Chapter 184: Obtain Fresh Blood

Chapter 184: Obtain Fresh Blood

"Alright, everyone out. I'll handle this myself."

Once his men had left, Laurent wasted no time and dialed Jaxon's number.

The phone rang. Jaxon answered casually.

"Who is this?"

"It's me."

Laurent's voice came through the line. Jaxon's eyes instantly turned cold.

"Well, well. What do you want?"

Jaxon's tone dripped with hostility. Laurent let out a cold laugh.

"I have something your parents left behind years ago. Word is, it's a keepsake they meant for you. Question is—do you even care?"

At those words, Jaxon's voice sharpened.

"What is it?"

"If you want it, come to Kael Industrial Auto Plant. I'll be waiting. Of course, you could always choose not to show—in which case, I'll destroy it for you."

Before Jaxon could respond, Laurent hung up.

Jaxon's face darkened, fury blazing in his eyes.

He knew full well this was likely a trap Laurent had set for him.

But if it involved his parents, he had no choice. He had to go.

……

Half an hour later, Jaxon arrived at the agreed location.

Laurent was already there, waiting.

A cold smirk played on Laurent's lips as he looked at him.

"I've been waiting for you."

Jaxon's expression was hard as stone as he demanded, "Where is it?"

"Easy now. It's right here with me. But whether you get it or not depends on whether you've got what it takes."

"Laurent, I suggest you play smart. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Jaxon's voice was ice. Laurent sneered.

"Cut the crap. You've killed plenty of my men before, and I've been dying to know—just how good are you, really? Today, I want to find out."

"If you can beat me, the item's yours. But if you lose—you die here. Today."

Laurent's arrogance was palpable. Jaxon gave a cold nod.

"Fine. You said it."

The moment Laurent was about to nod back, Jaxon shot forward like a bullet, fist aimed straight at his abdomen.

Laurent's eyes widened. He barely managed to raise his arms in defense.

Even though he reacted as fast as he could, the sheer force behind the blow sent him stumbling back several feet.

By the time he steadied himself, both his arms were numb from the impact.

Laurent shook out his hands, a faint smirk crossing his face.

"Not bad. You really are from the Storm family—you've got some skill."

"You don't deserve to say that name."

Jaxon's voice was frigid, eyes filled with killing intent as he closed in again.

Seeing Jaxon advance, Laurent braced himself.

"Caught me off guard just now. You think you'll get another chance? I'm not losing to you."

Laurent stopped holding back and launched a fierce counterattack.

As the head of The Main Storms, his strength was nothing to scoff at—though he was deliberately hiding his true capability.

His goal today was simple: get Jaxon's blood.

After exchanging blows for a while, Laurent began to pick up on Jaxon's fighting patterns.

This time, as he moved in, he didn't bother hiding. Instead, he deliberately left an opening.

Jaxon seized it immediately, driving a fist into Laurent's abdomen.

A wave of pain shot through Laurent's body. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. But this time, he didn't retreat a single step. Instead, a wicked grin spread across his face.

Seeing that expression, Jaxon's instincts screamed danger. In a flash, Laurent's blade slashed across Jaxon's wrist.

Though Jaxon yanked his arm back instantly, a line of blood appeared on his skin.

His face darkened as he kicked Laurent hard, sending him flying.

"The head of The Main Storms—is this all you've got? Cheap tricks?"

Laurent winced in pain, but his face was full of triumph.

"Got it."

"Jaxon, you're stronger than I expected. But I don't have time to play with you today. Next time we meet, I'll take your life."

As Laurent turned to leave, Jaxon lunged forward.

"Leave it behind!"

Seeing him approach, Laurent sneered and tossed out a wooden box.

"Go get it."

Without thinking, Jaxon changed direction mid-motion.

By the time he grabbed the box, Laurent was already gone.

Jaxon snapped it open—only to find it empty.

Fury twisted his features as he slammed the box onto the ground.

"That bastard—he played me!"

His face was dark with rage, eyes blazing with murderous intent.

He wanted to chase after him, but it was too late. Laurent had already vanished from sight.

Laurent sat in his car and immediately used a specialized tool to extract the blood from his blade.

……

Soon, he was back home. He tossed the vial to one of his men.

"This is Jaxon's blood. Get it to the research team immediately."

Hearing this, his subordinate nodded.

"Understood. I'll handle it right away."

As soon as the man left, Laurent reached his limit.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face pale.

"That guy's strength is terrifying. Looks like I'll have to wait until Prime is complete before I can deal with him."

Before today, he'd thought his men lost to Jaxon because they were useless. Only now did he realize—there was a very good reason they'd been killed.

……

Jaxon had just returned to the villa when Nightshade came back as well.

"General Storm, you asked me to look into something—there's news?"

Hearing this, Jaxon pressed immediately.

"What did you find?"

"According to our intel, The Main Storms' Prime project has reached its final stage. However, based on inside information, they seem to be missing one key component—so they've been stuck."

At those words, Jaxon's expression darkened. His instincts told him one thing:

Laurent's sudden appearance had everything to do with this.

"Find out what's going on. Now."

Seeing Jaxon's serious expression, Nightshade didn't dare delay.

"Understood. I'm on it."

……

Jaxon frowned, his mind racing.

Just then, Audrey's call came through.

"Mr. Storm, we've got a problem. I need your help."

Audrey's voice was urgent. Jaxon blinked, confusion flickering across his face.

"What happened?"

At his question, Audrey quickly explained.

"Gabriel and Michael's men—they were only pretending to submit. They just turned on me. They're seizing my territory as we speak, and they've got the numbers. My people don't stand a chance."

Jaxon's face turned ice-cold.

"So that's how it is. Those bastards played us from the start."

"Pull your people back. Let them have the territory for now. I'll send someone to handle it."

At his words, Audrey nodded. Jaxon ended the call.

Without a word, he sent a message to Nightshade.

[Deal with the situation on Audrey's end.]