Volume 2 Episode 33

Lin reached the Lindon family mansion as fast as he could. He had a large backpack on his back, looking like he was carrying something important in it. He got out of the car and was immediately greeted by Jason, one of Eric's most trusted employees. 

"He isn't happy."

Jason looked at Lin and told him coldly, to which Lin could only sigh deeply. Jason showed him the way and he entered the mansion, walking quickly to the living room only to find an angry Eric Lindon staring at him. 

'Well, this is going to be hard.'

Lin told himself as he walked towards Eric, trying to explain the situation.

"Look, Eric, I can assure you that I had absolutely nothing to do with whatever happened at the apartment. It was your people who put that bomb there, not me."

"And would you kindly explain to me why I would even jeopardize igniting a war with one of my competitors when there wasn't even a need to?" Eric snorted at Lin's words, and continued. "I put that bomb there as a precaution. A mere warning, that was the only point to it. Nothing more,nothing less."

Eric grabbed the glass of champagne which was on the table and started sipping it. Lin gazed at the man who was sipping on alcohol when it was still early in the morning. Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, but he looked slightly more calmer after his drink.

"Even so, the fact that it was your people that put the bomb there is enou-"

"If I remember correctly, it's not about who's right and who's wrong, is it? I asked for the experimental procedures today and I want it right now. Did you or did you not bring it?"

Lin's pleas were interrupted by the blunt words of Eric, as he stood in front of him. His eyes were glowing red, telling Lin that there was no more room for negotiations. He eyed the backpack on his shoulder, and asked. "Is that it?" 

'Guess there's no choice but to implement the plan sooner.'

Lin clenched his fist. The plan he came up with needed a bit more time in order to reduce risks. The sooner it happens, the more risky it gets. But it seemed like there was no other way out.

"Fine, but can we go somewhere safe, where there isn't anyone else?"

At Lin's suggestion, Eric sneered and replied.

"So that you can ambush me? Is that your plan?"

"Hey, if you feel threatened, then you can choose some place where you feel completely safe. I'm okay with it as long as there isn't a chance of spying. As you know, I have some trust issues considering I had been betrayed once. So I hope you can understand me asking for a more discreet location."

Lin spoke calmly, catching Eric off-guard. He expected Lin to set him up for a trap, but it seemed that wasn't the case. In fact, he even left the decision making to him, meaning that there would be absolutely no way he could be planning an ambush.

'What is his plan? If he is really going to give the experiment procedures why did he stall so much in the first place? Or is he stalling again?'

Eric still didn't believe that Lin was agreeing to give up the secrets just like that. But regardless of whatever he had planned, Eric still had the final say in choosing the location.

'If I were to believe that Lin had planned out an ambush, then it would mean that he also was somehow able to predict which location I would choose, which seemed pretty unlikely. So that meant that either his plan happens after the dealing, or he actually scouted all my locations and has planned ambushes in every one of them, which seems even more unlikely.'

Eric weighed the pros and cons of the offer in his mind, concluding that there probably wouldn't be any problems if he is able to choose the location for the deal. 

"Jason, bring along my mercenary team. Even though I may have chosen the location, it doesn't mean that I'm completely safe."

Jason, who was standing near the doorway, bowed at Eric's order and went out to get the Lindon family's very own mercenary team, a reputable army of assassins brought up and trained from a very young age by the Lindon family assistants personally to ensure there were no opportunities for spies to enter their group.

Eric then looked at Lin, who shrugged his shoulders and smiled, still looking calm despite knowing he was going to be escorted by a mercenary group controlled by his enemy. He was even more curious about the youth.

As the mercenaries arrived along with Jason, Eric and Lin were escorted into a black limousine with dark windshields that were unable to see through. They were on the road for more than two hours, until the vehicle pulled over suddenly, and then stopped.

Jason opened the door and escorted both Eric and Lin outside. Lin looked around and realized that he was at an abandoned airstrip. He had no idea where he really was. Eric, who had his gaze on Lin the entire time, opened his mouth.

"Here we are Mr.Lin, a secret and discreet location just like you asked with no outsiders other than my own personal mercenary group. Don't worry though, I can vouch for every one of them."

Eric kept his hands in his pockets as he spoke and waited for Lin to present the secret formula to him. Lin, who had stopped looking around the airstrip, turned to Eric and replied quickly.

"Yeah I don't have it."

"..... I'm sorry, what?"

Eric, who seemed like he couldn't understand what Lin was telling him, asked him once again.

"I said I don't have the formula. I lied."

"..... ARE YOU F**KING KIDDING ME???"

By this point, Eric had already let go of his calm demeanor and returned to his rage filled mode that he was in a few hours ago. He looked like he wanted to rip Lin into pieces but was holding down the urge to.

"Then why on earth did you want to go all the way out to the middle of nowhere?"

Eric screamed at him, to which Lin just smiled and answered.

"To negotiate of course."

"About what?"

Eric, who seemed to have regained his sanity a bit, asked the question, clearly irritated by the youth standing in front of him.

"About whether or not I should let you live or not."

As he said that with a smile plastered across his face, Eric suddenly felt shivers run down his spine. He was actually fearful of a boy who hadn't even grown any facial hair yet. The feeling got hold of Eric, and he yelled. 

"Kill him quickly! Before he attacks!"

Eric then moved to the back quickly, waiting for the mercenaries to finish off their target.

Except… they didn't.

…..

Eric looked at the mercenaries, who stood there like statues, without moving from their spot. They didn't move a muscle.

"What are you all waiting for? Kill him! Now! This is an order!"

Eric screamed once again, ordering them to go and kill the young boy who was standing right in front of them, who was still smiling calmly. He watched the confused Eric for a while and then stepped forward, moving all eyes present on to him.

"Are you having some trouble with your men? Let me help you out. Let's see, what do I say? Oh, I know! SURROUND THE ENEMY!"

As soon as Lin opened his mouth and gave his order, the mercenary team turned around and dashed towards Eric's direction and quickly surrounded him, forming a small circle. 

'What the hell? Is he able to control them? Is that what's happening right now?'

Eric, who had no idea why his group of highly trained men were turning against him, and believed Lin to possess the power of mind control.

"You! You're controlling them aren't you?"

Eric pointed at Lin, who stood without talking. Eric, who didn't receive an answer assumed he was right, and looked at Jason, who hadn't moved from his place at all.

"Jason, don't tell me they got you as well! Snap out of it Jason!" 

Eric now believed that Jason was also in control of Lin yelled at him, thinking it would wake him up from the control.

Lin watched the whole thing amusedly, chuckling at the enemy's antics and decided to answer Eric's question.

"Hey, stop yelling! I'm not controlling them. They're doing this on their own."

Eric, who was yelling a while ago, stopped what he was doing and looked at Lin, puzzled by his words.

"W-What?"

Jason, who was standing still, sighed and turned towards Eric, and walked towards him. He stood in front of his former master, and spoke in his usual cold voice.

"He said that he's not controlling us. We were never your people. We were always working for Master Lin, as spies."

Jason explained, to which the mercenaries nodded their heads furiously.

"..."

Eric, who listened to Jason's explanation, thought to himself. 'What the actual f**k? How is that possible?'

Eric couldn't believe what he was hearing. There was absolutely no way they could have been working with Lin. The kid is barely sixteen. Most of these men were brought in earlier than he was even born. Jason, who was one of his most trusted people, didn't even come into contact with Lin until today. To say that they were all working for Lin meant that the boy had been working with them from when he was inside his mother's womb itself. As his confusion reached a whole new level, Eric was screaming inside, trying to understand the situation.

'What the hell is actually happening?'