Macau was neon and shadow, all flash and smoke.
Ruoqi adjusted his earpiece as he stepped out of the van, eyes locked on the rooftop of the Star Bridge Hotel. The signal was strongest here — the ghost-ping from Yan Shaoxing's last drop.
SkyInk's system hovered quietly on his wrist tablet, real-time overlays mapping the path of the bouncing data packet. They were close. Too close.
System Feed: External Ghost Sync Active
Signal Origin: 98.6% locked
Alert: Trap Probability High (Simulated Repetition Pattern Detected)
Ruoqi paused at the stairwell.
Something was wrong.
The bounce trail was too clean. Almost... scripted.
Meanwhile, in SkyInk HQ...
Jiang Yue was mid-interview, her voice clear, firm, slicing through the soft-spoken anchors of the cultural spotlight program.
"Pain teaches you what applause never could. You only grow if you survive it."
She wasn't acting. She was radiating.
And the world listened.
System Update:
Jiang Yue's Live Interview Ranking:#1 in National Streaming
Emotional Resonance Index: 97.3%
System Effect: Long-term Audience Loyalty: +11.8%
But while the interview played across SkyInk's outer walls, Zeyan sat with his inner circle.
And one of them — Shen Ming, Chief Communications Officer — was sweating.
"This... leak cycle is too coordinated," he said. "It feels like someone knows our PR rhythm before we even react."
Zeyan tilted his head.
"Do they, Ming?"
Ming blinked.
"I—no. I mean, unless we have a mole again."
Zeyan didn't move.
But the system did.
System Flag:
Behavioral Pattern Mismatch - Shen Ming
Historical Trust Score: 92.4%
Current Behavior Predictive Score: 64.1%
Discrepancy Triggered
Monitoring Suggested: Real-Time Passive Extraction Enabled
Back in Macau, Ruoqi reached the rooftop.
The signal pulsed.
He followed it to a service box.
Inside: a flash drive. Wired to a portable WiFi module.
"It's a loop," he whispered. "A damn loop."
He pulled the plug.
Instantly, the feed died.
System Notice:
False Signal Confirmed
Bait Set to Trigger Data Surge on Interception
Anti-Trace Defense Activated: 68% System Contained
But not all.
The 32% leak went live before they could block it.
And it hit hard.
"SkyInk Under Surveillance: Internal Tapes Reveal Private Executive Strategy Sessions"
Clips hit the net.
Zeyan talking tactics. Staff voicing concerns. One board member venting about investor lies. Edited, weaponized.
And Shen Ming?
Gone.
He'd resigned thirty minutes before the loop hit. Left a note.
"It wasn't about hate. It was about leverage. Don't follow me."
Zeyan stared at the screens.
He didn't speak for a long time.
Then, to his system:
"Open Cold Contingency File: Protocol S—'Glasshouse.'"
System: Confirmed.
Executing Final Loyalty Audit. Initiating Inner Firewall Reconstruction.
Target: Core Leadership Integrity Check.
Meanwhile...
Jiang Yue stepped out of the studio into a crowd of fans.
One held up a sign: "You carried us through fire. Let us carry you now."
She smiled.
Then checked her phone.
The leaks were everywhere.
She opened a group call to Zeyan.
"Tell me what's breaking, and tell me how I hold it."
System Joint Sync Activated
FL-ML Strategic Interface Enabled
Priority Target: Stop Internal Bleed
Suggested Plan: Divide and Rebuild
FL: Public Anchor
ML: Private Purge
Outcome Estimate: Success Probability 74.5% if next 72 hours controlled
And so the counterplay began.
One face in the light. One shadow behind the curtain.
And the traitors?
Soon to feel the full weight of both.