Nightmares

Alex POV

I stand now in front of a bar that looks completely ordinary from the outside, but I know well that the basement hides the headquarters of the Serpent gang. This quiet place in broad daylight does not reflect the reality of what happens in the shadows.

I advanced towards the bar, cautiously surveying my surroundings. There weren't many people inside; it was still early. I moved towards the back of the bar, where I noticed two men guarding a door that seemed important. I quietly approached them.

"What are you doing here? Get lost!" one of them shouted, but I didn't give him a chance to continue talking. With a strong punch, I hit him in the stomach, grabbed his hair, and slammed his head forcefully against the wall. His companion quickly tried to draw his gun, but I lifted my foot and struck his hand, causing him to drop his weapon immediately. I punched him on his left side, making him stagger. Before he could get up, I delivered a decisive kick that knocked him out instantly.

After ensuring the path was clear, I opened the door in front of me and saw a staircase leading down. I descended cautiously to the basement, where I was greeted by the smell of dampness and discovered a massive warehouse filled with bladed weapons. The place was unsettling, but I wasn't here to back down.

I advanced towards one of the doors in front of me, and as I approached, I heard two voices speaking from inside. Without hesitation, I pushed the door open forcefully and stormed into the room, saying in a cold, confident voice, "No need for that, I'm here."

All eyes turned to me immediately, and the silence that filled the room was a confirmation that I had captured everyone's attention. I was here to send a clear message: no one messes with me.

Third POV

When Alex entered the room, a sudden silence fell. No one moved, but the atmosphere tensed when the blonde-haired man shouted, "Sir, this is the one who attacked us!"

Lu Zan looked at Alex, his eyes filled with questions. "Either you're very brave or foolish for storming in here. Which one are you?"

Alex replied in an icy tone, "Neither."

"Then, who are you?"

"Just a person who wants to live an ordinary life."

Lu Zan frowned and said, "If you're just a regular guy, if you don't give me a convincing explanation, I'm afraid you won't live an ordinary life anymore." Without uttering another word, Alex pulled out a flash drive from his pocket and handed it to Lu Zan, who hesitated and asked, "What's this?"

"My explanation."

Lu Zan ordered one of his men to bring a computer. After inserting the flash drive and seeing its contents, his face turned black with rage. He said, "What are your terms?"

Alex answered coldly, "Don't disturb my life or the life of the flower shop owner, or I'll make your life hell."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, I'm giving you a chance to decide whether you want to save yourself."

"What if I decide to kill you now and take the flash drive?"

Alex smiled slyly and said, "If I don't return within an hour and stop my computer, the contents of the flash drive will be published on police networks."

Lu Zan's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth in anger, then said, "Fine." After hearing Alex's decision, he left the place calmly, leaving behind Lu Zan, who was gritting his teeth, scowling.

One of the men with blonde hair asked anxiously, "Sir, why did you let him go?"

Lu Zan was enraged by the question and kicked the man brutally, shouting, "You fool! Troublebringer!"

Lu Zan continued to beat him viciously until he calmed down, took a deep breath, and said bitterly, "I'll make this person pay dearly."

At that moment, someone stealthily moved behind Lu Zan and sent a quick message on their phone, then quietly returned to their place.

Outside, Alex returned to the hotel, took a quick shower, then collapsed onto his bed, closing his eyes...

_____

At the Shanghai police station, Kang Yu sat at her desk, her face tense, and her eyes filled with worry. She lifted the phone to her ear and called one of the numbers... then heard her father's voice,

|"Sorry, my dear, I couldn't find any new information yet. The last place he was found was in Beijing, but it seems he disappeared as if he never existed."|

Kang Yu sighed and said softly, "Okay, thanks, Dad." Then she hung up the phone, her heart filled with tension. "Where did you disappear, Alex?"

Kang Yu leaned back in her chair and took a moment to think, then suddenly shouted, "Right! How did I forget that?"

Kang Yu remembered something important. "If I remember correctly, after Alex's death, his diary was found in his house, and when it was read, it was discovered that he was planning to open a café away from Shanghai."

Kang Yu began reevaluating her options and said in a low voice, "But where could he open a café? If I were in Alex's place, I'd look for places where the influence of the Su or Shun family couldn't reach. So, there are three places in China that meet these conditions: the Magic City, Hong Kong, and Dalian."

With a firm hand, she called her father again. When he answered, he said in a calm voice, |"What's the matter, sweetheart?"|

"Dad, I need you to focus the search on Dalian, Hong Kong, and the Magic City." Kang Yu said confidently, determined to find Alex.

Her father replied in a reassuring voice, "Okay, I'll do that right away."

"Thank you, Dad." Kang Yu hung up the phone, hoping to find Alex as soon as possible.

Third POV

In the desolate corridors of the hospital, the battered door bore a sign that read "Morgue." Inside, the room was engulfed in deep darkness, accompanied only by the sound of heavy rain and thunder splitting the silence of the night. Whenever lightning flashed in the sky, it illuminated the place for a few moments, revealing a tragic scene: a woman completely drenched, her wet black hair clinging to her tear-streaked face, sitting on the floor, cradling a dead body, her arms wrapped around it as if squeezing out the last remnants of hope.

In a voice drenched with pain and bitterness, the woman whispered, "Alex, my love, let's go home. I'll cook you a delicious meal... Come on, Alex, wake up. Didn't you want me to cook for you? Let's go, I'll make you the best food and sweets... Please, talk to me, my love. I know you're angry with me, but please, speak to me... I'll give you everything you want, don't you want to spend some time with me? Let's go on a trip together, please wake up... Alex, forgive me, please, wake up. I'll do anything, Alex..."

Suddenly, she screamed in overwhelming pain, "Nooooo!" Su Minjer awoke from her nightmare, her eyes filled with tears, her face reflecting terror and anxiety. She held her head, whispering in fear, "It's a dream... It's just a nightmare. There's no way Alex is dead. Where's my phone?"

She grabbed her phone and called her servant ~Ringing

The servant answered quickly, |"Yes, madam."|

"Gather all the people I assigned to search for Alex downstairs, now."

|"Yes, madam."|

In a vast hall, twelve people were kneeling on the ground, their faces covered with tension. Su Minjer stood before them, her eyes blazing with anger. In her hand was a gun, and the aura of terror seeped through her clenched grip. "Where's my son?" she asked, her voice filled with determination and concern.

One of the men answered, "We are still searching, madam."

Before he could finish his sentence, Su Minjer fired a bullet that pierced his heart, leaving him to collapse lifelessly on the ground.

"Where's my son?" she repeated, her voice echoing like thunder.

"Madam, please, give us some time," one of them tried to plead, but to no avail. Su Minjer began firing bullets at their heads one by one, their screams echoing through the hall...

After she finished, she turned to one of the servants and said firmly, "Find him, search every corner of China, I don't care how you do it. I want to know his whereabouts, and also find Doland."

"Yes, madam."

"And dispose of the bodies at the Black House."

"Yes, madam."

Su Minjer left the hall, her face reflecting unwavering determination. She headed to an adjacent room. Upon opening the door, she was met with a cloud of dust, revealing the room's dilapidated state. On the desk, there was a small picture. Su Minjer picked up the picture, looking at it with eyes full of longing and pain, and said in a soft voice, "When I find you and bring you back here, maybe my nightmares will disappear forever."