The ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE SYSTEM-Chapter 29: THE FIRST STRIKE

The rain from the previous night hadn't left. Instead, it had grown heavier, as if the sky itself sensed the tension rising in Tianxu City.

In a private underground boardroom, Chen Yu sat at the head of a sleek obsidian table. Digital screens flickered to life around him—each one displaying surveillance feeds, stock fluctuations, and a detailed map of the city's eastern district.

Meiyun stood beside him, arms crossed, her expression serious.

"We've been hit," she said.

Chen Yu's eyes didn't blink. "Where?"

"Donghai Port," Meiyun replied. "One of our logistics partners was bought out overnight by a shell company traced back to the Win Family."

Chen leaned back slowly, fingers steepled.

"They're testing me."

"No," Meiyun said. "They're provoking you."

He stood, the soft hum of the system activating in the back of his mind. A faint glint flashed behind his eyes.

[Experience Target Acquired: Strategic Retaliation (Advanced)]

Just like that, the data began to move faster. His mind absorbed the logistics routes, legal contracts, city transport maps—and within seconds, a clear counter-plan had formed.

"Redirect our cargo through South Wharf," he said. "Use the Seong Group as a temporary front. Infiltrate Win's new partner and crash their distribution network from inside."

Meiyun blinked. "You just thought of that now?"

Chen smiled faintly. "No. I learned it just now."

TIANXU UNIVERSITY – EVENING

Zhao Lingyun stood on the library steps, clutching her phone. The message she received earlier still lingered in her thoughts.

[Unknown Sender]: Your friend Chen Yu is walking toward a storm. If you want to help him, come to the Black Pagoda building. Alone.

At first, she thought it was a prank. But something about it felt real. Dangerous. And her heart—against her better judgment—had started to worry about him.

She tapped a quick message.

[Zhao Lingyun → Chen Yu]: Hey... are you okay? I heard something weird today. Can we meet tonight?

But there was no reply.

She looked up at the sky. It was still raining.

CHEN YU'S VILLA – LATER THAT NIGHT

The fire crackled softly. Ruxue dried her hair near the fireplace while Meiyun typed rapidly on her laptop.

Chen Yu walked in, his coat damp from the rain.

Meiyun looked up. "Everything set?"

He nodded. "In twelve hours, they'll lose 40% of their distribution capacity."

Ruxue frowned. "Why do they even care about our port?"

Chen glanced at her, voice calm. "They don't care about the port. They care about disrupting my expansion."

He poured himself a glass of water and sipped it slowly.

"They're secretive. Ruthless. But they made one mistake."

"What?" Ruxue asked softly.

"They gave me a reason to fight."

Just then, his phone vibrated. He picked it up. It was Lingyun.

[Zhao Lingyun → Chen Yu]: Still no reply. I'm heading there myself. If I die, it's your fault.

Chen frowned. His instincts kicked in.

"Meiyun," he said sharply, "contact Shield Security. Have them track Zhao Lingyun's phone and dispatch a team to Black Pagoda Building."

Meiyun raised a brow. "She's involved now?"

"She might be bait. Or maybe a warning."

"And you?" she asked.

Chen's expression turned cold. He grabbed his coat again.

"I'll go there myself."

BLACK PAGODA BUILDING – ABANDONED PARKING GARAGE

Zhao Lingyun stepped into the echoing silence of the underground lot. Her footsteps clicked against the cement.

"I shouldn't be here," she muttered to herself.

Suddenly, a light flickered on. A man in a black suit stood across from her, partially hidden in shadow.

"You really came," he said, voice smooth.

"Who are you?" Lingyun asked, her voice firmer than she felt.

"Someone who's interested in Chen Yu," the man replied. "He's making waves. But waves drown people too, you know?"

Lingyun's fists clenched. "You dragged me out here to threaten him?"

"No," the man said. "To warn you. He's not who you think he is."

"I don't care!" she snapped. "He saved me once. And he's doing more for this city than anyone else."

The man stepped forward. "Then tell him to stop. Or next time, it won't be a warning."

Suddenly, headlights flared behind them.

An LMW SUV roared into the garage, tires screeching.

The door opened. Chen Yu stepped out.

His eyes met the man's.

No words were exchanged.

The man melted into the shadows.

Zhao ran to him. "Yu! Why didn't you answer?! I—"

But Chen grabbed her wrist, inspecting it. "Did he touch you?"

"No," she whispered, heart pounding.

He let go, his voice softer now. "You should've waited. You could've been hurt."

"You weren't answering!" she shouted, eyes wet. "I thought... I thought something happened to you."

A moment of silence passed.

Chen Yu reached up and brushed her wet bangs from her face.

"I'm not so easy to kill," he said quietly.

Then, almost instinctively, she stepped forward and hugged him.

And for a moment, he didn't pull away.

BACK AT THE VILLA – MIDNIGHT

The thunder had faded. Meiyun handed Chen a hot towel when he returned with Zhao in tow.

"She's safe," he said. "But this changes things."

"Win Family?" Meiyun asked.

Chen nodded. "They've started playing dirty."

"And us?"

Chen looked at both women.

"We're not just playing anymore."

He sat down, fingers tapping the armrest.

"We're going to win."