You can stay here with your grandmother,” said Mr. Zhang.It wasn't a good idea according to Glenn. Not that it mattered, Mr. Zhang was quite skilled at playing his part to help Glenn in the first place. Telling Mr. Zhang part of the plan could be both good and bad.It was possible that Mr. Zhang had already told Mason, meaning Glenn was now in Mason’s grasp. That way, Mason could easily destroy Glenn through Mr. Zhang.However, Glenn had thought of another strategy. With both of them feeling confident, believing Glenn to be naive and trusting, both Mr. Zhang and Mason would likely lower their guard.Because of this, Glenn actually wanted the people close to him to keep some distance. Including Hazel, who should return to Eagertown. This made Glenn consider whether he should have Sean and his grandmother stay in Eagertown instead.Glenn could arrange that, and Arthur and Irina wouldn’t mind. Staying with Eugene would be fine as well. Sean and his grandmother would live well there.“We
After dinner, Glenn went to his room to have a serious talk with Hazel. Whether it was the right time to reveal everything, Glenn had to ensure his wife's safety. Without an explanation, Hazel might be just as stubborn.Glenn leaned against the headboard, sitting next to Hazel with their legs stretched out together. Hazel clung to Glenn as if she didn’t want to be far from him.“I need to have a serious talk with you, love,” Glenn began.Until now, Glenn’s problems had come from a future known only to Connor and Mason. Whether it was wise for Glenn to tell Hazel, it was a heavy burden for him to keep such a big secret.Hazel was very honest, good, and loyal. Meanwhile, Glenn was still hiding something very crucial. Even though, if Hazel knew, she might think Glenn was insane or something.Hazel looked up at him, “What do you want to talk about?”“I want you to return to Eagertown as soon as possible.”Hazel's expression immediately changed. “But, you said…”“Please listen to me first
“Of course.”Mr. Zhang said this with a broad smile, becoming even more convinced that Glenn had fallen into his hands. Glenn seemed to admire the middle-aged man.Finally, Mr. Zhang nodded, granting Glenn’s request. “Alright, you can go with Sean and my men,” he said, then turned his attention to his subordinates. “Take good care of Mr. Glenn, make sure nothing happens to him. The same goes for Sean.”“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison.“Make sure this mission is quick and doesn’t arouse suspicion. You know the procedures, and explain them to Mr. Glenn during the journey,” added Mr. Zhang.All his subordinates nodded together, again replying, “Yes, sir.”“Well, good luck. I hope there are no obstacles,” concluded the professor.And so the mission commenced. They left precisely at nine in the evening, with the expectation of arriving at Sean’s residence before midnight. During the journey, Glenn was briefed on the plan.Some of Mr. Zhang’s men would guard the perimeter, while the rest
Glenn didn’t want to get into a lengthy debate as their time was very limited, so he reluctantly nodded in agreement. Sean looked more at ease, then helped his grandmother put on her coat. Once they were ready, the three of them quietly left the house.Pao and his partner immediately noticed Glenn approaching, and they started walking ahead to ensure there were no obstacles in their path. Luckily, it was quite deserted, allowing them to move quickly toward the village gate.They hid behind a wall as they neared the village gate, with Pao squinting to check the post, which appeared empty."I think it’s safe, let’s go," Pao whispered.As they were about to pass through the gate, headlights approached from the right, while from the left, a procession of torches drew near. The situation was completely off-plan. They couldn’t go back into hiding.“What now?” Sean looked confused.“Run to the car as fast as you can!” Glenn commanded.“But…”Before Sean could finish his sentence, Glenn scoop
Hazel recounted the incident that happened shortly after Glenn left to rescue Grandma Mari. Mei had called Hazel to the living room to discuss something. Their conversation was brief, focusing on Hazel’s plan to return to Eagertown.Mei apologized for not being able to join them, as she had work to do with her father. Hazel didn’t mind and told Mei she would be heading to Eagertown soon with Sean and his grandmother.After their conversation, they returned to their respective rooms. Hazel took a wrong turn in the corridor and got a bit lost in Mr. Zhang’s residence. She ended up near a room she wasn’t familiar with and overheard Mr. Zhang talking to someone on the phone, who turned out to be Mason."Darling, no one saw you? I'm really worried," Glenn whispered."I don’t think so, but there were surveillance cameras. I need to leave soon, love. I don’t want Professor Zhang to get suspicious and then we can’t get out of here.""You're right.""What I overheard was about a laboratory in
Finally, the plan reverted to the original one: Glenn and Sean would stay at Mr. Zhang's residence. This way, Glenn could keep an eye on the professor's movements. Essentially, they would both be wary of each other, just waiting for someone to slip up.Hearing that Hazel and Grandma Mari had arrived safely the next day, Glenn felt relieved. He could now focus on their plan, grateful to have Sean by his side. Victor couldn’t monitor frequently because Glenn feared Mr. Zhang might have bugged their devices. This mission relied solely on Glenn and Sean’s actions.Mr. Zhang was preparing to leave when Glenn caught up to him in his office. They were headed to a meeting at a luxurious venue called Ang Zho. It was an exclusive building used by high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen. The facilities were extensive, even offering accommodations in the ten-story building."Are you ready?" Mr. Zhang asked as he saw Glenn at the door."Anytime you are ready, sir."They were attending a rou
Mr. Zhang looked more relaxed and cheerful upon hearing that Dao was interested in Glenn. After dinner, they would head to the top floor. Everything was being prepared, and the guests would be escorted there in half an hour.“What’s on the top floor?” Glenn asked, curious.Mr. Zhang chuckled. “Party, women, drinks, what else? Do you think these meetings happen regularly just for business? Haven’t you noticed that all the guests are men?”It was the first time Glenn realized that Mr. Zhang was right. All the attendees were indeed men. Glenn didn’t expect this was how the upper class in Yuhan sought extra entertainment. He couldn’t judge them if it was part of their culture.“You can go home if you want. I’ll have the driver pick you up in the lobby,” Mr. Zhang added.This was Glenn’s chance to mingle and gather information, which could come during the ‘special’ event. Glenn took a deep breath and turned to Mr. Zhang.“No need, Mr. Zhang. If I feel uncomfortable, I’ll let you know,” Gle
In nearly every occupied room in the Ang Zhao building, sounds of conversations overlapped. Couples who had decided to retreat to their rooms for the night were sharing intimate moments. In the room occupied by Mr. Zhang and Wanwan, they too were sharing a heated atmosphere.Mr. Zhang’s head felt light, not just from the influence of alcohol, but also from Wanwan’s touch, which was far more intoxicating.“What project are you working on now, Professor? I follow your career, honestly… you’re amazing,” praised Wanwan with a soft laugh.Wanwan sat atop Mr. Zhang, staring intently at the middle-aged man who, in her eyes, was nothing more than a piece of meat, ready to be buried.“I have a secret project.”“Don’t want to share it with me? I’m good at keeping secrets.”“I told you it’s a secret.”“Hm… I’ll have to try to uncover it then.”A few minutes later, Mr. Zhang could only groan from the unbearable sensation. He wanted to explode but tried to hold back. The woman before Mr. Zhang was