Chapter 60
The next day, Eugene brought Oscar and me back to Crimson Nightclub. We headed to the top floor. When the elevator doors opened, security guards stood in a line. Dennis, the guy who'd kidnapped me before, was among them. His gaze lingered on me for a moment before he led the three of us toward one of the private rooms.
The hallway lights cast a dim yellow glow. The rooms on both sides had no numbers - identical decor throughout. At the end of the corridor, Dennis knocked on the door. The heavy wooden door opened silently.
Eugene wore a smile. "Zach, you're such a busy man. I've sent you countless invitations to the business association and still can't get you to show up."
As soon as we entered, a faint tobacco smell hit us. A man who looked surprisingly young sat on the sofa against the light, holding a thick cigar. He took a slow drag and exhaled a lazy smoke ring.
His voice was low, emotionless: "Eugene, you flatter me. Just been tied up with various matters. Word reached me about the recent incident - regardless of the circumstances, I owe you that courtesy."
Eugene quickly made introductions: "Right, right, let me introduce everyone. This is Zach - low-key, humble, and powerful. His business covers a wide range. This Crimson Nightclub and Silver Haven Hotel are both his properties. He owns countless bars and KTVs - you could say he's the leader of Emerald City's entertainment industry."
Oscar and I exchanged a quiet glance, showing no surprise, just nodding calmly in acknowledgment.
Eugene continued with a smile: "This is Robert's second son. He just got back from Solstice, and as soon as he returned, he secured that piece of land in west Emerald City that everyone had been fighting over for the past six months. He's planning to spend 1.5 billion dollars building a private estate. The higher-ups are giving him major support - definitely a rising star in the business world."
He introduced Oscar while carefully watching Zach's expression. Seeing only a nod and a polite smile, he continued: "This is his fiancée, Emily. She came back from Solstice with him and is also reorganizing the company. They're both pretty busy right now."
He gently stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray, then looked up at me, curiosity crossing his dimly lit face: "So he's from Solstice? I hear that place is crawling with vice - prostitution, gambling, drugs - makes telecom scams look like small-time. Pretty much every business with any clout got its start in the gray market. What line of work are you folks in?"
Oscar slowly sat down across from him: "Isn't that joke a bit discriminatory, Zach?"
I sat down next to Oscar, standing with him: "Your private club looks so pristine - how is it that people are still running prostitution and drugs out of here? No wonder you seem so well-informed about these things. Someone who didn't know better might think you were running illegal operations on the side."
Zach burst out laughing, looking at Eugene: "No wonder they were so aggressive that night, just barging right in with their people. Eugene, I still have to thank you for the introduction. Let's have some water first. We're here to discuss business, not to argue."
Eugene laughed, playing peacemaker: "Right, right, right, we're all friends here. Sometimes you have to clash before you can get along."
I glanced sideways at Zach, noting that shrewd, predatory smile spreading across his features. He'd opened with an obvious power play to intimidate us both, and seeing it fall flat, was now attempting to backpedal. As if it could be that simple.
I got straight to the point: "Everyone's busy, no time to waste on pleasantries. Let's be clear, Zach - at your place, my fiancé was drugged, and someone tried to control his movements. I need an explanation for this."
Zach's smile faded. He leaned back slightly, looking down at us: "Ms. Wilson, don't speak in absolutes. From what I understand, Mr. Lopez was drinking with Mr. Franklin from Urban Planning, Mr. Cook from the tax bureau, and even Eugene. At most, I just provided the venue. As for what happened between them, shouldn't you be asking your fiancé or those three gentlemen? Why are you coming after me?"
I smirked: "But from what I understand, at the end of the drinking session, your lobby manager came over with people to toast. That's when this happened. As for what was in the drinks, do I need to show you the lab results?"
Zach looked at Oscar: "Mr. Lopez, you need to vouch for our club. We only arranged the room. That alcohol was complimentary, meant to reward our VIP guests. Our drinks are clean."
Oscar pulled a voice recorder from his pocket, his usual smile on his face. He looked at Zach calmly: "Zach, is this 'reward' you mentioned, cornering me in the bathroom? Or having your people get physical with my fiancée when they opened the door? We're all business people - let's just be clear about things. Eugene, don't take it personally - I've always had the habit of carrying a voice recorder. It helps me review things better."
Eugene's face visibly darkened. He looked at Zach and gave him a meaningful look.
Zach remained flexible: "You're right, we're all business people. Let's be direct - what do you want?"
Oscar looked at me: "I can let my situation go - I'll blame myself for drinking too much. But how to handle what happened to my fiancée - you'll have to ask her."
Zach turned to me: "What do you think, Ms. Wilson? How should I handle this to satisfy you? Or just name your price, as long as it's not too excessive."
Oscar's recording likely contains highly damaging material - their swift reversal indicates as much. A tactical error driven by impatience. Those operating outside the law require mutually compromising information to ensure loyalty - a balance of power through shared culpability. Their overzealousness in seeking leverage over Oscar led to a strategic miscalculation.
I looked at him sideways, my voice steady: "I don't need money. But if you want to talk about compensation, I'm taking those two security guards who disrespected me at the club that day."
Zach hadn't expected this demand: "The security guards? Ms. Wilson, they were just doing their job. No need to make things difficult for my people over such a small matter, right?"
I looked directly at him: "Sorry, I don't care if it was their job or not. People who disrespect me don't get easy forgiveness. If you aren't sincere, we can just meet in court. Their mistakes need to be punished - either they take responsibility, or your club takes it for them."
I reminded him seriously: "What I have most of is patience. If you think I'm bluffing, then let's wait and see."