I arrived at the Long residence two hours past the agreed upon time and swaggered in straight to the living room where I was met by the displeased family members. Jane was nowhere to be seen, but to my surprise, even that tea-named bastard Oo Long was there, looking more uncomfortable than angry.
Our eyes met and I held eye contact until he broke it, lowering his eyes, this brought a small smile to my face. "So, wouldn't it be polite to offer me tea?" I asked, casually taking a seat on the couch. "Or is this how the illustrious Long family treats its guests?"
"You would do well to know your place, brat." A firm and calm voice of the matriarch sounded throughout the room. "Do you think that it's wise to anger the Long family more than you have up until now?"
"I never said that I'm a wise person." I answered, taking out a cigarette and lighting it inside the house. After taking in a few bitter puffs and beginning to question why so many people smoke this shit, I glanced around the room to observe the displeased expressions of everyone.
I knew that neither of them smoked and that smoking in the house was strictly forbidden, but, just to mock them, I added. "Oh, how rude of me… Would you like some as well?" I asked, offering the cities to them. A vein bulged on the old hag's forehead.
"Alex, you know as well as I that you can't smoke in the house!" Calvin shouted.
"Oh, how rude of me, I must have forgotten, silly me…" I said, extinguishing the cigarette on the couch. Another vein bulged on the matriarch's forehead.
"You… You…" Calvin sputtered.
"I what?" I asked, my voice cold, devoid of any compassion.
Silence.
"Sigh… If there's nothing else, I'll be going." I said, getting up." Let's see how you react to this… I'm pretty sure that no one has ever treated you like this, I wonder if it's fun… I thought.
"Sit back down." A commanding voice from the matriarch ordered. "I didn't allow you to leave."
I turned with a mocking smile. "Since when do I need permission to leave? Especially from someone like you?" Oh, wait… Are you saying that you have the power to stop me? Maybe detain, or… Gasp… Are you saying that if I try to leave, you'll kill me?" I mocked fright.
"SIT. DOWN."
I smiled. "If you want something from someone, you, as someone well adept in business, should know, you have to offer something in return. I wonder what will it be?"
"You act high and mighty now, thinking that we can not touch you, but surely, you do remember that your precious sister is still living in this house…" The old woman said.
"And what of it?" I asked. "I can always take her to my place. I have heaps of empty rooms."
"You might do that, but that's not the end of our control over her." The hag smiled. "You might not care about your own reputation, It's obvious that you do not even care about your own future, but what about her? She is a smart girl you know, and proud as well, ambition isn't something she lacks as well."
"Did you know that she wishes to attend Harvard? Her scores are good, so she might make it. How tragic would it be, if unsavory rumors began to spread around her? You know rumors, they have different power depending on who is the one that spreads them and with our influence and reach, the whole world would hear the echoes of her misdeeds." The hag added. "So sit down, if you know what's good for you…"
I thought for a second, then plopped back down on the sofa. "Fine. Talk, I'll listen."
"Humph, good." The hag smiled and began. "Whose car was it at the party? Where did you steal it?" She emphasized the word steal.
I chuckled. "I might be good, but stealing a car with a driver to drive me around in as a bonus, is out of even my league. A buddy of mine lent it to me."
"Don't lie. You have no connections of that sort." The hag retorted. "Where did you get it from?"
"I already answered that question, can we get to the next one?"
"Fine, who is the one that you borrowed it from?"
"Old man Galahad." I answered nonchalantly.
"Ha ha ha… Don't make me laugh, Alex." Calvin laughed. "You? You know mister Galahad? In your dreams." He was about to say something more, but was stopped by a single look by the matriarch.
"Why would mister Galahad ever lend you a car?" The hag asked. "That seems utterly imposable."
"The old man owes me a favor." I said.
"What favor?"
"I helped him out of a bind a while back, since then, we have this little agreement - the old man provides money, I provide violence." I paused for a dramatic effect, then added. "Nothing illegal though."
