It's natural for a man to be drawn to a beautiful woman.
Harboring slightly unrealistic fantasies is also normal.
But when those thoughts are overheard by the girl in question, the situation becomes decidedly abnormal.
Zoey had just begun developing a faint fondness for Fyren in her heart, but it evaporated instantly.
Her expression turned frosty: "Does Fyren have to entertain disgusting thoughts every time he sees a beautiful woman?"
Fyren was stunned:
"Oh! Can this girl read minds?"
He forced a smile: "No, no. I'm not that kind of man. I'm the noble, dignified, tasteful and morally upright—"
"Enough," Zoey cut him off. "Let's discuss the case. Elton Leng denies being kidnapped. What do you make of that?"
Fyren maintained his smile: "Perhaps he's concerned about stock price fluctuations. Understandable."
Zoey countered: "Fyren swallowed 20% of Qingfeng Group's shares today. Quite impressive."
Fyren kept smiling: "Just a minor maneuver."
Zoey turned to Eliza: "I'm confused. Eliza has always loathed you, yet now she's spending every waking hour by your side. Eliza was just ousted as Qingfeng Group's president, then Elton Leng gets kidnapped. Now you and Eliza hold substantial Qianfeng shares while celebrating together. A certain narrative is forming in my mind, though I can't be certain of its accuracy."
"It's definitely not true," Eliza interjected. "In fact, I've reached a decision. I want Fyren to take over Qianfeng. He wouldn't need to kidnap my father to do so. If he were behind this, he wouldn't have reported it, nor would he have released me without first securing my father's shares."
Zoey had to admit the logic held: "We'll continue investigating. As for you, Fyren, you'd better stay within legal boundaries. Otherwise, I won't go easy on you."
Zoey stormed off, her angry footsteps echoing down the hallway.
Fyren truly was nothing but a wealthy scoundrel.
To think he'd fantasize about me in that way! How utterly revolting!
Fyren felt restless, his thoughts in disarray.
The established character dynamics had become thoroughly disrupted.
The female leads had all shifted their trajectories and were now getting along alarmingly well with him.
This would undoubtedly provoke Otto's vicious retaliation. Until this matter was resolved, Otto would keep targeting him.
But this was no longer merely about competing for women with the protagonist. Now it was about determining who would control Crystalpeak City's future.
If Otto allied with Hakan and took over the four families, regardless of what befell his own family, one thing was certain - the shantytown project would likely be abandoned. Worse, it might be completely derailed again.
The time for action had come.
The raw ingredients needed to be cooked into a finished dish. Even if Otto killed him later, as long as the project was completed, he couldn't very well demolish the buildings, could he?
Iron King proved remarkably capable.
Had he not been tricked and crippled by me back then, he'd probably be one of Otto's top enforcers now.
He'd done an excellent job protecting Eliza, demonstrating unwavering dedication.
Copper King must remain by his side. They couldn't be allowed any outside contact. Chloe needed to maintain tight control over them.
They had all the food and drink they needed. Let the urban nightlife intoxicate them completely. This must be done...
Otto lay on the bed while Sabrina administered the medicine.
The high-quality, efficient elixirs were exceedingly scarce. Sabrina hadn't expected that so soon after arriving in Crystalpeak City, the life-saving elixir would prove necessary.
Otto swallowed the elixir and regained some strength.
Just then, Sherry returned, her face ashen.
Sabrina studied Sherry. "Are you wounded?"
"No." Sherry's eyes filled with pity and guilt when she saw Otto.
"Who would dare injure the Young Lord so grievously?"
Sabrina shook her head. "A mysterious assailant."
"Mysterious?"
"Yes. The methods were exceptionally cruel. Sword qi damaged several of the Young Lord's major pressure points. To prolong his suffering, the attacker kept twisting the blade—doubling the pain and complicating recovery."
Sherry paled. "What? Let me examine him!"
Sabrina stopped her. "You're injured too. Tend to your wounds first. I'll care for the Young Lord."
Sherry clenched her teeth. "Then I leave him in your hands."
"Mm. Was Fyren difficult to handle?" Sabrina asked abruptly.
Sherry lifted her head, glaring. "I'll kill him. That's inevitable!"
Sabrina shook her head. "Let's wait. When the Young Lord wakes, we'll plan our next move."
She sighed. "It seems I'll have to deal with this Fyren myself."
Sherry insisted, "I'll kill him."
Sabrina repeated firmly, "Wait until the Young Lord wakes. Then we'll decide."
Another sigh. "Fyren may require my personal attention."
Sherry asked, "Will you use that technique?"
Sabrina smiled faintly. "No. That's reserved for more significant targets. My method is more refined—the activation requirements stricter, the recoil more severe. Naturally, the effects are more... ideal."
"This Fyren..." Sabrina mused. "Might demand extra effort."
Sherry nodded. "I'll heal first. I'll guard the Young Lord these coming days. You handle Fyren. I'll signal when the time's right."
"Agreed."
Some time later, Otto stirred awake.
"Young Lord." Sabrina's heart ached so fiercely tears spilled over. She caressed Otto's face, her expression distraught. "Who did this to you?"
Otto whispered weakly, "Sherry... returned, didn't she? She wept upon seeing me like this. I sent her away."
His voice faltered. "She actually cried? She made it back?"
Sabrina said gently, "Young Lord, Fyren is... unusual. You can't blame Sherry for the failed assassination."
Otto shook his head. "I don't blame her. I..."
