The Dragon's Bait

In one of the Nine Dragons’ hidden bases. Yun Feng sits across from Felix, a calm yet dangerous smile on his face.

Yun Feng looks calm, persuasive."Felix, you’ve been wandering in the shadows for too long. Don’t you miss the days when your decisions shaped empires?"

“I walked away from those days for a reason. You wouldn’t understand."

Yun Feng leaning forward. "Wouldn’t I? You’ve been searching for redemption. But tell me, has the world forgiven you? Have you forgiven yourself?"

Felix stays sharp. "This is about more than me, isn’t it? What do you want, Yun Feng?"

Yun Feng smirks. "Your skills, Felix. Just one more job and your debts are erased. Walk away after that if you like. But right now, we both know the Nine Dragons won’t let you go without consequences."

Felix pausing, conflicted. "And if I refuse?"

Yun Feng is leaning back. "Then the people you’ve grown close to—your so-called allies—will bear the cost."

—

Clarissa, in a dimly lit hotel room, studies a map of recent syndicate activity. Eka patches into a surveillance feed.

"The Nine Dragons are moving their operations into the IKN zone. We need to figure out why."

Eka is distracted, typing. "Got something—wait... this isn’t just logistics. It’s Felix’s old hunting ground."

Clarissa stopped to look up. "What do you mean?"

"They’re using his connections to rebuild their network. Yun Feng is baiting him out, Clarissa."

Clarissa was concerned. "Felix won’t take the bait. He knows better than to trust them again."

Eka smirking. "You’re sure about that? Because Felix’s moral compass has more twists than a pretzel."

Clarissa muttering. "He’ll need a reminder of what’s at stake."

—

Felix walks into Bintang’s workshop late at night. Bintang is tinkering with an old watch.

Bintang not looking up. "You always pick the worst times to show up. What is it now?"

Felix was hesitant. "I need your help."

Bintang setting the watch down, unimpressed. "Help? Last time I checked, you were working alone."

Felix irritated. "This isn’t about me. Yun Feng’s planning something big, and I might be the only one who can stop it."

"You? The man who used to run errands for the Nine Dragons? Yeah, great plan."

Felix seem a little bit angry. "I’m trying to fix my mistakes, Bintang! Don’t you think I deserve that chance?"

Bintang coolly. "Maybe. But if you think walking back into Yun Feng’s den is the answer, you’re dumber than I thought."

—

Yun Feng speaks with Wei Long, who appears in the shadows, confirming he is alive but working discreetly.

Wei Long with a low voice. "Felix is predictable. He won’t resist the urge to play hero."

"Exactly why he’s the perfect bait. Once we have him, the others will follow."

Wei Long tries to warn him. "And Bintang? He’s not so easy to manipulate."

Yun Feng, smiling coldly. "Every hero has a weakness, Wei Long. Bintang’s is his past—and I know exactly how to exploit it."

—

Clarissa confronts Felix in a marketplace, trying to dissuade him from Yun Feng’s trap.

"You’re walking straight into their hands, Felix!"

"I know what I’m doing."

Clarissa began to frustrated. "Do you? Because it looks like you’re trying to get yourself killed!"

Felix firmly. "This isn’t just about me. If I don’t go, they’ll hurt innocent people."

Clarissa tries to plead. "Then let us help you. Don’t do this alone."

"I don’t need your help, Clarissa. Not this time."

—

Yun Feng and Felix meet at an abandoned warehouse, with Clarissa tailing them unseen.

Yun Feng's face is smiling. "I knew you’d come. Loyalty suits you, Felix."

I’m not here for you. I’m here to make sure you don’t hurt anyone else."

Yun Feng chuckles. "Oh, Felix. Still clinging to that fragile conscience of yours?"

Clarissa listens from the shadows, gun in hand, trying to decide when to act.

Felix tried to warn. "Cut the games, Yun Feng. What do you want?"

Yun Feng calmly. "Everything you left behind. And you."

A sudden noise draws both their attention. Clarissa steps into the light, aiming her weapon at Yun Feng.

"This ends now."

—

The warehouse echoed with the faint creaks of rusted beams as if the building itself was groaning under the weight of secrets. Clarissa’s steady aim didn't waver, her pistol trained on Yun Feng, whose expression was a maddening mix of calm and amusement. Felix stood between them, his loyalty stretched to a breaking point.

The tension in the air was suffocating, thick enough to cut with a knife.

Clarissa’s mind raced. Every instinct told her to pull the trigger, but something in Yun Feng's demeanor made her hesitate. Was it arrogance, or did he have another ace up his sleeve? Felix’s jaw tightened as he looked between the two, knowing he had to act before the fragile balance tipped.

Clarissa, her voice low, cold. "Give me one good reason not to end this here, Yun Feng."

Yun Feng smirks. "Because if you kill me, you’ll lose more than you can imagine. Isn’t that right, Felix?"

Felix sharply. "Stop twisting this, Yun Feng. You’ve caused enough damage."

Yun Feng mocking. "Oh, Felix, always the idealist. Do you think she’ll trust you after this? After all, you’re the one who let me in."

Felix flinched. Yun Feng’s words were like a dagger, aimed precisely where it would hurt most. Clarissa’s eyes flicked to Felix, doubt creeping into her steely resolve.

Before Clarissa could respond, a loud crash echoed through the warehouse. Shadows moved at the edges of the dim light, and the distinct sound of boots scraping against metal alerted them to incoming trouble.

Felix reached for his weapon, but Yun Feng merely chuckled, his confidence unshaken.

