After hearing what the Japanese youth said—that I was under Tian Long's watchful eye—I struggled to control the tremor in my hands while observing them. Tian Long, S, Satro, and I... we were all now trapped in a closed circle. S and I were under a direct threat, the primary targets in their sight.
I retreated behind the wall as I saw Satro departing; he vanished into the darkness like a ghost. Then, S took another path. This time, I decided not to follow her. I needed to disappear from her life temporarily until Tian Long erased me from his mind. If I continued to hunt her now, I would end up as if I had never existed on this earth for even a single moment. I headed to my office, opened my laptop, and began searching for any meaning behind those codes on S and Satro's necks.
After my encounter with Satro, I decided to return to China to meet Tian Long in person. I needed to know why all these threats were being directed at me lately. I gathered my things and headed straight to the airport, boarding the first flight to China.
I arrived at the palace—Tian Long's dragon den. I met my sister, Sai, coming out of our father's office, wearing a medical face mask for skincare.
"Oh, S! You're finally here!" she said, hugging me warmly.
Then, Tian Long appeared behind her. He looked at me with cold fury, ordered Sai to go to her room, and we entered his office.
Tian Long (Angrily): "Why is the detective still alive? Didn't you say you'd take care of him?"
S (With a look of contempt): "Is he your only concern? The detective? You haven't even asked me yet... if I'm okay?"
Tian Long stepped closer, gripping my jaw with terrifying force. He leaned in until I could feel his cold breath.
"I didn't create you to have a voice, but to be an echo for those who truly deserve to live," he whispered harshly. "You are here only to execute my orders. I don't care if you're okay. If you fail to be the perfect version I want, I will toss you into the scrap heap. You are nothing but a damn code."
I grabbed his hand firmly and shoved it away from my face. "Tian Long, don't forget yourself. I hold secrets that could keep you in prison until death. So, know your limits."
He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out a photo and placed it before me. It was a picture of Ming at his workplace.
"Do you love him, S?"
The moment I saw Ming's picture, I understood his goal—it was a blatant threat. Blood boiled in my veins, and my breathing sharpened. I stepped close to his ear and hissed:
"Tian Long, do not toy with me. If you threaten me with Ming, don't forget that you have Sai. I have nothing left to fear. You're just a wealthy coward hiding in the shadows of people like me and Satro."
I didn't wait for a reply. I walked out and slammed the door behind me.
Back in my room, I drifted into a sleep born of pure exhaustion. A strange dream haunted me. Sai and I were playing in the palace garden. Sai tripped and cut her leg. Tian Long approached, embraced Sai, and set her down gently. Then, he turned to me with a face full of rage and slapped me across the face.
"You should have bled instead of her!" he roared.
I looked into a mirror in my dream, only to find my face was a blank, featureless void, while Sai's face was clear and beautiful.
I woke up gasping for air, my heart hammering against my ribs.
I continued searching through old cases and across the web for any meaning to the codes, but I found no answers. Then, a reckless idea struck me. I rushed out of my office toward Gangnam to find a man named Jun-ho, a notorious enemy of Tian Long's syndicate.
Jun-ho: "Who are you? And what do you want?"
Ming: "If you tell me everything you know about Tian Long, I will make Gangnam yours."
Jun-ho (Laughing darkly): "You're looking for a human, detective. But Tian Long doesn't keep humans in his palace... he keeps numbered spare parts."