July 2022, Mount Kita, Japan

In a luxurious villa, two men were merrily drinking and reminiscing about some fond memories. One could say at a glance that both of them were from the top echelons of the society. Located snugly along a mountainside and surrounded by dense, neatly maintained trees, staying in this villa was a privilege that couldn’t be obtained with just money. One had to be rich as well as have deep roots in the society. However, neither the scenic beauty nor the heavily armed security guards along the boundary, fazed the two men, who were lost in their own world. As if, it was just another day in their lives, and they had grown numb to the riches.

“Brother Ron, I must say, I have roamed all over the world and drunk many first class wines, but none of them can hold a candle to your Scorched Honey Wine. Say, we have known each other for almost a year now. Can’t you share the formula with your brother? Or are you afraid that I would make a business out of it?”

“Haha, surely you jest, Brother Yang. Given your status, it’s my honour that you have taken a liking to my wine. But like I said, the wine formula is a blessing from my ancestors and I can’t share it outside the family. Please understand.”

If any other person listened to their conversation, they wouldn’t find anything abnormal. But only the two of them knew that an illegal business deal was being discussed. True, it was no ordinary wine. They were discussing the sale of virgin teenage girls, who were kidnapped from God knows where, and trapped in the shitty sex industry.

“Hoh? There is no damn thing in this world that can't be bought, brother. What matters is the price. How about I double the amount I quoted earlier? 2 lakhs for a barrel and as a bonus, I will also introduce you to the Mystic Society. You know that I can afford to do so. Think about it.”

“Hmmm…..Well, honestly speaking, I wouldn’t be making a loss here. Alright, brother Yang, I shall deliver 30 fresh barrels to your abode tonight. They should last a while,” the man named Ron said, while smirking. It seemed he was quite happy with the deal. After all, a successful businessman should know when to stop. Too much bending could break an object.

“Well then, I shall take my leave now. See you later, brother.”

The man named Yang sauntered out of the villa, and went inside a sedan, which was already arranged by his bodyguard, Victor. He didn’t say anything, and the car drove out the driveway. No one noticed that there was a mocking smile on his face as soon as he was out of the place.

He took the phone given by his bodyguard and said, “The pig has caught the bait. Delivery tonight, Yang mansion. Send the girls where they belong. The rest is up to you.” After which, he cut the call and tore off his facemask.

“Pfuahhh………so troublesome. Wearing this for hours is so suffocating. And can’t they make the eye-slits larger? Finally, I can have some peace. Victor, call Mom and tell her to make my favourite dishes. We should be at home by tonight. And if my boss calls, hmmm...…. just ignore his calls, yup. Yaaaawn………alright, call me when we reach the airport.”

“Yes, Master Flash,” replied the heavily built Victor who was driving the car. 

Victor thought, ‘Who would believe that my Master, who is feared all over the world by the codename, Flash, is just a 22 year old kid, who loves dishes made by his mother and is a lazy bum, who can sleep anywhere. But I gotta admit, be it planning missions or hacking the enemy database, he is a living legend. By the time you realise that something's amiss, he would have already f*cked you over. Since nobody could ever catch him, he became famous in the underworld as 'Flash'. Who knows how that brain of his works, it’s almost like he knows from the beginning, what steps his enemy would take. If not for his knee injury, he wouldn’t have needed a bodyguard either. Even for me, taking down Master is no easy feat.'

While Victor was lost in his thoughts, all of a sudden, the front tires screeched and a bomb exploded in front of the car. Thanks to his training, despite being taken by surprise, Victor didn’t stop the car and instead, accelerated as much as possible on the flat tires. The jerking woke Flash, but he didn’t panic like noobs. He took out his licensed gun and readied himself. Soon enough, a masked man appeared and started firing bullets like crazy. The remaining tires also punctured and the car hit a roadside lamp post. They were in a sparsely populated area to begin with, and it was already evening in the mountain side, which meant no eye-witnesses. The masked man opened the back door and dragged Flash out. And while he was still trying to recover from the collision, the assassin knocked him out with a swift chop. Then he went to the front door and put the hot muzzle in Victor’s scalp.

“Are you the person who contacted my Boss?” asked the masked man in a deep voice. His cold unfeeling glare gave Victor the feeling that he was facing a wild beast, who wouldn't tolerate any nonsense. Despite the bleeding forehead and hazy thoughts, the heat from the muzzle woke up Victor, who replied in panic “Wait! I am on your side. Who are you? Isn’t the assassination supposed to be a week later. I didn’t know about this.”

“Hoh? So, you are saying I need to learn how to do my job from you ?”

“No, no, not at all. I am sorry. Seeing that the plans have changed and Boss Evans didn’t update me about the plan, I was out of my wits. That’s all. Please forgive my actions. Please do advise, what do I need to do now, Sir?”, Victor asked in a flattering tone.

“Oh, so it was your boss Evans himself who planned to kill you. Interesting. Oi, bastard ‘Flash’, how long are you gonna pretend? Get your ass up. You wanna kill this traitor yourself, or should I do the honour?”

“Who are you calling a bastard, you asshole. Wait till I show you how to respect your elder brother. As for you, Victor, oh Victor, you truly hid yourself well. If not for my meticulous plans, I would have invited a disaster. Well, never mind. I don’t wanna waste my time by knowing your reasons. I don’t care anyway. The fact that you betrayed me is enough. Sighhh…… Oi, finish him and let’s go. I am hungry.”

Meanwhile, Victor, who had just gone through a storm of events, finally realised that he had been outplayed. He never had the slightest idea that his Master had a younger brother to begin with. It was his fault to try and trick the legendary Flash. He didn’t get the chance to say his last words, and died from a bullet through his head, full of grievances.

“Wow! Seems like my behaviour is rubbing off on you, Lewin. Didn’t even give him a chance to say his last words huh. Whatever, no need to dispose of the body. We are trying to make a statement to begin with. Better draw those bastards to this place. I have already arranged for someone to finish my Boss. Victor was the last clue that could lead to me and he has been dealt with. Finally, it’s over. The legend of Flash ends here. Discard as much of your belongings as possible. Not that they can trace them anyways, but just to entertain them, hehe. Bring your bike, we are going on a road trip.”

“You psycho, I knew it, the flight ticket to London was to mislead them, wasn’t it? But what about Mom? Surely, you have already made plans for her, I presume?”

“Eh, brother, how did you know? Truly my brains are also rubbing off on you. Mom is already in a safe place. Let’s go, we have a long road ahead.” 

“Bastard, you are the only one who can ask his younger brother to save his ass, and yet, not share the complete plan. Who knows how many more loops there are in your so-called foolproof plan.”

“See, this is why I didn’t share it with you. It’s not about trust, brother. I was just worried that your brain couldn’t handle the subtleties of my plan. Not that I am blaming you, after all it’s not your fault that you are a blockhead, with only brawn but no brains.”

“Fuck off!!!! I am done with you. Do whatever you want. I am leaving by myself. Let’s see your foolproof plan then.”

“Ehhh!! My dear brother, you are the best. I was joking, yeah. Just joking. You are the gem of  our Smith family. I will buy you a limited edition Cadbury (a type of chocolate) later. Now would you please bring the bike? After all it’s not good to stay too long at a murder site. It’s starting to look like a scene from the movies.”

Finally, Lewin compromised and brought the bike from its hiding place, and the two brothers started their journey home. Needless to say, after some time, they started bickering again.