Fyren sat in the car, answering Silver King's call.
"Got it sorted out?"
"Yes, Fyren. These three are indeed Black-Clad Guards from the Mighty Syndicate's Crystalpeak City branch, led by Barry. They're divided into four ranks: Heaven, Earth, Human, and Union. Barry isn't much—just a run-of-the-mill assassin. His goal wasn't to kill you; he just wanted to break your legs to vent his anger."
Fyren nodded. "Once you're done, let them go. Make it look convincing."
"Yes, Fyren! You can count on me!"
Eason sat across from Fyren, grinning from ear to ear.
"What are you smiling at?"
Eason didn't take offense. "Oh, come on—pretending's useless. The mayor already knows what kind of life we lead; he doesn't care. What matters to him is whether you're willing to pay to get the job done. Your private life is his business only if you break the law. Otherwise, it's fine."
"I really want to beat you to a pulp right now!"
…
The three assassins returned to report. The Helmsman had been frantic with worry.
"We've had no contact all night. What the hell happened?"
The three didn't dare admit they'd been captured, so they lied—having already coordinated their story.
"Helmsman! Fyren's got a woman with him now. Her martial arts are incredible—probably at the peak of Central Quadportal level!"
The Helmsman was stunned. "A woman? Central Quadportal? How did so many masters suddenly pop up in a backwater town in Northlandia?"
The finance manager knocked and walked in, smiling. "Helmsman? You in there?"
The Helmsman snapped impatiently, "What do you want now?"
"You said I should come see you today. It's about the same thing as yesterday, hehe."
"Didn't I tell you? I'll find you when I have the money."
"But you're not finding me! Helmsman, the guys below are getting antsy. I'm really struggling to keep them in line. Why don't you… call a Mighty Syndicate staff meeting and explain things to everyone yourself? Or work overtime and… sell something, so I can give the brothers an explanation?"
"What the hell should I sell?" The Helmsman glared at him. "Spit it out! What should I sell?"
"Well… it's something on your person. If you sell it, you sell it. Honestly, the word's already out—everyone knows."
"You bastards…"
The Helmsman got so worked up he stood too fast, and his anus split.
"Ouch! Ugh…"
"Oh, sorry, Helmsman. I didn't know you… were overworked? This counts as a workplace injury. I'll reimburse your medical bills later."
"Go to hell! It's hemorrhoids! Hemorrhoids!"
"Oh my, Helmsman, no need to be stubborn. It's just about making money—no shame in that."
"Get out! Get out!"
"Why are you getting so worked up…"
The finance manager walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out, but left it ajar, peeking through the crack.
The Helmsman sat down gingerly. "Damn it, gossiping all day. Go ahead and talk."
Barry looked at his two companions. "Helmsman, if you're not feeling well, take a break first. We can report back later."
"Exactly. You've been slaving away for the branch—it can't be easy…"
"Is there something you want to say or not?" The Helmsman glared at them. "Spit it out. That… Fyren, right? Does he have experts around him? Ones that aren't ours?"
"Yes! They're insanely strong! The three of us got chased off without a fight!"
"How many are there?"
"Couldn't tell—just a huge crowd!"
"And they're all top-tier fighters!"
"They were even cursing you out!"
"Cursing me!?" The Helmsman slammed a hand on the chair's armrest. "Fyren! I've really been too lenient with you! What did they say?"
"Fyren said all four kings under you have defected to him, leaving you high and dry!"
"Fuck!"
"Fyren also said you personally handed over over a hundred billion in cash to him, and he's living it up with your money!"
"Damn it!"
"Fyren said anyone from your side who joins him becomes his subordinate. He won't lay a finger on them—he'll even help them stand up to the Young Lord. And the Young Lord holds grudges—he'll come after you sooner or later."
"Fyren! I… I… I'll kill you!"
Seeing the Helmsman was buying their story, the three grew bolder, figuring they could get away with it, and piled on eagerly.
"Fyren also said all your clients are introduced by him, at three thousand yuan a night."
"What!?"
"Fyren said your market's already built up, so you could hike the prices a bit. Just keep your rear in shape, and you'll break out of Asia, go global!"
