Fear, Schemes, and Surveillance Deployment

The silver Rolls-Royce Cullinan cruised smoothly on the road back to the city, a stark contrast to the ostentatious Bentley that had accompanied Mike on the way there.

At this moment, the atmosphere inside the Rolls-Royce was somber, with only the deep, steady hum of the engine and the faint sound of air from the air conditioning vents. Outside the window, the intense afternoon sunlight was filtered through the tinted windows, turning into a dim, ambiguous light that fell on Lin Feng's calm, expressionless profile.

He leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, as if taking a nap. A few barely noticeable, dark red spots, stained with blood from his earlier swing, remained on the cuffs and chest of his dark blue polo shirt. A faint, indescribable smell of rust and gunpowder lingered in the air.

Lü Yi sat in the passenger seat, stealing a glance at his boss through the rearview mirror before quickly averting his gaze. The lingering excitement from witnessing that bloody "joke" still lingered on his face, but more than anything, it was a profound awe of his boss's unfathomable methods. He swallowed hard, wanting to say something to lighten the mood, but glancing at K beside him, who gripped the steering wheel expressionlessly, he swallowed his words. He knew that what his boss needed now wasn't idle chatter.

K's gaze was focused intently on the road ahead, but his peripheral vision remained constantly alert to the movements of surrounding vehicles and any subtle instructions from Lin Feng in the back seat. His hands gripped the steering wheel firmly and steadily, as if he weren't the one who had just held a gun to someone's lower back on the field, ready to pull the trigger at any moment.

The car entered a relatively quiet side road and slowed down.

"Boss," K finally spoke, his voice steady and deep, breaking the silence in the car, "What about Mike..."

"Terrified." Lin Feng, his eyes still closed, calmly took over the conversation, his tone carrying a hint of understanding and contempt. "When things are going smoothly for him, he can pull off elaborate scams, weaving traps with greed and lies, thinking himself a hunter in control. But once he encounters someone who truly doesn't play by the rules, doesn't follow the rules, and whose strength far surpasses his own, his carefully constructed facade and confidence will crumble like paper in an instant."

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the rapidly receding shadows of the trees outside the car window.

"The two new bodyguards he hired looked intimidating, but deep down they still had the mindset of 'professional bodyguards'—they were paid to do their jobs, and they paid attention to procedures and risk assessments. When they encountered people like us... well, those who didn't pay attention to procedures, their reactions were a beat slower. Especially the first one, his hand was already on the gun, but he was still hesitating, still observing, still waiting for the employer's instructions. He deserved to die."

Lin Feng commented as if he were reviewing a tool that had nothing to do with him.

"Breaking down his two most trusted and reassuring watchdogs is tantamount to completely shattering his last line of defense. Right now, he's probably in his car, cursing me as Madman while thinking about how to protect himself, how to get as far away from me as possible, and even... how to run away."

Lü Yi couldn't help but interject, "Boss, do you think he'll run away? That hundred million US dollars of ours..."

"Run? Of course he wants to run." Lin Feng's lips curled into a cold smile. "But he doesn't dare now. He's afraid that if he makes a move, I'll crush him like an ant. Besides, his scam hasn't been completely cleaned up yet, and those people behind him (like Dinggeli) won't allow him to easily abscond with the money. He's in a dilemma now, caught between a rock and a hard place."

He paused, then said to K, "However, after this scare, he'll definitely strengthen his security and become more vigilant. Those two bodyguard positions are vacant, and he desperately needs to fill them. This is an opportunity."

K immediately understood. "Does the boss mean that while he needs new bodyguards, we should try to plant our people in there?"

"Yes." Lin Feng nodded. "Through reliable intermediaries or channels he trusts, recommend the people we've screened and trained to him, citing 'clean backgrounds, rich experience, and reasonable prices.' We don't need many, just one. Ideally, they should be able to enter his core security circle and have access to his schedule and communication devices. If that's not possible..."

A cold glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. "If we can't infiltrate him, then have the intelligence team activate the highest level of surveillance. I need to know where he goes every day, who he meets, what phone calls he makes, what emails he sends, even... whether he talks in his sleep. Put him under a microscope! I need to know what color underwear he wears every day!"

His tone was cold and resolute, carrying an unquestionable desire for control.

"Isn't he trying to escape Seattle?" Lin Feng sneered. "I'd like to see how he runs without my permission, and where he goes. His passport, identity, bank accounts, private jet, yacht... keep a close watch on all possible escape routes! Report any unusual activity he makes immediately."

"Understood." K replied solemnly, memorizing the two instructions: "Infiltration security" and "comprehensive surveillance." This would require mobilizing a significant portion of Golden Sun's intelligence and operational resources in the western United States, but he knew how much importance his boss placed on this matter.

