Chapter 358: Enjoy.. your seat!!
Senior Nine slowly raised his head.
His calm gaze met the young man’s eyes.
For a brief moment...
The arrogant boy instinctively took a step backward.
He did not even realize he had moved.
Senior Nine tilted his head slightly.
"Did you buy this seat?"
The young man hesitated before forcing a sneer back onto his face.
"It is my regular seat."
"So get up and sit somewhere else."
"Or else..."
Senior Nine calmly repeated,
"Or else?"
The young master looked to be from a wealthy family.
An elegantly dressed woman stood beside him while two large bodyguards waited silently behind them.
Embarrassed after being questioned by an old man in front of everyone, his face darkened.
"How dare you talk to me like that?"
He pointed at Senior Nine.
"Kick him out."
Both bodyguards stepped forward.
One of them cracked his knuckles.
"Old man."
"Your time is up."
"Leave quietly while your bones are still in one piece."
"Otherwise you won’t even be able to count how many pieces they break into."
Senior Nine simply smiled.
The second guard frowned.
"Didn’t you hear what he said?"
The young master impatiently shouted,
"What are you waiting for?"
"Throw him out already."
The first guard sighed.
"I was trying to respect your age."
He reached forward and grabbed Senior Nine’s shoulder.
For a second...
Nothing happened.
Senior Nine slowly placed his whiskey glass onto the counter.
He looked at the amber liquid with slight regret.
"What a nice whiskey..."
The guard tightened his grip.
Senior Nine finally turned around.
The hand resting on his shoulder loosened.
Then...
It was caught.
Senior Nine’s fingers wrapped around the guard’s wrist.
"You mentioned bones..."
Before anyone could react...
Crack.
A horrifying sound echoed through the nightclub.
The guard’s wrist twisted into an impossible angle.
"AAAAAHHH!"
His scream drowned out the music.
The entire nightclub fell silent.
Every pair of eyes turned toward the counter.
The second bodyguard roared.
"You old..."
He lunged forward.
Senior Nine merely shifted one step to the side.
The charging guard completely missed.
Before he could regain his balance...
Bang.
Senior Nine’s elbow struck his ribs with terrifying precision.
The enormous man flew sideways.
His body smashed straight into the wooden counter.
Glasses shattered.
Bottles exploded.
Wood splintered across the floor.
The bartender froze in place.
The club manager hurried over in panic.
"Sir!"
"Violence isn’t allowed here!"
Senior Nine looked apologetic.
"My apologies."
He pointed toward the trembling young master.
"This young gentleman will pay for the damage."
"Right?"
The young master’s lips trembled.
"Ye... yes..."
"I’ll pay..."
"I’ll pay everything..."
Senior Nine nodded with satisfaction.
"Good."
He slowly walked toward him.
Each calm step made the young man’s face lose more color.
His legs refused to move.
Senior Nine stopped beside him.
He gently placed one heavy hand on the young man’s shoulder.
The weight alone made the boy shiver.
With an icy voice, Senior Nine whispered,
"Enjoy your seat."
He removed his hand.
Then calmly walked toward the exit as though nothing had happened.
The entire nightclub remained silent.
Only after the old man disappeared through the door did people finally breathe again.
Someone whispered,
"Who... who was that old man?"
Another customer laughed.
"That rich brat finally met someone he couldn’t bully."
"He causes trouble every weekend."
A bartender shook his head.
"He almost wet himself."
"Serves him right."
Outside...
Senior Nine adjusted his coat and quietly walked down the street.
A familiar voice suddenly came from beside him.
"That was quite a performance..."
"Senior Nine."
Senior Nine stopped.
He turned his head.
A man wearing a dark hoodie leaned casually against the wall beneath a streetlamp.
Half his face remained hidden beneath the hood.
Senior Nine smiled immediately.
"Is that you, young lad?"
The hooded man smiled.
"You recognized me already."
Senior Nine burst into laughter.
He walked over and firmly patted the young man’s shoulder.
"It’s been months."
Ghost smiled.
"So..."
"The Commander sent you this year?"
Senior Nine nodded.
"Yes."
"You took my place years ago."
