Chapter 119

Chapter 119

In the following days, Luo Ci stayed quietly at the island hotel.

Whenever he missed Samuel, he would send messages through his comms device.

One morning, Luo Ci took a walk along the beach and even rescued a small sea turtle stranded near the coral reef.

Upon returning to the hotel, as soon as he stepped into the lobby, he sniffed around and suddenly caught a familiar scent.

His little ears perked up instantly. He asked the bodyguards, "Has brother come back?"

The bodyguards replied, "Sir is in the parlor."

It was indeed Samuel who had returned!

Luo Ci immediately put down the small basket he was carrying and dashed toward the parlor. Worried that the little one might slip on the smooth floor, the bodyguards closely followed behind.

The parlor was furnished with several large, comfortable sofas. A familiar figure sat by the window. Luo Ci called out happily, tiptoed over, climbed onto the sofa, and covered Samuel's eyes from behind. "Who am I?"

Samuel smiled, gently placing his palm over those soft little hands. "My little angel."

Luo Ci removed his hands and climbed onto Samuel's lap, pouting as he mumbled, "What took you so long..."

He had missed Samuel so much.

Though he had decided to be angry, he still automatically cuddled into Samuel's embrace.

Puffing his cheeks out and shaking his head slightly, he realized just how much he adored Samuel.

"There were some matters to handle," Samuel dismissed his own affairs casually and looked down at the little one in his arms. "What's my little angel been doing lately?"

Luo Ci had always been eager to share, sending photos or updates about his daily activities to Samuel almost every day. At Samuel's question, he immediately began babbling excitedly: "Brother Sang Xi taught me how to beachcomb, and... and this morning, I found a stranded baby turtle near the coral reef..."

Midway through, he noticed his hands were covered in mud. Looking down, he saw Samuel's clothes were smeared with his muddy footprints.

Feeling guilty, he tried to squirm away.

Samuel stopped him. "It's fine."

Since Samuel didn’t mind, the little one no longer felt guilty. Confidently wrapping his small arms around Samuel’s neck, he chattered on for a while before tilting his round face up curiously. "And you? What have you been doing?"

Samuel lowered his gaze, meeting the child’s round eyes. "Ever heard of Chairman Thompson? I’m after him."

William quickly glanced up at his master before lowering his head again. Wasn’t the master reluctant to let the little one know about his activities? If he revealed this, what if the child figured it out...

Luo Ci raised a chubby hand to his cheek, murmuring, "That name sounds familiar..."

After thinking for a moment, he vaguely recalled the news broadcasts about Thompson these past few days. He couldn’t remember if he was a chairman or a senator, but he knew the man was a big shot.

Pressing his face against Samuel’s chest, he declared firmly, "He's gotta be bad!"

The kid's certainty made Samuel wonder if the child actually knew what Thompson had done. Smiling, he leaned his forehead against the little one’s. "My angel knows him?"

Luo Ci shook his head confidently. "Nope! But anyone against you is bad!"

Samuel laughed.

The kid always knew how to lift his spirits. Lately, he had been buried in work, even during the flight to the island. But the child seemed to just melt his stress away and brighten his mood.

...

That same night.

At a golf club nestled in a secluded mountain.

A medium-sized helicopter, with all its lights extinguished, sat silently on the empty temporary landing pad.

The pilot and co-pilot leaned against the cabin door, smoking and frequently checking their watches. The assistant got nervous. "They’re already late. What's the holdup? Could something have gone wrong?"

The pilot took a drag, shrugging. "It’s the Chairman. What could possibly go wrong?"

The words barely left his mouth when a deafening explosion erupted in the distance.

Startled, the two looked toward the source and saw the abandoned club engulfed in raging flames. The fire lit up the gray-purple sky with flickering shades of orange-red, as if even the dark mountains in the distance were set ablaze.

The two exchanged stunned glances, completely dumbfounded.

They were just there to meet them and knew little about the operation. They had only vaguely heard that Chairman Thompson had an invaluable collection of paintings seized at customs.

Thompson had hired a decoy to pose as him going on vacation overseas, drawing underground groups away to chase after the fake. Meanwhile, he'd waited for customs to let their guard down before hiring a team to secretly retrieve the confiscated paintings.

The stolen paintings were transported to the abandoned club, where Thompson had been hiding, waiting to check if they were real. Once confirmed, the paintings were to be loaded onto the helicopter that same night and smuggled overseas.

But now, the club had exploded right before their eyes—and Thompson was likely inside.

The pilot stared blankly, not even noticing the cigarette ash burning his fingers. "Holy shit..."

The assistant trembled as he pulled out his communicator, fingers shaking as he dialed. The person on the other end was their superior. "Y-yeah, the club's burning... The Chairman might be inside..."

The blazing fire quickly consumed the entire club. Nearby residents called the authorities, but it took an hour for emergency services to arrive. By then, the club had been burned to the ground.

The next morning, news of the abandoned golf club’s fiery destruction hit the news.