Felix urgent."We’ve got company. This isn’t the place to settle scores!"

Clarissa snarling. "Convenient timing, Yun Feng. Who did you call?"

Yun Feng grins. "Just tying up loose ends. You’re welcome."

A group of armed enforcers, clad in black with the Nine Dragons insignia, emerged from the shadows. Their leader, a hulking figure with a scar across his face, stepped forward, his weapon pointed directly at Clarissa.

Leader, gruff. "Yun Feng, you’ve made quite a mess."

Yun Feng smoothly answers. "Only cleaning up after myself. As always."

The leader’s gaze shifted to Felix and Clarissa. For a moment, the air crackled with silent communication, the kind that only comes from shared history.

—

Clarissa didn’t wait for the enforcers to make the first move. She lunged for cover, firing off a warning shot that ricocheted dangerously close to the leader’s feet. Felix followed suit, dragging Yun Feng with him despite his protests.

Clarissa yelling. "Move, now! We’re outnumbered!"

Felix panting. "Yun Feng, if you want to live, shut up and run!"

Yun Feng began laughing. "This is why I love working with you two—always so dramatic."

Bullets whizzed past them as they darted through the maze of crates and rusted machinery. The enforcers pursued with relentless precision, their footsteps echoing like war drums in the confined space.

They burst out of the warehouse into the cold night air. Clarissa and Felix dragged Yun Feng to a waiting car, their breaths visible in the frigid air. The distant sound of sirens hinted at the chaos they had left behind.

Felix gritted his teeth. "This isn’t over, Yun Feng. You’ve put us all in danger."

Yun Feng shrugging. "Danger is relative, my friend. Besides, wasn’t this fun?"

Clarissa was furious. "Fun? Do you call this fun? We’re one step closer to the abyss, thanks to you!"

As the car sped into the night, Yun Feng leaned back, an enigmatic smile playing on his lips. Clarissa and Felix exchanged a glance, both wondering if they had just made a deal with the devil—or if the abyss was pulling them all in.

—

The safe house was dimly lit, the faint hum of fluorescent lights adding to the oppressive silence. Felix leaned against the wall, his fists clenched as he watched Yun Feng pace the room. Clarissa sat at the edge of a worn-out couch, her weapon within reach, her piercing gaze locked on the man they should have left behind.

Felix is still low, barely controlled. "You knew this would happen, didn’t you? You planned every step."

Yun Feng mocking. "Planned? Let’s call it an educated guess. Isn’t that what we all do?"

Clarissa cutting in. "Stop dodging. Why were the Nine Dragons after you? What aren’t you telling us?"

Yun Feng smirks. "Ah, Clarissa, always so direct. Let’s just say I’m not as popular as I used to be. Comes with the territory of...ambition."

Clarissa’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t trust him—couldn’t trust him—but there was something in his tone, a glimmer of vulnerability buried beneath the bravado.

Bintang arrived, his footsteps heavy with exhaustion and frustration. The room tensed as he entered, the weight of leadership hanging over him like a storm cloud.

"What the hell happened? I told you to keep things quiet."

Felix snapping. "Tell that to him. Yun Feng nearly got us all killed."

Yun Feng was unapologetic. "It’s not my fault you’re not prepared for contingencies."

Clarissa replied with anger. "Contingencies? You mean betrayal. You tipped them off, didn’t you?"

The accusation hung in the air like a loaded weapon. Yun Feng’s expression didn’t waver, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—pride or guilt, she couldn’t tell.

—

Bintang leaned against the table, his fingers drumming a rhythm of impatience. He wasn’t one to make hasty decisions, but the fractures in their group were widening.

"We don’t have time for infighting. Yun Feng, if you have anything to confess, now’s the time."

Yun Feng lightly. "Confess? You make it sound so serious. Look, I made a deal. It didn’t pan out the way I expected. Happens to the best of us."

Clarissa looked sharply. "A deal with who? The Nine Dragons?"

Yun Feng grins. "Let’s just say I was negotiating my exit package. They didn’t take it well."

—

Felix slammed his fist onto the table, the sound reverberating through the room.

"You used us as bait. Admit it."

Yun Feng was finally serious. "I did what I had to. The Nine Dragons don’t let anyone walk away. You think they’ll spare you when the time comes?"

As the group argued, Clarissa’s mind worked furiously. Yun Feng’s words, though infuriating, held a sliver of truth. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something bigger was in motion—something none of them were prepared for.

Clarissa quietly. "Enough. Fighting won’t get us anywhere. Bintang, what’s the plan?"

Bintang firmly. "We stick to the mission. We uncover the Nine Dragons’ operations and dismantle them piece by piece."

Felix grumbling. "And what about him?"

Bintang with a glance at Yun Feng. "He stays. For now."

Yun Feng raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. Felix looked ready to protest, but a sharp look from Bintang silenced him.

—

Later that night, Clarissa found herself standing on the balcony, the cold wind biting at her skin. Yun Feng joined her, his presence unwelcome but oddly comforting in its familiarity.

Yun Feng talked softly. "You don’t trust me."

Clarissa, without looking at him. "I’d be a fool if I did."

Yun Feng chuckles. "Fair enough. But sometimes, you need the devil you know."

Clarissa finally looked at him. "And sometimes, the devil burns you alive."

Yun Feng’s smile faded, replaced by a rare moment of sincerity. "For what it’s worth, I don’t want to betray you. But survival...it has a way of changing people."

Clarissa didn’t respond, her eyes returning to the city below. The shadows seemed to stretch endlessly, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were teetering on the edge of something far darker.