"Damn it!"
"Fyren even said he'll arrange for you to get surgery in Thailand soon—first fix the root issue there, then head to South Korea for a face-lift, then go to…"
"I'm not going anywhere!" The Helmsman roared. "I'm staying right here! On this land I've yearned for and loved deeply…"
"They also said you…"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
The Helmsman ground his teeth. "Fyren! It seems small tricks won't work on you. The young lord won't let me kill you, but he never said I can't torture you! I'll throw everything I've got into this—I'll make you kneel! Bow your head! Beg for forgiveness!"
He panted for a moment. "You three, get back to your posts! Not a word of this to anyone, or I'll have your heads!"
"Yes, sir!"
The finance director sighed outside. Everything made sense now.
…
Fyren had Zaring buy some gifts, then headed home, grinning as he walked in—only to find the house lacked that usual… desolate feel.
The nanny spotted Fyren and hurried over. "Oh, young master's back! Hurry in, sir and madam have been talking about you nonstop lately."
Zaring set down the gifts, gestured to Fyren, then left to take Chloe home.
Fyren led Eason inside and found the dining room abuzz.
"Eat, eat, eat! Sister-in-law, have more!"
Fyren's eyes widened. "Sullivan Zhang!?"
Sullivan Zhang, excited, asked, "Sister-in-law, when's my brother getting back?"
Cora smiled. "Afraid of him, are you?"
"With sister-in-law backing me, why would I be afraid of him!? The sky's big, the earth's big, but sister-in-law's the biggest! Father's dear, mother's dear, but sister-in-law's the dearest!"
Fyren's mother laughed and swatted his arm. "What a flatterer. Now that you've got your sister-in-law on your side, you don't even care about your parents anymore, huh?"
"Oh no, look at my big mouth! Come, sister-in-law, let me toast you! A little sip to whet your appetite!"
Fyren strode in, his expression stern. "Sullivan Zhang, you escaped?"
At the sight of Fyren, Sullivan Zhang dropped his chopsticks and scrambled back. "Y-you—you can't hit me! I know you're even more hot-headed in a fight now than before! I'm telling you, I… I'm not scared of you!"
Fyren chuckled. "Little brat, you've grown some guts."
He peeled off his jacket, tossing it aside, and rolled up his sleeves.
Sullivan Zhang saw his brother's posture and panicked instantly. "Sister-in-law! Dad! Mom! Look at him! Look at him! He's gonna hit me!"
"Aren't you not scared? Little punk, don't run!"
Cora stood up and walked over to Fyren. "Fyren, look at yourself. Why all the aggression?"
Fyren pointed at Sullivan Zhang, turning to Cora. "What's his deal?"
Cora looked a little sheepish. "Sit down and eat first."
"Explain yourself first!"
Cora fidgeted. "I… I saw my brother was struggling, so I got him a new lawyer… I talked to Mayor Ziv…"
Fyren's eyes widened. "You pulled strings behind my back!? You got him out!?"
"It wasn't pulling strings!" Cora said. "We've poured money and effort into the city's development—we deserve some leeway. He didn't commit anything serious like murder or arson. It's just… a little help…"
"Cora, are you crazy!? If I'd wanted to get him out, I could've done it myself! I just wanted him to spend a few days in jail to learn his lesson. Why are you playing the good guy here!?"
Eason, standing nearby, spoke up. "Hey, hey, hey! Fyren! What're you shouting for? She's my sister! My own flesh and blood!"
Fyren turned to him. "Which side are you on?"
"Hey, you…" Eason's eyes darted. "Alright, a married sister's like spilled sulfuric acid—no use crying over it. I'm staying out of your fight. Maid, grab me an extra pair of chopsticks!"
He sat down to eat. "Hey, this meal's pretty good today!"
Fyren's mother hurried to greet him. "Eason, it's been ages since you came over for dinner!"
"I've been busy lately."
"Oh, busy with work, huh?"
"No, busy dating."
"Oh, that's nice too. Eat up, eat up…"
Fyren and Cora were still locked in a standoff.
Fyren seethed. "I heard you've been hanging around our house a lot lately. What's that about?"
