In a bustling market, a hooded figure moved through the crowd. He entered a modest restaurant and ordered his food at the counter in broken Chinese. Just as he found a table, he felt an unfamiliar gaze upon him.
He sighed as he pulled out a chair and sat down, waiting for his order to arrive. Someone called from behind, "Excuse me, Mr. Hanma?"
Baki sighed and looked up. "A polite mercenary?" When his eyes focused, he found a familiar face with bright red hair—Wu Zhangxun, one of the guards from Tian Wai Tian. It had been a while since he'd seen him, but he hadn't forgotten his face. Wu Zhangxun was one of a kind, after all. He'd fought against Tom Lee and Jinchoel Park head-on on their first meeting, though the result had been tragic.
Wu Zhangxun was unusually excited. "I hope you recognize me, Mr. Hanma. I am—"
Baki cut him off. "Yeah, I remember you. You're the guy from Tian Wai Tian who messed up when you came to escort Manager Kim to China."
Wu Zhangxun awkwardly scratched his cheek. "I-If that's how you remember me... that's good. May I sit here?"
Baki nodded. "If you want to, why not?"
A waiter arrived with Baki's order. Baki thanked him in broken Chinese, and the waiter left.
Wu Zhangxun looked pleasantly surprised. "You know Chinese?"
Baki took a bite of his food and nodded. "Yeah. It's been a while since I came to China—I couldn't help but pick up the language."
Wu Zhangxun's eyes widened. "Th-that's incredible. You picked up Chinese in less than a week!"
Baki continued eating. "So, are you keeping tabs on me?"
Wu Zhangxun waved his hand exaggeratedly. "No, no, no. I just came across the information when I started searching for you. You've become quite a celebrity on the internet. Albeit an evil one... according to the internet."
Baki chuckled. "That's something I expected. I am not exactly a good person, am I? I didn't want a bunch of rats coming after me. It was a warning sign, and it seems to have done its job."
Wu Zhangxun seemed surprised by Baki's answer. "I suppose you could say that. Though I'm sure the police gave you a difficult time."
Baki smiled. "Indeed, but they also tightened security and captured quite a few mercenaries after me. Overall, it was a win as long as I didn't get caught."
Wu Zhangxun scratched his cheek. "You're truly a genius."
Baki nodded. "I know that. Tell me something new, like why you were searching for me."
Wu Zhangxun slapped his forehead. "Pardon me. I almost forgot my original mission. I was actually sent by Gwigwan-Nim to assist you."
Baki lifted his fork. "And why would he do that?"
Wu Zhangxun's expression darkened. "After Pengguan-Nim's death, T Group came after Tian Wai Tian like a hungry wolf. Because of them, our stocks have dropped to the lowest in Tian Wai Tian's history. And they still haven't stopped their attacks. Fortunately, Taehwa-Nim and Gwigwan-Nim came together to address the situation."
Baki raised an eyebrow. "Cho Taehwa? I didn't expect Gwigwan to work with his father's killer."
Wu Zhangxun coughed slightly. "Yes.Though Taehwa-Nim wanted to redeem himself by surrendering, Tian Wai Tian's situation was too critical. So Gwigwan-Nim needed his help."
Baki took the last bite of his food. "So? How can you help me?"
Wu Zhangxun smiled. "We can take you to the president of T Group."
Baki raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Now that's unexpected. How will you do that?"
Wu Zhangxun smiled. "Shall we go somewhere more private?"
Baki nodded as he stood. "Why not? Let's go."
Baki followed Wu Zhangxun to a black limousine. Once inside, Wu Zhangxun continued his explanation. "You know Gwigwan-Nim was a teacher at Songdo S International School. You might even remember his students."
Baki nodded. Wu Zhangxun continued, "One of his students got invited by the T Group's president. If our information is correct, President Wang wants to marry off his daughter and is searching for a groom."
Vivi and Xiaolong's faces flashed before Baki's eyes. "I thought they'd make a good couple. I guess some things aren't meant to be," Baki murmured.
Wu Zhangxun asked, "Sorry, did you say something?"
Baki shook his head. Wu Zhangxun continued, "So that's the situation. We can send you with Gwigwan-Nim's student to T Group."
Baki leaned toward Wu Zhangxun and smiled coldly. "Is that Taehwa's idea? To borrow me as a knife to finish off Tian Wai Tian's opponent?"
Sweat formed on Wu Zhangxun's forehead. "I-I, we—"
Baki smiled. "It's okay. That's expected from that man's son. I dug into his backstory a while ago. His father, he was a great man. Albeit a little too dedicated to his work. But he created the God's Realm, I heard."
Wu Zhangxun awkwardly scratched his cheek. Baki tapped his shoulder. "It's okay. I guess you don't know about it since it's classified information. Instead, tell me when I get to go to T Group."
Wu Zhangxun nodded. "One week. The invitation is for one week from now."
Baki stretched his arms. "I guess I'll have to wait another week."
---
Red Dragon Headquarters
Hou Qing stood in a dark room with his head bowed.
A deep voice pierced through the darkness. "What is it?"
Sweat formed on Hou Qing's back. "Bro— Leader, an escort request has been issued to our organization."
The voice echoed once again. "Did you need to inform me about such a trivial matter?"
Hou Qing stuttered. "I-It's from T Group."
The voice hummed. "You don't need to ask permission to accept such missions."
Hou Qing's face was covered in sweat. "T-They want you to lead the escort. They're willing to pay up to 7 million dollars."
