Chapter 1: Chaos at the Casino
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It's late autumn in the North Temperate Zone of the Azure Federation's habitable planet, and while temperatures plummet, the Internet is buzzing with discussion over an unexpected event.
⌘ Nov. 3rd Casino Shooting Incident ⌘
Airborne at breakneck speed, the news took over the headlines of every online platform and traditional media.
⌘ A gang of thugs suddenly aimed at the casino hall and opened fire leading to a very tragic scene.
Those who can appear in this high annual fee membership casino in A country are either wealthy or noble, and several rich people have been injured one after another.
In addition to that, there is another thing that is very interesting, that is, the second young master of the Xiao Group, Xiao Long, was actually present at the scene.
It is said that he was arguing with a young blonde model, causing a commotion, followed by a shooting incident. ⌘
The Xiao family was once again thrust into the limelight in H country.
Xiao's headquarters is set up in the H country district, and the group has countless subsidiaries, spanning from finance, real estate, Internet technology, and even the esoteric military industry.
Xiao Yan, the old man who founded the pioneering school, was a son to a military officer and had killed the enemy on the interstellar battlefield, even his eldest son who had died heroically on the battlefield. After retiring from the military, the old man established the Henghua Group and managed the business in a military manner, his style was upright and unyielding which is considered ideal in the industry. After the death of the eldest son, Yan and his wife had cosseted their 2nd son, Xiao Sinian, to compensate for their sense of loss. In correspondence, Yan’s 2nd son acted in a completely different manner from that of the old man’s expectations and often goes around having affairs with omegas.
More than twenty years ago, Yan’s 2nd son died in a serious car accident while drag racing late at night, leaving behind a hefty inheritance with a bevy of mistresses who came to his door. Xiao Yan, having lost his youth and now with a head of gray hair, was said to have learned from his pain and was rumored to be extremely strict with his two first grandchildren.
Xiao Long was supposed to be in Country C for the Federal Financial Technology Summit, mysteriously appeared at the casino in Country A and walked out of the dressing room in disarray, reportedly with an unpleasant look on his face at the time.
The blond young man was surrounded by a group of bodyguards but was not caught, eventually went missing, or perhaps may have died in the chaos.
This lurid piece made headlines on every online discussion and the news media industry skyrocketed awry.
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"Read the headline: 'Son of a renowned father: a fierce battle ensue in the mighty Xiao's casino locker room with blonde young model', ah, look at this article 'Unfulfilled desire: the president's canary escapes', people have no idea what they thought was a tyrant who always forces love.”
Henghua headquarters is built in the middle of the Central Business District area of Lincheng, the high-rise area has a whole floor as the general manager's office, complete with supporting facilities.
In addition to the assistant's office workstation, there are meeting rooms, pantries, small conference rooms, and even a lounge for a nap.
At this time, the assistant was enthusiastic to read the headlines of the article to the handsome young man that sat on the sofa deep in thought.
On the counter of a coffee table was a laptop, which clearly showed a photo taken in the casino before the incident.
Xiao Long's face was somber while buttoning his shirt with one hand as he held a tie still in his other hand.
There was a small picture next to the caption, and the speed of the capture led to a blurred figure, which could barely be seen as a blond-haired person.
"You can run into this kind of thing when you change your clothes," said assistant Wei, puzzled. "Sir, didn't you deliberately hide in the locker room to seduce your doxy?"
"I don't know," Xiao Long said tediously in a dull monotonous voice, "it should not be."
The old man is a retired military officer, Xiao Long's elder brother Xiao Jingchuan is the commander-in-chief of the Northwest Military Region, and the Xiao Group also has close ties with the military collaborating in military-industrial projects, so Long has a rough understanding regarding any information on the Special Forces.
The other party's voice, hair color, and pupil color were all camouflaged, so they were obviously on a mission.
A short time later, his mind cleared and regained his senses, he asked the assistant, "How is Liu Ye?"
Assistant Wei sighed then replied, "Fortunately, the medical rescue team was the first to have arrived, otherwise they would have been crippled had they stayed in that condition after a long delay."
In this unanticipated chaos, Long himself was not injured.
