The car drove out of the city and onto a lonely industrial road.
The driver had already closed the incense box.
"Did he answer you?" the driver asked one of the men in the back.
"No. We already messaged Drew that we kidnapped the boy," one of the four men replied.
"He said he wants us to scar his face, force him to hand over his songbook, break his hands, and then sell him off while making it look like a human trafficking case. No traces leading back to him," the fourth man said with a grin.
"The idiot only sent half the money," the third man scoffed. "So we'll beat him first and wait for Drew's reply before doing the rest."
The driver nodded.
"You two go prepare the warehouse."
He pointed at the third and fourth men.
The pair climbed out of the vehicle and headed toward the abandoned warehouse nearby.
"As for you two, carry him out when we arrive."
The driver glanced at the remaining men.
"I'll park the car."
Neither of them noticed that Prim's eyes had quietly opened.
The moment the third and fourth men disappeared into the warehouse, Prim moved.
Before the first and second men could react
His elbow shot backward.
CRACK.
The second man's throat took the full force of the strike.
His eyes rolled back instantly as he collapsed unconscious.
At the same time, Prim drove his foot forward.
BANG!
The driver's head slammed into the steering wheel.
The horn blared loudly before the man slumped over.
Using the brief opening, Prim snatched the knife from the unconscious man's waist.
Rather than using the blade, he flipped it around and struck the first man across the temple with the handle.
THUD.
The man dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Prim calmly opened the car door and stepped outside.
Then he walked around to the driver's side.
Picking up the incense box, he opened it and poured some of the powder onto his palm.
After that, he rubbed it across the faces of all three unconscious men.
"Sleep properly."
He wanted to make absolutely sure they stayed unconscious.
Satisfied, he dragged the driver into the passenger seat before taking over the wheel.
The engine roared to life.
Then he drove directly toward the warehouse.
The gates were already open.
Inside, the third and fourth men were laughing while discussing what they planned to do to him.
The sound of the approaching vehicle made them turn around.
Their smiles disappeared.
The car wasn't slowing down.
It was accelerating.
Straight toward them.
"What the—"
BANG!
The third man was sent flying.
His body crashed across the concrete floor.
The fourth man barely managed to dive out of the way.
The car finally stopped.
Prim calmly stepped out.
The third man was lying on the ground, bleeding and trying to crawl away.
Without a word, Prim walked over.
Then stepped on his head.
THUD.
The man's face slammed into the floor.
He immediately lost consciousness.
The fourth man grabbed a metal pole.
"You little bastard!"
Roaring, he charged forward.
The pole swung through the air.
Prim tilted his head.
The attack missed.
Another swing.
Missed again.
Another.
And another.
Not a single strike landed.
The fourth man's breathing became heavier.
His panic grew.
Then Prim moved.
A roundhouse kick exploded into the man's wrist.
CRACK!
The horrifying sound of shifting bone echoed through the warehouse.
The pole flew from his hand.
The man dropped to his knees screaming.
"Aaaaaah!"
Prim picked up the fallen pole.
Then calmly began hitting him.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Only stopping when the man finally passed out.
Silence returned to the warehouse.
Prim looked around.
Then checked his watch.
"A good exercise after eating."
He stretched lazily.
A moment later, his expression changed.
"...I'm late."
He stared at the time for several seconds.
"If my mom gets home before I do, you guys better pray for yourselves."
The unconscious men obviously couldn't answer.
Several hours later
Groans filled the warehouse.
One after another, the men slowly woke up.
Their heads throbbed.
Their bodies hurt.
Everything hurt.
When their vision finally cleared, they froze.
All five of them had been tied together with thick ropes.
Like a bundle of vegetables.
Across from them sat Prim.
Comfortably occupying one of the warehouse's better couches.
His legs were crossed.
A bag of snacks rested beside him.
His attention was completely focused on the videos playing on his phone.
The bright screen reflected in his calm eyes.
Hearing movement, Prim finally looked up.
"Oh."
He smiled pleasantly.
"You're awake."
The five men immediately felt a chill run down their spines.
For some reason
The smiling Prim felt far more terrifying than when he was beating them unconscious.
"No need to struggle. It's useless as for the person who sent you guys..." Prim said pleasantly, his voice as soft and polite as ever. "He'll be here soon."
The five men froze.
The gentle smile on Prim's face made them even more uneasy.
Truthfully, Prim's patience with Drew had already run out.
He had given the man chance after chance.
Warning after warning.
Opportunity after opportunity.
Yet Drew insisted on throwing every single one away.
Earlier, Prim had quietly hacked into Drew's phone.
The messages between Drew and Lucas had been surprisingly entertaining.
Drew had planned to drug him and hand him over to Lucas in exchange for support and protection.
At the same time, Drew had also been negotiating with another buyer.
A wealthy old man he had met through the new club.
Not even a woman.
An old man.
One connected to a notorious young master known for violence, torture, and ruining people for amusement.
The irony was almost funny.
The club itself belonged to Luis.
The very club where singers from Releam Studio performed songs that Drew had stolen.
