09:00 PM
Phoenix Restaurant – Top Floor (Seifong's Private Suite)
Outside the restaurant, the area has been surrounded by dark shadows. Inside, the heavy scent of incense and expensive cuisine cannot mask the smell of fear. Seifong sits in his grand chair, trying to maintain his composure, while his Deputy, Chang, stands beside him with a hand gripped tightly on the hilt of his sword.
The double doors of the room swing open without a knock. Rion enters alone. He carries no weapon in his hands, yet his aura makes the air feel heavy and suffocating.
The Leader's Confrontation
Rion walks slowly toward Seifong's desk, pulls out a chair, and sits directly across from the ruler of Chinatown. He tosses a blood-stained shard of a car's headlight glass onto the table.
"Echi is in surgery," Rion says, his voice so low it sounds like the growl of an engine. "Every drop of blood that leaves her body is a debt you must pay."
Seifong breaks into a cold sweat. He is no fool. He knows exactly who the man in front of him is—the man who leads the black group that dismantled the Steel Group overnight. "I... I didn't know that was your child, Boss Rion. It was an accident."
"An accident is when you stop and help," Rion counters, leaning forward. "Fleeing is a choice. And now, I am giving you one last choice."
Rion stares into Seifong's eyes with a gaze that could freeze blood. "We go to war... or you get down from your seat and lick my boots right now as an apology."
The Collapse of Dignity
The room falls into a deathly silence. Seifong knows his strength lies in ammunition logistics, not combat. Fighting the black group is suicide. With trembling hands, Seifong slowly begins to slide from his chair. He chooses life over honor.
However, before Seifong's knees can hit the floor, Chang shouts while slamming his hand on the table.
"ENOUGH!" Chang glares at Rion, his eyes bloodshot. "Leader! Have you gone mad? We are the pillars of this city! We supply ammunition to every district! How can you lower our dignity in front of this one man?"
Chang points a finger at Rion's face with pure hatred. "If he wants war, give him war! I would rather die standing than see my leader lick the boots of a stranger!"
The Declaration of the Streets
Seifong remains frozen, caught between his terror of Rion and the shame felt in front of his subordinate. Chang's words have burned the bridge of peace he was trying to build.
Rion stands up slowly, straightening his jacket. He looks at Chang with a terrifyingly faint smile. "I see. Your deputy has more spine than you, Seifong."
Rion turns toward the door but stops for a moment to deliver a final warning. "Tomorrow, no one sells anything in Chinatown. No one hides behind their restaurants. Tomorrow, we take it to the streets. Prepare every bullet you have, because you're going to need them."
Preparation for the Sector 4 War
After Rion leaves, Chang immediately grabs his phone. "Call every faction in Chinatown! Tell them the black group is moving into our territory tomorrow. We'll show them who really owns these streets!"
On the other side, Seifong can only slump back, weakened. He knows that while Chang thinks he is defending their pride, he has actually just opened the gates of hell for them all. Tomorrow is no longer about diplomacy; tomorrow is about a total purge under the crimson sky of Chinatown.