Chapter 1: The Empress Unveiled

The clock ticked past midnight in Wei Xai Yuu’s modest apartment in Manila. The room was dimly lit, save for the soft glow of multiple monitors displaying streams of code, server logs, and encrypted files. The only sound was the rhythmic clicking of her mechanical keyboard, a melody of precision and speed.

Wei’s sharp hazel eyes scanned the lines of code, her brows furrowing as she cracked yet another firewall. On her screen, a countdown timer ticked down ominously—just five minutes left to retrieve a file containing Black Lotus's offshore bank accounts.

Her pulse was steady, her movements fluid. To most, hacking was a crime, but to Wei, it was an art. She wasn’t just good—she was the best. She was Empress, the ghost hacker governments whispered about but could never find.

“Access granted,” her computer chimed. Wei smirked as the file opened.

"Too easy," she muttered under her breath.

Just as she began extracting the data, a notification flashed on her screen.

“INTRUDER DETECTED.”

Wei’s smirk vanished. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up the intruder’s IP. It was bouncing between proxies, but she was faster. Within seconds, she pinpointed their location.

“Shanghai?” she whispered, narrowing her eyes. Whoever this was, they were bold—and skilled.

The intruder sent a message through her terminal:

Specter: “You’re not the only one who plays this game, Empress.”

Wei’s jaw tightened. Specter was a name she’d heard whispered in the hacker community, someone as elusive as she was. Her irritation flared.

“Let’s see how good you really are,” she muttered, diving into a rapid counter-attack.

Lines of code flew across her screen as the two hackers clashed in a silent war. Specter was fast, but Wei was faster. She bypassed his defenses, breaking through layers of encryption, only to find herself blocked by another.

Her fingers didn’t falter. If he wanted a duel, she’d give him one.

---

Meanwhile, across the sea in Shanghai, Tian Ling watched the battle unfold on his own monitors. His lips curled into a smile as he leaned back in his chair, adjusting the cufflinks of his tailored suit.

“Impressive,” he murmured, watching the Empress counter his every move. She wasn’t just skilled; she was relentless.

For months, Tian had been tracking her, drawn not just by her skills but by the mystery surrounding her identity. The idea of a woman who could outmatch him in his own domain was intoxicating—and infuriating.

“Let’s see if you can handle this,” he whispered, launching a virus into her system.

---

Back in Manila, Wei’s screen flashed red. The virus spread quickly, threatening to shut down her entire operation. She gritted her teeth, typing faster, isolating the malware before it could corrupt her system.

A bead of sweat rolled down her temple as the seconds ticked by. The virus fought back, but she was relentless, finally locking it in a sandbox program.

“Nice try, Specter,” she said, a triumphant smirk returning to her lips.

Her system beeped as she gained full access to the files again. She downloaded them, then sent a message to Specter:

Empress: “Better luck next time.”

Without waiting for a response, she cut the connection and wiped her traces. The thrill of the battle still coursed through her veins as she leaned back in her chair, exhaling deeply.

---

The Next Morning

Wei blended seamlessly into the crowd on her university campus, her dark hair pulled into a high ponytail and her books tucked under one arm. To her classmates, she was just another student, quiet and unassuming.

“Xai!” a cheerful voice called out.

She turned to see Kurt Lee, her best friend, jogging toward her with his usual boyish grin.

“Morning, Kurt,” she said, her tone cool but not unkind.

“You look tired,” he said, falling into step beside her. “Were you up late again studying? Or, you know… doing other things?”

Wei shot him a warning glance, and Kurt raised his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay! No questions. But seriously, Xai, you should take a break. Let me treat you to lunch later?”

Wei hesitated. Kurt had always been kind, his presence a rare comfort in her chaotic life. But her mind was still preoccupied with last night’s duel.

“I’ll think about it,” she replied, offering him a small smile.

---

In Shanghai

Tian Ling paced his luxurious office, his phone pressed to his ear.

“I want everything on her,” he ordered his assistant. “Find out who she is, where she’s from, and what she wants. No mistakes this time.”

“Yes, Mr. Ling,” came the reply.

Tian ended the call and leaned against his desk, his dark eyes narrowing. The Empress had bested him, but this was far from over.

“She’ll be mine,” he muttered. “One way or another.”

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