Isaac had booked the best hotel in Nagoya for everyone.Charlie could also sense that the four ninjas who had been following him had followed him to the hotel.After Charlie had checked in, Fujibayashi Masatetsu, who was the leader of the ninjas, brought the other three to the front desk of the hotel.They booked two rooms on the same floor as Charlie.Moreover, they were very clever to reserve four different rooms. These four rooms were next to the two elevators and the emergency staircase.Due to the fact that Japan was an earthquake prone country, their hotel designs therefore revolved around the concept to ease the escape of the people in case such a natural disaster were to occur.Two emergency escape staircases in a single building was not something one can find elsewhere.They had purposely chosen these locations to monitor Charlie’s every move. This really helped ease the monitoring process.As to why they did not book the rooms surrounding Charlie’s, that was mainly du
The main reason why Charlie wanted to leave Isaac and Albert’s group was so he could operate by himself. He wanted to test out the ninja who was tracking him. He wanted to know how strong the ninja who had been tailing him all this while was.Moreover, he knew very well that the other party had followed him to the hotel and he was able to theorize that the opponent would have the mindset that since Charlie had checked into the hotel, he would definitely return to the hotel. Therefore, they would not track him down with all four men.It was not that Charlie was afraid of being surrounded by the group. Instead, to Charlie, it seemed like Mr. Takahashi might be lacking in manpower since only four of them had followed him all the way from Tokyo. If he were to sweep all of them under the rug, then the rest of his days in Japan would be very boring.Therefore, Charlie was hoping for them to separate so he could take them out one by one.Only by taking them out individually like this woul
However, the use of the shuriken is quite different from that of a dagger.The dagger is mostly used for piercing and cutting whereas the shuriken is normally used for throwing.It could be said that the shuriken is closer related to the flying daggers used by the Circus Dagger Masters, which is performed by throwing their daggers at moving objects.If martial arts is about glory and righteousness, then Japanese ninjutsu would more closely resemble cruelty and heartlessness.Ninjas do not like face-to-face confrontations. They prefer attacking from the dark where their victims have no idea where they are. This is the ultimate path a ninja would pursue.They would use weapons such as shurikens, darts, and blow darts. They also like coating their blades with highly toxic substances so their opponents cannot escape death even if they were to fail in the upfront assassination. In case they fail, the toxins would work their magic and eventually kill the opponent.A minute had passed a
When Aota heard this sound, he was overwhelmed with terror.This confirmed the scariest assumption that he had in his heart!The Oskian man had indeed been here all along. He had never left before!Furthermore, he had not heard the sound of this person’s breathing or heartbeat, from the very beginning to the end! How did he do it?Moreover, he had also hit his shoulder twice. This proved that he had been very close to his own body at least twice but he did not hear anything at all! He did not even hear the sound of his footsteps!At this time, he subconsciously wanted to turn around and throw his shuriken at the other party. However, he was a little worried deep inside his heart.After all, he only had six shuriken. He had already thrown four of his shuriken earlier. Therefore, he was holding onto the last two shuriken in his hands now!What if he missed again after throwing out his last two shuriken?His opponent was directly in front of him and he would never give him the opp
However, as firearms began evolving more and more, this form of weapon gradually withdrew from history. Unexpectedly, the Japanese ninjas were actually still using this kind of weapon.As soon as he was moving the sole of his shoes, Charlie realized this guy was actually preparing to unlock the trigger for the dagger in his sole.Moreover, he had already completed about eighty percent of the entire S-shaped movement. As long as he moved another one centimetre in the right direction, then the dagger would suddenly pop out from the tip of his shoes!At this time, Aota had already made up his mind. As soon as he found the right opportunity, he would use the shuriken in his hand to attract the other party’s attention first. When Charlie’s attention was fixed on the shuriken, he would immediately launch an attack against him using the dagger on his ninja shoes.When that time arrived, all four sharp blades would come at the same time, attacking from top and bottom. As long as one of t
At the very moment the sharp dagger pierced through Aota, he felt instant pain and numbness in his wound. A sense of powerlessness instantly spread from his wound to his entire body.The pain, came from wound caused by the sharp dagger;And the feeling of feebleness originated from the poison that was smeared on the blade.He could not breathe properly and his face was already turning blue. He could only stare at Charlie with a frightened expression on his face and he could not stop whimpering at this point.Charlie looked at him with great interest before he asked, “Are you wondering how I did it?”Aota nodded desperately.Even though he was already on the verge of death, he could not understand how Charlie could possibly be so powerful. He could not understand how Charlie could hide all of his moves and steps in front of him in an instant. He could not understand how he could make his two-handed shuriken deviate from their original trajectories.Charlie smiled slightly before
