Santomo immediately interjected warmly, "Aegypt, you can sleep in my daughter's room. Don't worry, she won't be back for a long time. She's busy with her duties, so her room is empty."
Hearing that, Aegypt's eyes widened. "B-but..."
Antonio instantly cut him off, his face triumphant. "That's a very good idea, Santomo. Aegypt, you sleep in Abel's room, alright. Let your assistant and subordinates sleep in a hotel."
Aegypt let out a long sigh, his face resigned. "Fine..." he answered faintly.
Then he glanced at Santomo, forcing a sweet smile. "Thank you, Uncle."
"You're welcome, my boy," Santomo replied sincerely.
Aegypt looked down, whispering to himself, "Damn it."
Meanwhile, Antonio merely chuckled softly, suppressing a satisfied laugh. "Hahaha... you thought you could escape? Of course not," he thought triumphantly.
A short while later, dinner was over. Santomo rose from his seat and motioned to Aegypt. "Come on, son, let me show you to your room."
They walked down the warm, brightly lit hallway of the house. Santomo then opened a white-painted door.
"Well, this is my daughter's room. Please rest here for now," Santomo said with a kind smile.
Aegypt tried to smile back, though he felt a little awkward. "Thank you, Uncle."
Santomo nodded, then slowly closed the door, leaving Aegypt alone.
As soon as the door closed, Aegypt immediately let out a long breath and collapsed onto the soft mattress.
He had no interest in looking around the room, even though the scent of lavender filled the air. Exhaustion had completely overwhelmed his body.
He stared at the dim ceiling, having intentionally turned off the lamp earlier.
"Damn... I didn't bring my baby bottle," he muttered irritably. "I didn't know I'd have to stay overnight."
Aegypt closed his eyes, trying to sleep despite his discomfort. But deep down, he could already imagine how troublesome the night would be without that strange habit of his.
A few nights later, the atmosphere of a bar on the outskirts of Indonesia was bustling. Loud music echoed, colorful neon lights flashed everywhere, and people danced drunkenly on the bar floor. However, in a quieter corner of the room, Aegypt sat with Lexus.
Aegypt was silent, staring blankly at his drink glass. The golden liquid swirled slowly between his long, firm fingers. His two subordinates stood rigidly behind him, fully alert even though the bar's atmosphere seemed relaxed.
Lexus broke the silence cautiously. "How is it, Sir? Are you comfortable staying at Mr. Antonio's friend's house?" he asked, trying to start a conversation. Aegypt had been silent and just drinking without a word.
Aegypt gave a short snort, placing his glass on the table a little roughly. "Normal. Nothing special. In fact, I'm quite irritated by his eldest daughter. Too... like a cheap woman."
That cold tone made Lexus only bow his head, feeling slightly awkward. But he quickly changed the subject, this time to a more important report.
"Sir," he said seriously, "our men have successfully located Black Venom's newest base. They are apparently hiding behind a mountain on the outskirts of City C, Italy."
Aegypt's initially blank gaze sharpened. He straightened up, then glanced at Lexus. "Good. Is there any suspicious movement there?"
Lexus paused for a moment, as if weighing his words. "For the past few days, the men we assigned to spy there... haven't checked in again. But the last report said everything looked calm. No suspicious activity."
Aegypt narrowed his eyes, his fingers tapping the wooden bar table slowly. "We must remain cautious, Lexus. Everyone in this underworld is sometimes invisible. Some are even transparent. No movement, and suddenly... BOOM! It explodes without warning."
His words were cold, full of pressure, making Lexus swallow hard.
"Yes, Sir. I understand," Lexus replied quickly, his tone full of respect.
Behind the bar's dim light, Aegypt's face looked resolute with a calculated gaze. He was Aegypt Cardovan, a name not unfamiliar in the business world, especially in the film industry, and also the underworld.
Everyone knew him as the CEO of the largest film production house in Italy. However, that was just a guise and solely his grandfather's wish.
