The Roots Beneath the Garden
The next target isn't just business—it's personal. Gerard sets his sights on an old friend of Madam Wei's, one of the few people she genuinely trusts. But this isn't just about eliminating a threat—it's about sending a message that cuts deeper than money. And as Meiying probes for truth and Jian sharpens his edges, the tension beneath the surface threatens to crack wide open.
---
14:30 – Eastern District – The Florist's Guild
It was a picturesque corner of the city—cobblestone sidewalks, small cafés tucked under leafy awnings, the scent of jasmine and lavender carried by the breeze. The kind of place where children played in the park and old men played chess under the shade of sycamores.
It was also where Madam Wei's oldest confidant, an elderly woman named Auntie Ren, ran a high-end flower boutique that doubled as a front for money laundering, coded messaging, and encrypted deliveries.
A sweet woman to the public. A calculating handler behind the curtain.
Gerard stood across the street beneath a covered bus stop, dressed in a simple blue windbreaker and ballcap. He chewed slowly on a toothpick, watching the shop's entrance.
Jian leaned against the lamppost a few feet away, flicking a butterfly knife open and shut with rhythmic ease.
"You really gonna put down grandma's best friend?" Jian asked without looking at him.
"She moves Wei's money," Gerard replied. "She's not innocent."
Jian chuckled. "You sure? I saw her give a rose to a blind kid last week. Monster behavior."
Gerard didn't smile.
Because he'd seen the digital ledgers. The untraceable transfers routed through florist invoices, the way coded messages were tucked into petals and arrangements.
Because Auntie Ren wasn't just trusted—she was protected. Only someone Madam Wei considered family would get this close to her financial bloodline.
And now, Gerard would slit that artery wide open.
---
15:00 – Safehouse #2 – Planning the Message
Back at the recently acquired apartment, Gerard stood before a corkboard riddled with photos, maps, and red thread.
He pulled down Auntie Ren's file and laid it beside the others: loan front, shell company CEO, offshore accountant—all gone.
But this… this needed precision.
He flipped open his system interface and opened the mission customizer.
---
[Ding! Mission Customization Opened]
- Target: Auntie Ren (Asset Tier: Inner Circle)
- Objective: Eliminate without harming civilian clients
- Optional Objective: Leave symbolic warning for Madam Wei
- Reward: $500,000 + Enhanced Stealth Upgrade
- Bonus: If accomplished without public suspicion, unlock bonus asset map from Wei family's internal communications.
---
He accepted.
And this time, he wouldn't just strike.
He'd leave Wei something to remember him by.
---
16:45 – Wei Estate – Meiying's Test
Meiying stood outside her mother's tea garden, the koi pond reflecting her pale face like a whisper of a life she barely lived anymore.
She clutched a small folder in her hand, filled with the sanitized version of her findings on Jian. Just enough to trigger suspicion. Not enough to betray her source.
When Gerard messaged her for next targets, she casually replied:
"Jian's known to associate with an old arms dealer. I cross-checked his locations. He's never more than a street away from you."
She watched her screen.
Waited.
Gerard's response was immediate, but brief.
"Noted. Keep digging."
No anger. No dismissal. No paranoia.
Too clean. Too calm.
She knew now.
He didn't trust Jian either.
But wasn't saying it.
---
17:30 – Inside the Florist's Guild – Thorns and Ash
Dusk approached, and the Florist's Guild prepared for its evening close. The last bouquet left in a delivery van. The last register counted. The lights dimmed.
That's when Gerard moved.
He was inside the building less than 30 seconds after the last worker left. A side window, no alarm, carefully cut days ago during a fake flower delivery.
He passed through the rows of orchids, lilies, and carnations like a ghost, his footsteps muffled by soft soil and planters.
Auntie Ren sat at her desk, humming softly to herself, trimming the thorns from a white rose.
Gerard raised his silenced pistol.
"Li Xian," she said, without turning. "You're a lot colder now than the boy I remember."
Gerard froze.
Her voice wasn't afraid.
"I held you once, when your mother died. Did she tell you that? You don't remember, but I do."
He lowered the gun a fraction.
"She trusted me," Ren continued, gently laying the rose on her desk. "Just like Wei does now. But that won't stop you, will it?"
Silence. Thick and electric.
"No," Gerard said softly.
"Then do it."
He raised the pistol again—eyes narrowed, finger twitching.
The system didn't interfere this time.
But Jian's voice rang in his head, replayed from hours ago.
"You're holding back again."
He pulled the trigger.
---
18:00 – Message Delivered
Later that night, Madam Wei received a single photo via encrypted drop:
A white rose, soaked in blood.
Beneath it: one of her personal ledgers, pages torn and burned at the edges.
Her eyes remained cold.
But her hand trembled.
---