The Horizon Group executive conference room was silent.
Not the comfortable kind.
The kind where every breath felt expensive.
Xu Kai sat near the end of the polished table, spine straight, hands folded neatly, his expression calm—but inside, his blood was racing.
This was it.
Ten years of positioning. Networking. Stepping on the right backs at the right time.
Tonight, the door opened.
At the head of the table, Vice President Zhao flipped through a digital report, his face unreadable. Around him sat department heads, auditors, and two representatives from the parent board.
Power, concentrated.
Xu Kai inhaled slowly.
Stay calm, he told himself.
You belong here.
"Let's begin," Zhao said.
The lights dimmed slightly as the screen behind him lit up.
"Agenda item one," Zhao continued, "personnel adjustments following the Northshore acquisition."
Xu Kai's pulse spiked.
This was the wording.
He had memorized it in his past life—no, in Leon's past life. Back then, Xu Kai had walked out of this room with a promotion letter and a future guaranteed.
Zhao glanced down the table.
"Xu Kai," he said. "You come highly recommended."
Xu Kai stood immediately.
"Yes, sir."
Several executives nodded. One of them—Director Huang—smiled faintly.
Momentum.
Pure momentum.
Zhao raised a hand. "Sit. This is not a confirmation."
Xu Kai complied, jaw tightening just slightly.
Zhao continued. "Your performance metrics from last quarter are… impressive."
The word impressive echoed in Xu Kai's ears.
He was already imagining the announcement. The messages. Lina's proud smile.
Then—
A soft chime sounded.
An assistant leaned forward and whispered something into Zhao's ear.
Zhao frowned.
"Pause the agenda," he said.
The room stiffened.
Xu Kai's heart skipped.
Zhao tapped his tablet. A new file opened on the screen behind him.
"An anonymous submission," Zhao said slowly, eyes narrowing. "Sent twelve minutes ago."
Xu Kai's fingers curled under the table.
Anonymous?
That hadn't happened last time.
The screen filled with charts. Emails. Transaction timelines.
At first glance, they looked harmless.
Then Zhao zoomed in.
"These overseas shell accounts," Zhao said. "Who approved their consolidation into the Northshore report?"
Silence.
Director Huang's smile vanished.
Xu Kai felt a cold prickling at the base of his neck.
Zhao's gaze swept the room. "Chen Yiming."
No answer.
Zhao frowned. "He's not here?"
The assistant leaned in again, whispering urgently.
Zhao's expression darkened.
"Director Chen has submitted a leave request. Effective immediately."
Murmurs broke out around the table.
Xu Kai's mind raced.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
The data on the screen shifted again—this time highlighting performance projections tied directly to Xu Kai's department.
Zhao's voice sharpened.
"These projections were built on numbers Chen approved," he said. "Numbers now under question."
Xu Kai stood up despite himself.
"Vice President Zhao," he said quickly, "I had no involvement in those approvals. My role was—"
"Sit," Zhao snapped.
Xu Kai froze.
The room went dead silent.
Zhao exhaled slowly, then looked directly at him.
"You're correct," Zhao said. "You didn't approve them."
Xu Kai's chest loosened slightly.
"But," Zhao continued, "you benefited from them."
The word hit harder than a slap.
Zhao turned to the board representatives.
"In light of this," he said, "I recommend all promotions tied to the Northshore data be placed on hold pending review."
Hold.
Xu Kai's ears rang.
Director Huang protested. "Vice President, that may be excessive—"
"—Then you can stake your name on the data," Zhao replied coldly.
Huang fell silent.
Zhao's gaze returned to Xu Kai.
"Xu Kai," he said, "you have potential. But potential without clean ground is meaningless."
Xu Kai forced himself to breathe.
"Yes, sir."
Zhao nodded once. "You are dismissed."
Dismissed.
Not promoted.
Not rejected.
Suspended in limbo.
Xu Kai left the room on legs that felt faintly unsteady.
The door closed behind him.
And just like that—
The world he thought he'd stepped into… pulled back.
Across the city, Leon stood on the balcony of his apartment, phone in hand.
The system interface hovered calmly before his eyes.
[Chain Reaction Complete.]
[Rival Ascension: Delayed]
[Impact Level: Significant]
[Authority Points +7]
Leon exhaled.
The pieces had moved exactly as expected.
Not too loudly.
Not too fast.
Just enough.
His phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
Chen Yiming:
I followed your instructions.
They took the bait.
Leon typed back.
Leon:
Good.
Stay quiet.
He put the phone away.
The city lights stretched endlessly before him—windows full of lives rushing forward, unaware that a single decision could tilt everything.
Leon felt the Dominance Aura settle deeper into him.
Not stronger.
More natural.
Like breathing.
The system chimed again.
[Next Opportunity Approaching.]
[Target Emotional Stability: Xu Kai — Compromised]
[Recommended Action:]
Strike while confidence fractures.
Leon smiled faintly.
Xu Kai wouldn't collapse immediately.
Men like him never did.
But cracks?
Cracks were enough.
Leon turned back inside, already planning the next move.
Because now, Xu Kai wasn't rising.
He was waiting.
And waiting…
Was where Leon planned to end him.