Tiger's flunkies showed up right on time, saving his arms from being broken.
Three minutes later, dozens of scrawny thugs burst into the private room, wielding bats and metal pipes.
Tiger let out a long, relieved breath. Facing someone who'd taken down Dong with ease, he'd been helpless seconds ago.
"Boss! We're here! Who we beating up today?!"
Tiger waved the lead thug silent, straightened his collar, and tilted his chin at Kael.
"Kid, you've got fists. I'll give you a chance. Kneel on one knee, yell I'm sorry, Boss Tiger three times. I'll take you in—eight thousand a month."
Eight thousand a month.
It was 2005, and the number made his men gape in envy. Most of them earned nothing, just free cigarettes and the chance to guard Tiger's spots. Only the top dogs got pocket change.
To Kael, it was pocket lint.
He laughed. "I'll give you a chance. Kneel on both knees and apologize. I'll let you walk."
Tiger's face turned pitch black.
One knee was loyalty. Two knees was worship.
"You ungrateful punk!" Tiger roared at his men. "Get him!"
Lina buried her face in Kael's chest, trembling.
In that instant, Kael's lips curled into a sharp, cold smile.
The Warlord Aura exploded outward.
He sat there like a god of war, a primal, murderous pressure flooding the room. It was the instinctive terror of prey facing a apex predator, burned into every cell.
The charging thugs froze. Goosebumps erupted, spines went rigid, and they shrank back, suddenly cowardly.
This wasn't a normal fight. They didn't just fear losing—they feared dying.
Lina, pressed against Kael, felt every thread of that power.
She was weak, breathless, clinging to him completely.
She'd always craved strength, and there was no stronger man alive than the warlord holding her.
In this moment, she was the happiest girl in the world.
The door pushed open, and Zhou stepped in.
Marcus Voss's right-hand man for twenty years, he'd seen every kind of violence. But the aura rolling off Kael made his muscles lock, his hand dropping to a hidden weapon.
When he realized it was his boss's son, his shock deepened.
"Nephew Kael."
Kael let the warlord aura fade, amused at how well it had worked.
"Uncle Zhou."
Zhou's tense body finally relaxed.
"Young Master, I've brought the money you requested."
By now, Tiger was already on his knees, lips trembling so hard he could barely speak.
"Ch-Ch-Chairman Zhou…"
Zhou glanced at him, unrecognizing.
"These men yours?"
Tiger nodded frantically, shaking so hard he could barely stay upright.
"Causing trouble for the Young Master?"
Young Master.
The words clicked in Tiger's head.
He stared at Kael, then slammed his own face with a brutal slap.
"I'm dead! I'm blind! I offended the Young Master!"
His celebrity companion caught on instantly.
Zhou worked for the Voss family. The boy was a Voss.
Her eyes lit up, and she stumbled toward Kael, faking a twisted ankle.
"Oh, I hurt my foot! Young Master, I'm so scared—protect me!"
She tugged her top lower, leaning into him shamelessly.
Lina saw red.
She shoved the woman hard, nearly breaking her nose.
The starlet pouted, fake-teary. "Be nice, big sister. I can be the second one."
"Shameless! Don't call me sister!" Lina snapped.
The woman tried to curl into Kael again.
"Get out." Kael's voice was ice.
She hesitated, yanking her neckline even lower, desperate.
"Young Master, give me a chance. I'll repay you."
"I think you're filthy."
Kael let a flicker of warlord aura brush her.
She jolted as if electrocuted, scrambling back.
Meanwhile, Tiger slapped himself nonstop, cheeks swollen and bleeding, slurring his apologies.
The thugs stared in dumb shock, unable to process their boss begging and hitting himself.
Zhou held out a black bank card.
"Young Master, the hundred million you wanted."
Kael slipped it into his pocket, a quiet investment for his future.
The thugs finally understood.
They'd tried to extort a boy who carried a hundred million in pocket change for eight thousand a month.
The starlet's eyes burned with greed.
Zhou bowed slightly. "Your orders for these people?"
Kael gestured casually.
"The liar in the corner, the muscle-headed brute on the floor, the real show director Liam Wang. The filthy woman and Tiger. The rest, throw them out."
Zhou nodded.
Kael stood, taking Lina's hand, and walked toward the door.
Outside, they heard Zhou's cold voice carry.
"Liam Wang, Voss Group officially pulls all investment from your show. You'll receive legal notice for last season's profit fraud. The woman is blacklisted. Tiger… you know the rule. One limb."
Jake and Dong were dragged away, straight to jail.
Kael and Lina walked down the quiet street.
They'd drunk, so the car was sent back to campus. At Lina's stubborn request, Kael stayed to walk with her, the night air soft around them.