Charlie speculated this must be some sort of code that they had already agreed on between themselves. This way, only themselves would understand what these different numbers meant so that they could achieve basic communication encryption. So, even if anyone else were to get their hands on Aota’s cell phone, the other party would have no idea what they were talking about anyway.However, Charlie had a feeling that the real meaning behind the 07 sent by Masatetsu was to ask Aota about the situation of tailing him.As he thought about this, Charlie gently bent the cell phone with both of his hands. When he saw the cell phone was finally powered off, he placed the cell phone back into Aota’s pocket.Immediately afterwards, he took out his own cell phone and made a phone call to Isaac.As soon as the call was connected, Charlie immediately commanded, “Isaac, ask your subordinates to prepare a light refrigerator truck. After that, ask them to drive it to the park by the river in the subu
Masatetsu’s last hope was to pray that the reason why Aota did not reply to his text message was because he was busy following Charlie, or perhaps having a fierce fight with Charlie.Anyway, it would be fine as long as he was still alive.Second junior picked up his cell phone and immediately tried calling Aota.As a result, a series of prompts appeared on the cell phone, telling him that the other party’s cell phone might not be connected due to temporary lack of signal.Second junior started breaking out in cold sweat.He hurriedly told Masatetsu, “Senior, I cannot get through to Aota’s phone…”“How can that be?” Masatetsu stood up immediately and blurted out, “Aota’s cell phone is always on standby around the clock. How can we be unable to get through suddenly?”Third junior had a panicked look on his face as he said, “Senior, do you think that Aota has already encountered a mishap?”Second junior replied with certainty, “Something terrible must have happened! Otherwise, Aot
Jacob wasn't really concerned with the invitation. He wouldn't be going anyway, and he wouldn't tell Elaine about it.Right now, he had a question.After hanging up on Walker, he asked curiously, "A designated driver would be just a few dozen bucks at most. Why get Walker?"Mr. Bay sighed meaningfully. "Jacob, my boy—it's not just my job description you must handle when you succeed me. You must understand the unspoken rules of the workplace as well as interpersonal relationships."Raising his right index finger, he chuckled, "Earning the loyalty of subordinates is a science. But it has to be a carrot and stick—never just the carrot, while offering them chances to be of service.""Take Walker, for example. As his boss, buying him lunch is 5 points. Ask for a favor, but it's 50 points instead!""As a leader, you should also make sure to give requests that are reasonable. That way, they will consider you to be their ally, or soon enough.""People are strange that way—psychology sim
Jacob certainly agreed with Mr. Bay. When going to a dinner where alcohol would be involved, having a designated driver would be most convenient.Still, Jacob had another plan in mind.Since he had a Cullinan and this was the perfect chance to show off, it would kill him not to drive."Actually, we should go on our own," Jacob told Mr. Bay right then. "We will take my car and get a designated driver to take us home. We can hang out in the backseat to chat—I mean, you'd be in a bad mood if you get a bad driver, bringing a car that stinks of tobacco. You know how bad it can get."Mr. Bay nodded cheerfully. "Alright! I'm counting on you!""Oh, it's only right!"Coming to an agreement, they hurried outside, with Jacob driving and Mr. Bay riding shotgun.They were having a pleasant conversation when Jacob suddenly got a call from Walker, who was his sub at Senior University.Answering with the in-car Bluetooth system, he said, "Hey, Walker. What's up?""Mr. Wilson! I'm done with cl
As such, Albert did not hesitate to say right then, "Don't worry, Mr. Wilson—since they are your friends, I will offer the half-price rebate as you've suggested! When the guests take their seats, I'll personally deliver a couple of nice bottles over as a token of my sincerity!"Oskia truly sets the bar when it comes to being humanistic.There were times when one must show due respect, but not too much either in case it changed the status quo.It was just like a couple eating out with a third-wheel.Even if the third-wheel was better off and happily took the check as the girl watched, there would inevitably be competitiveness. The generosity might even lead to the girl getting attracted to the third-wheel.As such, since Jacob was actually secondary in importance at the event, Albert would have to make sure not to rain on the host's parade while showing his respects to Jacob. Otherwise, the host may hold a grudge against Jacob even if everything was free of charge.And when it cam
