Sther country was a place famous for its exportation of oil and gas, its distinctive culture and also its geography.
The country being divided into regions by its residents as far back as four hundred years ago consisted of the Northen region, known best for being the dumping ground of the country.
There, you would find the slumps, the orphanages and the unwanted. It was almost a lawless region, mostly avoided by people of high society in the country.
If it wasn't for the hot springs and scenic mountains which encouraged tourism, it would have degraded to a place no one would set foot in, therefore the government made sure to keep the peace by assigning more police stations to be built, though if you were transferred to the northern region as a police officer, it was always as a demotion, creating a lackluster attitude in the force.
Rui's escort agency, upon being founded, used more than a year to sweep up all the gangs in the region, much to the relief of the police, and as more people kept joining, so did disputes increase between RES members and other gang members, turf wars began to surface, prompting Guo zhen to step outside his base and look Westward.
After seven months of sweeping through the individual gangs of the western region, the Eastern region gangs realized the situation of things and decided to form a coalition, leading to a truce between their otherwise volatile members, to present a United front against RES.
The chosen leader of the Eastern coalition gang members was the former vice chair of the second most powerful gang in the east, Storm Dragon, but due to his explosive power in the ring and his natural charisma, when the selection for who would be their leader took place, it was a two stage process, a fight and a vote, he defeated all the people who opposed him and with his former following, he also won with the highest vote.
"Where are we?" Yan looked around to see memory Guo zhen at the head of a large ornate table. There were people seated around him, talking in whispers, a folder placed in front of him in a binder.
Yan with a pleased look realised that memory Guo zhen had favored taking off his suit jacket and had rolled up his sleeves, showing off his bare arms. Also he had let down his hair, but the black string he had used to hold it in place was in his hand, absentmindedly pulling and releasing it.
Yan also noticed that he didn't know anyone else seated at the table.
"Exus hotel, it's a five star hotel owned by S Group."
Yan is trying to make out the conversation of the people at the table but he can hardly hear anything, he then turns to give guest Guo zhen an annoyed look. "This is your memory, why are you being so secretive."
A chuckle.. "I'm not, you probably have bad hearing."
Before Yan can respond, the double doors leading into the room open and someone Yan recognizes finally appears.
"They're here boss." Ran says as he steps into the room Guo zhen had previously been strategizing with five other high ranking members of RES, leaving him to receive the guests as he was the most clear headed, but when he looked towards the head of the table, he saw that there was a somewhat distracted look on Guo zhens face.
Standing up immediately, "Let's get this over with then." Guo zhen was hoping that he could wrap this up quickly and get back to the hotel he had left that person.
Maybe he'll still be there.
Everyone else stands up to follow after him. The five of them, immediately moving to file behind Guo zhen, dressed in white and black colors. They also had on a black leather jacket with the letters RES written in purple at the back.
Ran keeps the door open for them, then as Guo zhen walks by him, he falls into step with him, moving to hand him a jacket.
"Your Didi said you left this with him."
Turning to look at what was in Ran's hand, a little smile appeared on Guo zhens face.
This was the jacket he had give Fang Rui a week ago.
The three of them had a lot of history together.
Rui'er had this silly superstition about the jacket keeping him safe from harm, which might, heaven forgive him, be true, and even though he currently still had on his blue pants suit on, he couldn't find it in him to not wear it.
Also, he side eyed Ran who was walking beside him, he just knew this guy was going to tattle, which would involve him having to appease Rui'er for the foreseeable future.
It was best to avoid all of that, so he put it on.
While doing so, he felt something in the front pocket of the jacket, but he had already arrived at the front door of the conference hall where the meeting was to take place, so he decided to not bother with it yet.
Ran stepped forward to open the double doors and the first thing Guo zhen saw was, was a rainbow, multiple rainbows actually. The array of colors almost blinding him.
"What is with this storm garden people?" Yan raised an eyebrow at the typical multicolor vintage shirts that the other group were wearing.
They also all had sunglasses on even though they were indoors and it just made them seem a bit comical.
Shaking his head and remembering how he felt when he had first met Chen Xuan, he realized he had drastically underestimated this person.
"Storm dragon."
