Chapter 88 – The Shadow Broker
Rain lashed the windows of the top-floor suite in City A's Grand Phoenix Hotel. A man sat in the shadows, his face half-lit by the glow of several monitors. His gloved hand tapped slowly against a glass of whiskey, while on screen, Bai Xueqing's press conference began streaming live.
"She moves faster than expected," he murmured, his voice distorted by the modulator embedded in his collar. "Good."
Behind him, a woman in a sleek black suit approached. Her voice was clipped, professional. "Do we proceed with the next phase?"
The man didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on Xueqing's face on the screen—calm, poised, every word a calculated strike. Mo Chen stood beside her like a silent sentinel, eyes scanning the crowd like a predator guarding his territory.
"Contact the Shadow Broker," the gloved man said finally. "It's time we take control of the narrative."
"Yes, sir," the woman responded, and slipped out of the room.
Back in Bai Corp headquarters, the aftermath of the press conference buzzed through every hallway. Reporters now praised Xueqing's poise. The leaked footage of Qiao Lan's confession and the falsified contracts dealt a severe blow to the fake narrative.
In her office, Xueqing leaned back in her chair, exhaustion dancing beneath her sharp exterior. Mo Chen stood with arms crossed, brows drawn in thought.
"We've held off the first attack," she said. "But someone invested real power into bringing us down."
Mo Chen nodded. "Whoever they are, they're not acting alone. I intercepted chatter on a secure dark web channel—messages routed through untraceable VPNs, but one code name popped up more than once: Shadow Broker."
Xueqing's eyes narrowed. "I've heard that name before. During my father's last days at Bai Corp, he mentioned a silent investor—someone powerful enough to ruin reputations without ever stepping into the light."
Mo Chen paced slowly. "We find the Broker, we expose the puppet master."
A knock interrupted them. Lin Nuo entered with a pale face and a trembling tablet.
"Miss Bai, you need to see this."
On the screen was a news alert from a reputable finance blog:
BREAKING: Classified Documents Reveal Secret Holdings Linking Bai Corp to Illegal Overseas Accounts.
Mo Chen snatched the tablet. "Photoshopped. But they've stepped up their game."
Xueqing's eyes flared. "So they want war. Then war it is."
She stood and turned toward the window, the storm still brewing outside.