Jacob put a hand on his chest. "Don't worry—everything is going to be fine when my son-in-law takes the stage."As soon as he finished speaking, an unknown number called his phone.He answered, hearing a familiar voice he couldn't quite place, "Good afternoon. Am I speaking to Mr. Jacob Wilson?""Yes. May I ask who I am speaking to?""Albert Rhodes, owner of Heaven Springs at your service. Would you happen to remember me?"Hearing that, Jacob turned on the speaker excitedly as he continued, "Oh, yes, Don Albert! Of course I remember!"Mr. Bay's eyes lit up when he heard Albert announce himself, and he mouthed, "Is that really Don Albert?!"Jacob nodded repeatedly, his vanity burgeoning.Mr. Bay was naturally thrilled too, and he leaned closer to listen just as Albert spoke humbly, "If it's alright with you, Mr. Wilson, please don't address me as Don Albert. It's just a title some brats came up with—you are Master Wade's father-in-law, which means you have seniority over me. So,
Mr. Bay was overjoyed, seeing how quickly Jacob agreed to it. "Thanks, Jacob! I owe you!" He exclaimed, but soon added, "It's past four now, and that bunch like to fraternize in the room before they eat. Could you get the room soon? I think they'll be arriving soon."Then, he moved closer to add quietly, "If you can get a Diamond Room like before, I will bring you along. I'm not going to lie, these are officials with decision-making authority. Being friends with them might propel us to new heights!"Jacob already knew that Mr. Bay was sucking up to his friend, otherwise, he wouldn't be so concerned when the dinner was organized by said friend. Understanding that the friend must be important too, Jacob was at once buoyed.After all, he had presumed that becoming vice president was the most he could achieve.Now, if he could attend that dinner with Mr. Bay and establish a good relationship with those bigwigs, he would have his turn when Mr. Bay got promoted too.With that in min
Reservations in Heaven Springs had always been unpredictable, and most rooms weren't open to the general public—even if said rooms were vacant for the night.It was not as if Albert Rhodes didn't want to make money when he built Heaven Springs. He simply didn't do it solely for profit, but only mostly for social events and posturing.Back when he was a humbler member of society, he realized that many bigwigs and even his fellows cared for pride a lot. Be it food, liquor, or even simply everyday consumption, they always strove for the best and the most expensive.That was why polite society valued their privacy and established their respective social circles, which was why Heaven Springs ensured that everything was first-rate: atmosphere, service, food, and clientele.Just like how bigwigs wouldn't dine at the same table as their goons, said goons wouldn't eat at the fancy places those bigwigs frequented even if they had money, as it may appear as if they were overstepping.That wa
As such, intent on keeping up his pretense, Jacob answered the phone, "Looking for me, Matilda?""Uh-huh," Matilda replied, and asked, "You didn't show up at Senior University, and your sub is saying you probably won't be coming for a while? Is that true?""Oh—right, that," Jacob quickly said. "Well, it's true—the gist of it is that the Association is getting busy with a project. As the vice president, I probably shouldn't be staying at Senior University all the time, right?""Heck, Mr. Bay called me last minute, telling me how busy we're going to be and that I was needed. That's why I had to go back, but I will head over to campus again when I have the time."Matilda knew right then that those were all excuses.However, she did not expose Jacob, instead asking, "Well, when are you free? So that I can send you my wedding invitation?""Oh, the invitation?" Jacob quickly chuckled. "You really didn't have to come to me—just pass it to Walker, my sub lecturer. He can pass it to me wh
The next afternoon, there was a sudden change of lecturers for the calligraphy class.Despite being the vice president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association, Jacob never showed up, instead getting a substitute instructor to replace him.Matilda had come with the invitation Yolden had written for Jacob, but seeing that Jacob wasn't at the lecture hall, she waited until the class was over to ask the sub, "Excuse me, can I ask why Mr. Wilson wasn't teaching this class?""He's busy at the association," the sub replied. "So, I'm taking over his class."Curious, Matilda pressed, "Then, would you happen to know when he will be coming?""Probably not for a while," the sub replied. "He delegated other classes to me as well, telling me that I could just stick to the PowerPoint slides."Then, he asked, "Do you have business with Mr. Wilson?"Matilda nodded. "Yes, but I can call him myself. Thank you."Leaving the lecture hall, Matilda called Jacob, who was goofing off in his office
On the other end, Matilda was left staring at Jacob's reply in confusion.She had presumed that Jacob would understand when she mentioned inviting his whole family that he should be coming up with an excuse to skip attending her wedding.That was the most ideal solution.As such, she was shocked that instead of playing along, Jacob's reply was short and blunt.[No problem. The four of us will be there!]Perplexed, Matilda was left wondering what Jacob meant. Was he really going to attend her wedding with Elaine?The thought left Matilda frowning as she absolutely didn't want to see Elaine—especially not at her own wedding.Yolden was writing an invitation when he saw the somber look on her face, and he couldn't help asking, "Is there a problem?""Jacob replied," Matilda admitted. "And he's saying that he will bring his whole family.""Really?" Yolden was confused too, as he was hardly as eccentric as Jacob. "But he's afraid of his wife and shouldn't be telling her at all…