While Liwu and He Xiao Yi headed back to the precinct, Linlin and Xuanji were finally allowed into the villa owned by Chen Guowei. It was two years old. The walls were so high, as if he was trying to keep all prying eyes out. Almost every part of the wall had a camera, drones hovered lazily above, and guards in crisp suits patrolled the perimeter with the precision of soldiers. Considering that most of them were former army or trained in military academies, it could be understood.

Xuanji whistled. "Hell of a house. Looks like he is preparing for doomsday or something, not dinner parties."

Linlin smirked. "Defense contractors don’t usually live in apartment buildings in bad parts of the city. Chen Guowei is the Iron wall himself. The government gave him a lot of leeway to keep him in the country."

At the gate, two guards demanded identity, which had already been done at the first gates. This was the third gate. The security in this place was ridiculous. It could be ignored if the president lived here, but this was just an ordinary citizen. What was he so afraid of?

Linlin flashed her badge. Xuanji muttered a complaint about bureaucracy in the private home sector, and after a tense pause, the last gates creaked open. The detectives drove inside, feeling the weight of surveillance pressing down on them.

Lines of static appeared on the screen of the car, on the dashboard. "They are trying to hack us." Xuanji snorted. "Chen Guowei has become a little too cocky. President Tai Alix needs to start visiting some of these system hosts and bring them back to earth because they are living way out of reality."

Pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head, Linlin admired the trees, bird and cleanliness of the compound. Everywhere she looked was a worker or a guard, alone or in groups. The fortress looked more like a beautiful bird sanctuary on the inside. Not what they expected. "And what happens when she is voted out of office in the next election. There is a rumor that now that the system wars are over and IH is not causing friction, the old leadership system is going to be resurrected. Each continent gets a turn at the presidency."

Xuanji lowered his window. "I am afraid we might end up in another system war era then. I think every country should have their own systems president. The Americans are already finding reasons to find inadequacies in the dragon mother’s leadership. How long until they try to impeach her or something? Each country should carry their own system mess."

Linlin parked the car in a drive way with at least sixty other cars. A guard lead them to a grand hall and asked them to wait. In no time, Chen Guowei joined them, in the hall whose walls were lined with paintings and pictures of birds. He was flanked by two aides and three guards.

He was a tall man, slender but strong. His suit, tailored like armor, his eyes gleamed with arrogance, the kind bought by wealth, weapons and government ties.

"Detectives," he said, voice booming. "Welcome to my sanctuary. You must feel safe here, everyone does. Just ask the birds and they will tell you so. My security is the best in the business."

Xuanji muttered under his breath, "Less safe and more trapped." This fortress was the perfect place to hold a kidnapped reporter.

Linlin stepped forward, professional smile in place. "Thank you for agreeing to see us. I am detective Lin and this is detective Xuanji, SOB." She handed him her card.

He looked at the card and handed it to his aide. "You are Miss Tai Liwu’s partner."

Linlin forced a smile. "Research?"

Chen laughed, "In this country, one must make it their business to familiarize themselves with the faces of every member of the Tai and Zhang families alive and the people around them or risk offending the wrong person. Besides, you have appeared in the press many times beside her. When its your business to know such things, you remember."

He gestured for them to sit, and they did. "So, what do you need from me?"

Xuanji spoke quickly, "We are investigating a missing persons case and you came up. Our missing person is a reporter and he he was taking pictures of you. We need to know why."

Chen laughed, gesturing for them to rise. The sound of his amusement echoed off the walls. "Walk with me," he ordered. "Reporters are like those annoying insects that sticks to your skin. I think they are called gnats, or ticks, I am not sure which."

"I will find out Sir." One of the aides said.

Chen nodded. "Reporters are like those insects. They like to buzz and bite, but they cannot pierce the iron wall. Many people envy my success. A young man from the slums who had a job as a janitor at a zoo. Suddenly one day. I was the great Iron wall. Money and fame came too easily. I entered circles others could only dream of. But I maintain a private and clean life, so there is nothing much out there about me. What can be found is nothing but positive news. It is why reporters are always digging. They want to find something that will ruin my small empire. But there is nothing to find, just my birds."

Linlin raised her brows. This was a man with a lot of pride and many secrets. Nobody built such high walls and to protect birds at that!

As they followed him, the arrogance he had displayed grew thicker. He gestured at his walls, boasting of barriers impervious to attack. He spoke of contracts for similar similar walls around the world. He told them them of rich men and women around the world, begging for his technology.

"My system," he declared, is the future of defense. We live in a world much different than before. Everything may be peaceful now, but I believe it won’t be this way forever. When the population of system hosts outgrows the ordinary humans, there will be a power imbalance. Who knows what will happen then? Nations will crumble without protection and I provide that protection. Just watch and see, in ten years, government will be begging for my technology. So, I don’t know what happened to your reporter, because I am busy doing great things. When you find him, tell him to come and find me if he wants a real job. He could document my rise to the highest floor of power in the world."

Xuanji rolled his eyes. "Great things, huh? All the more reason to be pissed off that a reporter who likes to embarrass the rich and powerful was sniffing around you. Come on, it would make anyone paranoid."

Chen’s gaze snapped to him, sharp as a detective. "I am not paranoid. People who say such nonsense about me don’t understand me. I have nothing to hide behind these walls. I have a heavy security detail because I am an endangered species. There is only one of me in existence. I am not like those animals morphing system hosts. There are millions of them, like flies in a third world country. Me....I am the only one of my kind. If I am hurt in any way, the world will make a big loss."

Linlin intervened. "We are not here about your security. We are here to understand." She projected the pictures Sleazy Han had taken, along with the reporter himself. "Has he been in personal contact with you? Has he threatened you? Do you know these other men whose pictures were found in the same folder, along with yours."

Chen waved a dismissive hand. "No, no, no. To all your questions, my answer is no. I am sorry that I can’t help you. Luo Wei handles my calls and messages, she will reach out to you if she finds anything in my history related to your reporter." He came to a stop at the entrance. "That is all I have to say."

The detectives exchanged glances. Chen’s arrogance was suffocating, his confidence absolute. He offered no clear answers only boasted of himself and his power. Linlin sensed something darker beneath the surface. Any man that thought himself untouchable was dangerous.

Xuanji slammed the car door shut, cursing Chen before they could even drive out. The inside of the car was sound proof, he had no worries about being overheard. "This bastard thinks he’s a god. Iron Wall my foot. More like Iron ego."

Linlin nodded, thoughtful. "I wanted to use the excuse of needing to use the bathroom to look around, but he didn’t give us a chance to sit and wait around. There is no way that fortress is simply a home to birds. We need a warrant to search it."

"No judge is going to give us one. We don’t have anything." Xuanji slammed the dashboard. "I hate that guy. Something about him just screams danger."