"Furthermore," Lin Feng added, "We need to strengthen the screening of those who frequently come into contact with Mike, especially the female Painter Isabella and his core 'partners' in his company. If Dinggeli wants to use Mike as a line to attack me, he might use them. Or, in a state of extreme panic, Mike might actively seek help from Dinggeli, or even... betray us in exchange for asylum. Any unusual fund flows, meetings, or communications must be analyzed and reported immediately."

"Yes," K replied again.

"Also," Lin Feng pondered for a moment, "Has the golf course been cleaned up?"

"Deputy Inspector Jonathan has received the 'report' and sent his own people over. The initial assessment will be a 'course accident' and a 'bodyguard's sudden illness.' Jonathan will 'properly appease' the two caddies and the supervisor, ensuring they keep quiet. Mike will likely use his connections and resources to suppress the matter. The scene has been cleaned up; no evidence against us will remain," K reported confidently. They were already adept at handling these kinds of "handling" situations with Jonathan.

Lin Feng nodded and stopped talking. He closed his eyes again, looking somewhat tired.

As the car entered the private driveway of Eagle Creek Ranch, tall trees on both sides cast dappled shadows.

"Boss," K hesitated for a moment before asking, "You seem... unusually..." He wanted to say "violent" or "direct," but ultimately chose a different word, "... direct. Was it intentionally done for Mike, and perhaps for those watching from the shadows?"

Lin Feng didn't open his eyes, but slowly said:

"The deaths of Daniel and Cohen were 'accidents.' While they shocked some people, they also made others (like Dinggeli) think that I was 'dignified' and preferred to solve problems 'within the rules,' at least on the surface."

He paused, his tone turning cold:

"But some people can't be intimidated by 'respectability' and 'accidents' alone. They're used to the rules of the shadows, used to solving problems with money and power, and used to looking down on everyone from a high place. For these people, you need to shatter their illusions directly in the way they understand and fear the most."

"Mike was Dinggeli's white glove, and also a pawn testing me. Today, I smashed not only the hands of Mike's bodyguards and caddies, but also Dinggeli's arrogance of 'everything is under control' and his misjudgment of me. I want him to know that I can not only create 'accidents,' but I can also use the most primitive and violent means anytime, anywhere, at will. I don't play by their rules. My rule is no rules. Or rather, my will is the only rule."

He opened his eyes, which were filled with unfathomable darkness and tranquility.

"Fear is the best shackle. When Mike fears me to the core, he won't dare to betray me easily, and might even become a pawn in my hands to turn against Dinggeli. When Dinggeli realizes that I am not an opponent he can reason with or deal with in a 'decent' way, he will have to carefully consider the price he has to pay before he can touch me."

"Today's performance is not only for Mike, but also for Dinggeli, and for all those in Seattle who are still watching from the shadows with ill intentions. The fangs must not only be gleaming, but occasionally stained with blood, so they can see clearly that these fangs can not only bite through throats, but also crush bones."

The car stopped in front of the lakeside villa.

Lin Feng pushed open the car door and got out. The afternoon sun shone on him, making his polo shirt, stained with dark red, appear somewhat dazzling. But his Back View was straight, and his steps were steady, without the slightest hint of panic or unease, as if he had just gone for a walk rather than caused a bloody violent incident on a high-class golf course.

K and Lü Yi got out of the car.

"Go and make the arrangements as we just discussed," Lin Feng instructed before walking straight into the villa.

Watching his boss's Back View disappear through the door, Lü Yi let out a long sigh of relief and whispered to K, "Brother K, the boss was... fucking handsome today! But he was also fucking terrifying! I was trembling with fear!"

K glanced at him, said nothing, but patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to get to work. He himself walked to the side, took out an encrypted satellite phone, and began contacting the Golden Sun's heads in Seattle and California, conveying the boss's latest instructions regarding monitoring Mike, attempting infiltration, and shifting intelligence resources towards California.

Inside the villa, Lin Feng went up to the study on the second floor. He took off the blood-stained polo shirt and casually threw it into the trash can in the corner. Then he walked to the huge French windows, looked at the shimmering lake outside, and lit a cigarette.

Smoke curled up, blurring his calm face.

The seeds of fear have been sown.

A web of surveillance is being laid.

Its penetrating tentacles are about to extend.

Meanwhile, the prey, still panting in terror and struggling in its calculations, is unaware that its every move, even its every heartbeat, has already fallen into the hunter's inescapable net of control.

Beneath the calm surface of the lake, the Undercurrent are becoming increasingly turbulent.