Rain finally fell over Yuncheng, soft but relentless, drumming against glass and pavement like a ticking clock. In the Wenhua district, storefronts blinked with tired neon, casting ghostly reflections on the wet streets.
Inside a cold office unit on the third floor of a once-forgotten cyber café, Shen Fu stood by a dusty window, watching workers in raincoats unload crates. Consoles. Furniture. Extension cords. Routers.
The place was his now.
And so were the three others.
Across Wenhua, Shen Fu had moved fast—too fast for Qin Han to react.
Earlier That Morning
Zhang Wei had shown up at Shen Fu's apartment, dragging a suitcase and smelling faintly of beer and sweat.
"Boss," he said, grinning, "I did the digging. It's ugly."
He dropped a folder on the table, its contents spilling out: forged contracts, dummy company listings, offshore transfers disguised as 'equipment fees.'
"All these properties in Wenhua were owned through ghost entities. And guess what? Two of them got linked to Qin Han's cousin in Hong Kong. I've got screenshots, bank traces. He's been siphoning money and hiding asset acquisitions like a snake."
Shen Fu didn't smile. He opened his system instead.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE — BLACK FILES UNLOCKED]
• Leaked Reports Uploaded:
• Public Distrust Level Against Qin Han: +17%
• Local Authority Activity: Elevated
• Three Locations Tagged as 'Available for Acquisition'
• Auto-Negotiation Skill Activated (Passive)
• Mission Update Available...
He tapped the new mission.
[MISSION CHAIN – "GRIP THE DISTRICT"]
Step 1: Seize Key Locations (Complete) Step 2: Establish 1st Revenue Node in Wenhua (Pending)
Step 3: Trigger Public Attraction Event (Pending)
Bonus: Undermine Qin Han's Reputation Below 60% (Current: 71%)
By noon, he had workers renovating the old print shop. Zhenzhen coordinated vendor contracts. Xiaodie handled online presence. Flyers went out. A new buzz ignited in Wenhua.
A week ago, it was Qin Han's playground.
Now? It was turning into Shen Fu's empire.
Meanwhile...
Qin Han stood in a high-rise apartment overlooking the river, eyes glued to his phone. His lawyer stammered on the other end.
"They've filed a request to re-inspect your Wenhua holdings. That tip that came out… It's everywhere online now. Half of it's redacted, but it's enough to raise suspicion."
Qin Han's fist clenched.
"Who leaked it?" he demanded.
Silence.
"Sir, if it's who we think it is—Shen Fu might've found someone with access. Or the city records system itself."
The call ended. He hurled the phone across the room.
That bastard had done it. The broken, humiliated Shen Fu had landed a blow deep enough to crack his front.
And worse, the girl, Lin Shuang, had liked the post about the leak. Publicly.
Back in Wenhua
Night had fallen. Inside the retrofitted print shop, Shen Fu sat in a leather chair that still smelled like packaging.
He opened the system.
[SYSTEM UPDATE AVAILABLE – VER. 2.1]
You have: Acquired 4 Targeted Locations
Triggered Indirect Reputation Collapse for Rival
Unlocked: Strategic Branching Path
The screen glitched briefly.
Then it showed three golden tabs:
[Branch 1 – Build From Below]
Focus: Steady growth. Local control. Passive skills increase. Unlock: New allies, stealth expansions, loyalty buffs.
[Branch 2 – Burn and Expand]
Focus: Aggression. Corporate battles. Reputation warfare. Unlock: Power plays, hostile takeovers, intimidation options.
[Branch 3 – Kingmaker]
Focus: Political entry. Control both business and influence. Unlock: Blackmail options, media power, council access.
He stared at the screen, fingers hovering.
"Each choice sets a tone," the system echoed in his mind.
Behind him, Zhenzhen tapped away at a keyboard, watching surveillance feeds. Xiaodie nursed coffee, eyes tracking social media mentions of the new café.
His team waited for direction—even if they didn't say it.
Shen Fu didn't speak for a moment.
Then he selected [Branch 1 – Build From Below].
"If I grow steady, I last longer," he muttered.
"Let Qin Han burn himself out."
[NEW SYSTEM MISSION – "ROOTED FOUNDATION"]
• Complete renovations at all four locations
• Launch digital PR campaign (Team: Xiaodie)
• Mine data from competitors (Team: Zhenzhen)
• Open to 100 paying customers within 48 hours
Rewards:
• New Passive: Underground Loyalty (NPC Retention +25%)
• Building Buffs: Renovation Cost -15%, Sabotage Resistance +30%
• Unlock Hidden City Asset: ???
Shen Fu leaned back, the soft hum of rain and data feeds mixing in the background.
This wasn't just about revenge anymore.
This was war.
A slow, deliberate kind. The kind that gutted your enemies while they smiled at a camera.
He picked up his phone and messaged Lin Shuang:
"Wenhua's ours now. If you ever want in… doors are open."
He didn't send it.
Not yet.
First, he'd build something worth showing off.