A/N: Good morning, readers! (Or at least anyone in the Americas, anyway.) I bring you the next installment of Imbroglio, to which I hope you all enjoy. Also I have a new poll up! So if you want to take a minute and tell me who your favorite OC is in my stories, that would be awesome.
This chapter's special thanks goes to a salad mix set, croutons and bowl included (I swear I'm not crazy, I just like inside jokes).
You're acting stupid, Feng Wen. You're not the only person out there who would want to be his friend.
Yeah, but instead they want him for his fame. They want Zhi Sano, not the real Hong Peng.
Can you trust no one anymore, Feng Wen? It's not like they're going to take him away from you.
But it's not just them I'm worried about...
I looked over at Hong Peng, the argument in my mind never seeming to cease. I quickly became uncertain as we made our way to the transporters, having finished the day's classes. Any conversation between us was minimal since the crowd in front of Dad's classroom, our meal consisting of only the occasional question to pass a napkin or condiment. And while we walked to our classes he was too busy greeting others, or looking at that damned scrap of paper like he was at the very moment.
"So uh... What did that girl give you, anyway?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Her in-game name." He replied, his tone cautious. "She said if I ever had the time the two of us could meet up, you know. Grab a bite to eat, stuff like that."
"Right, right." I said, sensing that my presence wouldn't be welcomed by him even within the same city in that event. After all, he is as aware as I am of how girls act around me. "Well remember that tonight we're suppose to have another meeting, with Prince and them. Mo- I mean he told me they found out something important." Recalling the text message that my mother sent me during my second class.
"... Oh. Alright." Hong Peng said, suddenly sounding disappointed. We stopped at the transporters, with Hong Peng waiting for me to load up mine before he left. "I'll see you later tonight, then."
"Okay. See you then." I replied, trying to sound not as downtrodden as I felt.
Loading up into the game, I opened my eyes to light shining through the windows of the inn's room. The sun's rays brought a cheery atmosphere into the two bed room, a contrast of how I felt from seeing Hong Peng's absence from the room when I looked over at his disheveled bed. I got on a few minutes after him, why is he already gone? He usually waits for me...
"Are you coming, slowpoke?" I received a P.M, coming from none other than the boy priest in question. "I don't have all day now!"
Not wasting another moment, I jumped out of the bed and hurried down the hallway, awkwardly re-equipping my armor along the way. At the end of the hallway was Zhi, shaking his head in disbelief with a small smile as he watched me hop down the hall in an attempt to put on my boot.
"Why did you leave?" I asked when I finally reached him, now putting on my gauntlets. "I wasn't that long!"
Zhi bit his lip nervously, before quickly changing to an annoyed expression. "What, can't I just do my own thing sometimes?"
"N-No, I didn't say that..." I replied, unprepared for him being so defensive.
"Then don't ask stupid questions. Anyway, I only wait on you so you don't get lost trying to find me!" He then turned around and started towards the door, "Now come on, we'll be late if we don't get going."
I looked at the time, a disgruntled frown settling on my face as I followed. But we're only twenty minutes away from the castle, and the meeting doesn't start for another hour.
Ten minutes passed in an awkward silence, the only noticeable sound being the crowd buzzing around us as they cleaned the streets of war debris. I was too busy staring at my feet as I walked to notice Zhi had stopped suddenly, causing me to walk right into him. "Hey! What are you stopping for?" I exclaimed, looking around to see the cause. But I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, with the people of the city trying to steal a glance at us as they continued to restore Infinite City to its former glory.
Curious, I bent my head to look at my companion's face, who was staring out in the distance and mouthing silent words thoughtfully. His eyes flickered to me, finally acknowledging my presence. "Ah, hey Feng Wen!"
"Hi?" I replied in bewilderment, "Is something wrong?"
"Uh. Um, well looks like I can't make it to the meeting after all! Something came up in a P.M, so I gotta run!" He blurted, now beginning to walk off in another direction. "You can make it to the castle from here, right? I'm sure you can, I believe in you! Tell me the highlights later!" He said cheerfully, waving as he left.
I gave a half-hearted wave as he disappeared into the surrounding crowd. "Bye..." I mumbled to myself.
If life couldn't be any shittier to me, my god forsaken sense of direction turned what should have been another ten minute trip into forty minutes of hopelessly wandering around till I got to the castle's walls. With no question the guards opened the gates and I carefully made my way to the war room, thankful that there were signs since my mother's lack of direction was the source of my curse.
"Positive I.D: Player Yi Min, 3rd General of Infinite City Army." The scanner rang, opening the door to a tamer chorus of voices than last time I had entered the room.
"Hi honey!" Prince chimed happily upon seeing me, cutting the conversation between him, Ugly Wolf, my father and aunt short. His expression quickly changed to one of confusion, "Where is Hong Peng?"
My already dampened mood went farther south, "I think he had to meet someone else, so he can't attend."
Prince and Dad looked at me with great concern, evidence that I was unable to mask my deep displeasure. My aunt however did not seem so perturbed, "Uh oh, looks like there's trouble in paradise!" She replied teasingly, to which both of my parents sent a seething glare towards her.
Prince gave a sigh, "Don't listen to your aunt, Feng Wen. I'm sure Hong Peng will sort things out. He's been a loyal friend, and I doubt that will change."
I nodded solemnly, feeling a bit better from my mother's comforting words. I hope so.
"Since everyone who will be attending the meeting is here, shall we begin?" Ugly Wolf asked.
"Yes, we have a lot of hard things to swallow today..." Prince replied, his positive demeanor taking a turn for the worse. "Everyone be seated."