He thought desperately: How can I possibly explain this?!
How do I tell them?
Should I admit my attackers came in separate groups?
The first were my own allies—that bastard Dissercace—and we wounded each other critically!
The second group came from the Crystalpeak City branch. They were supposed to aid me, but ended up beating me instead? They slapped me hard across the face, then kicked my legs apart as they left?
The third group turned out to be my own guards—and they attacked me too!
And the worst of all was her! I didn't know what that crazy girl wanted, but she was grinding her teeth and swinging a longsword at me, insisting on speaking for herself.
I could have spoken earlier—why didn't I?
Fyren never showed up the entire time.
It was humiliating. If he told these two women, they'd surely remember it and mock him for years to come!
I'm the honorable Young Lord, yet I was nearly killed by Fyren's schemes. How pathetic!
They wouldn't even recognize me!
Otto struggled to sit up. "Leave. I need to make a call."
He dialed the Tactician's number.
"Young Lord." The Tactician's voice was calm and firm. "Has the Copper King met with you yet?"
"Yes."
"Hah! Excellent!" The Tactician chuckled. "The Copper King may not be the strongest, but he's reliable in handling affairs. With his help, dealing with your enemies will be twice as effective for half the effort! He might even turn your opponent into a bloody mess—maybe even kick their legs apart when he leaves! Hah!"
Otto felt like his heart would explode from rage. He clutched his chest. "Can you contact him?"
"Of course!"
Otto nodded stiffly. "Give me his number."
"Hmm? You've already met?" The Tactician seemed to misunderstand, speaking quickly. "Young Lord, we're just a branch here. We can assign men to you, but the funds… we're truly out. The fifty billion we gave before was nearly all our reserves. After that, every cent was spent. You must use it wisely. Once you turn a profit… well, we hope the Young Lord can repay some to ease our burden—"
Otto couldn't take it anymore. "That so-called 'Copper King' is working with Fyren, you idiot!"
"What? Impossible!"
"Contact him yourself!" Otto gritted his teeth. "Tell that bastard to bring his men and report to me immediately! Damn it, do none of your people have brains? How could I mistake Fyren's men for yours?"
The Tactician was drenched in cold sweat.
What the hell?!
Could they really make such a stupid mistake twice?!
No way!
"Young Lord… could there be some misunderstanding?"
Otto roared, "Of course there's a misunderstanding! Otherwise, he wouldn't have helped Fyren do this to me!"
"Understood. Please wait—I'll contact him at once!"
"Money! Tell him to bring the money!"
"Yes! Don't worry!"
...
Meanwhile.
The Copper King lounged in a private KTV room, arms around two beautiful women, belting out:
"I'm drunk in the back of the car… I'm drunk in the back of the car… Said, 'I'm fine,' but it wasn't true… I don't want to keep secrets just to keep you…"
The fat man and the thin man set down their own companions and clapped enthusiastically.
"Bravo! Brother's singing is divine!"
The thin man chimed in, "Brother's voice is peerless!"
The fat man added, "Sometimes bold, sometimes restrained—such skill is beyond ordinary men! Magnificent!"
The Copper King, satisfied, set down the microphone. "Brothers, drink!"
Never had the three of them been so merry.
In the Mighty Syndicate, they lived in a world of shadows—training in secret when idle, fighting and killing when duty called…
The city's prosperity felt so distant to them. That colorful, luxurious lifestyle seemed like something out of a fairy tale!
The Copper King raised his glass: "First toast! To the Young Lord!"
The fat man and the thin man raised their glasses in unison: "Right! To the Young Lord!"
The Copper King took a deep breath and wiped tears from his eyes: "Brothers, those days in Mighty Syndicate... I won't elaborate, but you know exactly what I mean!"
The fat man bit his lip, fighting back tears.
The thin man also lowered his head with a sigh.
"But! That's all in the past now!" The Copper King waved his hand dismissively. "See? In the city, money rules! How much does this bottle cost, huh? This fruit platter - several thousand! And these girls? Five hundred just for their company! But we've got money now!"
"Right! Money's fantastic!"
The thin man pulled out a wad of cash and stuffed it into the girls' bras, grinding his teeth: "I've got money now!"
The fat man lit a hundred-dollar bill to light his cigarette: "Money's truly amazing! Damn, in the organization we had to justify every hundred yuan spent! Now with the Young Lord's backing, money means nothing!"
The three raised their glasses together: "Young Lord, we owe you everything!"
The fat man declared: "For the Young Lord, I'd walk through fire!"
The thin man added: "Anyone who dares harm the Young Lord is destroying my new life!"
In unison they shouted: "Bottoms up!"
The thin man drained his glass: "Brother, the Tactician must know about this by now. Will he praise us?"
The Copper King laughed, embracing a beautiful woman: "Praise us? Are you stupid? The Tactician's nothing now! We serve the Young Lord!"
"Exactly!" The fat man agreed. "From now on we don't have to kowtow to the Tactician! Before, we lived like dogs under his watch. Those days are gone forever! Now we're the Young Lord's loyal hounds!"
The four women exchanged glances.
They were seriously wondering if these three had just robbed a bank...
...
A few minutes later, the Tactician called the Young Lord back.
"Young Lord, I... can't reach the Copper King."
"What do you mean? What about the money?"
"Well... I just checked the accounts. The transfer's been completed."
Otto's mind exploded instantly.
"I... haven't received a single cent."