Dawn crept over the city.
Police lights flashed outside the warehouse, washing the concrete walls in red and blue.
Zhang Wei was dragged away in silence—alive, conscious, and completely broken.
Lin Chen didn't watch.
To him, the man was already irrelevant.
---
[System Log: City-Level Target Neutralized.]
[Authority Influence: Expanded.]
[New Resource Access: Partial City Network Unlocked.]
The system's voice was flat, mechanical.
No praise. No excitement.
Just facts.
Lin Chen adjusted his coat and stepped outside.
---
The Value of Influence
As he walked down the empty street, information surfaced in his mind—
hospitals, clinics, pharmaceutical distributors, private laboratories.
Zhang Wei had been powerful.
But only because no one above him had bothered to intervene.
"Influence," Lin Chen thought calmly,
"is just another form of currency."
Money bought silence.
Fear bought obedience.
Authority bought access.
And access decided who lived.
---
Across the city, subtle ripples spread.
A private clinic canceled a midnight surgery.
A black-market drug shipment was delayed without explanation.
Several doctors suddenly refused calls they would normally answer.
They didn't know why.
They only felt that acting tonight was… dangerous.
---
[System Log: Passive Deterrence Effect Active.]
[Estimated Radius: City Sector A3.]
Lin Chen paused.
"So it works automatically now."
Good.
---
A Different Kind of Enemy
His phone vibrated.
A number with no caller ID.
He answered.
"You move fast," a calm male voice said.
"No emotion. No celebration. That's rare."
Lin Chen said nothing.
The voice continued, unhurried.
"Zhang Wei was useful. But replaceable."
That single sentence told Lin Chen everything he needed to know.
"You're part of a larger structure," Lin Chen replied.
"A consortium."
A faint chuckle.
"Smart. We prefer the term medical investment group."
Lin Chen stopped walking.
"Then this is a courtesy call," he said.
"You're assessing whether I'm a threat."
Silence.
Then:
"Yes."
---
Lines Are Drawn
"You interfered with operations that generate billions annually," the man said.
"Clinical trials. Experimental therapies. Supply chains."
Lin Chen's eyes were cold.
"You experimented on people who couldn't refuse."
"Progress has a cost."
Lin Chen's voice dropped slightly.
"So does resistance."
The man sighed.
"Doctor Lin, authority without scale is fragile.
You've reached city level.
That's… impressive."
A pause.
"But you're not untouchable."
---
Lin Chen ended the call.
No threats were needed.
No declarations.
Just confirmation.
---
[System Log: High-Level Entity Detected.]
[Threat Classification: Consortium-Class.]
[Recommendation: Resource Accumulation Required.]
Lin Chen looked toward the city center, where the tallest buildings pierced the morning haze.
"Then I'll scale up," he said quietly.
---
Next Phase
By the time he returned to the hospital, news had already spread.
No names.
No explanations.
Only results.
Several board members had submitted emergency resignations.
A regulatory audit had been mysteriously fast-tracked.
Funding streams quietly rerouted.
Lin Chen walked past the lobby.
Every doctor who saw him lowered their voice.
Authority didn't need announcements anymore.
---
[System Log: City Control Arc Initiated.]
[Primary Objective: Secure Long-Term Resources.]
[Secondary Objective: Identify Consortium Entry Points.]
Lin Chen entered the elevator alone.
As the doors closed, his reflection stared back at him—
calm, controlled, and completely awake.
"I don't save systems," he said softly.
"I replace them."
---
End of Chapter
---