"So I claimed it back."
Ghost chuckled.
"Weren’t you the one who recommended me for the Conclave in the first place?"
Senior Nine scratched his chin dramatically.
"Did I?"
Ghost folded his arms.
"Are you getting old, Senior Nine?"
The veteran laughed loudly.
"I’ve always been old."
His expression became curious.
"So tell me."
"Are you attending the Conclave?"
Ghost nodded.
"I am."
"Under which identity?"
Ghost smiled mysteriously.
"You’ll find out tomorrow."
He glanced toward the quiet streets stretching ahead.
"Come."
"Let’s talk somewhere a little less crowded."
Senior Nine nodded.
"Lead the way."
The two legends quietly disappeared into the streets of Frankfurt, leaving behind only the chaos and a nightclub full of people who would never forget the old man who shattered arrogance with nothing more than one hand.
....
Next Day
The first day of the Annual Underground Secret Exchange Conclave had finally arrived.
Despite its name...
There was nothing underground about the venue itself.
At one corner of Frankfurt stood a magnificent fifty-story skyscraper.
Krause Tower.
To the outside world, it was one of Germany’s most prestigious commercial landmarks.
Throughout the year, the building hosted international business forums, charity galas, luxury exhibitions, technology conferences and private corporate events.
Thousands of visitors entered its doors every week.
Nothing about it appeared suspicious.
Yet every year...
For one entire month...
The tower quietly suspended all public operations.
Officially, it underwent annual maintenance and renovations.
Unofficially...
The Krause Family transformed it into the world’s most exclusive marketplace.
For two days...
Krause Tower became an isolated kingdom.
The luxurious restaurants reopened only for invited guests.
Private dining halls served cuisines prepared by world-renowned chefs.
The entertainment floor hosted performances unavailable anywhere else.
An elegant bar occupied one level.
A fully operational casino covered another.
Every luxury imaginable existed within the building.
Across the upper floors were one thousand private chambers.
Each room belonged to one invited guest.
Each chamber was equipped with advanced encrypted bidding terminals and enormous digital displays where auctions would take place anonymously.
The first floor housed a massive auditorium capable of seating every invited participant.
Beneath the tower...
Five underground parking levels accommodated hundreds of luxury vehicles arriving for the conclave owned by people from every corner of the world.
At exactly eight o’clock in the morning...
Guests slowly began arriving.
The atmosphere remained surprisingly quiet.
There were no reporters.
No photographers.
No television crews.
No curious crowds.
To ordinary citizens...
Today was just another normal day in Frankfurt.
For decades, the Krause Family’s political influence and unmatched secrecy had ensured that almost nothing about the Conclave reached the outside world.
Even on the rare occasions when fragments of information leaked...
They never reached the public.
Rumors disappeared before anyone could verify them.
That was why the Underground Secret Exchange Conclave had survived for centuries.
Silently.
...
Several kilometers away...
Inside Graveyard’s temporary safe house.
Miles stood before a mirror.
Today’s attire was completely different from his usual appearance.
He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal-black three-piece suit with subtle silver stitching along the lapels.
A crisp white dress shirt contrasted sharply against the dark suit.
Instead of a tie, a black silk cravat rested neatly beneath his collar.
Black leather gloves covered his hands.
His polished shoes reflected the room’s lights.
Finally...
He picked up the familiar mask.
A smooth white mask that covered the upper half of his face.
It concealed everything from the bridge of his nose upward, leaving only his mouth and jaw visible.
The moment he put it on...
Old memories quietly surfaced.
The first Conclave.
The countless negotiations.
The dangerous trades.
The assassination attempt.
The day he disappeared .
Light.
For a brief second...
He almost felt like that twelve-year-old boy again.
Miles adjusted the mask before turning toward the others.
"Once we enter..."
"We won’t be able to communicate with anyone outside."
"The building blocks all external communications."
One of the agents nodded.
"We’ve already established an observation point near the tower."
"At the very least..."
"We can continue monitoring everything happening outside."
Miles looked at him.
"Did Charles tell you to do that?"
"Yes, Boss."
Miles smiled helplessly.
"That sounds like him."
"Alright."
