A few days later, Lin Chen stood at the grand entrance of the Velvet Circle Gala, held in a penthouse floating above the city skyline—SkyDome 88.
Only the elites of the elites were allowed in.
And Lin Chen?
He had something even more powerful than status.
He had the Shadow Black Card.
🪪 Item Active: Shadow Black Card (Valid for 72 Hours)Grants temporary VIP privileges at all elite-level venues. Embedded with system obfuscation, preventing identification tracking.
At the entrance, the doorman—a man in a three-piece suit with biometric glasses—scanned the card.
"Mr. Lin… welcome to the Circle."
The doors opened to reveal a scene of modern decadence: crystal chandeliers, ambient jazz, silk-robed servers, and the most powerful people in finance, tech, and politics mingling as if they were gods on Olympus.
Lin Chen stepped in, confidence radiating from him like heat.
He scanned the crowd—not searching for connections, but scenting opportunity.
🔍 System Prompt: "High-Influence Individual Detected: Codename – Nightingale"Hidden reputation score: 95/100. Identity partially encrypted.
Then he saw her.
Amidst a cluster of male investors stood a woman in an obsidian velvet gown, her black hair cascading like silk, eyes sharp yet unreadable. She sipped from a crystal wine glass, engaging in subtle verbal fencing with a tech billionaire.
Her aura was cold. Untouchable. Magnetic.
黎初 — Li Chu.
Or, as the system had labeled her: Nightingale.
Lin Chen approached with practiced ease.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked, gesturing to the velvet lounge beside her.
She looked up, gaze meeting his for the first time.
That second stretched.
And then she smiled faintly.
"That depends. Are you here to talk business, flirt, or lie?"
Lin Chen chuckled. "Whichever gets me more information."
The surrounding men were clearly displeased at being ignored, but Li Chu raised her hand slightly. "Gentlemen, excuse us."
They left, muttering.
She leaned in, voice low. "You're not on the Circle's registry. I checked."
"You checked before I even sat down?"
"Always vet the most dangerous-looking person in the room."
"And?" Lin Chen tilted his head.
"You passed," she said, smiling again—this time, warmer. "Barely."
They spoke for hours—philosophy, economics, underground markets, the illusion of control in capital flow.
And beneath her words, Lin Chen caught the signs.
This woman wasn't just rich or smart.
She was connected.
Someone deep in the world he was now stepping into.
🎯 Mission Update: Network Initiation with High-Value Contact "Nightingale" — In Progress💰 +100 Gold💡 Passive Trait Acquired: Social Threat Detection
As the night wore on, she finally said, "I host a private table every week. Eight people. All dangerous in their own way. Come."
"What's the price of admission?"
She stood up, handed him a black card of her own—her contact token.
"Surprise me," she whispered.
As she walked away, the system pinged again.
🎯 Mission Chain "Velvet Web" Unlocked🎁 New Skill Unlocked: Mind Duelist (LV.1)Grants bonus to negotiation, hidden intent reading, and counter-manipulation tactics.
Lin Chen looked down at the card.
He had just stepped into the inner circle of the game behind the game.
And the Nightingale?
She was far more than she seemed.