Chapter 569 - 364: Unexpected Invitation (Part 2)
The Chief Executive Officer of Iron Blood Alliance’s New Moon City branch, Alexander, and the President of Black Domain Group’s New Moon City branch, Tsukimori Ryuuichi, sat parallel to Zhao Yiming on either side, symbolizing the equal status among the three.
The remaining seats were occupied by key officials led by City Council President Amir.
At the other end of the long table, the main guest position facing the host was empty.
It was obvious who it was left for.
Jiang Zihao dragged Troy to the main guest seat, pressing his shoulders to let him sit down, then bowed to the three big bosses, receiving eye contact before silently retreating.
Troy was a bit uneasy, not because he feared these people had malicious intentions against him.
If they wanted to kill him, there was really no need to go through so much trouble; he could have been dead when Jiang Zihao met him face to face.
But as an intelligence agent, Troy instinctively detested anything unknown.
What was the purpose of this banquet? He had no idea.
Zhao Yiming clasped his hands under his chin, exuding elegance, and smiled, saying: "It’s truly an honor to have the second figure of Wolf Strike here. No need to feel nervous, just make yourself at home."
Troy had complicated feelings about Zhao Yiming’s invitation at this time.
On the one hand, Wolf Strike was a violent group that grew from the bottom up, expanded by Fenrir.
The members of Wolf Strike were mostly born in the Border District; they were more aware than anyone else of how this barren land suffered under the control of corporate giants.
The group’s collective goal was singular: to unite all forces in the Border District, break the chains imposed by corporations, and liberate this land; that was their dream.
Wolf Strike could ally with anyone, like other violent groups, Inner City Mercenaries, even some people within the authorities, as long as they share the same intentions.
But Wolf Strike could never cozy up to corporate giants, a decision naturally determined by the group’s nature.
And Zhao Yiming, as the Vice President of Hegemony Company’s New Moon City branch, one of the three top executives of corporate giants in this region, was an undeniable enemy to Wolf Strike.
Yet on the other hand, Zhao Yiming was probably one of the few in this city who could acquire gene-editing proteins to save Hibell.
This complex and contradictory relationship made Troy very uncomfortable.
He didn’t meet the smiling eyes directly, turning his face aside and saying: "You are all busy people, let’s skip the pleasantries and get to the point."
Zhao Yiming clapped his hands, glanced at Alexander and Tsukimori Ryuuichi beside him, and said in a commendatory tone: "Look at that straightforward nature, clearly someone destined for big things."
Both regional leaders nodded with smiles.
Zhao Yiming slowly said: "Alright, straight to the matter. Lately, Edge has been closely interacting with you, first fighting side by side in the Border District, then attending Gordon’s funeral together."
"A few days ago, Su Mo came to inquire about gene-editing proteins from me, and today someone saw him go to your place; I assume Hibell’s condition has deteriorated?"
Troy clenched his teeth, staying silent, but silence itself was an answer.
Zhao Yiming: "Regarding my terms, he should have mentioned it to you, right?"
Troy: "He did."
Zhao Yiming: "How do you feel about it?"
Troy lowered his head, speaking in a deep tone: "Is it necessary to ask? You know it’s impossible."
Zhao Yiming let out a regretful sigh, shaking his head: "It’s a pity for such a good girl like Hibell."
The hypocrisy of his words made Troy somewhat furious, he clenched his fist tightly and said: "Zhao Yiming, it’s useless to provoke me by invoking her; Wolf Strike is not mine alone, nor am I their leader."
"Snap." Zhao Yiming suddenly interrupted him with a snap of his fingers, and a mysterious smile appeared on his face: "Then the question arises, do you want to be the leader of Wolf Strike?"
Troy frowned deeply: "What do you mean?"
Zhao Yiming raised three fingers, his dark pupils seeming endless: "Today, I’ve prepared three courses for you, let’s see how many you’d like to partake in."
After speaking, he gestured, and waiters opened the banquet hall doors, and the waiters outside pushed a dining cart to Zhao Yiming’s side.
Zhao Yiming left his seat, personally lifting the silver-covered platter from the cart, walking over to place it in front of Troy.
This platter was very large, nearly a meter in diameter, seemingly some sort of main course but devoid of aroma.
If sniffed closely, one would faintly detect a peculiar, unpleasant odor.
Zhao Yiming still maintained that mysterious smile, placed his hand on the lid, and lifted it.
The strange smell filled the air; Troy finally recognized it as the scent of formaldehyde.
The "dish" before his eyes made his eyes sharpen.
Inside the platter were two ghastly human heads, well-preserved through embalming, eternally capturing the painful expressions of their last moments.
The two heads belonged to none other than the leader of Crow’s Nest, Hong Chenle, and the leader of Ashen Gang, Abraham.
Zhao Yiming’s smile turned cold, speaking to the two heads: "Two dead failures, eager for money beyond anyone else, but quick to flee during crises; if not you, then who should die?"
Troy stared at the two heads, his brows furrowing tightly; he had been wondering where they’d fled to after their escape, or whether they would someday return for another clash with Wolf Strike.
Unexpectedly, these two dogs bred by corporate giants were already killed by their masters.
Zhao Yiming patted Troy’s back, returning to his seat, and in a congratulatory tone said: "Congratulations, from today onward, Wolf Strike is the undisputed king of the Border District."
Troy’s gaze wandered over the two heads in front of him; in a subdued voice, he asked: "What exactly do you mean?"
Zhao Yiming’s expression appeared puzzled: "What do you mean, what do I mean? This honor isn’t given by me; it’s deserved by Wolf Strike."
"When the entire Border District fell into turmoil, Wolf Strike was the first to stand up; from that moment, without anyone’s support, you became the only king in the hearts of the Border District people."
"And we three are merely helping you clear out some trash."
Troy remained silent for a long time, briefly sneering: "And then what, are we supposed to thank you?"
"To say everyone acted impulsively and stood up without thought, that would be false."
"Fenrir is quite aware; she knows that it’s not only time for Wolf Strike to take responsibility, but also an opportunity to gather public support."
"She needs Wolf Strike to make a valiant sacrifice, creating a bloody contrast to Crow’s Nest and Ashen Gang, to earn the approval of all the Border District people; that’s why she did so without hesitation."
"Whether you killed Hong Chenle and Abraham or not, from the moment they fled the Border District, Crow’s Nest and Ashen Gang were already unable to regain their footing; today’s outcome was destined."
When he finished speaking, Alexander looked at Zhao Yiming and chuckled: "President Zhao, it appears this dish is not to the guest’s taste."
"Haha, it seems my skills are lacking." Zhao Yiming touched his chin, intriguingly adding, "Let’s switch the dish and see how the next one fares."
He gestured for the waiter to remove the "dish".
The platter with the two heads was taken away, and another cart was wheeled in.
Zhao Yiming planned to stand again to arrange the serving, but Troy was evidently tired of the act; when the cart rolled by, he simply reached out and opened the cover himself.
As expected, the platter didn’t contain food, but compared to two heads, it appeared much more normal.
It was a dignified Wolf Head Badge.
The wolf head was a symbolic representation of Wolf Strike, worn by all members, including key figures, as red wolf head embroidery on black leather clothing.
As for this metallic badge, it symbolizes the highest status, and within Wolf Strike, only one person could wear such a badge.