From Trash to Tycoon: The Shenhao Rise

Location: Tokyo Megacity – 2:47 AM, Black Nine Territory

Rain poured down like silver needles as Bai Chen stepped off the rented motorcycle at the outskirts of Tokyo's dark underbelly. Unlike the glimmering cityscape tourists knew, this side of Tokyo was soaked in secrets—forgotten warehouses, silent syndicates, and experimental labs hidden beneath ramen shops and hostess bars.

His destination: a seemingly abandoned building once used as a cryogenics research facility. Now, it was home to something far worse.

Black Nine's Bio-AI lab.

Inside that building, Tang Xinyi—his soft-spoken, loyal college friend—was being held.

System Prompt: Covert Rescue Mission Initiated

🔥 Mission: "Debt of Kindness"

Objective: Infiltrate Black Nine's hidden Tokyo lab

Rescue Target: Tang Xinyi

Status: Drugged + mentally probed for Shenhao link

Lab Security:

– 12 armed guards

– 3 prototype Bio-AI androids

– 1 surveillance drone system

Time Limit: 3 hours until full AI mind-scrape

🧠 Bonus Condition: Escape without using NovaVerse identity or external team

Flashback – 3 Years Ago

Dorm Room 407.

A younger, scruffier Bai Chen sat in a hoodie, head down on his desk, a failed math test in front of him.

He felt hopeless. Forgotten.

Until Tang Xinyi walked in.

"Still struggling?" she asked softly.

Bai Chen didn't respond.

She pulled out a second lunchbox, setting it on his desk. Homemade rice balls and pickled radish.

"You're not stupid, Bai Chen," she said. "You just need someone to believe in you."

He looked up slowly.

She smiled.

And just like that, the fog in his mind cleared for the first time.

Back to Present – Lab Perimeter

Crouched behind a rusted van, Bai Chen surveyed the perimeter through a pair of nano-lenses. Guards circled in 2-minute rotations. Inside, infrared scans picked up one heat signature: Xinyi, restrained and unconscious on a surgical table.

🔓 Skill Activated: "Silent Sovereign" – Elite Shenhao Infiltration Mode

Perk: Immune to infrared, motion sensors, and AI detection for 10 minutes

Cost: 5,000 System Points

Bai Chen slipped into the shadows like smoke.

Inside the Lab

The scent of metal, antiseptic, and rot filled the air.

Glass tanks held failed human-AI hybrid prototypes, their eyes glowing dim red. Machines hummed. A wall-sized server blinked with a live data stream.

He found her in Room B-12.

Tang Xinyi.

Strapped to the table, IV lines in her arms, a neural helmet scanning her brainwaves.

One of the Black Nine scientists stood nearby, adjusting the AI probe.

"Subject is stable. Her memory scan shows signs of emotional imprint—possibly tied to Shenhao protocols."

He didn't get to finish his sentence.

CRACK!

Bai Chen struck from the shadows, elbow slamming into the man's throat.

He fell with a wheeze, unconscious.

Bai Chen rushed to Xinyi's side, tearing off the helmet, his voice low and urgent.

"Xinyi… it's me."

She blinked slowly. Groggy. Confused.

"…Chen…?"

💘 Tang Xinyi Relationship: 0% → 35%

Memory Flag Triggered: "He Came Back for Me"

Escape Sequence

Alarms blared.

Someone had tripped a failsafe.

Three Bio-AI enforcers stormed down the corridor, red optics flaring.

⚠️ Combat Mode Triggered

Option 1: Fight

Option 2: Disable lab via remote overload

Option 3: Use Experimental Override Chip – One use only

Bai Chen narrowed his eyes.

"Option 3."

He pulled a silver chip from his watch—one he'd stolen from Monaco's auction vault.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it into the server room.

⚡ EMP Override Triggered

🔥 RESULT: Lab AI Wiped – Bio-Units Deactivated – Memory Scrubbed

The facility lights flickered… then died.

The Bio-AIs collapsed mid-run.

Bai Chen scooped Xinyi into his arms, whispering, "Hang on. You're going home."

Rooftop Extraction – 10 Minutes Later

A black stealth helicopter descended onto the roof, blades chopping the Tokyo rain. It was Nadia's doing—against orders.

She emerged from the cockpit, umbrella in hand.

"I figured you'd screw up and need a lift."

Bai Chen smirked. "Glad to know I'm predictable."

She looked at Xinyi, unconscious in his arms.

Nadia's voice softened. "She matters to you, doesn't she?"

"She saved me before I was anything," he said. "Now it's my turn."

System Reward

✅ Mission Completed: Tang Xinyi Rescued

💎 System Points Earned: +20,000

🧠 Trait Unlocked: "Emotional Anchor" – Resistance to mind-control tech

💘 Tang Xinyi Affection: 35% → 56%

Route Unlocked: "Loyal Light" – Support/Healer class in Shenhao Missions

🛏️ Intimacy Flag: Recovering — Emotional Confession Scene Available (Next Chapter)

Ending Scene – NovaVerse Medical Wing

Back in Singapore, Xinyi lay on a luxury medical bed, surrounded by advanced healing tech.

She opened her eyes to soft light… and Bai Chen sitting beside her, eyes closed, hand still gently holding hers.

"Chen…" she whispered.

He opened his eyes.

"You came for me."

His voice cracked slightly.

"I never forgot you, Xinyi."

Tears welled in her eyes.

"You're not the boy I knew… but you're still the man I believed in."

Their hands remained locked.

A silent promise blooming in the space between heartbeats.