Kenan walked over wearing an expensive dark blue suit.
He adjusted his cuffs before grinning.
"Ready, Light?"
Miles looked at him.
"Ready."
"Let’s go."
...
A few minutes later...
Their sedan entered the private entrance reserved exclusively for invited guests.
Luxury vehicles of all kinds filled the underground arrival area.
Some guests stepped out surrounded by bodyguards till the entrance as they won’t be able to pass.
Others arrived alone.
Every invitation represented influence powerful enough to shake nations.
Miles and Kenan exited the vehicle.
At the entrance stood several reception officers.
Miles calmly presented his invitation.
The young receptionist accepted it politely.
The moment his eyes read the name...
His expression changed.
He immediately looked up.
"Mr. Light..."
Then toward Kenan.
"Mr. Kenan."
He respectfully bowed.
"Please follow me."
Kenan glanced sideways at Miles.
Miles simply smiled beneath his mask.
Without another security inspection...
The two were escorted beyond the main checkpoint.
Several moments later...
A young woman stood waiting elegantly in the reception hall.
She wore a stunning, premium designer dress that signaled effortless wealth and elegance, fitting for a woman of her status.
She bowed gracefully.
"Good morning, Mr. Light."
"My name is Johanna Krause."
"I’m the granddaughter of today’s host."
"I’ll be serving as your guide throughout the Conclave."
Miles smiled politely.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Johanna."
"Then..."
"We’ll be in your care."
Johanna suddenly felt her heartbeat quicken.
The calm voice behind the white mask carried an unexpected warmth.
She quickly composed herself.
"Please follow me."
The receptionist quietly excused himself and returned to his post.
Johanna began leading the way.
Miles and Kenan followed behind her.
...
As they walked through the luxurious hallways...
People immediately noticed.
Several younger guests quietly whispered among themselves.
"Isn’t that the Krause Family heiress?"
"Yes."
"She’s personally guiding someone."
"I wonder who the man wearing the mask is."
Meanwhile...
Several older guests stared much longer.
One elderly man narrowed his eyes.
"...That mask..."
"It looks familiar."
Another suddenly stopped walking.
"Wait..."
"That’s him."
"The boy."
"The twelve-year-old who attended the Conclave years ago."
More people turned.
"It’s Light."
"The Genius Strategist."
"I heard he disappeared."
"Some even believed he died."
"So..."
"He returned after more than a decade?"
"I remember hearing he saved the Host’s life that year."
"That explains why Miss Krause is personally escorting him."
"I wonder where he’s been all these years."
Kenan smiled.
"Looks like nobody forgot you."
Johanna laughed softly.
"They never did."
"Someone attending the Conclave at only twelve years old became the biggest topic that year."
She looked at Miles.
"To many people..."
"You’re already a legend."
Miles observed the surroundings.
"I heard security has improved."
Johanna nodded proudly.
"Yes."
"After the assassination attempt against Grandpa..."
"The invitation process became much stricter."
"We also digitized the entire bidding system."
"Every trade is now securely encrypted."
Miles nodded approvingly.
"Technology should always move forward."
"If the Conclave continues adapting..."
"It can survive another hundred years."
Johanna quietly lowered her eyes.
She knew something he didn’t.
Perhaps...
This might truly become her grandfather’s final Conclave.
After a moment she smiled again.
"Grandpa is already waiting in the auditorium."
"He’ll officially inaugurate today’s event."
"After the ceremony..."
"He wishes to meet you inside your private chamber."
Miles nodded.
"Very well."
"Lead the way, Miss Johanna."
She smiled.
"Right this way."
The three continued walking through the magnificent corridors.
Behind them...
The whispers never stopped.
"I heard Ghost won’t be representing Graveyard this year."
"I’ve heard the same."
"Apparently nobody has seen him for months."
"He could simply be on another classified operation."
"Who knows?"
"Nobody even knows what Ghost looks like."
"He’s always behind a hood."
"I heard Nine is representing Graveyard instead."
"Nine?"
"I thought he died years ago."
"So he’s actually alive?"
"This year’s Conclave is already full of surprises."
"And it hasn’t even officially begun yet."