Not turning to look at him, Yan asked, "what?"
Hmmmph.. "its not storm garden, its storm dragon."
"Oh."
The loud voices in the room stop as the door is opened. Chen xuān immediately notices the famed leader of Rui's escort garden, mostly due to his silver hair and red eyes but also because of the way he seemed to command the room. "His boss wasn't paying him enough for this," already feeling the danger emanating beneath the black leather jacket.
'Were those blue pants?'
"Coming from the beach?" Guo zhen strides to seat opposite the person on the right side of the conference table, seating seven other people as previously agreed for the meeting.
He had already gotten slightly aquatinted with this underdog leader of the eastern coalition from the information his people had provided.
He had to say, for Chen xuan to get to where he was now, and the changes he had already made to the gang and status quo of things in eastern region, Guo zhen already had some respect for the other party, but the rainbows that were currently assaulting his eyes made him realize that even though this person had both the brains and the brawn, his fashion sense was probably not that great.
'White was the best color anyway,' he thought secretly.
Not one to be one-upped, Chen xuān retorts immediately, turning in his chair, a relaxed attitude about him, twirling a black ink pen in his left hand, "well it's the south, it's hot."
A smirk on his face, "also, who was too scared to come to the eastern region? Of course we had to stop by the beach first, enjoy the scenery."
'They had been here since yesterday? That hadn't been in the report submitted by Han Yuze.' Guo zhen turns slightly to give Yuze a look, sending a slight chill down his spine.
Chen xuan watches the exchange and realizes he might have let slip too much information, becoming a little bit flustered, but he wasn't here. His boss wouldn't know.
There is silence in the room.
Ran coughes to diffuse the situation, "lets get down to business."
He looks to Guo zhen for permission to keep speaking and seeing the slight nod, he continues. "What are the conditions of your surrender?"
Someone on the fourth seat among the Eastern coalition gang stands up in indignation, slamming his hands on the table. "What kind of attitude is this, what do you mean by surrender?"
Guo zhen decides to maintain his silence, he had always enjoyed unleashing Ran on the world.
Ran swivels his chair to regard the person talking to him. "And you are?"
The fourth seat, Long sha, instantly felt a burning sensation on his face, sputtering and wanting to give a harsh rebuke, he stops himself when Chen xuan gives him a look, seating back down. He checks his phone for something but nothing new had come in yet.
Meanwhile, "They're about to fight, they're about to fight." Yan announces while clapping his hands, a look of excitement on his face.
"Shut up."
Haa.. haa.. "okay."
Chen xuan looks at Ran and realizes that this person certainly had a sharp tongue, saying things that hit at the heart.
"You don't think we are just here to surrender right?" He looks inquireingly at both Guo zhen and Ran.
"If not?"
'This person certainly needed a beating, couldn't he talk properly?' Chen xuan had to take a second to exhale.
"No, we are not."
Ran moves to stand up, looking at Chen xuan like he's looking at a fool. "Then there's nothing further to discuss."
Guo zhen realized that things were beginning to spiral out of control. He's not sure whether to try and stop the trajectory of things.
Of course he was always looking for a fight, in fact he encouraged it, which is probably why Ran was acting this way, but…
Before he can stop Ran from moving away from the chair he just got up from, Chen xuan voices out.
"So what, thats it?"
"You won't even listen to what we have to say? There are other options." Chen xuan almost screams, standing up as well, prompting everyone on his side to do the same.
Guo zhen was still seated watching things play out, so no one else stood up on his side.
Ran stops, a superior look on his face, "We are ten thousand strong, and that isn't even our actual number," he sits back down, crossing his hands over the table.
"You have no other options."
Long sha bristles at Ran, itching for a fight, the other members as well, but Chen xuan simply seats back down. He knew the truth of things, ECG couldn't take on two regions unified alone, they couldn't take on Rui's escort agency.
Also, he had already been given instructions on what to do, he was mainly here to allow things play out so that the other side wouldn't be too suspicious.
Chen xuan waved his men to sit down.
Long sha was still breathing heavily in anger but he complied. He checked his phone again to see if the message he was expecting had come in.
Nothing yet.
He would let Ran continue to be smug, the night was long.