Behind the camera lights and popularity, Aegypt was the head of the Dominus Syndicate. A mafia syndicate that was greatly feared for its cruelty and merciless reputation. He was known for one thing: he never gives second chances.
Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away, on the outskirts of City C, Italy.
A dark room, the smell of blood and iron mixed together. In the center of the room, a man was tied to an iron chair, his body battered.
He was panting heavily, blood dripping from the corner of his lips, making his face almost unrecognizable.
Heavy footsteps sounded approaching. A tall, muscular man in a neat black suit, with slicked-back dark hair, walked slowly but surely.
Behind him, a line of bodyguards in black suits followed with discipline.
He was Luca Francesco. The leader of the Black Venom syndicate. The great rival of the Dominus Syndicate. Their feud was not just about territory and power, but a deep-seated grudge from the past that had taken root for years.
Luca held a pistol, swinging it as if it were a toy in his hand. Each of his steps sounded tense in the silent room.
"Is he still alive?" he asked flatly, expressionless, to the subordinate on guard.
"Yes, Sir. He's still breathing, but slowly," replied a long-haired man with a slightly trembling voice.
Luca stepped closer. He bent down, touched the tip of the pistol to the chin of the almost helpless man, and lifted his face so he could look into his eyes.
For a moment, Luca was silent, observing the man's face. A thin, frightening smile appeared on his lips.
"Hmm..." he murmured softly, as if he had found an answer.
Without warning, the muzzle of the pistol pressed right beneath the prisoner's chin.
"No..." the man whispered faintly, his eyes wide with fear.
BANG!!
The sound of a gunshot echoed, slamming into the ears of everyone in the room. But not a single person reacted.
Everyone stood calmly, as if the sound had become a common thing that no longer needed to be feared.
Luca's loyal assistant, a man named Joan, glanced briefly at the body that now slumped lifelessly in the chair. In a flat tone, he asked, "Sir... you killed him?"
Luca put his pistol back into his jacket pocket, his face showing no remorse whatsoever. "I got bored of torturing him."
A sharp smile was etched on his lips. His eyes flashed with hatred.
"Aegypt... Aegypt..." Luca murmured softly, almost like a devil's whisper. "I admit you're quite extraordinary. But your men... are too stupid."
He gave a small, cold, cruel laugh, while blood from the victim was still dripping and staining the floor of the dark room.
Outskirts of the City, Indonesia
The night deepened. The bar's neon lights on the outskirts of the city flickered faintly, their mixed colors creating a false atmosphere that concealed the true scent of illegal transactions taking place behind the loud music.
Aegypt still sat calmly in his chair, a glass of bourbon slowly rotating in his hand. Lexus, sitting next to him, glanced quickly around the room.
He took a short breath, then mumbled almost inaudibly, as if only talking to himself.
"Strange... a bar this nice, yet it's located on the outskirts of the city."
That faint sentence did not escape his boss's ears. Aegypt lowered his glass, staring straight ahead without needing to turn his head.
"See over there?" Aegypt said softly but clearly, moving his chin slightly toward the corner of the room.
Lexus spontaneously directed his gaze to the indicated spot. Two mysterious men were sitting facing each other, their movements suspicious. Their hands moved quickly, as if they were exchanging something.
"Those two are exchanging illegal goods," Aegypt continued coldly, his tone full of certainty. "Either drugs or something else. Places like this are deliberately isolated. From the outside, it looks like just an entertainment bar, but actually... it's a small base for transactions."
Lexus swallowed, then nodded quickly. "I understand, Sir."
He thought to himself, "I spoke quietly, and the music here is quite loud. But Mr. Aegypt's ears could still catch it. His hearing is indeed sharp, almost unbelievable."
They returned to sipping their drinks. Aegypt's two subordinates standing behind remained alert, observing every corner of the room.
But unbeknownst to them, from a distance, there were several men in black suits with foreign faces who had been watching them for a while.