The air in the private conference room of the Nine Dragon Syndicate’s Jakarta headquarters was thick with tension. Huang Jin sat at the head of the long, dimly lit table, his fingers tapping against the lacquered wood in a slow, deliberate rhythm. Across from him, Wei Long leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze assessing every movement with suspicion.
The Syndicate was at a crossroads. The recent setback at Island G had exposed vulnerabilities, and some of the council members were beginning to question the leadership of Tian Hao, the Shadow Banker. Huang Jin saw this as an opportunity—a chance to rise further in the hierarchy. But he knew he wasn’t the only one with ambitions.
“Tian Hao has lost favor,” Zhu Fen, the Mediator, stated bluntly. “Investors are wary. Our connections in IKN have weakened.”
“And whose fault is that?” Wei Long interjected. “The government crackdown was inevitable. We moved too fast.”