Chapter 12 Opening Act

• Namir's discontent with Cyrus' attitude had been simmering lowly. However, that quickly shifted to red-hot fury in the face of Cyrus' lack of respect and awe when the man was talking to Robert.
• Namir was somewhat of a fanatical loyalist to the Cohen family and was also a well-known martial artist in Rodon.
• Robert had always relied heavily on Namir in the past.
• Nevertheless, Namir was getting a strong feeling that Robert was more grateful and appreciative toward Cyrus after that assassination attempt.
• He could tell that his position as Robert's right-hand man in terms of safety was about to be taken away. In other words, he felt like he was getting sidelined by some fresh meat.
• Thus, he acted just like a queen in the palace. A particularly jealous queen who was unable to tolerate the other concubines' existence. As a matter of fact, those who had gained the emperor's favor only served to enrage Namir further.
• Namir did not realize that his servility toward the Cohen Family, especially Robert, had settled deep into his bones.
• He instinctively detested Cyrus when Cyrus succeeded where he failed. So, when he had a first-class view of what he perceived as Cyrus' arrogance, his simmering resentment boiled over. In the end, he lost his temper and rushed right at Cyrus.
• Cyrus glanced at Namir coldly as a hint of killing intent flashed in the depths of his eyes.
• "Namir!" Robert suddenly climbed out of bed, disregarding the pain he was feeling due to his aggravated wounds. Nonetheless, he roared as he struggled against the sheets, "Namir, stop! Cough! Cough! Cough!"
• Robert exerted too much force in his agitation. Soon, blood started oozing from his chest. Sure enough, he started coughing violently because of his injury.
• Namir abruptly stopped midway upon hearing the commotion Robert was creating.
• Instead, he hurried over and supported Robert. "Mr. Cohen, don't move."
• Robert coughed and said, "Namir, Mr. Nikolaou is my savior. You shouldn't be so rude!"
• Namir gave Cyrus a cold glance and said mulishly, "Yes, I understand."
• Robert turned to Cyrus and murmured apologetically, "Mr. Nikolaou, I'm sorry for startling you. Please reconsider the villa I mentioned earlier."
• Cyrus waved his hand dismissively and replied, "I am indeed in need of money now. However, this is merely a temporary problem. So, let's talk about the villa later. Just in case none of these medical staff said anything, the bullet you were shot with was tampered with. You won't live for more than half a month."
• "Shut up! Don't curse Mr. Cohen with that mouth of yours," Namir hissed coldly.
• Cyrus chuckled. "You should thank Mr. Cohen because if he hadn't stopped you earlier, you would be dead by now! You should train that mouth of yours instead."
• Cyrus turned around and strode out of the ward without another word.
• Meanwhile, Namir couldn't help but let out a snort. "Mr. Cohen, did you hear that? What an arrogant and disrespectful young man! Not only did he curse you, but he also spoke so shamelessly! It's so infuriating!"
• Robert laughed. "Mr. Hamal, there's no need to take it so seriously. After all, he is still a young man. By the way, please make sure to give this card to Mr. Nikolaou as a token of my gratitude, Dr. Harper."
• Robert took out a VIP card made of white jade from the bedside drawer and handed it to Archie.
• Archie was shocked to see the card and quickly said, "Mr. Cohen, don't you think this token of gratitude is far too much? This is the super VIP card of the Cohen family conglomerate. If I'm not mistaken, there aren't many of them in the world!"
• Robert waved his hand casually and said with a smile, "There are three cards in total. These cards can be used in exchange for free consumption at any place under the Cohen Group. The staff will act as if the chairman himself were present. He did save my life. Of course, I'm only giving this card to him for a year. I'm certain this is more than enough to show my sincerity. After all, he saved my life!"
• Archie nodded, took the card, and chased after Cyrus.
• Namir stood aside, feeling his jealousy flare when he saw that Robert was bestowing Cyrus such a valuable token.
• Archie finally managed to catch up to Cyrus in the parking lot. He huffed and puffed while handing the card to him, saying through gasps, "Cyrus, I… I know you didn't save him for money. H-However, Mr. Cohen genuinely wants to express his gratitude… So, please accept this."