The old man Drew had been communicating with wasn't even important. He was merely a servant working for someone far more dangerous.
It seems Drew really believes he's untouchable now.
Prim rested his chin on one hand.
If all those people suddenly fell...
What would happen to Drew?
The thought amused him.
Pulling out his phone, Prim began working.
His fingers moved rapidly across the screen.
A few moments later, he slipped into Releam Studio's internal systems.
Documents.
Messages.
Financial records.
Employee complaints.
Hidden contracts.
Everything began appearing before his eyes.
The deeper he dug, the uglier it became.
Tax evasion.
Forced sexual arrangements disguised as business opportunities.
Senior celebrities bullying newer stars.
Stolen works.
Bribery.
Abuse of power.
The entire company looked rotten from the inside.
Prim copied everything.
Then expose it.
Afterward, he shifted targets.
This time, he entered Luis's club network.
Immediately, his expression changed.
The security was absurdly clean.
Almost suspiciously clean.
Every layer was protected.
Every route monitored.
Every weakness patched.
Whoever designed it knew exactly what they were doing.
Just as Prim was about to reach the information he wanted.
Something pushed back.
Someone was already tracing him.
Prim's eyes narrowed.
Meanwhile, inside the Quinn Estate Luis room...
A soft alarm sounded.
Luis slowly opened his eyes.
For a second, he simply stared at the ceiling.
Then another alert rang again.
His smile widened.
"Oh?".
He sat up.
The sleepiness not yet gone.
Opening his laptop, he placed it on his lap.
His fingers flew across the keyboard.
Lines of code streamed across the screen.
"Now this is interesting."
Luis leaned forward.
If he hadn't installed that alarm personally, he probably wouldn't have noticed the intrusion though he doubt the person would have been able to do anything of much damage.
Whoever was attacking was careful.
Extremely careful.
Patient.
Skilled.
Most importantly
They knew how to hide like a rat.
Luis's grin grew wider.
"Very sneaky."
At the warehouse, Prim noticed the counterattack immediately.
Damn.
He hadn't expected to encounter a hacker at this level.
Not while using only his phone.
If he had his laptop, this would be different.
But exposing an entire organization without leaving traces was already difficult.
Doing it from a phone while actively being tracked?
Annoying.
Prim immediately aborted the operation.
The moment he withdrew, the opposing hacker pursued.
Persistent.
Prim clicked his tongue.
Then an idea appeared.
Fine.
If he couldn't break through directly...
He would use someone else.
Within seconds, Prim shifted targets.
Instead of attacking the club itself, he entered several employee accounts and quietly gathered the information he needed.
At the same time, he deliberately left a trail leading elsewhere.
A perfect scapegoat.
Then he disappeared.
Back at the Quinn Estate, Luis watched the trail unfold.
His fingers stopped moving.
Then he laughed.
"A scapegoat."
The intruder had redirected the investigation.
Not badly either.
For a normal security team, the deception would've worked perfectly.
Luis leaned back in his chair.
Whoever this person was...
They were becoming interesting.
Very interesting to kill.
Still smiling, he picked up his phone and called his assistant.
The call connected immediately.
"It seems I can't pretend not to know there's a spy in my business anymore."
His voice remained lazy.
Casual.
As if discussing the weather.
"The bridge is already dirty."
On the other side, the assistant remained silent.
Luis continued.
"And Releam Studio just collapsed."
"Tsk."
"Annoying."
He tapped the desk lightly.
"No need to continue the playing nice."
A pause.
"Take the song rights back from Drew."
"Then send him to Lucas."
The assistant finally spoke.
"And Lucas?"
Luis's smile sharpened.
"Tell him to clean up his own mess."
Another pause.
"And remind him."
Luis's eyes gleamed with amusement.
"He only has one strike left."
The call ended.
Luis tossed the phone aside and leaned back in his chair.
His tongue pressed lightly against the inside of his cheek.
The smile never left his face.
Whoever had just hacked his systems...
He was looking forward to meeting them.
Prim rose from the couch and slowly walked toward the kidnappers.
The moment they saw him approaching, their faces turned pale.
"No... no... stay away from us..." one of them stammered.
Prim's smile remained gentle.
Then the warehouse filled with screams.
One after another.
The sound echoed off the metal walls.
The men rolled across the floor in agony.
Prim wasn't beating them.
That was the terrifying part.
He simply touched specific points on their bodies.
A push here.
A twist there.
A precise strike.
Pain exploded through their nerves like fire.
Some of their joints were dislocated.
Then reset.
Then dislocated again.
Again
.
And again.
By the time Prim finished, every thought of revenge had completely vanished from their minds.
All that remained was fear.
Pure fear.
The moment they looked at Prim, their bodies instinctively trembled.
Prim crouched down in front of them.
His smile was as sweet as ever.
"Drew will be here soon."
The kidnappers froze.
"You can take your revenge on him."
Then Prim untied them.
The ropes fell to the ground.
Without another word, he turned around and walked out of the warehouse.
The five men remained where they were.
None of them dared move.
As for Drew...
