Chapter 18

Myom-Li

(Monday Morning)

"After looking at this list, I want to kill everyone and start over," I growl as I toss the list on Xie-Yu's desk.

"I agree. What was father doing?" Xie-Yu confirms, looking over the long list of insurgents. "Practically, the entire Sooyung alliance is steeped in subterfuge."

"I bet you that's what Kwan Sr would do, or Admiral. Probably even Yaotián." I state.

"Yes… but how will we do that and still maintain our enterprise?" Xie-Yu ponders.

"At least dad was smart enough to have you or mom handle the finances. But the underground businesses are a wash. All except your portion and the portion Kurtis was handling. We've lost the weapons, though."

"Xaoi-He says he found them, and I sent trucks yesterday to assist Prince Jaidan in shipping the explosives."

"But the explosives are for the Yaotiáns. We are supposed to supply the weapons. Without that, our income is going to drop drastically."

"True. How about the weaponized drones you were working on? How are those coming along?"

"They are just prototypes. I cannot sell those yet. We are still working out the kinks. We also are having issues with interference from the heat sensors. I sent one to the Wen Syndicate of the Yaotián alliance since they are heavily active and can be trusted. I am still combing through my troops. I haven't found any holes yet."

"Can you send a prototype to the Auction House Warehouse? Perhaps we can at least get an idea on how much profit they can bring in."

"Sure. In the meantime, what should we do about this." I ask, tapping that list again.

"Honestly, I don't know yet. Let's leave it for now and just feed false information. Make sure it's different for each group. Then we can isolate the moles."

"Got it," I answer and make a copy of the list.

"In other news, how are things with Danielle?"

"They are much better than they were."

"That's good. What about getting married and having kids by her birthday? Well, maybe not the kids part, but you can start."

"I haven't brought it up. Danielle's excited to have her own syndicate and focusing on this currently. I haven't had a chance to broach the topic."

"You mean you're scared it will piss her off, so you haven't said anything?"

"I'm not afraid of her."

"I didn't say you were afraid of her. So you must be." Xie-Yu laughs.

"I'm afraid to lose her. Not afraid of her. If I tell her that we need to get married on her birthday and begin making kids, she will get angry with me."

"I get it, Myo. Think about it this way, is it better to have her angry and safe, or temporarily happy and gone." Xie-Yu says seriously.

"I get it. I just don't know if she will."

"Well… not much you can do but try. Now is the perfect time since Danielle's healing, and has yet to really delve into the alliance. She also has a perfect role model in Lady Yanyun."

"True, but she hasn't spoken to Lady Yanyun much since she arrived. I think Lady Yanyun may also be a bit cautious of Danielle."

"Lady Yanyun is cautious of everyone. If Danielle spent time with her, Lady Yanyun would relax. Anyway, can you send those prototypes over now? You should do it yourself. Take Kang Tian with you. I will stay here until you return."

"Got it." I head out and text Danielle, but she doesn't respond immediately, so she must be busy. I head out and meet with Tian, as I call him.

"Hey, you busy?" I ask him.

"What's up?"

"We gotta take the prototype to the Auction House Warehouse."

"Okay." He follows me out the door. Once we reach one of our vehicles, I hesitate before getting in. "Don't worry. I replaced all the vehicles at this location Saturday morning. The others were used for parts and sold at a local auction."

"You're always on top of things."

"Kurtis told me to do it. I cannot take all the credit."

"Of course he did." I sigh. I am going to have to get used to him not being around. Kurtis is always a step or two ahead.

We get to the XNS Head Quarters, take the prototype out, and place it in a briefcase we carried inside. Next, we grab the original case and insert that case into one of our vans outside. Last we send out four identical vans with identical containers that hold weights that measure the same kilograms as the prototype through the garage.

Returning to the office, we rummage through paperwork that has nothing to do with the underground. After a while, I bring out our tracking system on the iPad. Together, Tian and I noticed that one of the vans had been ambushed while the other three appeared fine. Smiling. I get up, head back to the garage attached to the office, take one of our personal vehicles, and head out of Sooyung Hotel. Currently, we don't have a tail, and another van was ambushed.

After reaching the Hotel, we switch our cars one last time and leave out of a separate entrance. Still, no vehicles trailing us, so we head to the Auction house. We are down to one Van. This van is the only one leading to the Yaotián Prefecture; it hasn't been touched. Of course, it hasn't, I think to myself.

After dropping off the prototype with the staff at the Auction House, we begin to head back north when I finally get a response from Danielle.

"If you can, you may want to come back here. Prince Jaidan was injured as well as Lord Aiden."

"I will head over after getting Xie-Yu. What happened?"

"I don't know. I just know they were hurt in an explosion. Xie-Yu is already here. He arrived not long ago."

"Oh, okay. I will be right there. We need to talk." I just need to brave the storm and tell her how it is.

"Okay."

****************

When I arrive, I am immediately taken to the medical ward, where my brother sits beside Aiden's bed and holds his…hand.

"Hey…" I say as I am not sure what to say. I have never seen him in such a state before.

Xie-Yu's eyes are bloodshot, and his lashes are wet. He doesn't look at me, just watches Aiden, his profile expressionless.

"You may not know." He starts. "But...Aiden is my Lover. We've been lovers for 7 years now. It will be 8 in a few months."

"Oh," I say casually, but inside I'm reeling.

What?!?! How did I not know this?! Now everything makes sense. I never understood why he spent so much time down here. I should have guessed it was a relationship. Still though…

"What about Chyou? What about the kids?"

"She knows. We are all in a sort of agreement. It's like this because I promised Chief Kwan a long time ago that I would follow the rules when they were planning your life. Although this works for us, I wish I could have gotten the same deal as Hyun-Ki. Then maybe Aiden wouldn't be lying here on this hospital bed. Maybe then I could hear his voice."

"Maybe… So… What happened?"

"He did his job all too well and took a bullet for his charge. Then, after being bandaged up and carried out, they didn't make it far before the building blew. At least, this is what I am told."

"How? How could they not know it was an ambush?"

"As you mentioned, the prototype is faulty. His team didn't get heat signatures right away. Still, though, why did they go in? I wouldn't have gone in."

"True. We don't know all the details. Who knows if things would have been more drastic if they stayed outside."

"I wish he hadn't taken that bullet." That is all Xie-Yu says.

"Then, Prince Jaidan would have died. Or been heavily injured."

"I'd rather be comforting Aiden than waiting for him to wake up. I don't care who has to die in his place. Even if it's me." He lays his head on his arms at the side of the bed, facing Aiden as Aiden peacefully sleeps.

"Will you go to the meeting?"

"…" Xie-Yu doesn't respond.

Sighing, I leave the room. Wasn't it he who told me to be rational when my loved ones get hurt? Prime example he's setting.