Legacy of the Stars

The encrypted message from Phantom flickered on Liu Cheng's laptop, the text pulsating as if alive.

"Well played, Strategist. But you're still several moves behind. Shall we raise the stakes?"

Liu Cheng's hands hovered over the keyboard, his heart racing. He typed a response:

"What do you want from us?"

There was a pause before the reply came.

"I don't want your team. I want you. Keep digging, and you'll find more than you bargained for."

The screen went black, leaving Liu Cheng staring at his reflection.

---

Uneasy Alliances

The next day, Liu Cheng gathered the team. The tension in the room was palpable. Zhang Wei paced by the window, Lin Mei leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, and Jiang Yan stared intently at the glowing tactical map in the center of the table.

Liu Cheng stood at the head of the table, his voice steady but firm. "Phantom's playing a bigger game than we thought. This isn't just about sabotaging the tournament—it's about control. They want to manipulate everything: the players, the outcomes, even the system itself."

Zhang Wei scoffed. "And we're just supposed to sit back and wait for them to crush us?"

"No," Liu Cheng said, meeting Zhang Wei's gaze. "We fight back. But to do that, we need allies."

"Who do you have in mind?" Lin Mei asked, her tone cautious.

"The tournament administrators," Liu Cheng replied.

The room erupted into chaos.

"You're kidding, right?" Zhang Wei snapped. "Those guys can't even keep the servers running. You think they can handle Phantom?"

"They may not know how to fight Phantom," Liu Cheng admitted, "but they have access to the system. If we can convince them to help, we might stand a chance."

Lin Mei nodded reluctantly. "It's a risk, but it might be our best shot."

---

Meeting with the Administrators

Securing a meeting with the tournament administrators wasn't easy. The team was ushered into a sterile conference room with white walls and a long glass table. A middle-aged man in a sharp suit greeted them, flanked by two younger assistants.

"I'm Marcus Hayes, head of tournament operations," the man said, his tone clipped. "You asked for this meeting. Make it quick."

Liu Cheng stepped forward, projecting calm authority. "Mr. Hayes, we have evidence that someone is tampering with the tournament system. Their name is Phantom, and they've been manipulating matches, including ours."

Hayes raised an eyebrow. "You're accusing someone of hacking into our system? Do you have proof?"

Jiang Yan pulled out a data stick and handed it to one of Hayes' assistants. "Here are logs from our last three matches. They show clear anomalies tied to Phantom's interference."

The assistant plugged the stick into a laptop, and the room fell silent as the data played out on the screen. The glitches, the irregularities, the impossible moves—it was all there.

Hayes' expression darkened. "This... this is serious. If what you're saying is true, the integrity of the entire tournament is at risk."

"That's why we're here," Liu Cheng said. "We need access to your system logs. If we can trace Phantom's backdoor, we can shut them down."

Hayes hesitated. "I'll have to consult with my team. This is unprecedented."

"We don't have time," Lin Mei interjected. "Every second we wait, Phantom gains more control."

After a long pause, Hayes nodded. "Fine. You'll get access. But if this blows up, it's on you."

---

The Hunt Begins

Back at their hotel, the team dived into the system logs provided by the administrators. Liu Cheng worked tirelessly, his fingers flying across the keyboard as lines of code and data scrolled past.

"I've found something," he announced after hours of searching. "Phantom's using a proxy network to mask their location, but they made a mistake."

"What kind of mistake?" Jiang Yan asked.

Liu Cheng zoomed in on a specific log. "They left a trace—a single IP address that doesn't match the rest. It's a lead."

Lin Mei leaned over his shoulder. "Where does it lead?"

"A private server located in Zurich," Liu Cheng replied. "It's heavily encrypted, but if we can get in, we might find out who Phantom really is."

Zhang Wei frowned. "So, what's the plan? Hack into it?"

"No," Liu Cheng said, shaking his head. "We need to go there. In person."

---

Zurich

The team arrived in Zurich under the guise of a "training retreat." The city was a stark contrast to the chaos of the tournament—a peaceful blend of modern architecture and old-world charm.

Their destination was an unassuming office building in the heart of the financial district. Jiang Yan had traced the suspicious server to a secure data center on the top floor.

"Security's tight," Lin Mei observed, scanning the building from across the street. "How do we get in?"

Liu Cheng pulled out a forged access card. "Leave that to me."

The plan was simple: Liu Cheng and Lin Mei would infiltrate the building while Zhang Wei and Jiang Yan provided lookout and distraction if needed.

---

Inside the Data Center

The air inside the data center was cold, and the faint hum of servers filled the space. Liu Cheng and Lin Mei moved quickly, navigating rows of towering machines until they found the one linked to Phantom's server.

"Here it is," Liu Cheng whispered, connecting a portable terminal to the server.

As he worked to bypass the encryption, Lin Mei kept watch. "How long?" she asked.

"Five minutes," Liu Cheng replied, his voice steady.

Suddenly, an alarm blared. Red lights flashed, and the sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the hall.

"They know we're here!" Lin Mei hissed.

"Almost there," Liu Cheng said, his fingers moving faster.

As the footsteps drew closer, Lin Mei readied her stun baton. "You'd better hurry."

With a final keystroke, Liu Cheng downloaded the data. "Got it! Let's move!"

The two of them sprinted out of the data center, narrowly avoiding the security guards. They regrouped with Zhang Wei and Jiang Yan outside, breathless but triumphant.

---

The Reveal

Back at their hotel, Liu Cheng decrypted the stolen data. What he found left him speechless.

"This can't be right," he murmured.

"What is it?" Lin Mei asked.

"It's a list," Liu Cheng said, scrolling through the files. "Teams, players, sponsors—Phantom's been monitoring everyone. They know everything about the tournament."

Jiang Yan's face paled. "This isn't just sabotage. This is a takeover."

The final file was an ominous message:

"Congratulations, Strategist. You've found my nest. But the game is far from over. Are you ready for the final round?"