Chapter Twenty-five: The Shadow Captured

The battle at the northern suburban factory had finally ended. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and blood, the echoes of gunfire still ringing faintly in the distance. Lin Feng stood amidst the wreckage, his gaze fixed on the fallen figure before him. The man known as "Shadow" lay motionless, his hands bound, his unconscious form slumped against the cold concrete floor. Around them, Lin Feng's men secured the last of the enemy fighters, their weapons still raised, scanning the surroundings for any lingering threats.

The battle had been brutal. The Shadow Syndicate's forces were well-trained, their ambush meticulously planned. Lin Feng and his team had barely managed to turn the tide. The fight had erupted in a storm of bullets and steel, with both sides exchanging deadly fire across the vast, abandoned warehouse. Explosions had shattered the silence of the night, sending debris raining down as Lin Feng darted through the chaos, taking down foes with ruthless efficiency.

At one point, a hulking enforcer had charged at him with a crowbar, swinging wildly. Lin Feng ducked under the attack and drove his elbow into the man's ribs, followed by a swift kick to the knee. As the enforcer crumpled, Lin Feng seized his weapon, using it to deflect a knife strike from another attacker before delivering a decisive blow to his temple.

Further ahead, his second-in-command, Jiang, had been locked in a fierce duel with one of the syndicate's elite fighters. Sparks flew as their blades clashed, each strike faster than the last. Jiang finally gained the upper hand, feinting left before delivering a spinning kick that sent his opponent sprawling. Without hesitation, he finished the fight with a precise strike to the man's throat.

The Shadow himself had put up a fight. Despite his unassuming appearance, he was no mere mastermind—he could hold his own in combat. When Lin Feng had finally cornered him, the man had drawn a hidden dagger, lashing out with surprising speed. Their struggle had been brief but intense, both men exchanging blows in a desperate contest of strength and skill. In the end, Lin Feng's superior reflexes prevailed. He disarmed the Shadow with a swift twist of the wrist and delivered a crushing strike to his temple, sending him into unconsciousness.

Now, with the battle won, Lin Feng stood over his fallen enemy, his eyes cold with determination. As he tore away the mask concealing the Shadow's face, he was momentarily taken aback. The mastermind behind the Shadow Syndicate was not some formidable warlord or infamous criminal, but an unassuming middle-aged man—one who could have easily blended into any crowd.

Lin Feng scoffed, suppressing his surprise, and turned to his second-in-command. "Take him back to the headquarters. Guard him closely."

"Yes, Master Feng!" his subordinate responded swiftly. A group of men hoisted the unconscious Shadow into a waiting vehicle, while Lin Feng himself climbed into his own car, setting a course for the city center. The battle in the northern suburbs had been a crucial victory. He had finally captured the Shadow, but he knew this was merely the beginning. The real battle lay ahead, buried deep in the secrets the Shadow harbored.

Beneath the towering corporate skyscraper that housed Lin Feng's operations, the underground interrogation chamber was cold and dimly lit. The Shadow sat bound to a chair, his hands tied tightly behind his back. Lin Feng stepped into the room, his expression unreadable. With a flick of his wrist, his bespectacled aide splashed a bucket of ice-cold water onto the prisoner's face.

The Shadow gasped, choking on the sudden shock of the freezing water. His eyes flickered open, momentarily clouded with confusion before settling on Lin Feng. For the first time, fear flashed in his gaze. He struggled against his restraints but found no give. His voice, hoarse and bitter, broke the silence. "Lin Feng... so what if you've won? The Shadow Syndicate will never fall."

Lin Feng let out a cold laugh. "Never fall? Then let me show you how it crumbles." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Tell me—who gave the order three years ago to destroy my family?"

The Shadow's breathing grew heavier. Then, he sneered, as though reveling in Lin Feng's torment. "It was me," he admitted, his voice dripping with malice. "I wanted the Lin Corporation's territory. So, I orchestrated everything. Lin Zhengxiong and Zhao Wanshan were just my pawns."

Rage burned in Lin Feng's chest. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palm before he lashed out, slamming his foot into the man's chest. The Shadow coughed violently, blood trickling from his lips.

"Pawns?" Lin Feng repeated, his voice sharp as a blade. "And what about my parents? Were their lives just collateral damage in your twisted game?"

The Shadow let out a rattling breath, his bravado faltering. "It was an accident," he coughed. "I only wanted to burn the house down... I never intended to kill anyone!"

Lin Feng's expression darkened. "An accident?" He let the words hang in the air, his voice laced with disdain. "Then perhaps you will have an accident tonight as well."

With a dismissive wave, Lin Feng signaled to his aide, who stepped forward, ready to begin a more thorough interrogation. Without another word, Lin Feng turned and exited the chamber, his mind already racing ahead to the next steps.

In his office, Lin Feng barely had time to sit before his younger sister, Lin Xue'er, rushed in. "Brother! Is it true? Did you catch him?"

Lin Feng nodded. "He's in our custody. The mastermind behind what happened three years ago."

Lin Xue'er's eyes welled with unshed tears. "Then… does this mean that Mother and Father's deaths have been avenged?"

Lin Feng exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around the cigarette he had just lit. "Not yet," he admitted. "His life still has value. There are bigger players involved."

She frowned. "You mean someone even higher than him?"

Before Lin Feng could respond, the door swung open, and his trusted lieutenant stepped in, his expression grim. "Master Feng, the Shadow has confessed to something else. He claims there's another mastermind—a figure known as 'Phantom.' Three years ago, he was the one who orchestrated everything."

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. "Phantom?"

His mind raced. The Shadow had been a formidable enemy, but if there was someone even beyond him, then Lin Feng's revenge was far from complete. He had only just begun to peel back the layers of this conspiracy.

He took a slow drag from his cigarette, his expression unreadable. "If Phantom is the real mastermind, then our work isn't over. We'll bring him down next."

Lin Xue'er, her fists clenched, nodded firmly. "Then we won't stop until every last one of them pays."

Lin Feng crushed the cigarette into the ashtray, his decision made. "Prepare the team. We're hunting a ghost now."

And with that, the next chapter of his revenge began.