The black arrow was buried deep in the wood of the tenement wall, the carbon-fiber shaft vibrating so fast it was a blur. The crimson silk attached to it fluttered in the cold night wind, a bloody tongue mocking me.I didn't blink. I looked at the countdown burning in my retinas.[05:41:12...]Five hours and change. Five hours until the Iron Fist Sect came to collect my head.Old Lu moved fast for a man who had been a drunk ten minutes ago. He darted forward for a pile of scrap metal near the trash fire, his hands closing around a rusted three-foot metal pipe. He swung it once, testing the weight. The air whistled."They’re early," Lu growled. He didn't look like a strategist. He looked like a cornered wolf. "That arrow is a ranging shot. They're watching us from the skyline. Master, get behind the stairs. I’ll hold the throat of the alley."I didn't move. I just watched the arrow. "Put the pipe down, Lu.""You don't understand," Lu snapped, his eyes darting to the dark rooftops. "Th

The silence in the courtyard stayed heavy for three seconds. Then, a soft clatter broke it. One of the men in the back opened his hand. His curved blade hit the concrete with a dull clang, then another blade fell and then another. Within thirty seconds, all ten weapons were lying in the mud. The assassins just stood there, staring at me. Their shoulders had gone slack. Their aggressive stances were completely gone. They looked at me like I was a god of wealth.The leader took a slow breath. He reached up, untied the red silk from his face, and tossed it to the ground. He looked about thirty. He had a long scar running down his jaw, and his skin was pale from sweat. He dropped both knees onto the wet floor."My name is Song Lin," he said. His voice was thick. "The Iron Fist Sect pays us pennies, they treat us like stray dogs. You saved my mother. My life belongs to you now."I looked down at him. I kept my hands in my pockets. "Get up." Song Lin didn't move right away. "Master Han, t

Two security guards grabbed Director Sun by his arms. He kicked his feet, but his slippery black shoes couldn't get a grip on the floor. They dragged him straight down the corridor toward the service elevator."You can't do this!" Sun yelled. "I've worked here for twelve years!"Nobody answered him. The hospital staff stood by the nursing station, keeping their heads down. The new security team I bought didn't say a word either. They just threw him into the elevator and slammed the metal gate shut.I walked back into the luxury suite. Old Lu was already shifting Yue's pillows. We moved her bed back into the corner, right next to the monitoring equipment, her breathing was steady. The digital screen showed her heart rate was sixty-two beats per minute."Is she safe now?" Lu asked, dropping his hands. "For now," I said. "Lock the door."Lu walked over and turned the heavy brass deadbolt, it clicked into place. Then he sat down at the small wooden table in the corner, pulling his scratch

The digital numbers kept moving in the corner of my vision. Forty-eight hours, the clock was running down. I had exactly forty-eight hours to destroy Bio-Gen Corporation, or the system would take my life as the final payment.We were back in the small warehouse room we rented. The table was made of wood, covered in dust and grease. Old Lu rubbed his face with his bare hand, his fingers leaving streaks on his dry skin. He checked the screen of his tablet."The opening bell just rang," Lu said. He tapped the red button on the plastic frame. "The market is open. Bio-Gen is trading at ninety-two dollars a share.""Dump the positions," I said. "Are you sure?" Lu asked. His thumb stayed right above the glass. "Once we execute, there is no stopping. Two billion dollars is our whole capital.""Dump it," I said. "Yes," Lu said. He pressed his thumb down hard.The Auditor Group's short positions hit the market servers instantly. A massive block of twelve million shares was offered for sale. On

Elder Ma gasped for air, he was a mortal old man once again. He sprawled on the concrete, his trembling hands scraping against the rough gravel of the tenement roof. His gray silk robes were completely wet from a dirty puddle of rain water. He wiped a fresh line of blood from his cracked lips and looked up at my leather boots."Zhao Tian," Ma wheezed. His voice was thin, shaky, and completely broken. "Zhao Tian sent me here. He told me to kill you today, he told me to bring your head back to the main tower before sundown.""I know," I said. "He's desperate," Ma muttered, his head dropping back down against the wet floorboards of the roof. "The family assets are frozen and he has no options left. He is losing everything."I didn't answer him, I pulled my old smartphone out of my jacket pocket. The digital clock on the system interface showed the forty-eight-hour deadline was hitting right now. The time on the screen read exactly four o'clock in the afternoon. The afternoon market bel