Chapter 61 - 62 – A Glove for Every Dagger
The morning air still clung to the tension of last night’s confrontation. Lin Feng sat at the rooftop café of the Jin’an District Business Club, sipping coffee that had long gone cold. Across from him, Qian Juxiao flipped through a dossier with a quiet intensity, the leather gloves in his lap signaling he was ready for more than business.
"You realize," Qian said without looking up, "what you did last night has ripple effects. Luo Zixuan’s proxies are retracting like bruised snakes. But bruised snakes bite hardest."
Lin Feng smiled faintly. "Then we’ll wear thicker boots."
Qian raised an eyebrow. "Or start stepping softer."
Before Lin Feng could answer, a soft knock interrupted. A server placed down a letter—old-fashioned, thick-stock paper sealed with a red wax emblem: a stylized crimson orchid. His gaze sharpened.
"Another invitation?" Qian asked, wary.
"No," Lin Feng said, running his thumb over the wax. "A challenge. From inside."
He opened the letter. A simple line of calligraphy, neat and cold: ’The art of power lies not in ownership, but in consent. Noon. East Pavilion. No aides.’
Qian frowned. "The Crimson Circle again?"