Standing at the window again, watching Jakarta on the brink, Lian Zhu let herself consider the truth. She had spent years ensuring she had a seat at the table. She had worked inside the Nine Dragons, playing the long game, earning their trust. But now, that trust came with a price.
She could restore order—silence the right voices, manipulate the right media outlets, control the narrative before it spiraled out of their hands. Or— She could let the fire burn. She could watch as the Nine Dragons were forced into a war they weren’t ready for. For the first time in her life, Lian Zhu hesitated.
The choice before her wasn’t just about power. It was about who she wanted to be. A servant of the empire? Or the one who would bring it down? The answer came not as a thought, but as a feeling. A deep, quiet knowing. The time for illusions was ending. And Lian Zhu was about to make her most dangerous move yet.