"Last night at 11 PM, a major fire broke out at the Novet Golf Club in the Roman Mountains, resulting in the deaths of 28 thieves on-site. The cause of the fire is under investigation, with initial speculation pointing to dry conditions igniting flammable materials. Many of these professional thieves were on wanted lists, including Benjamin Cuddy, Alan Water, Connor..."

*Clang!*—At a wine estate, a man enjoying his vacation went pale upon hearing the news.

In his panic, he stood up from the massage chair, accidentally knocking over an invaluable crystal ornament beside him.

But he paid it no mind.

"Chairman..." The door creaked open as the secretary, hearing the commotion, cautiously entered. She bent down to pick up the fallen item. "Is something wrong?"

The man—Ao Ting, Chairman of Banxing—paced the study anxiously, his polished shoes scuffing the carpet repeatedly as sweat beaded on his forehead.

He now deeply regretted trusting Thompson’s promises and severing ties with XT Group.

The perks Thompson had pledged had yet to materialize.

This news filled him with an overwhelming sense of foreboding...

He hadn’t been able to reach Thompson since last night.

Though the reported casualties were only the thieves, a bad feeling gnawed at him.

He asked the secretary to bring his communicator and dialed Thompson’s number again, muttering under his breath, "Damn it, still no answer..."

The secretary considerately took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Perhaps Chairman Thompson is having a great time in South Africa and missed your call? Just wait a bit longer, maybe it’ll go through?"

Ao Ting slowly shook his head. Knowing Thompson as he did, it was impossible for him to abandon that batch of paintings and take a vacation abroad.

If even he could figure it out, how could Samuel not see through it?

He sighed.

Thompson was just too old and far too arrogant, thinking such a pathetic little scheme could fool Samuel.

The worst might’ve already happened...

Even if he didn’t want to admit it, Thompson was now a lost cause. To avoid Samuel’s retaliation, he needed to quickly find a new backer...

Ao Ting stared at the chandelier, his widely dilated pupils slowly contracting. After a while, he rasped, "Call again—get Councilor Andre on the line."

By now, even if he wanted to mend relations with XT, it was impossible; XT wouldn’t stop until he’d skinned him alive.

Councilor Andre came from an old-money political family and, like Chairman Thompson, was opposed to the underground factions. Only Andre could offer him protection now.

The secretary immediately dialed the communicator.

Fortunately, the call connected quickly this time.

"Councilor..." As soon as the call went through, Ao Ting instantly put on a different face, laying on the flattery thick for the other end.

Those who reached this level were all shrewd operators. Even without Ao Ting spelling it out, Andre knew why he was calling.

Andre calmed Ao Ting’s nerves with a few placating words, informing him that he was drinking with colleagues at a private club. If Ao Ting had anything to say, he could come in person, and they could brainstorm solutions together.

Delighted that Andre was willing to introduce him to his colleagues, Ao Ting played along eagerly, "What? You’re hosting colleagues at the North District Club? Wonderful! Wait up for me—I’ll be right there..."

The secretary was quick-witted. "I’ll get the car ready."

"Hurry!"

Ao Ting hung up and went to pick out a suit.

...

The night in Green Aisle Islands was deep and tranquil.

Especially in the late hours, the starry sky stretched endlessly—a sight unseen in bustling metropolises like Everisha.

Luo Ci finished washing up, changed into pajamas, and curled up in Samuel’s arms, counting the stars. Her chubby little face nuzzled slowly and affectionately against Samuel’s chest.

The shimmering starlight filtered through the wide, pristine windows, reflecting in the child’s round pupils like pools of liquid light. Samuel quietly savored the peace of the moment.

Though he was indeed very busy, and this trip to the island had been squeezed out of his tight schedule, he cherished the feeling of being needed and relied upon by the little one.

Luo Ci tilted her head and asked, "How much longer do you have to work?"

"Just a little more. It’ll be over soon," Samuel replied.

Just as he had promised long ago, when the little one was still just a "paper figure."

He would give her a safe and peaceful life.

He would use this opportunity to eliminate all loose ends once and for all.

From then on, nothing and no one would ever pose a danger to his little one again.

"Then come back for me soon," Luo Ci wriggled under the covers, burying herself in Samuel’s neck. She wrinkled her tiny nose and gazed at him pleadingly. "Succulents need lots of attention, or they’ll shrivel up."

"What should I do? I don’t want to leave my little succulent either."

Luo Ci drowsily lifted her eyelids and yawned. "Me neither..."

Samuel watched as her eyes slowly fluttered shut and tucked the blanket around her. He got up, changed in the walk-in closet, and rolled up his sleeves as he stepped out. By then, the little one was fast asleep, her face nestled into the soft pillow, lips slightly parted in an adorable gap.

He gazed intently at her flushed little face before turning off the bedside lamp.

William materialized at the door, gesturing.

The plane’s ready to go.

*Click.*

A moment later, Samuel stepped out, and the door closed softly behind him.