• Cyrus looked at the white VIP card and nodded. "Okay, this card offers discounts, right?"
• "Discounts?" Archie was surprised. Then, he smiled and said, "Yes, discounts. You can enjoy discounts at any establishment under the Cohen Group. Please make good use of them."
• Cyrus placed the card in his wallet and promptly got into the car.
• The vintage Ford emitted a puff of black smoke as it gradually departed with a groan.
• When he returned to Cyrace Cosmetics, his face turned solemn as he replayed his conversation with Robert.
• After a beat, he decided to push Robert's issue to the back of his mind.
• Then, he whisked out his phone and meticulously reviewed the information sent by Alex after her investigation of Bosco.
• The information revealed that Bosco had migrated from Northseanese over a decade ago.
• He was proficient in combat and his time there had only made him a merciless killing machine. He was ruthless in his actions, and decisive.
• Moreover, this individual was also a maverick who had a penchant for reading. He had a particular preference for the Art of War and The Prince, which he often applied in real-life situations.
• As a result, he had firmly established himself in Rodon within a decade and had risen to become one of the top three underworld bosses in the city.
• Cyrus read the file three times. Soon, a mental image of Bosco formed in his mind.
• Although Bosco was insignificant to someone who led the Dragonia Special Forces, Cyrus wasn't about to underestimate him even for a second.
• After a brief moment of contemplation, Cyrus picked up his phone and dialed Alex's number.
• "Alex, message Bosco and inform him that we will confront him tonight," Cyrus instructed.
• Although Alex couldn't fully grasp Cyrus' intentions, she would always adhere to Cyrus' commands as a member of Dragonia Special Forces.
• "Understood," Alex mechanically replied. "When's the meeting?"
• Cyrus pondered over his options momentarily and replied, "My work ends around 6 p.m. So, I'll meet you at the internet cafe at 6.30 p.m."
• Cyrus stretched his spine and leaned against the chair after ending the call.
• The initial step in establishing his presence in Rodon would officially begin with eliminating or using Bosco. Regardless, Bosco would be a pawn he could use either as a stepping stone or a potential grunt to order around.
• Judging from the information Alex collected, Bosco appeared to be a courageous and cunning individual. So, Cyrus was leaning toward not eliminating him right off the bat. Instead, he aimed to subdue this formidable Northseanese figure to truly send a message across the city's dark underbelly.
• "The Nikolaou family… Well, all of you will gradually crumble in fear!"
• Cyrus pocketed his phone.
• The second the clock chimed 6 p.m., Pierre volunteered, saying, "Captain Nikolaou, I'll take the night shift for today. So, you can head home."
• Cyrus nodded. "Alright. About that… Can I borrow your car?"
• Pierre nodded agreeably.
• Cyrus arrived at the internet cafe and pulled to a rather clunky stop.
• Alex had been camping on the rooftop of the internet cafe, resembling a shadowy feline spirit.
• She spotted Cyrus and gracefully descended, landing beside him without a sound.
• "Captain, the distance from Cyrace Cosmetics to here is 4.72 miles. Yet, you took a total of 19 minutes and 32 seconds on the road, which is not in line with your usual efficiency. Were you being followed on the way?" Alex spoke impassively, her mind focused solely on precise figures.
• In addition to being the vice-captain, Alex also served as the sniper of the Dragon Soul team. Once the woman had you in her sights, not even hiding on a high-speed train could save you from her.
• Unfortunately, her emotional intelligence was abysmal. One could almost mistake her for an unfeeling robot if it weren't for the fact that she had a heart made of flesh beating in her chest. She was almost entirely devoid of humor and possessed nearly zero social skills. He supposed there was a grain of truth when people claimed that God would close some doors if one were particularly skilled in something or another.
• Cyrus patted Alex's shoulder. "Alex, I just took a smoke break on the way. Alright, notify Lincoln and the others. This infiltration battle will be the opening act of us getting a firm foothold into Rodon!"