A Journey Full of Intrigue

Chapter2FinalWarning

A loud whirring sound echoed in the distance.

Anthony looked up. A helicopter was approaching.

Anthony frowned slightly. Hadn't he told Vincent to pick him up only after he called? Why was Vincent back already? There was no landing spot in the village, and Anthony had come down via a steel cable sling half an hour ago, instructing Vincent to land the helicopter at the district field a dozen kilometers away. Was something urgent?

Anthony's eyes narrowed. "Hey, that's not my personal helicopter. That's definitely not Vincent. So who's coming?" The red helicopter with a star emblem drew closer, flying low. Two minutes later, it was above the village, hovering in place.

"Who are they?" Anthony watched warily, his instincts on high alert.

The rotor wind swept through the tall grass, and the leaves of the trees rustled. Suddenly, the helicopter door opened, and a gun muzzle appeared. "Good grief!" Anthony clenched his fists, his instincts kicking in as he prepared to leap behind the well's stone rim for cover. Too late! Whoever was up there moved faster and more efficiently, not needing to take their time aiming; the shot was fired before Anthony could dodge.

BLAR!

But it wasn't a bullet that was fired, and it wasn't aimed at Anthony's body. Instead, a small stainless steel spear landed on the ground a step away from him, with a piece of cloth attached to its end. The shot was precise; whoever was up there clearly didn't intend to kill Anthony if they could help it.

The helicopter hovered for half a minute before its door closed, and it slowly flew away, disappearing behind the mountain slope and into the sky.

Anthony watched it leave, ensuring it was truly gone before retrieving the cloth attached to the spear.

It was a message, written in Russian with red ink. Instantly, Anthony let out a frustrated breath. He knew exactly who this was from. The helicopter and its crew hadn't intended to kill him, but their arrival and this message would have a different kind of deadly impact.

For the past three months, since the crisis among the Underworld's ruling mafias caused by Master Dragon ended, these messages had been chasing him. Master Dragon was the title given to the leader of the Black Dragon mafia in China, the largest mafia in the country. Wherever Anthony went, these messages would find him. Whether it was at a luxurious hotel, delivered by a staff member at his door, or at a prominent museum, conveyed through writing on the wall next to the world's most expensive paintings, causing a commotion among visitors, or even during a firefight while resolving an issue and running out of bullets, the message would come in a box containing a pistol.

This time, the message was clearly serious. Very few people knew about this village or that he would be here this afternoon, visiting his mother's grave. But what could he expect? He was currently facing the strongest Underworld mafia leader in the world, Vor Alexander, the leader of the Brotherhood Organizatsya. It wouldn't be difficult for Alexander to send his best men, the most skilled hunters, to tail him wherever he went and deliver these messages. Even at his parents' graves, the message had reached him.

Anthony growled, his eyes reading the words on the cloth.

"My son, the Sumatran Tiger,

How many times must I remind you? The schedule for your engagement to Natalia has been set. Two days from now. This is the fourth and final time I'll send this message. If you don't show up, humiliate Natalia in front of the guests, hurt my daughter's feelings, it means war between mafias.

Mark this well, my son. You can still stand unscathed in front of your parents' graves today only because I love my daughter dearly. There will be no next time. Come or die. Marry Natalia or I'll raze your parents' graves.

Vor Alexander"

"The Sumatran Tiger" was a nickname given to him by the Big Boss when he first fetched Anthony from this village. Initially, Anthony was asked to hunt Sumatran tigers, of course, just a pretext to gauge his abilities. Unexpectedly, Anthony proved to be incredibly skilled at hunting, even managing to kill the most ferocious tigers in critical situations. That's when the Big Boss gave him the nickname and took him to the capital to be trained as the number one enforcer.

"This is infuriating," Anthony muttered. "What a stupid duel."

Three months ago. He had no idea it would lead to this. How could Natalia take it seriously? The girl was beautiful, intelligent, and filthy rich; she could marry any young man she wanted, assuming the young man was brave enough to marry the daughter of a single family that ruled the Underworld mafia in Russia. How could she fall in love with him just because of a three-round pistol duel? And then give him a heirloom ring as a token of her love. It was crazy love at first sight!

"Rubbish!" Anthony crumpled the cloth.

But Alexander's threat was no joke. This message was an ultimatum. He had left the Nine Dragons mafia three months ago, with Asad becoming the new Big Boss. But he couldn't turn a blind eye or ignore it because once Alexander went berserk, mafia wars would erupt, and major disturbances would be unavoidable. He would still be indirectly involved with the Nine Dragons mafia. The balance among the Underworld's ruling mafias would be disrupted. And all because of this stupid engagement.

The "Underworld mafia" referred to large mafia organizations spread across the world. In every corner of the globe, there were several Underworld mafias, one of which was the Nine Dragons mafia in Indonesia. Of course, these Underworld mafias were different from the mafias we commonly hear about, like the Triads or Yakuza.

The Underworld mafia had significant influence in various sectors, both legal and illegal. From illegal businesses like drug and weapon trafficking to illegal activities in legal sectors like money laundering or smuggling. All their activities would go unrecorded and unsupervised by the government.

"What should I do?" Anthony thought to himself.

Anthony looked at the two mounds of earth in front of him. The setting sun was sinking lower, casting a reddish hue over the sky. The sound of birds chirping and flapping their wings could be heard in the distance.

"Where should I go this time, Mother?" Anthony asked softly.

Silence. There was no answer. The tall grass swayed gently, and a colorful nectar bird flew by. This place, the village, was one of the places Anthony despised the most, yet for some reason, he kept coming back. Seeking answers in the silence, reminiscing about all the painful things in the past. Adding to that, the past was now back with a surprising twist. Leonardo, his half-brother. And Bathilda, his stepmother, a poor woman victimized by his father's egoism.

It was in this village that the Big Boss had fetched him, disguised as a Sumatran tiger hunt, and took him to the capital. Even before passing away, the Big Boss had appointed him as his successor, continuing the Nine Dragons mafia's power as one of the ruling mafias in the Asia-Pacific region.

But he didn't want it. He had always wanted to be the number one enforcer, not that position or title. Why would he want it? It was just a troublesome position. He chose to be the greatest "adventurer" in the underworld, the most efficient and effective conflict resolver. But the situation had become increasingly complicated. Since the engagement. And since Leonardo's appearance, who knew where he was now.

Anthony gazed at the graves.

"Mother, after coming home, where will I step next?"

Only silence. Still, no answer.

"Should I fulfill this engagement? Attend this 'engagement of the century'? Alexander will surely prepare the most luxurious event for Natalia. He might even decorate his entire headquarters with diamonds... and perhaps a pair of peacocks..." Anthony pondered.

"Alright." Anthony let out a gentle sigh. He would play his move. Like it or not, he had to take a step. He had to resolve this engagement matter, no matter the risk.