Chapter 21: Crisis in Jiangcheng

The top-floor office of Jiangcheng's skyscraper was dimly lit, shrouded in the deep silence of the night. Lin Feng sat in a luxurious leather chair, flipping through a stack of documents with crisp, rhythmic sounds that echoed in the room. The intelligence seized from the raid on Heilong Manor hadn't led to capturing Black Shadow, but it had revealed a chilling fragment of the Shadow Consortium's "Final Plan"—to obliterate all the major forces in Jiangcheng, reducing Lin Feng to nothing.

A cold, knowing smile played on Lin Feng's lips as he lit a cigarette. Wisps of smoke curled around him, his eyes deep as an abyss, reflecting the cityscape beyond the window. The night outside was peaceful, but he knew that beneath this calm façade, a storm was brewing.

On the plush sofa across the room, Lin Xue'er sat cradling a cup of hot tea. Her delicate fingers trembled slightly as she processed the implications of the documents. "Brother... is Black Shadow really planning to destroy Jiangcheng?" she asked in a hushed tone, her voice tinged with unease. The magnitude of the plan outlined in the files had clearly unsettled her.

Lin Feng exhaled a slow stream of smoke, his expression unreadable. "He wants to, but wanting and succeeding are two very different things."

He rose from his chair and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the sprawling city lights. "Jiangcheng is my territory. If he dares to move, I will make sure he never leaves." His voice was calm, yet it carried an undercurrent of lethal intent.

Just then, the door swung open. Glasses Man strode in briskly, a report clutched in his hands. "Master Feng," he said without preamble, "we got a confession from one of the prisoners. Black Shadow's plan is in two phases. First, they will detonate explosives at the Jiangcheng Chamber of Commerce building to create chaos. Second, they plan to assassinate you and every leader allied with you."

He paused before delivering the final blow. "The explosives are already in place. The detonation is set for noon tomorrow."

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. "Tomorrow at noon?" He tapped his fingers rhythmically against the polished wooden desk. "The Chamber of Commerce is under Li Tianhao's control. If they succeed in blowing it up, the city's economy will be paralyzed." A dark chuckle escaped him. "Black Shadow certainly knows how to play the game."

Turning to Glasses Man, he issued his next command. "Notify Li Tianhao immediately. Tell him to take his men and sweep the entire building for explosives. Do it quietly. No outside interference."

"Understood!" Glasses Man responded without hesitation and quickly left the office.

Lin Feng sank back into his chair, exuding an air of quiet dominance. Lin Xue'er stepped closer, her worry evident. "Brother, what if they manage to set it off? What if we're too late?"

He patted her hand reassuringly. "Trust me. I won't let them succeed."

The Next Morning

At dawn, Lin Feng drove to the Chamber of Commerce building. The early morning fog shrouded the streets, an eerie calm before the storm. By the time he arrived, Li Tianhao was already waiting with his men, a deep frown etched onto his face. As soon as he spotted Lin Feng, he rushed forward.

"Mr. Lin, we acted on your warning last night," Li Tianhao said, his voice still laced with tension. "We conducted a thorough search and found three bombs in the underground parking lot!" He wiped his forehead, still visibly shaken. "If we hadn't caught this in time, tomorrow would have been a disaster."

Lin Feng nodded, then made his way to the parking lot. A team of bomb disposal experts was already at work, meticulously defusing the explosives. He watched them in silence, his mind calculating Black Shadow's next move.

"They're getting desperate," Lin Feng mused internally. "This wasn't just a show of power—it was an act of desperation."

He turned to Li Tianhao. "The bombs may be defused, but this isn't over. Black Shadow won't let this setback slide. Their next move will be even more ruthless. Stay alert. They'll come for you and everyone else aligned with me."

Li Tianhao nodded grimly. "Understood, Mr. Lin. I've already increased security, but you should also be careful. They won't stop until they get what they want."

Lin Feng waved dismissively. "I have my own arrangements."

A Counterattack in Motion

Back at his office, Lin Feng convened a meeting with his key subordinates and Glasses Man. His gaze swept across the room, each individual present a trusted lieutenant in his network.

"Black Shadow's plan has been exposed," he announced. "That means they'll be forced to act recklessly. We must turn this against them."

His second-in-command nodded. "Master Feng, I'll take my men and investigate the remaining forces in the southern suburbs and eastern districts. If there are any remnants of Black Shadow's influence, we'll root them out."

Lin Feng smirked. "Good. If Black Shadow wants to play big, we'll play bigger." He leaned back in his chair, his mind already formulating the next steps of his counterattack.

Lin Xue'er, still observing quietly, finally spoke. "Brother, are you sure you can win this?"

A slow, confident smile spread across Lin Feng's lips. "I am. Black Shadow's days are numbered."

He turned his gaze back to the cityscape. The lights of Jiangcheng continued to twinkle, oblivious to the war waged in its shadows. The people lived their lives in peaceful ignorance, unaware that a single misstep could plunge them into chaos.

Beyond the towering skyscrapers, the night stretched endlessly. But Lin Feng knew that in the darkness, forces were already moving. Black Shadow would not retreat quietly. The battle was far from over.

He stood, exuding the aura of an unstoppable force. "Prepare for war," he said. "We strike before they do."

The room fell silent, every man understanding that the final confrontation was inevitable. And in this deadly game, there would be only one true victor.