On command, I found my seat between Dad and where Prince's chair was. I looked around the room, seeing nearly everyone had followed and was currently watching Prince in uneasy anticipation. The only two that were not watching Prince were Uncle Fox and Kenshin, whose gazes were on me instead. W-What? Do I really look that bummed out over Hong Peng?
"Infinite City is safe again, and to that I have to thank every one of you." Prince began, pacing around the room with his hands behind his back. "But the kingdom and even our very lives are not, with new intelligence from both within and outside of the game telling us a much darker story than originally believed."
Our lives? I thought worriedly, tensing at the still fresh memories of being held captive in that forsaken basement. And I wasn't alone as Yu Lian quirked a suspicious brow, "You mean to tell me that Feng Wen's kidnapping was not some one time attempt?"
"No. What happened that day was his declaration of war on me and anyone who associates themselves with Infinite City." Prince replied solemnly.
"How!?" I cried in disbelief, jumping up from my seat and slamming my hands on the table. "He's already a criminal by kidnapping and attempted murder, you mean to tell me he plans on doing more and the police have done nothing about it? Why isn't he prison already!?"
"Because we have no idea who he is." Nan Gong Zui replied calmly, "No name, no face, no valid IP to trace him. The one time we had seen him before, when the damn bastard crashed my wedding to try to seduce my wife, we later found out he wore a disguise. And to complicate matters worse, he is likely someone with a lot of power in the real world."
"And why do you say that?" I asked incredulously. I felt a hand over my own, turning to see my father with eyes that gently pleaded for me to calm down. With a deep sigh to settle my nerves, I sat back down in my seat. I can't lose sight of the problem at hand.
"Only someone with a lot of money, a lot of power or both would be able to gather together everything he has at his disposal." Nan Gong Zui replied, "We do have one lead for his identity at this point, and if we're correct it is the worst situation we could possibly imagine."
"Lei Qiang." Uncle Fox said coolly, his eyes narrowing.
"L-Lei Qiang?" Yang-shushu stuttered, his face paling. "Y-You mean the Dragon Head? The leader of..."
"the oldest and most notorious crime syndicate in Asia, Tiāntáng Lóng*." Nan Gong Zui finished. "Very few know who or where Lei Qiang comes from, his family name even remaining a mystery. And those who try to tell are murdered in cold blood before they can."
The room was silent, with everyone but Uncle Fox and Nan Gong Zui trying to digest the possibility of facing one of the most dangerous men of all of Asia. That explains why Uncle Fox left so quickly this morning... It's common knowledge that Tiāntáng Lóng and the Ice Emperor Syndicate have been rivals for decades. I felt my heart quicken before it tightened in anxiety at the thought of all the legends surrounding the man who held the title of Dragon Head- all consisting of an individual with deadly and awe inspiring skill.
"What reason do you have to believe that Fan is Lei Qiang?" My father asked, clearly trying to calm the increasingly restless room.
"I'm sure you have heard on the news lately that Tiāntáng Lóng's activity has increased dramatically within the last two months, starting around the time you came back as well as Feng Wen making the public eye. Arctic Fox has confirmed that many of the members in the enemy army last night were associated with the syndicate, including the archer who was tailing Feng Wen and Hong Peng." Nan Gong Zui said, turning on the display in the table to show the news story that I had seen earlier. "And what is known about Lei Qiang is that he is good looking, manipulative, power hungry, and a womanizer. Sound familiar, Prince?"
"Unfortunately." He growled behind barred teeth. "This isn't the first time I've dealt with that damn syndicate before, either. If only I had known this would happen, I would have gone into that room when I had the chance..."
"Mom?" I asked, curious by her statement.
Prince looked over at me, "Something else I never told you, Feng Wen. Remember when the times I would leave for days, even weeks at a time for business trips?"
"Yeah?" Dad would always whine and sigh for her to return, and he'd always be so engrossed in missing her he would burn all the meals! I prayed a silent thank you for Kenshin normally taking over cooking after a couple days' time. At least Kenshin doesn't burn the food!
"Well let's just say that business was foiling some of Tiāntáng Lóng's more sinister plots." Prince replied with a smirk.
"While it's all great that my sis here is gloating about her glory days-" Yang-shushu began, flailing his arms around wildly. "I think everyone is failing to miss the point that we've managed to piss off an entire crime syndicate and its extremely powerful boss!"
"And there's also no point in causing a panic in something we have no control over." Nan Gong Zui said dryly, "Until we have a face we can put to Lei Qiang, for now we can only add extra security to your household. In the time being Arctic Fox has informed me that he and the Ice Emperor's elite will cooperate with the authorities to battle Tiāntáng Lóng on the condition of immunity from the law in their..." Nan Gong Zui glanced over at Uncle Fox, "...methods of doing so."
"Surely there's something we can do to fight back." Ugly Wolf pondered, scratching his furry chin with one of his long claws.
"There is." Dad replied, "If we can keep taking back Prince's domain, that means Fan will have less support from anyone who might be sponsoring funds or manpower to him. After all if you can't win in virtual reality, where with money you have an limitless array of ways to overpower your opponent, how do you think that will reflect in real life?"
"Poorly." I couldn't help but remark, to which Dad nodded with a smile.
"Exactly, and he'll lose followers both in-game as well as real life because of it. We might be able to find some hints of his identity or whereabouts in real life as well from interrogating some of his supporters. So right now our focus should be which city we need to reclaim next that will be the most beneficial to us and the most damaging to him." Dad explained.
"Alright, then what are we waiting for?" Shui-yima replied excitedly, switching the table back to the map of the Central Continent. "What's our next target, Prince?"
Prince stared silently at the table as he carefully considered his options. "Sun City."
Notes: Tiāntáng Lóng means "Dragon of Paradise"