Chapter 743 - Setting the backstage little by little

Under the mosaic ceiling, a loud crashing sound filled the confines of the walls.

Ifel Abromich panted angrily after turning over the glass table. The custom-made designer table was smashed to pieces on the tiled floor. 

Ethan flinched and distanced himself away from his raging father.

Ifel Abromich shouted at the subordinate who brought the news to him. "Say it again? Who dares to steal my business?!"

"...I-it is the Faceless King."

Ifel Abromich's eyes darkened. 

The Faceless King!

He was an underground king whose identity was unknown. Because they did not know which family this organization was under, this faceless king grew in power discreetly until they rivalled the present underground kings, such as himself, Ifel Abromich. 

He and Ming Zhi Yi tried to get into this man's turf, but the other's brotherhood secrecy was so deep that no one, not even the second-in-command, knew which person was the true king. They had a special way of communication. Although the spies sent by the Abromich family stayed there for a long time, they never met the Faceless King even once. Even requests for cooperations and meetings were declined.

So the alliance that Ming Zhi Yi wanted to offer to the Faceless King himself was abandoned. Their only choice was to eradicate that organization once they eliminated the legendary families and dominated the eastern continent.

So far, his faction and that Faceless King's faction did not cross paths a lot. The distance between the two territories was far. The two parties both dipped their toes in every kind of illegal trade, but they also have their own specialization. 

The Abromich family focused on drug manufacturing and distribution, smuggling of oil, as well as human trafficking, while the Faceless King specialized on arms dealing, intelligence, and smuggling of top-tier goods like diamonds and antiques.

Although the two parties got into some quarrels and fights, it was only common in the underworld where practically every group was in constant skirmishes. There seemed to be a tacit understanding to never cross the other's territorial lines. 

But this time, the Faceless King's faction went over the line.

Not just in one field, but all of their operations were taken over by this organization.

Ifel Abromich had already expected that some organizations would use this opportunity to expand their area and take a bite out of the Abromich's pie. It was within calculations. Logically, no one would actually dare to grab all of the Abromich's business, if they did not want to enter a vendetta war with the Abromich family.

But who would have expected that the Faceless King from a distant place would expand their operations and take all the Abromich's business routes and partners?!

This bastard was clearly challenging him openly!

Fury rose like waves inside Ifel Abromich's ċhėst.

"Ha! Good! Faceless King, how dare you challenge me so cowardly like this?!"

But what made Ifel Abromich more annoyed was that he could not even fight back at this moment. 

Ethan looked down. He dared not breathe loudly. His father was the scariest person at this moment. 

Suddenly, Ifel Abromich turned to Ethan. "Ethan."

Ethan stiffened. "Yes, Dad?"

Ifel Abromich continued. "Contact Lu Jin and tell his father that we need his people underground to take care of this matter. I, Ifel Abromich, will not turn a blind eye to what this Faceless King is doing."

He could not take actions directly, but he still had some people who could.

'Ming Zhi Yi, my friend, you have to help me out this time.'

With Ming Zhi Yi's underground connections, he could definitely push this bastard back.

The sun up in the sky was blindingly bright, while the fresh breeze swayed the trees. The beautiful season finally arrived in the midst of the power struggles of two great factions.

Xiong Zhi was seated on the bench under an old oak tree. She was watching a few children happily run in a relatively isolated park. 

Even though the economy of the country was affected due to several companies filing for bankruptcy, getting inspection notices from the government, and other reasons, the life of the common people seemed not affected much. 

Due to the currently unstable market conditions, the prices in the domestic scope have been fluctuating in general. The government had no choice but to temporarily implement price ceilings on most common everyday goods and temporarily relax certain taxation conditions on these brands as compensation. Therefore, the prices of the everyday goods in the market remained relatively stable with the government's efforts. However, the prices for many mid-upper to high end products were very unstable, causing quite a ruckus online and in the middle class circles.

'The national news is constantly changing, but the life of the common people still continues as usual, adapting to the rapid changes of the society,' Xiong Zhi quietly thought to herself while she observed her surroundings. 

She enjoyed this momentary peace.

The economy of this country and the upper echelons were chaotic, but once she went outside and sat like this, nothing terrible seemed to be happening.

'But even this will not be for too long,' she thought.

Not until Ming Zhi Yi was pushed around the corner and used his full power. With that person's attitude, he might even turn to violence and use the public or the common people's lives at his disposal.

Xiong Zhi's long hair swayed together with the wind. The white skin seemed to glow under the mottled patches of the sun passing through the foliage.  Her eyes were lowered while thinking deeply.

'And if that happens, the peace that these kids have right now will be disturbed.'

The entire country would soon learn of the crisis that was happening in high society. The grave national situation that was brought by the economic war would sink in their minds. The threats of war from the underworld would threaten many lives.

Many people might even condemn the great families.

At that time, surely, no one would be able to go and hang around outside peacefully like this.

A car parked not far away from Xiong Zhi.

A bulky man in a black suit came out of the car and held the door open. Next, an elderly man wearing a white thawb, a long ankle-length tunic, stepped down dignifiedly. 

Sir Majid Al Ghurair spotted Xiong Zhi from afar. He commanded his bodyguard beside him. "You can stay here. If you find someone suspicious, kill him."

"Yes, Sir."

Sir Majid approached Xiong Zhi.

Xiong Zhi looked up and watched the fifty-year-old man walk in her direction. Despite his age, he was still fit and healthy. 

The elder sat on the other end-side of the bench.

Sir Majid spoke first. "I don't know if you are reckless or naive, but coming out like this alone just to meet me is not a very good idea, young heiress."

Xiong Zhi did not look at the man  beside him and spoke at the same volume. "My subordinates are waiting outside the park, which I think you are aware of already given that you own this place. I might be reckless, but otherwise, how will I be able to meet you?"