The neon lights shimmered on the mist-covered harbor, and their glow flickered across the restless water, which made the whole scene look kinda eerie. The scent of salt and diesel hung in the humid air, wrapping the city in a quiet, almost conspiratorial stillness, and it was like something big was about to happen.
In an aging bar in the old district of Penang, Li Chuan sat with his laptop open, and a glass of watered-down whiskey within reach, as he was trying to make sense of what was on the screen. His fingers was moving swiftly over the keyboard, and lines of intricate financial transactions was scrolling down non-stop.
"Eh, that's so weird la... because this transaction here don't make sense."
His brows furrowed. Among the usual flow of numbers, an anomaly stood out—three days ago, the chairman of Hengtai Group, Wei Xingzhi, had plunged to his death from his office tower, which was totally unexpected. The police ruled it a suicide, but then again, things weren't always what they seemed. Yet, forty-eight hours before his demise, several anonymous accounts linked to the company had suddenly received an influx of funds—a substantial sum—only to be discreetly funneled offshore through an intricate web of transactions, which was like a whole mess to untangle.
Would a man who planning to take his own life bother with such a meticulous financial maneuver? Like, seriously?
Li Chuan took a slow sip of his whiskey, while his gaze drifting toward a television in the corner of the bar. The news was broadcasting Wei Xingzhi's funeral, and the atmosphere looked so tense. In the black-and-white photograph, the deceased man's eyes held a depth that was impossible to be deciphered, and it was almost like he knew something before he died. His death had threw Hengtai Group into chaos, and the speculation surrounding it was relentless. Some believed he was crushed by mounting debt, so he had no choice but to end it all. Others whispered of a carefully orchestrated murder, which made more sense if you think about it.
Then suddenly, his phone vibrated.
An anonymous message popped up: Do you want to know the real cause of Wei Xingzhi's death?
Li Chuan's pupils narrowed. "Aiyoh, what is this now? Who so kaypoh?"
Quickly, he entered a series of encrypted commands, as he attempted to trace the sender's IP. But when the result appeared on his screen, he hesitated for a second, because he wasn't expecting this result at all.
The origin of the message was within the very bar he was sitting in, which was really not something he expected.
He scanned the room. A few patrons was nursing their drinks—mostly weary night-goers, and some looked like they had no idea what was going on. The bartender was polishing glasses behind the counter, acting all chill, as if nothing unusual was happening. In the dimly lit corner, a man in a black trench coat was lighting a cigarette, and his fingers tapped lightly on the wooden table, the rhythm deliberate, almost as if he was counting something, which was kinda sus.
Li Chuan's gaze lingered on each face—the trench coat man, the long-haired woman by the window, the middle-aged man drinking alone—because one of them had to be the one who sent the message.
He set his whiskey down, and then he typed a response without hesitation: Let's meet.
The reply came instantly: You're already here, isn't you? So what now?
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, because this was getting more and more interesting. His fingers danced over the screen, attempting to dissect the digital footprint, but the sender was skilled—every layer of communication encrypted, leaving no easy trail to followed, which meant this person knew exactly what they were doing.
This was a test, and he wasn't going to fail.
Rising from his seat, he strode toward the man in the trench coat. As he drew near, a faint scent of cigar smoke reached him, which kinda reminded him of old crime movies. The man's fingers continued their steady tapping against the table, and it was unclear whether it was just an unconscious habit or a calculated signal.
"Bro, you the one who sent the message ah? Or you just sitting here for fun?" Li Chuan asked quietly.
The man lifted his head, and a slow, knowing smile spread across his lips, as if he was enjoying the whole situation. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. What do you think?"
Li Chuan's eyes sharpened, because this guy wasn't giving anything away so easily.
"Wei Xingzhi's death," the man continued, his voice calm, almost conversational, like he was discussing the weather. "What do you make from it? Got any theory?"
Li Chuan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled out a chair and sat across from him, while flipping his phone face-down on the table, because he knew better than to leave it screen-up in this kind of situation.
"I'm more interested in how you knew I was investigating this," he finally said.
The man flicked the ash from his cigarette and murmured, "In this city, anyone who kaypoh too much about Hengtai Group either vanishes... or is found floating in the bay, which is not exactly the best way to go. You know lah, people disappear here all the time. Siao one, you go mess with them."
For a brief moment, Li Chuan remained silent, letting the words settle, while he tried to figure out how much of that was just intimidation and how much was actually true. He knew he had stepped into something dangerous. And this man sitting across from him—he was likely just the tip of the iceberg, which meant there was way more going on.
Finally, Li Chuan exhaled. "And you? Why you are still sitting here talking to me, instead of, I dunno, disappearing?"
The man chuckled, and his eyes gleamed with something unreadable, as if he was testing Li Chuan just as much as Li Chuan was testing him. "Because, like you, I don't enjoys being controlled. And also... I like teh tarik too much to leave, which is very important, you know. Some things cannot change. You know what I mean?"
Li Chuan tapped the table lightly, signaling the bartender for another whiskey, because this conversation was far from over.
The game had just begun, and there was no turning back now.