"...So, you work for mister Galahad? Do you think that that gives you enough influence to challenge the Long family?" The hag asked.
"Are you willing to gamble not knowing just how important to the old man I am?" I said with a villainous smile. "I might be a simple foot soldier that is far beneath his notice, or I might be a mighty general that he respects greatly. The fact that he lent me his personal car suggests the latter. Although, I might be just his driver that took it out for a spin without the old man's approval." I leaned back on the sofa. "Your first order of business now should be to figure this out, but until then, it would be wise to treat me with a modicum of respect. You wouldn't want to have been mistaken, would you?"
The matriarch contemplated for a minute or two, then continued. "Who were the people with you?"
"Oh, them? My subordinates and my woman. They have been with me for a while now and, knowing their circumstances, I trust them completely." I paused for a second. "You can try to find them, intimidate, bribe, or fight, do whatever you want to extract any information about me, I'd love to see the result." I laughed. "Oh, if you can, please film it for me, the humiliation of your family would reign in so many views on You tube."
"Humph, there's no such thing as absolute loyalty, you have no idea just what kind of power money holds in this world." The hag said. "What makes you believe that they'll stick with you - a nobody instead of the Long family?"
"Simple really…" I said, with absolute confidence. "One loves me because I saved her, the second one wants me because she believes that I am the only one that can be with her, the third - wants what only I can give, and the last one respects me because I am the only one that can defeat her. Neither one is after money, violence isn't an option with them either, they are above the bounds of reputation, neither one is after glory or respect. What is it in the whole world that you can give or take from them?"
"Only you can save? Only you can give? Only you can defeat? How arrogant." The old woman scoffed. "You are just a boy that hasn't seen just how vast the world truly is, don't flatter yourself too much, for you are nothing - just an insignificant frog in a well claiming to be a dragon."
I slowly stood up and began walking towards the thick, solid stone table set at the corner of the room. "I may not possess wings, but calling me a dragon wouldn't be too far-fetched." I brushed my hand over the table, glancing over my shoulder to make sure everyone was watching. "Your Long family prides itself on being a martial family and yet, it hasn't even reached the first step." I said, placing one hand on the stone table and channeled a mere fraction of mana into it, shattering it on the spot.
"In two years, I have mastered what your family still lacks after hundreds, yet you dare to call me a mere frog in a well? Arrogant." I calmly walked back to my seat and sat down. "Is there anything else you wish to talk about?"
"...Yes, you are not to act without the family's approval ever again." The hag said, trying desperately to conceal her thoughts. "Do you know just how much trouble the family was in after the fiasco at the party? If anything like this happens ever again, you won't be able to bear the consequences. Also, you are to move back into the house and your dealings with mister Galahad will be conducted through the proper channels."
"Proper channels? Isn't that just a nice way of saying that you'll be the one controlling me?"
"Naturally. I will not allow you to cause any more harm to the family in the future. Now provide me with a way to contact mister Galahad, to discuss your employment details. You are also to continue training the younger generation, also you are not to meet with those 'friends' of yours anymore, am I clear?"
"Wishful thinking… I will do as I please, wherever I please, whenever I please, however I please and with whoever I please. You will not control me - not now, not ever. But…" Dramatic pause. "If you ask me for something, if you ask nicely - that is, I might just lend you a hand. And I might even give you a family discount at that…"
"We are a family!" The hag roared. "A family member must heed the words of the family head!"
"You made it clear on numerous occasions that you consider neither me, nor Jane as family, so why would I ever consider you as a family head?" I asked. "I already have a family - a family that doesn't mistreat me, that respects and values me. I don't need you." With that, I stood up to leave, giving a last glance at the Long family.
At the door, I saw Jane just standing there waiting for me. "Is there something wrong?" I asked.
"...Can we talk?" She asked. "Just the two of us. Please…" She pleaded.
I sighed. "Fine, follow me."
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