Cora looked embarrassed. "Well… I knew you've been working yourself ragged lately, so I wanted to help out a bit."
"Sis, how many times do I have to say it? We broke up! We broke up! It's been three years! You're you, I'm me! A grown woman staying at our place, eating and sleeping here every day—what'll people say if word gets out?"
Cora hung her head, silent tears spilling down.
Fyren pointed at her. "Don't play the victim with me. Let me tell you, I'm not afraid of anyone now! Otto's nothing to me. I'm the most arrogant person in all of Crystalpeak City…"
Before he could finish, he felt someone grab his collar. "Not afraid of anyone, huh?"
Slap! A broom came crashing down.
"Everyone else is trash, huh?"
Slap! Another blow from the broom.
"You're the wildest in Crystalpeak City, are you?"
Slap! A third strike.
Fyren didn't dare use his martial arts—truth be told, his father's hits felt like nothing more than a tickle. But he pretended to wince, not to put on an act, but to let his father vent. The old man's health wasn't good; if he realized he couldn't even hurt Fyren anymore, it would break his heart.
Fyren feigned pain. "Dad, why are you hitting me? I didn't do anything wrong…"
"Cora just hired a new lawyer and bailed your brother out through proper legal channels. Why are you going on about backdoor deals?"
"I'm sorry."
"Have you been home these days? Do you know your mother was in the hospital? Cora took her, stayed up day and night looking after her—didn't sleep a wink. What were you doing?"
"Mom was in the hospital!? Why didn't anyone tell me!?"
HongZhang swung the broom again. "Would telling you have helped? You're so high and mighty, you sent your own brother to jail! Look at you, strutting around like you own the place! If it weren't for Cora running herself ragged these past few days to hold this family together, how do you think your mother would've made it? What was I supposed to do!?"
Guilt washed over Fyren.
"I… The thing is, Sullivan's just so irresponsible. Honestly, with his status, he wouldn't have suffered much in jail. It was just to teach him to grow up a little."
"I think you're the most immature! Cora's got enough on her plate at home, but she put all her company work aside, gave 20 billion to fund your crazy shantytown project—and did the Chen family even bat an eye?"
"I gave her a guaranteed contract…"
"No, you didn't! Knowing Cora, would she ever ask you for that money? At home, she's respectful to me and your mother, cares more about your little brother than you do! And you? You walk in the door acting all high and mighty, yelling at everyone. Is that how I raised you!?"
Eason leaned over to Sullivan Zhang. "Your brother's done for."
Sullivan Zhang raised his glass and clinked it against Eason's. "Serves him right! Let him keep acting like he's better than everyone!"
Fyren turned to Cora. "I'm sorry."
Cora smiled, dabbing away her tears. "It's okay. You're back just in time. Sit down—we're having hot pot. Maid, go to the wine cellar and pick a bottle. Fyren likes red wine this time of day; grab a good vintage."
Fyren quickly chimed in. "Right! Right! Let's eat together, have a drink!"
HongZhang fixed him with a look. "What did you say?"
Fyren drooped. "Father, I haven't eaten three meals in a row!"
At that moment, a stunningly beautiful woman with a grave expression tucked a blanket around Otto. She then turned to Sabrina. "Sabrina, don't worry. The young lord will be better after a night's rest."
"You've come at the perfect time. Sigh, I've been with the young lord for so long, and this is the first time I've seen such a mess."
The serious beauty frowned. "I know the basics. Fyren, is it? I'll go meet him tonight."
"Don't! Fyren's tricky. Sherry and I have both been tricked by him, and the young lord's been ambushed by him more than once."
"Hmph!"
The stern beauty scoffed. "You two are too soft, always trying to outthink him. When I see him, I won't waste time asking questions—I'll stab him a few times first and see what tricks he has left!"
"We should wait until the young lord wakes up…"
"I'll be back soon!"
Sabrina, still nursing her injuries, couldn't stop her hot-tempered companion. She could only silently pray for her success. But…
For some reason, Sabrina felt a deep unease, as if everything and everyone inevitably went wrong whenever they crossed paths with Fyren. A heavy sense of foreboding settled over her heart.