The room fell silent for a long moment before boisterous laughter broke through. "Hahahaha! They want the Dragon of Heaven to serve them? It's been a while since I moved around. Tell them to pay 10 million dollars and I'll show up. Hahaha!"
Hou Qing finally released a breath of relief. "Y-Yes. I'll be going then, Leader." With that, Hou Qing left.
A large figure emerged from the darkness. A massive dragon tattoo coiled around the figure's body as if the dragon were embracing him. His face remained shrouded in shadow. His white teeth glinted in the darkness. "Ah~ This dragon will go treasure hunting after a long time."
---
On the outskirts of Shanghai, there was a huge private estate. This land belonged to one of the richest conglomerates in China, the T Group. Not many people knew about this place since it was hidden from the public eye. The only way to enter was to pass through several layers of security.
At that moment, several cars approached the place. The large metal gates in front opened. Several guards came out, each one approaching a car and checking invitations.
Inside one of the cars, a red-haired guy lay back with his eyes closed. It was Baki Hanma. This car belonged to the Logan Corporation, a large conglomerate from the USA. The eldest son of Logan Corporation, Jeff Logan, was also inside the car. He was one of the students of Cho Gwigwan, the leader of the Tian Wai Tian group.
Inside the car, there were a few more guards. The number of guards they could bring was limited, though they were allowed to bring their own weapons.
After passing through several security checks, they finally reached the true headquarters of the T Group. All the cars stopped in front of a grand staircase that led up to a structure resembling traditional East Asian architecture, like Chinese imperial palaces.
At the top of the staircase, there was a veil. A vague figure could be seen through it. Two servants waited beside the veil. Several men got out of the cars, including Baki, Jeff, and their security team. All the guests stood in a semicircle while the guards stood behind them.
Several men carried large herald trumpets. They played the trumpets as the servants slowly removed the veil. The chubby figure of Wang Wei became visible. Wang Wei spread his arms wide, a broad smile appearing on his face. "Hoho~ Welcome to the T Group, gentlemen." Instead of looking majestic, his gesture looked comedic because of his chubby figure.
Wang Wei clasped his hands behind his back. "I hope you all had a pleasant journey here. I'm sure you know the reason I invited you here, but I would like to inform you once again. From all the young heirs present, I will choose the perfect groom for my one and only daughter."
Most of the heirs looked expectant upon hearing this. However, some of them didn't seem particularly interested. They were the ones belonging to the high-tier conglomerates. But Wang Wei didn't mind. As long as they satisfied his daughter and could take away her interest from that bastard Xiaolong, he wouldn't mind anything.
Wang Wei continued speaking. "My daughter is precious to me. She deserves only the best. That is why I have invited the finest young men from the most powerful families across the world. You will all have the chance to meet her and show your worth."
He paused and looked at each group of guests. "During your stay here, there will be various activities—banquets, tournaments, and other events. My daughter will observe all of you. She will make her choice based on what she sees. Of course, I will also have my say in the matter."
Some of the heirs nodded. Others whispered among themselves. The guards remained silent and alert.
"The first event will be tonight," Wang Wei announced. "A grand banquet in the main hall. All of you are expected to attend. Dress well and behave properly. This is your first chance to make an impression."
As Wang Wei continued his speech, Baki was planning how to kill him. The only reason Baki wasn't attacking now was because of the distance and the guards. The guards weren't a problem, but he didn't want Wang Wei to run away and hide. So Baki held back.
Baki observed the layout of the place. The staircase was wide and open. Wang Wei had guards positioned at various points. They were armed and looked trained. Behind Wang Wei, there were more servants and likely more security inside the building.
Baki noted the exits. There were paths leading to different parts of the compound. The main building had multiple entrances. If Wang Wei ran, he could disappear into the complex. That would make things difficult.
Jeff stood beside Baki. He also studied the area. He knew Baki was thinking about the kill. Jeff had agreed to help Baki since he owed him for saving him previously. Jeff was one of the students who had been previously kidnapped to make Gwigwan surrender his position of the successor. Fortunately, Baki had saved them in time.
Wang Wei finally finished his speech. He clapped his hands. "Now, my servants will guide you to your manors. Rest well. The banquet begins at eight this evening. I look forward to seeing all of you there."
Several servants came forward. They approached each group and assigned them a manor. The manors were spread across the compound. Each one was large and well-furnished. Wang Wei had spared no expense.
Baki's group was led to a manor on the eastern side. It had traditional architecture with modern interiors. The rooms were spacious. There were enough beds for everyone. The guards checked the place for any threats or surveillance devices.
Entering their manor, Jeff asked Baki, "Baki-ssi, when will you take action?"
Baki tapped his foot against the ground. "Not too soon. I don't want to let him escape. There's supposed to be a banquet, right? I'll have him there."
Jeff nodded. "The banquet is in the main hall. It's inside the central building. There will be many people—other heirs, their guards, Wang Wei's people. It will be crowded."
"Good," Baki said. "Crowded means he can't run easily. I'll get close during the banquet. When the moment is right, I'll strike."
"What about the guards?" Jeff asked. "Wang Wei will have heavy security."
Baki smirked. "Guards are nothing. The problem is making sure he doesn't escape before I finish him. At the banquet, he'll be focused on the event. He won't expect an attack in front of everyone."
Jeff frowned. "It's risky. If you fail, we'll all be in danger."
"I don't fail," Baki said simply. "Just make sure your men are ready. When things get chaotic, you guys can leave first."
Jeff had already instructed his guards to prepare. They would need to secure an exit route. If Baki killed Wang Wei, the entire compound would go into lockdown. They had to be ready to fight their way out if necessary.