
Leaving the warehouse and factory area, Zoe and Benny entered a quiet tree-lined road.
The sunlight filtered through the layers of branches, casting dappled shadows on the road that shifted with the movement of the car.
The road was secluded, broken only by the occasional chirping of birds or the rustling of leaves in the breeze.
Benny drove the sedan in silence, his expression dark after removing his mask. The atmosphere in the car was tense.
Frustration lingered, as Benny had not only failed to secure the deal but had also been tricked by a local gang.
Though the places where he hid most of his assets were safe, this particular stockpile, one he hadn’t cared much about, had been compromised.
Yet, it was still a loss for him.
An internationally known con artist criminal, trying to show off in front of friends, was thwarted by a greedy local trying to take advantage.
Instead of getting what he wanted, he had been caught in a bigger mess.
He drove on in silence, unsure of what to say.
Zoe sensed Benny’s mood and remained quiet. She waited until Benny had calmed down before breaking the silence.
“Are we still going to learn modulation and demodulation technology?” she asked slowly.
She had planned to finish the course and the experiment on the influence of killing intent on plants within two weeks before returning to Orel province.
Given the current situation, it didn’t seem likely.
“You’ll have to teach yourself. I have business to attend to over the next few days.”
“That real estate company is pushing it.”
Benny’s eyes flashed with a sharp gleam.
He couldn’t let the gang’s interference slide.
Considering the political climate here in the DSSIR (Democratic States of Imperial Roman) for the last decades and even nowadays, he needed to plan his retaliation carefully. He knew it couldn’t be too direct.
But legally and through business maneuvers, he had the means to deal with this now-legitimate real estate company.
Sending the corrupt mid-level managers to prison wouldn’t be difficult.
After all, he was once a high profile wanted con artist on the international stage, and retirement in Hamilton wasn’t about just idly passing time with elderly people.
With countless exit strategies and strong connections, including both legal and illegal ones, he had the tools to handle the situation.
Dealing with a real estate company that had cleaned up its image wasn’t a problem, but toppling it would take time. He couldn’t just wipe out the executives overnight; it would take careful manipulation of his network.
“Do we need to wait a few days?”
Zoe murmured, not asking further.
However, she now understood that Benny was preparing for revenge, meaning he would be busy for a while.
Thinking about the time it would take and her own plans, Zoe raised a question. “What did that real estate company do before its wash? Was it easy to deal with?”
Benny glanced at her.
After considering that he had already shared most of his story with Zoe, he decided there was no need to hide anything.
He thought for a moment before speaking. “It was called ‘Rameses Real Estate Co., Ltd.’ Before they cleaned up their image, they operated several large nightclubs and bars, including the Magna Paradise nightclub. After the wash, they focused on building properties and managing sand shipping operations.”
“Honestly, they’re just okay in terms of strength.”
“Do you remember Richard, that Richard Gonzales? The guy from Shelton Construction Group I introduced you to? He’s the number two in their group, and their business overseas is thriving. They’re way stronger than Nationales Real Estate. Richard is one of my contacts, but not even close to the most powerful ones I know.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it with a few phone calls. You won’t need to stress about it.”
Benny said this with a reassuring smile.
Though he had shared much with Zoe, there were still many details left unsaid. It was natural for her to worry, so Benny wanted to set her mind at ease.
A while later, the car twisted through several turns to ensure no one was following before heading back to Wingsgone New Village.
Benny rushed up the stairs, clearly in a hurry to contact his connections.
Zoe took the elevator, reflecting on the time Benny would need for his plans. If it took too long, her study of modulation and demodulation technology would be delayed.
Though she could self-study online, she trusted Benny’s technical expertise more.
After a long pause, she returned home. As she played with the eager dog, Platinum, with her mind, she opened her computer and searched for information on Nationales Real Estate and Magna Paradise Nightclub. The search engine found no links between the two, showing how clean the wash had been.
Thinking deeply, she glanced at the human-skin mask in her hand, pondering.
...
At the entrance of Magna Paradise Nightclub, there was no flashy gate, no blinding LED lights, and no red carpet stretching down the street.
Despite its past entanglements with shady dealings, the club’s exterior was modest, illuminated by a warm, unassuming light above the door. The name Magna Paradise was engraved in an elegant font, free of unnecessary embellishments.
