Chapter 7
The plan was audacious and dangerous. To strike at Chen’s corporate standing, they needed more than just a historical land registry; they needed contemporary financial records showing that Chen’s firm had systematically suppressed the union’s revenue reports to force the foreclosure.
"The main financial server is housed in the corporate tower on Fifth Avenue," Mei explained later that afternoon, pointing to a schematic drawing spread across the desk. "Accessing it requires executive-level credentials, which only Chen and his chief financial officer possess."
"Which is why we aren't going in through the network," a new voice said from the doorway.
It was Kwan, a quiet, broad-shouldered young man who had worked as Chen’s private driver before being wrongfully dismissed three months prior. He wore a faded mechanics jacket and carried a heavy canvas duffel bag.
Leo looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Kwan? What are you doing here?"
"Zhang called me," Kwan said, stepping into the room and setting the duffel bag on the floor with a heavy thud. "I heard you guys are trying to crack the safe on Fifth Avenue. If you want into that building without tripping the biometric scanners, you need someone who knows every blind spot in the security rotation."
Mei studied Kwan carefully. "You worked for Chen for five years. Why risk everything to help us now?"
"Because Chen didn't just fire me; he blacklisted my entire family from the transport union," Kwan said, his voice dropping an octave, steady and cold with suppressed anger. "He thinks people like us are just disposable parts in his financial machine. I want to see him squirm as much as you do."
The alliance was complete—a disparate group of outcasts, former employees, and stubborn descendants bound together by a common enemy. They spent the next six hours mapping out every detail of the operation. Kwan provided the exact patrol schedules for the night shift, while Leo and Mei cross-referenced the financial ledgers they had smuggled out of the warehouse.
The target was Chen’s private office on the thirty-second floor of the corporate tower. According to Kwan, Chen kept a physical backup drive in his desk safe—a legacy habit from older executives who didn't fully trust cloud storage. That drive contained the unredacted ledgers proving the fraudulent acquisitions.
As evening descended, the city transformed into a glowing grid of neon and concrete. Leo packed his denim shirt tightly into his canvas pack, pulling on a dark hoodie to blend into the evening crowds. Mei checked her phone one last time, ensuring the encrypted messaging app was synced to Zhang’s backup terminal at the union hall.
"Remember," Zhang said from the doorway as they prepared to leave. "If things go south, you don't know me, and you never stepped foot in that building. Save yourselves first."
"We’re not leaving without the drive, Uncle," Leo said firmly.
May you like
With a final, shared glance, they stepped out into the cool night air, heading toward the heart of the financial district where the towering glass spires pierced the overcast sky like needles.
***
