The message arrived with no sender and no digital trace.
It appeared in the Sovereign Alliance's most secure internal system not the public network, not a relay, but the command layer that only seven people in the world had access to. Placed there cleanly. Without alarm. Without evidence of entry.
Chen Wei read it three times.
You built an open world. Open worlds have open doors. We came through yours eighteen months ago. We have been watching. We have been counting. You have four hundred and twelve System bearers currently in classified government positions across eleven nations. We know each name. Each role. Each secret they hold. We do not want money. We do not want power. We want a meeting. Alone. You know the old factory district on the south end of Donghai. Three days. Midnight. C
