The Sovereign Auditor: World Liquidation.

Chapter 6: The Gold-Plated Invitation

Wei was still howling on the floor, clutching his ruined wrist. The lobby was frozen. 

Captain Conall and his team weren't looking at the screaming man, they were staring at the Black Centurion Card in my hand.

It wasn't just metal anymore. It was vibrating, emitting a low-frequency hum that rattled the windows. A pulse of liquid gold light throbbed from the chip, casting fractured shadows across the marble.

"Captain!" Wei shrieked, his face slick with sweat. "Why are you standing there? Kill him! He’s a criminal!"

Suddenly, every smartphone in the lobby chimed at once. A synchronized, shrill emergency tone.

Conall pulled out his tablet. His eyes nearly fell out of his head. "What the...?"

"What is it?" one of the guards hissed.

"Red-Level Alert," Conall whispered. "From the Bank of International Settlements. It’s an immediate asset freeze. Subject: Manager Wei. All accounts and pension funds. Under 'Sovereign Audit'."

Wei froze. He forgot to scream. "My accounts? That’s impossible!"

Ping.

Wei’s own phone lit up on the floor. 

A notification from his bank: [Account Balance: $0.00. Status: Liquidated.]

"No," Wei whimpered. "No, no!" I started walking. I didn't head for my desk. I headed for the restricted zone.

"Stop!" A younger guard shouted. He stepped into my path, reaching for my shoulder. "You can't go back there, Han Sen! You're fired!"

I didn't stop. I looked at the interface flickering over the guard's head.

[Target: Guard 43. Debt: $9,800.00 (Mother's Medical Bills).]

[Command: Purchase Loyalty. Cost: $10,000.00.]

"Check your phone," I said. The guard blinked. His pocket vibrated. He pulled his phone out, and his eyes went wide.

"My mother’s account," he breathed. "A ten-thousand-dollar deposit? Just now? How?"

"Your mother needs that surgery, doesn't she?" I asked. "Manager Wei wouldn't give you the adConall. But I just did."

The guard’s hand dropped from my arm. He looked at me, then at the broken man sobbing on the floor.

"You bastard," the guard growled, turning toward Wei. "What?" Wei gasped. "I’m your boss!"

"Not anymore," the guard spat. He lunged forward, grabbing Wei by his good arm and slamming him face-first into the tile. "Captain Conall said you're under audit. Stay down!"

"Get him out of my sight," I said. Conall bowed again. "Immediately, Master Han."

I turned toward the gold-trimmed doors of the CEO’s private elevator. I placed my palm against the glass scanner.

[Unauthorized User,] the elevator’s AI stated. [Security Protocol Engaged—]

[System Override,] the voice in my head countered. [Liquidating Digital Deed. Overwriting Ownership.]

The red light flickered and turned a deep, royal violet.

[Welcome, Owner Han,] the AI chirped. [Penthouse Access Granted.]

The doors slid open. I stepped inside. The elevator was lined with mirrors. I saw myself—the dried blood, the mud, the vengeful fire in my eyes. I looked like a monster.

I pressed the button for the 99th floor.

Ding.

The doors parted. The penthouse was a cathedral of glass. The scent of expensive cigars and aged scotch hit me instantly. I heard laughter. It was a sharp, mocking sound I knew too well.

"And then he actually crawled!" Zhao’s voice boomed. "I’m telling you, Xiao, he was on his hands and knees, begging like a dog!"

"He was always so pathetic," Lin Xiao’s voice followed. "I don't know why I wasted so much time with him."

I walked out of the elevator. My footsteps were silent on the thick, Persian rug. They were sitting on a white leather sofa, framed by a view of the city. 

Zhao had a glass of scotch in one hand and his other arm draped over Lin Xiao.

"I think the video is going to get a million views by noon," Zhao said, holding up his phone. "Maybe I'll tag his sister in it while she’s dying."

"That's cold, Zhao," Lin Xiao giggled. "I love it."

I stopped ten feet away. "The video isn't going to upload." The laughter cut off.

Zhao froze. Lin Xiao jumped, nearly spilling her drink. They both whipped around, staring at me as if they were seeing a ghost.

"Han Sen?" Lin Xiao gasped. Her face went pale. "How... how are you here? Zhao, call security!"

Zhao’s face twisted into a mask of rage. He stood up, knocking his glass over. "You? You’re still alive? How did you get past the lobby? I told them to break your legs!"

"The lobby is under new management," I said.

Zhao reached for the intercom. "Conall! Conall, get up here now!" Nothing happened.

"Conall is busy," I said. "He’s helping Manager Wei find his way to a jail cell."

"You're lying," Zhao hissed. He reached for his phone, but the screen was black. "What did you do? Why isn't my phone working?"

"Your phone is dead. Your accounts are frozen. And this building?" I looked at the mahogany walls. "This building just changed hands."

Lin Xiao stood up, clutching her bag. Her eyes were wide with fear. "Han Sen, stop this. You've lost your mind. Just leave."

"Scaring you?" I let out a short, broken laugh. "I haven't even started yet." I looked at Zhao. He was shaking from a narcissist's fury.

"I don't care how you got up here," Zhao growled. "You’re still a nobody. I’m a Zhao! I own you!"

"You own nothing," I said. "You're standing in my living room."

I held up the Black Centurion Card. The gold light flooded the penthouse. Zhao’s eyes fixed on it. He knew what it was.

"That's... that's not possible," he whispered. "I'm here to settle the debt, Zhao," I said, my voice dropping to a predatory whisper. "For the coffee. For the hand. For my sister."

The elevator behind me chimed. Captain Conall stepped out with four guards, all standing at military attention.

"Master Han," Conall said. "The building is secure. Shall we remove the trespassers?"

Zhao looked at Conall, then back at me. The realization finally hit him. The color drained from his face.

"Han," Lin Xiao stammered, taking a trembling step toward me. "Han, baby, listen... I was just—"

"Quiet," I said. I looked at Zhao. "Get out," I said. "Exactly the way I was kicked out last night."