Zane observed the woman as she slowly and gracefully removed her sunglasses. Her movements were deliberate and elegant, yet there was a firm decisiveness to them. “Laura?” Zane said, his voice tinged with surprise.Laura looked at him with a warm smile that seemed to brighten the room. Her eyes sparkled as she responded, “Hello, Mr. Gardner. It’s a pleasure to see you again. I’m Laura Moore.”The woman before him was indeed Laura Moore—the same person he had encountered during a morning run some time ago while he was trying to catch a pickpocket. Laura was the owner of the charming café he frequented during his jogging sessions. Although she shared the same last name as Paul, Zane knew there was no familial connection between them.He hadn’t anticipated that he would meet her again under such unexpected circumstances, let alone as an investor poised to put money into his company. The mention of her name and her seemingly familiar response caused a ripple of surprise among those
Earlier, Emma had almost fallen victim to a kidnapping scheme orchestrated by Harris. He had planned to abduct her in a desperate attempt to obtain information about her father. Fortunately, Zane and Cedric intervened just in time, thwarting Harris’s plot and keeping Emma safe.Now, as they all sat together in the dimly lit room, the tension was palpable. Claire, sitting close beside Emma, gently wrapped her arm around her Emma’s shoulders. Grateful that Emma was still here.Breaking the silence, Cedric glanced over at Zane with a serious expression. “So, boss,” he began, “do you have any plans for what to do next?”He was asking about the next move Zane intended to make with the evidence they had secured. Zane took a moment to respond, his gaze intense as he weighed the options in his mind. “There are a few things I’m still considering, Cedric,” he finally replied. “But one thing’s for sure—I plan to make the arrest personally, and I’m going to expose everything to the public.”It w
After a few days had passed since that meeting, Zane and Laura found themselves standing on the manicured green of a golf course, just as they had agreed. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the field, while a gentle breeze whispered through the trees. Behind them, Laura's assistant and Cedric stood quietly, observing the scene with careful eyes. In this meeting, it was Laura's first time encountering Cedric as Zane's trusted confidant. To their surprise, it turned out that Laura and Cedric already knew each other—a revelation that was just as new to Zane. Cedric then revealed another unexpected aspect of Laura's background: she was a highly skilled senior spy, a fact that left Zane astonished. Additionally, Laura was not only a master of espionage but also an exceptional fighter. "I never would have guessed that you were Cedric's boss, Zane," Laura said. She stood close to him, watching intently as he lined up his shot. Zane, focused on his ball, pau
Meanwhile, in a large room adorned with numerous antique and expensive items, five leaders of The Crimson sat gathered. That afternoon, they were holding a meeting at their headquarters. Morano, the number one leader of the group, sat on a single sofa at the end of the table. To his left and right, Harris and Maretti sat on single chairs. On the opposite side were Dominic and Alessandra.Morano spoke, “Harris, Maretti, how far have you progressed in gathering information on the man with the hat and Zane Gardner?”“Morano, don't worry, we're almost done with this mission. It’s been easy for me, hahaha,” Harris responded proudly, letting out a deep chuckle.Maretti crossed her legs elegantly and said, “It won’t be long now before that man falls into my trap. He’ll soon know my charm.”“Ch,” Alessandra sneered. “That’s not charm, you shameless woman.”“What did you say?” Maretti uncrossed her legs, leaning slightly forward as she gripped the armrests of her chair.“Maretti, control you
Zane and his team continued their meeting, the serious atmosphere palpable in the room. Zane knew he had no time to waste; he had to act before the leaders of The Crimson could make their move. "Cecilia, do you have a way to create that mask?" Zane asked. Following Laura’s suggestion, Zane planned to be in two places at once, gathering evidence related to the illegal arms trade. "I believe so," Cecilia replied, her voice filled with excitement. She had already requested image processing software and algorithms from Celine to help create the mask. Cecilia motioned for the team to follow her to her favorite laboratory. As they walked, she explained that Celine had once produced a mask that was an exact replica of her boss, Arthur Gardner. Using Celine's 3D editing software and image processing algorithms, Cecilia wouldn't need to start from scratch. She just needed to perform a high-resolution 3D scan of Zane’s face to capture its precise dimensions. Zane sat in
Alfred revealed the truth to Zane: his grandfather had been exploited by Morano for the interests of his organization, known to this day as The Crimson Syndicate. His grandfather was imprisoned for a very long time, forced to use his powers to fight those who opposed the group. John had secretly been meditating to reach the pinnacle of his cultivation power. One day, John succeeded. At the peak of his power, he gained the ability to teleport over considerable distances. Utilizing his newfound skill, John was able to effortlessly teleport, ultimately freeing himself from Morano's grasp. Consequently, Morano has struggled to track and locate John to this day. Alfred provided a detailed account of what his grandfather had endured. At the end of his explanation, he concluded, “Master, that’s why I suspect Morano has become aware of your existence as Mr. Clark’s grandson, due to your mysterious actions during that accident night.” The night when Zane disguised himself b
Zane sat beside Alfred, while John sat on the other side of the modern, plush sofa.Zane began to speak, “Grandfather, I didn’t expect this place to be so advanced, especially with the entrance hidden in a seemingly untouched cave.”“Yes, all of this is thanks to Alfred. He helped me acquire this advanced equipment,” John replied. He continued, “Zane, I’ve heard from Alfred that your cultivation has improved significantly. I’m very proud of you.”“Grandfather, I should be the one thanking you for granting me this incredible power,” Zane responded.John smiled, “I’m glad you’ve grown so well, Zane, even though your late wife’s family treated you poorly.”“That was just a part of my journey to where I am now. It doesn’t matter at all, Grandfather,” Zane replied.John stood up and motioned for Zane to follow him. “Come with me, Zane.”This was a moment John had long awaited. As they walked toward a room, John said, “Alfred has told me a lot about your life, including your current mission
As soon as Zane swallowed the crystal, he felt a faint vibration coursing through his body, as if energy was moving beneath his skin. The sensation made his heart beat stronger, his senses sharpen, and his vision become clearer. Colors around him grew more vivid and intense, as though his perception had been heightened. Zane felt a sudden urge to step forward, but as he did, he didn’t move physically—he faded out of existence. In the blink of an eye, Zane found himself standing in a completely different spot, right in front of a wall. Startled, he lost his balance and fell. “Hahaha,” John laughed, amused by Zane’s clumsy reaction. John walked over to him and helped him up, firmly gripping Zane’s arms. He smiled, proud and satisfied. “Zane, now you can use this power to complete your mission,” John said. Zane smiled and nodded, his excitement barely contained. After gaining this new power, Zane practiced his teleportation ability at the house his grandfather had gi