X:CODE

**Chapter One: A Dangerous Game**

The rain fell in sharp, heavy sheets, casting the city in a muted, silver haze. Neon lights flickered on dark, rain-slicked streets, their glow reflecting off wet asphalt. Somewhere beneath this glimmering façade of urban life, violence simmered just below the surface—coiled and waiting.

Chu Wanning stepped out of the black car, his dark trench coat barely rustling as the downpour drenched the air around him. He moved with quiet precision, each step deliberate, every breath controlled. To the casual observer, he was just another face in the crowd, yet the shadows knew better. They whispered his name with both fear and reverence—the ruthless enforcer, the man who always got the job done.

But tonight was different. This mission wasn’t about intimidation or making someone disappear. This was about retrieving something far more dangerous.

*Shen Qingqiu’s blueprint.*

The instructions had been clear: infiltrate Sisheng College, get the blueprint, and eliminate any threats. It was supposed to be a simple, clean job. But Chu Wanning had learned long ago that nothing was ever that straightforward in the world Shen controlled.

As he approached the towering gates of Sisheng College, the rain gave way to silence, the school looming in front of him like a fortress of secrets. Inside, under the guise of a gym teacher, he would search for the blueprint, hidden somewhere within its walls. Every moment he lingered put him at risk. Rival syndicates had already caught wind of Shen’s plans. There was no time to waste.

But even as his sharp eyes scanned the empty grounds, something tugged at the edge of his thoughts, an inexplicable weight. His instincts—the very ones that had kept him alive in this brutal world—were on edge.

And then he saw him. Chu Wanning saw him.

A boy, small and fragile, lay crumpled on the wet pavement outside the gates of Sisheng College. Three older students towered over him, kicking and laughing cruelly. Mo WeiYu barely moved, taking the hits without a sound, as if used to this kind of treatment.

Chu Wanning stopped, watching the scene for a brief moment. His fingers twitched—he could stop this if he wanted. But it wasn’t his concern. His mission was to find Shen Qingqiu’s blueprint, nothing more.

He turned away, disappearing into the rain-soaked streets. The boy would be fine. He wasn’t part of the plan.

---

The next day, the sky had cleared. Sisheng College stood tall, its halls filled with students. Chu Wanning, now disguised as a temporary gym teacher, walked through the gates, his mission clear. He needed to find the blueprint hidden inside the school.

In the gym, students gathered lazily. Chu Wanning scanned the crowd, his gaze landing on Mo WeiYu. The boy stood alone, bruised and quiet, as if invisible to the others.

Without a word, Chu Wanning moved to the front. “Line up,” he commanded. The students fell silent, quickly getting into position.

“Mo WeiYu,” Chu Wanning called, eyes cold.

The boy flinched slightly but didn’t look up. Slowly, he joined the line, moving with a limp. When their eyes finally met, Chu Wanning felt something unsettling in Mo WeiYu’s gaze—something intense and dark. But he brushed it aside.

Mo WeiYu was no threat. Not yet.

---

Gym class ended quietly, the students shuffling out, eager to leave the cold presence of their new teacher. Chu Wanning watched them go, his mind already on the blueprint. The only thing that mattered was finding Shen Qingqiu's weapon design, hidden somewhere in this school. Still, his thoughts wandered back to Mo WeiYu.