At the unexpected sound of gunshots, people screamed and began to shove and flee. When the giant chandelier came down a short time afterward, Liu Ye the bodyguard, pushed him away and his own leg was crushed from the fallen chandelier.
Long was violently ambushed by another person. He made a spontaneous reflex to thrust the attacker away, but the other person shifted quickly, kicking over a gambling table in the process covering both of them under the table.
"Don't move!"
Long can feel something hard on the other person's body through the clothes, it was bulletproof body armor.
The two men's breaths staggered, while the other man's breath was in particular much hotter.
He seems to be feverish.
The person hiding in the locker room cubicle was only noticed because of the increased breathing.
The anonymous male assailant did not say a word and rushed out, so Long's bodyguards swarmed the casino lobby and made chase.
Long was unable to speak due to a stray bullet suddenly hitting the gambling table, and the tremendous penetrating force made the table convulse.
The carnival of gunshots, screams and the sharp sound of screeching tires vitiating the road applied on the brakes turned into a sea of fire swept through his brain - at this juncture, a deluge of childhood memories rushed nearly robbing Long of his ability to think.
Several bullets were shot into the small space piercing both the gambling table and the light from the emergency exit sign with bullet holes.
The sound of footsteps outside was rapid and brisk with a sense of urgency, and the people were continually increasing.
Long was abruptly jarred back to reality by his intense heartbeat, not even realizing that he was clutching an adversary.
The man thought Long was afraid, tolerant, and held back, but in the end, spoke out to comfort him: "Don't be afraid, our people will be here soon."
Long had remained calm when he heard the screams outside and only said two words in a sharp tone, "Liu Ye..."
The other party froze in astonishment and with a deep voice said, "I'll do what I can."
Subsequently, Liu Ye really was the first prompt deliverance. He was not hit by a stray bullet, but both legs were stuck by broken glass that was scattered everywhere. The surgery for wound foreign body removal had taken more than ten hours with more than a year and a half to recover back to normal.
It was propitious that the wounds were properly treated in time, it was going to be tough but he’ll be a good as perfect again a little more than a year later.
Long unexpectedly remembered the phrase "I'll do what I can" in the darkness.
While having been stuck in the narrow and claustrophobic space filled with the scent of gunpowder smoke, he detected a hint of sweetness.
He must have been delusional or else how could it have been possible. The special forces only recruit Beta, even an Alpha had to go through strict pheromone resistance training to pass inspection.
Assistant Wei was still having many different thoughts: ‘But then the security is missing a person in charge which is the Deputy Chief may be high in rank, but I had noticed he recently has been under a lot of pressure, smoking several packs of cigarettes a day…’
The savage scene in the casino left a powerful impression within the hearts of many people, including the vice squad.
Long walked towards the glass wall window and surveyed the bustling city with traffic outside the building. It could be that the Omega was frightened by their pheromones going out of control. He thought to himself.
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A month later, Xiao's mother's birthday party was held on a private island. There is only one building on the island, it is named “Jin’s Garden”. The subtropical island has a pleasant climate, and the view from the lighthouse is of the blue sea and blue sky while the ocean waves ebb and flow on the fine silvery-white sand.
The southeast side of the island has a private aircraft parking pad in addition to a yacht dock that is on the north side. The garden is exquisitely laid out with houses and buildings covering an area of 2,000 square meters, as well as can accommodate thousands of guests.
This was a wedding gift from the Second Master Xiao Sinian to his wife back then.
Most people once thought that the Sinian's wife was a traditional Omega - a graduate of the School of Etiquette; accustomed to the axiom of upper-class and high-society etiquette; a virtuous and kind husband and child; including having high-end aesthetic tastes such as flower arrangement, tea ceremony and appreciation for the arts.
However, it was shocking that the year after her husband's death, she was rumored to be in a scandal with a popular male celebrity thirteen years younger than herself.
With the pervasive paparazzi filming, digging, and candid photos, in the end, the life of Mrs. Xiao came to the surface.
It was only then that people learned that she was the eldest daughter of a southern magnate, named Fang Yunjin, who had been married to Xiao Sinian early in the year before she had finished college.
It was a typical marriage between wealthy families where each takes what they need before the marriage and after the marriage, they each play their own game.