Being ostentatious was a fast way to meet an untimely end.
Staying low-key, on the other hand, was the key to survival.
In fact, the club now operated on a membership-by-invitation system, where only existing members could invite new ones, and only members were allowed inside.
For non-members, a temporary membership required recharging more than 20,000 romanis in a single transaction. This granted a 24-hour access pass, effectively deterring casual visitors and avoiding unwanted attention.
At the entrance, a young man with orange, spiky hair nervously fumbled as he tried to light a cigarette for the man next to him, who had a sharp, slicked-back hairstyle. His hands shook so much that the lighter failed to ignite the cigarette after several attempts.
The man grew frustrated and slapped the younger one on the head. "What the hell! Can't even light a cigarette now?"
Snatching the lighter, he lit the cigarette himself. With his swollen face, he took a deep drag, exhaled slowly, and returned the lighter to his subordinate.
The orange-haired youth stumbled back but didn’t seem to mind. Taking the lighter, he asked uneasily, "Lando, do you really think it’s worth spending this much money just to go to a nightclub for one night?"
The temporary membership, which allowed two people entry, had been largely paid for by him. The thought of spending so much for just one night left him feeling regretful.
"Dammit, Elpancho!" The man with the slicked-back hair, named Lando Equero, scolded him. "Look at you! Does your name even suit you?"
"It’s just a few tens of thousands. Do you know how many connections there are in that nightclub?"
"I’m going in tonight to negotiate. After that, I’ll be on top. Do you understand?"
Lando adjusted his swollen face and ran his fingers excitedly through his hair. Tonight, he was determined to take a step closer to becoming a big shot’s right-hand man. With his skills, he was certain he could get there.
"But I think—" Elpancho started to voice another concern, but Lando cut him off.
"I don’t care what you think. I care about what I think."
"Don’t end up like those six who gave up their cool hairstyles and went back to working at the factory, rubbing fake shoes."
"We’re doing big things here."
As he spoke, Lando seemed to remember something. His face momentarily turned fearful, but he quickly puffed out his chest, attempting to hide his unease.
A few days earlier, he and seven of his subordinates had been cruising down a narrow road when they were ambushed. A woman had stepped out of a sedan and proceeded to beat them mercilessly, giving them no chance to fight back.
The tomboy had snapped a steel baton with her bare hands, sending a chill down Lando’s spine.
Since the incident, six of his subordinates had returned to the factory. Only Elpancho had stayed with him.
His face was still swollen from the beating, and anger burned within him every time he thought about it. He had lost that fight, but tonight, he was determined to reclaim his pride.
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Lando prepared to enter the nightclub with his only remaining subordinate.
Suddenly, someone appeared beside him, and an arm slipped smoothly around his neck, catching him off guard.
"Hey, bro, got a light?"
Zoe smiled as she casually hooked her arm around Lando’s neck. The gesture made it seem like they were old friends, but the moment her voice reached them, both men froze.
Lando’s cigarette fell from his mouth as his face drained of color, his eyes widening in terror. His pupils contracted rapidly, and his body stiffened.
He turned, searching for the source of the voice, and saw a familiar face. Though the woman’s appearance had changed, Lando was certain the voice belonged to the one person he’d never forget—the same woman who had slapped him in the face that night.
The sound of her voice brought back the fear and helplessness they had felt. It made their bodies tremble.
Elpancho also froze, his lips pressed tightly together, his breath quick and shallow, his entire body shaking.
In that moment, their fear peaked.
Elpancho, trembling, tried to hand the lighter to Zoe to fulfill her request. But Zoe waved it away.
"A stick or two is fine now and then, but I don’t smoke," she said with a smile.
Her request for a light had only been a casual greeting.
Zoe looked at the two men, a playful grin on her face. She wasn’t planning to continue messing with them, so her tone shifted.
“Did I hear right... you two have temporary membership?”
Though phrased as a question, Zoe’s meaning was clear. She wasn’t asking about the lighter but about the temporary membership pass that allowed them to bring two people into the nightclub.
As she spoke, a warm smile spread across her face, as gentle as the sun breaking through clouds on a spring morning. It was a smile meant to melt away any chill, but for Lando and Elpancho, it only deepened their terror.
Both men swallowed hard.
TFTC



Thanks for the chapter
Violence !
TFTC