Chapter 31 Sacrifice
Jonathan grinned before he stood up and left.
In Empiric Corporation, the couch in Cyclops’ office was wet from the sex Cyclops and Jane had just had.
Jane stayed still while Cyclops remained silent.
He just needed a release, and Jane was the perfect outlet.
Randy’s body had already been cremated. Not a single trace was left behind.
He had signed a liability waiver form before his death. According to the rules of the martial arts world, his funeral had to be simple and low-key. Furthermore, the disciples of Strikezone Martial Arts had to bear the humiliation. So, it was even more inappropriate to announce Randy’s death.
That afternoon, Randy’s urn had been buried in Horington’s Sanctity Columbarium.
At the same time, news of Randy’s death shook the first-generation disciples of Strikezone Martial Arts.
Randy was a star amongst the second-generation disciples.
News of the matter was not widely spread, yet it managed to reach the ears of one of the first-generation disciples.
His name was Leonardo Young, the eldest of the first-generation disciples. Leonardo was thirty that year, just one year younger than Randy. Leonardo was from an influential family in Yaleview, and had the power to match. His privilege offered him seniority as a disciple. His cultivation was also at a high level. Yet, no one from the outside could gauge exactly how powerful he was.
Now, Leonardo had set up his own business. He founded Young Corporation in Jipsdale. Young Corporation monopolized the rights of transportation at the port by Wyvern River. The company could earn a yearly profit of up to six hundred million from that alone. Additionally, Young Corporation also dabbled in the automotive industry. They also dealt with the smuggling of foreign cars. The six hundred million was the profit they could earn on the surface. In actual fact, the company earned 1.8 billion from smuggling activities.
The company had already built a large business empire. Many of the first-generation disciples were in Young Corporation.
Since Young Corporation had employed many elite fighters, no one from the underworld dared to set their eyes on the company.
In regards to the government, Young Corporation always handled its accounts perfectly. All aspects were well-managed, so they had always gone on smoothly without a hitch.
Strikezone Martial Arts had a stellar reputation. Even big shots were wary of the disciples’ influence. They were basically in the same boat as Young Corporation. The disciples’ power of intimidation would diminish if they couldn’t do anything after their comrade, Randy, had been beaten to death.
This was what Leonardo, the founder of Young Corporation, couldn’t accept.
Even so, Leonardo couldn’t openly provoke Jonathan. News of the liability waiver form had made its rounds. Honor was the most important virtue in the martial arts world. If the disciples of Strikezone Martial Arts acted recklessly, it would take a toll on their honor. In the end, Strikezone Martial Arts would lose the trust of others.
If things got to that point, even the elders of Strikezone Martial Arts would come forward and hold them accountable.
So now, Leonardo and the other disciples were faced with a dilemma. Leonardo was furious with Cyclops, but there was no point in blaming him either. Despite his busy schedule, he called Cyclops.
Cyclops picked up Leonardo’s call right after his intimate session with Jane on the couch. “Who are you?” Cyclops asked in an unfriendly tone as he answered the phone.
“My name is Leonardo Young,” answered Leonardo coldly.
Cyclops’ eyes widened in shock as he stuttered, “M-Master Young!”
Leonardo drew in a sharp breath and said, “I know what you did. Because of your recklessness, Randy died. I’ll deal with you later.”
Fear overcame Cyclops. He pleaded, “I’m sorry, Master Young! Punish me any way you see fit.”
Leonardo instructed, “Do not leave Horington for now.”
Cyclops said, “But the bet…”
Leonardo asked, “The bet states that you have to leave Horington, right?”
“Yes,” answered Cyclops, confused.
Leonardo said, “Don’t leave Horington. If Jonathan bothers you or hurts you in any way, he would be challenging our dignity as disciples of Strikezone Martial Arts as well. That would give us reason to take action against him. Similarly, you broke the terms of the bet. So, I’ll have to kick you out of Strikezone Martial Arts’ circle of disciples as punishment.”
“Master Young, I… “Cyclops shuddered at Leonardo’s words. He understood how diabolical Leonardo’s ploy was. His plan would leave the people of the martial world speechless, and do Jonathan in. This is obviously a perfect plan. The only problem is that I have to sacrifice myself.
In a cold tone, Leonardo said, “After that, come to Young Corporation. By then, I will have you set for life.”
Cyclops knew he couldn’t reject Leonardo’s plan, or else he would have to face his wrath. Furthermore, he had to take responsibility for his actions.
He immediately said, “Okay. I’ll do whatever you say, Master Young.” After a small pause, he asked, “What if Jonathan doesn’t make a move against me?” And what if he tries to kill me?
Leonardo explained, “It’s clear that he would never kill anyone that hadn’t signed a liability waiver form.” There was a pause before Leonardo continued, “However, it will be a problem if he doesn’t make a move. How about this? You provoke him. We can’t let this drag on for too long. Do you understand? Otherwise, this won’t do our reputation any good.”
Cyclops replied, “I understand, Master Young.”
After Cyclops hung up, Jane, who was next to him, asked, “What’s going on?”
Cyclops’ eyes flickered as he said, “Master Young is mad at Jonathan. Don’t worry. Jonathan won’t be living for long. Jane, I’ll have to leave Horington after all this is over. What are you going to do then?”
Jane turned pale. For years, she had been messing around with Eddison from Empiric Corporation and rose through the ranks as his mistress. Then, after Eddison lost interest in her, she turned to Cyclops.
Naturally, Eddison was infuriated by this. However, it concerned Cyclops, so he chose to turn a blind eye. Cyclops was King of Guards, but that wasn’t the scariest part. Strikezone Martial Arts had Cyclops’ back. Not even Dragon King would risk offending Cyclops just because of a mistress.
Jane had been living a carefree life of success because of Cyclops. By making a move on Yasmin, she had bitten more than she could chew. Jane had no idea what was coming for them. If Cyclops left Horington, she would lose her protection. Yasmin would never let her off the hook.
“I’ll go with you,” answered Jane immediately.
Cyclops couldn’t help but feel touched. “Okay.”
After Yasmin got off work, Jonathan brought her back to her mansion in his AMC Gremlin. Yasmin wasn’t picky about her ride. She got in the car. Soon, they arrived at Maple Villa District. Yasmin said, “I’ll give you an extra five thousand monthly for the fuel.”
Yasmin’s offer brought joy to Jonathan’s face. He responded, “That’d be great.”
Grinning, Yasmin warned him, “If you’re late again tomorrow morning, you won’t get anything.”