Today simply wasn't his day.
Even now, he could still remember everything that had happened inside NOX AURELIA.
The humiliation.
The fear.
The despair.
The numbers alone were enough to make him want to vomit blood.
Sixty million CU dollars.
That was approximately 1.2 billion zen.
Where was he supposed to find that kind of money?
Then there were the fifteen people
demanding he pay their fines.
Four million zen each.
Another disaster.
The remaining twelve who had participated in harassing the celebrities were even worse.
Each of them owed thirty-five million CU dollars.
The manager had calmly calculated everything in front of them.
Adding all twenty-eight people together...
The total reached four hundred and eighty-three million CU dollars.
The number alone had nearly made everyone faint.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—the manager had shown mercy.
Since it was their first offense, the amount was reduced.
The final punishment was simple.
Ten million CU dollars per person.
Or...
Their arms and legs would be broken.
Then they would be publicly paraded through the city.
The moment those words were spoken, many people collapsed.
Ten million CU dollars?
They didn't even have ten million zen.
Some began crying.
Others cursed Drew.
Several openly wished him dead.
If they had simply left when Prim did...
None of this would've happened.
That realization only made them hate him more.
Then the restaurant doors opened.
Everyone turned.
A group of men entered.
At their center stood a calm-looking assistant.
Before the manager could speak, the assistant stepped forward.
"I'm Mr. Luis assistant."
The room immediately fell silent.
The assistant walked straight toward Drew.
"I'll give you ten million CU dollars."
Drew's eyes widened.
"In exchange..."
The assistant smiled.
"You give me the songbook."
The entire lobby became silent.
Drew didn't even have time to respond.
The bodyguards accompanying the assistant had already surrounded him.
Their expressions were emotionless.
Cold.
Professional.
Drew immediately understood.
This wasn't a negotiation.
If he refused...
Whatever happened next would be far worse than losing the songbook.
His face turned pale.
Yet at the same time...
A vicious thought surfaced inside his mind.
Prim had already been kidnapped.
His men had taken him.
Soon enough he would get more songs.
More opportunities.
More success.
I can still recover.
I can still win.
I can still destroy him.
The thought made him feel slightly better.
Eventually, Drew gritted his teeth and handed over the songbook.
The assistant accepted it calmly.
To everyone else, it looked like charity.
Ten million CU dollars for a notebook.
A ridiculous deal.
But the assistant knew the truth.
That money wasn't buying the songbook.
It was buying Drew's life.
The idiot just doesn't know it yet.
The assistant almost laughed.
Soon enough...
He would understand.
The remaining seventeen people watched everything unfold.
Their eyes turned red.
Not from crying.
From hatred.
Why?
Why did Drew get saved?
Why did someone come for him?
Why was he allowed to leave?
While they had to suffer?
The unfairness made them want to scream.
The manager, however, remained expressionless.
After the transaction was completed, he bowed politely toward the assistant.
The assistant nodded and left with his men.
Drew was dragged away shortly afterward.
The moment he disappeared from sight, the manager's smile vanished.
He waved a hand casually.
The bodyguards immediately moved.
"No!"
"Wait!"
"Please!"
"Give us another chance!"
Their cries echoed through the lobby.
The manager didn't even bother looking at them.
"Proceed."
The bodyguards dragged the seventeen people away.
Their screams soon filled the night.
And somewhere far away...
Drew was still dreaming about revenge.
Completely unaware that the people he trusted most were already waiting for him inside a warehouse.
"The drama is over, it seems Drew still has connections," Rachel said.
"Hmmm."
Amanda barely responded.
Her full attention was on her phone.
She was busy editing the video she had recorded.
Every face in the footage was blurred.
Except Drew's.
And the other twenty-seven people involved.
A mischievous grin spread across her face.
She planned to upload the clips to Max in batches.
That would maximize engagement.
Especially once the public parade started.
Everyone would see the first video and immediately want more gossip.
The comments section would explode.
Amanda giggled to herself.
The two girls began walking toward the staircase.
"It looks like we'll need new jobs after this," Rachel said as they descended.
Amanda finally glanced up.
Rachel continued,
"I mean, come on."
"All twenty-seven employees are about to be publicly disgraced around the city."
"Who would still want to hire them after that?"
"And once clients start withdrawing from the company..."
She clicked her tongue.
"Tsk."
"Drew practically ruined his uncle's business and the boss's company in a single night."
Amanda folded her arms and tapped her
phone against her chin thoughtfully.
"Is that what you call it?"
Rachel raised an eyebrow.
Amanda snorted.
"Calling that place a job is giving it way too much credit."
"I'd rather become a waitress."
She suddenly raised both hands beside her cheeks and made a cat pose.
"Meow."
"I'd be a cat waitress."
Rachel stared at her.
Amanda tilted her head and added another dramatic,
"Meow~"
Rachel covered her face.
"The fact that you're serious is what scares me."
Amanda looked offended.
"Customers love cute girls."
Rachel sighed.
"The problem isn't the customers."
"The problem is you."
Amanda gasped dramatically.