"
The giant snarled. He slammed a heavy, iron-plated gauntlet onto her desk.
CRACK.
The mahogany desk splintered. Mei Lin screamed and scrambled backward, falling out of her chair.
"REN WU!" the giant roared. His voice shook the glass walls. "WARLORD KUI DEMANDS YOUR HEAD!"
He raised a fist to smash the desk—and Mei Lin—into paste.
"Excuse me."
A voice from the mezzanine.
Soft. But it cut through the noise like a razor.
Ren Wu stood on the balcony, holding a tea cup.
He looked down at the giant.
"You are upsetting my receptionist."
The giant looked up. "Ren Wu! Receive this Declaration of—"
Ren lifted one finger.
[DECREE: KNEEL]
WHAM.
It wasn't magic. It was gravity.
The giant crumbled. His armor buckled. His knees smashed into the marble floor, cracking the stone. He tried to stand, but the air pressure pinned him down like a hydraulic press.
Mei Lin peeked over the edge of her broken desk. eyes wide.
She didn't see the magic. She just saw her boss looking very angry, and the rude customer suddenly falling down.
"Mr. Ren?" she whispered.
Ren walked down the stairs. Calmly. Step by step.
He stopped in front of the groaning giant.
"We have a strict policy against workplace harassment," Ren said.
He reached into the giant's armor and pulled out the iron scroll.
"I'll take that."
Ren looked at the door. "Lingshan. Escort the guest out."
Lingshan appeared. She grabbed the 300-pound giant by the ankle and dragged him out the door like a sack of potatoes.
Ren turned to Mei Lin.
He fixed his cuffs.
"Are you injured, Miss Mei?"
Mei Lin shook her head, terrified. "No... sir. Who... who was that?"
"Aggressive competitor," Ren said smoothly. "Corporate espionage is getting out of hand. I apologize for the disruption."
He tapped her desk.
"Take the rest of the day off, Mei Lin. Paid leave. Go buy your grandmother something nice."
Mei Lin blinked. "Really?"
"Really. We have some... restructuring to do this afternoon. It will be loud."
Mei Lin nodded, grabbed her purse, and ran. She didn't ask questions. She just wanted to go home.
[LOCATION: EXECUTIVE OFFICE]
[TIME: 02:30 PM]
Ren unrolled the iron scroll.
It was written in blood.
[TO THE THIEF REN WU]
[YOU STOLE MY ROAD. YOU STOLE MY WAREHOUSE. YOU INSULTED MY HONOR.]
[TONIGHT, THE IRON-BLOOD ARMY MARCHES.]
[WE WILL BURN YOUR TOWER. WE WILL EAT YOUR HEART.]
[SIGNED: WARLORD KUI]
Han read over his shoulder. He was hyperventilating.
"It's a War Declaration. A formal one. They're coming tonight. All of them. Sir, we only have two Golems!"
Ren dropped the scroll into the trash can.
"He wants a war," Ren said.
He sat down at his desk. He pulled out a piece of pristine, white stationery. He dipped his pen in black ink.
"I don't do wars, Han. Wars are messy. Expensive. Bad for property values."
Ren began to write. His handwriting was elegant, sharp, and cruel.
"We are a legitimate business now. We handle things legally."
He finished the letter. He stamped it with the Nether-Core Seal.
[NOTICE OF INTENT TO AUDIT]
[RECIPIENT: WARLORD KUI]
[SUBJECT: COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT & UNLAWFUL OPERATION]
[VIOLATION: OPERATING A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE IN SECTOR 9 (MY SECTOR)]
[PENALTY: LIQUIDATION OF ASSETS]
[TIMEFRAME: IMMEDIATE]
Ren handed the letter to Han.
"Send the Golem," Ren said. "Deliver this to their fortress."
Han stared at the paper. "You... you're sending a Cease and Desist order to a Blood Warlord?"
"It's not just a letter, Han," Ren said, turning to look at the smog-choked city skyline.
"It's an eviction notice."
Author's Note:
Mei Lin thinks she works for FedEx. She actually works for the Mafia.
Next Chapter: The Golem delivers the letter. Warlord Kui makes a very bad decision.
Add to Library to see the hostile takeover begin!