Thereafter, Fang Yunjin officially entered the business world with the support of her mother's family and her husband's family. Ms. Fang's company soon became the leading company in the jewelry industry. She often participated in charity events and became the annual outstanding Omega representative of the Federation. All the while, even after many many years, Fang Yunjin's name has been overshadowed by the famous reputation as "Mrs. Xiao".
"It's no wonder that Elder Xiao personally takes care of his two grandsons, his sons and daughters-in-law are not easy to handle."
At the open-air cocktail party, a few guests around a table were talking in whispers while holding a glass of sweet-smelling areca champagne.
"The mistress has caused the Xiao family to lose face. Word through the grapevine says that Elder Xiao made a great effort to convince Fang to remarry once the children have become independent adults." said one of the guests.
"So as not to place blame anymore, Master Long’s inheritance was used which forced Fang to be reluctant to agree." said another person, unconvinced.
"Most importantly the Patriarch has advanced in age, if something were to happen again, what will become of the children..."
"In spite of that, she changes boyfriends faster than Master Sinian, which isn’t any better and yet still has not remarried."
"That’s so as not to cause the two brothers to worry. Haven’t you heard? Jingchuan and the illegitimate son of the Leng family have been intimate for several years now. Unlike the relationship with his younger brother, it has become much like oil and water."
"How unbecoming! That is not the frame of mind of one who is of the upper crust," the guest gestured their head in the direction of a certain person, then said, "the eldest of the siblings joined the military early in order to advance quickly, surely does not care for a vast family business at all? Leng Haiyun is merely a puppet of contention and nothing more."
The other two looked over in the direction.
Fang Yunjin still looks very young and kempt, while wearing a gorgeous silver silk fishtail dress with the complete set of ruby jewelry sets off her noble aura even more. About half a meter away behind her were two lofty, meticulous, and upright young men with a darkened expression on each face.
The company's main business is to provide a wide range of products and services to the market.
"Surmounted the board of directors to buy the casino, open a game with his own company's employees, then start gambling with tens of millions of dollars, and your future is set, brother.” Xiao Jingchuan spoke with a strong emphasis on the last word to the Alpha standing at attention who appeared to be very conspicuous in the crowd.
Long had a faint smile on his face, "Did Leng Haiyun cry to you?"
A pair of alluring-shaped eyes that resembled the second master Sinian appeared to be smiling - amorous and uninhibited - made him look even more handsome in a well-tailored suit that fit his body perfectly.
"You've only been in office for how long, listen to what's being spread outside again!" yelled Jingchuan, then gritted his teeth, "Don't bring father's modus operandi back to the company!"
"There’s no need for you to mind my business, just mind your own dog." Long nodded to the VIP not far from the vertical before saying, "Leng Haiyun laundered money from the casino, I expect that you'll take the blame for the accident when the time comes."
Jingchuan’s smile sank even more; his expression became heavy. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.
"Today is my birthday, I did not call you two to attend for you both to quarrel!" hissed Fang Yunjin, who turned back with a reprehensible expression. "Your grandfather has arrived, go greet him together," she ordered with her gaze falling on her two sons in turn and said with a clear warning. "Don't give me any trouble."
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Author Notes: Family relations tend to get messy so let’s clear stuff up a bit.
❇ Xiao Yan aka “Elder Xiao” had two sons: eldest son that died on an intergalactic battlefield (whose name was not given) and Xiao Sinian the 2nd Son aka “Xiao’s 2nd Master” or “2nd Master Xiao”.
❇ Fang Yunjin is the official wife of Xiao Sinian and is Long and Jingchuan’s mother
❇ Xiao Long is Yan’s 2nd Grandson thus called “2nd Young Master”; his elder brother is Xiao Jingchuan; He is currently managing the business in Yan’s place
❇ Xiao Jingchuan is Yan’s eldest grandson and Long’s big brother; commander-in-chief of the Northwest Military Region; he’ll be either referred to as “elder young master”, “eldest sibling”, or “eldest son”
✯ Long × Jingchuan are in an inheritance battle with Long being the target to be taken down from the seat of power; their relationship goes beyond sibling rivalry - more will be revealed as the story progresses