The heavy rain lashed against the windows of The Zenith, but inside, the air was sharp with tactical precision. Ying Yue's video threat hung in the air like a virus that couldn't be quarantined. Seven parents. Seven targets. And only 24 hours until the Smart City bid.
"She's playing a zero-sum game," Li Yan said, his voice cold and metallic. He was staring at the map of the city, his mind already running a thousand simulations. "If we go to the police, she triggers the 'cleaners' at the houses. If we submit the bid, she does the same. Her logic is based on our fear."
"Then we take away her variables," I said, tightening my ponytail. I felt the familiar weight of the silver medal against my chest—not as a memory, but as a lucky charm. "We split up. Two teams. One to secure the 'Stars' and one to cut the power at the source."
Team A: The Guardians (The "Physical" Defense)
Members: Zhang Wei, Su Lan, Mei Ling, Jia Yi, and Lin Chen.
"Wei, you're the fastest. You and Jia Yi take the SUV," I commanded. "Mei Ling, use your 'Idol' connections to get a private security firm on the line—discreetly. Lin Chen, I need you to sketch the blind spots of every parent's house from the old school records."
Su Lan looked up from her laptop, her fingers pausing. "And me?"
"You're the 'Ghost,'" I said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You stay in the van. If those black cars move an inch toward a front door, you fry their electronics. Don't let them even touch a doorknob."
Zhang Wei looked at Su Lan, his eyes filled with a protective fire. "I won't let anything happen to them, Lan. Or to you."
Su Lan didn't look away this time. "Just drive, Wei. And don't you dare get a scratch on that car."
Team B: The Infiltrators (The "Logic" Strike)
Members: Xiao Xing and Li Yan.
"While they protect the perimeter, we're going into the lion's den," I said, looking at Li Yan. "Ying Yue isn't at the Institute. She's at the old 'Sector 7' warehouse—the one the Institute abandoned after the last audit. It's a dead zone. No signal, no witnesses."
"It's a trap, Xiao Xing," Li Yan warned, stepping closer. "She wants us there. She wants to see us break in person."
"Let her watch," I countered, my "Karate Princess" gaze meeting his "Chess Prince" stare. "She thinks she knows our code. But she forgot that 98.2% isn't just a score. It's a bond she can't simulate."
The Silent Drive
As we drove toward the industrial outskirts of the city, the silence between Li Yan and me was different. It wasn't the silence of high school rivals or corporate enemies. It was the silence of two people who were ready to burn the world down for each other.
"Xiao Xing," Li Yan said, his hand finding mine on the gear shift. "If things get... illogical in there. If she forces a choice between the bid and our safety..."
"There is no choice, Li Yan," I interrupted. "We're the 98.2% Club. We find a third option. We always do."
He squeezed my hand, his knuckles white. "I've spent my whole life calculating the safest path. But with you, I've realized that the most dangerous path is the only one worth taking."
The Warehouse
The Sector 7 warehouse was a monolith of rusted iron and shattered glass. As we pulled up, the headlights illuminated a single black car parked out front. The door was open.
"Comm check," I whispered into my earpiece.
"Team A is in position," Su Lan's voice crackled. "We've jammed the signals of the cars at your parents' houses. They're blind for the next twenty minutes. Move fast, Stars."
Li Yan and I stepped out into the rain. We didn't sneak in. We walked through the front door.
Inside, the warehouse was filled with rows of humming servers, their blue lights casting long, eerie shadows. At the far end, under a single spotlight, sat Ying Yue. She was holding a tablet, her face illuminated by the glow of a countdown timer.
00:15:42... 00:15:41...
"You're late for the final exam," Ying Yue laughed, her voice echoing through the hollow space. "Did you bring the bid? Or did you bring your sentimentality?"
"We brought the 'Reset,' Ying Yue," I said, stepping into the light.
"Is that so?" she sneered, her finger hovering over the 'Execute' button on her tablet. "One tap, and the 'Seven Stars' become a memory. No parents, no history, no future. What's your move, Li Yan? Does your logic have a counter for a complete system wipe?"
Li Yan stepped forward, his face a mask of absolute calm. "My logic says that you're a 90% thinker, Ying Yue. You focused on the targets. But you forgot to check your own 'Backdoor.'"
Suddenly, the servers around her began to scream. The blue lights turned a violent, flashing red.
"What... what is this?" she gasped, frantically tapping her tablet. "My access is denied! Who is overriding me?"
"Meet the 'Savage Genius,'" I smiled, pointing to my earpiece.
On the screen behind Ying Yue, a giant 8-bit image of a blue star appeared, followed by a single line of text:
USER: SU_LAN_GHOST HAS ENTERED THE CHAT.
"You thought we'd leave the 'Brain' of our group behind?" I laughed, falling into my karate stance. "Now, Ying Yue... let's see how well you fight when you don't have a screen to hide behind."