582: [Bonus chapter] A hero

[Bonus chapter] A hero

The moment the most gruesome photo appeared and showed the man's face, Dominic's pupils dilated. No matter how swollen the man's face was, and that blood covered everything, he would never mistake his brother. He practically raised his little brother all his life and even until now that he had a family of his own, Axel still lived with him.  1

Now that Dominic thought about it, Axel still hadn't arrived. That man was always present at the company's anniversary, not just as the second young master of the Zhu family, but as the president of the company's subsidiary. Though sometimes he was late, he should be here already. 

"Hahaha!" The deep voice let out a laugh as if he could see Dominic's blank expression. "I see many of you are wondering who this man was, except one. But since I don't like keeping people in the dark, I'll tell you this man right here is someone many of you know."

"He is the second young master of the Zhu family, the beloved second young master Axel Zhu."

The crowd gasped, and some covered their mouths. For a moment, the majority of the crowd wondered if they heard it correctly. This wasn't Axel Zhu, right? They misheard it, for sure. Others, however, chose to close their eyes the moment they caught a glimpse of the third photo. They focused on praying for their safety or trying to contact the police. But alas, for some reason, there was no reception in the venue. 

How was that possible?!

Many people in the venue looked around for help. Since there were many distinguished guests, for sure, they brought their security teams with them. But alas, most of the men wearing the server suits had their guns on the marshals in the venue. 

"Dominic Zhu, do not worry," the voice cajoled. "Even I am surprised at how fierce your little brother can be. He always acts like a spoiled brat, but it surprised me how he didn't grovel to beg for his life. Instead, he fought pridefully even until he was thrown into the pool of acid. Surely, he is a Zhu."

Dominic balled his hands into a tight fist as his jaw clenched. His eyes were still wide, barely blinking as he kept his gaze on the line on the screen. 

"He kept saying, my brother will kill you all. My sister will save me, my grandma bla bla bla — how hilarious! I almost shed tears while I was watching him trying to jump out of the tank like a frog in boiling water!" the voice continued heartily. "Dominic Zhu, do you want me to play the clip so you'd know what I'm talking about?"

Everyone sitting around Dominic slowly shifted their eyes to him. All of them were respected figures and if they died here, it would affect the country. Therefore, none of them reacted rashly the moment they figured they were in a dangerous situation. 

"CEO Zhu…" the senator called with a grim face. "I will not forgive you if I die here. I just told my daughter I'd bring her some snacks on my way home."

"There's no need." Dominic drew a deep breath as he closed his eyes, squashing down the anger in his heart. When he lifted his head, he set his eyes on the stage. He couldn't help but glance at the photo on the screen, making him swallow down the tension in his throat. 

"That photo alone is enough for me to recognize my brother." He slowly rose to his seat. "What do you want, No One?"

"Heh. So you finally figured out who I am, huh?"

"After what you pulled off that night, I was determined to find you."

"Well, I was sadly admitted somewhere. I lost an arm!!" the voice was still deep, though somehow, it sounded light. "But anyway, hmm… I actually lost interest, so I didn't think much of what I wanted. But if I think of my original plan before that incident, then I want you, Dominic Zhu."

Dominic's fist trembled. "Then take me," he breathed out through his gritted teeth. "I'll go with you on one condition."

"Let everyone in here get out of this place alive," he continued, raising his voice in case the person couldn't hear him properly. "Only when I know they are safe, will I go to you without a fight. But if I heard someone got hurt in the process, then you might not just lose another arm tonight."

A moment of silence befell the function hall, all eyes on the man standing in the front near the stage. Because of the pin-dropped silence, even those in the back of this huge venue heard Dominic's remarks loud and clear. 

"CEO Zhu…" called someone in the crowd, covering her lips, moved to tears at this great sacrifice their big boss was making. If this was someone else, they would've already fled to save their own skin. But their big boss was different. 

Despite the fact that his brother's death was announced and that the person who murdered the second young master even had the gall to show proof of the gruesome murder, Dominic still had to suppress his emotions to make a level-headed decision. 

"Did you hear me, No One?" Dominic huffed as he slowly turned on his heel to face everyone. "I know you're in here. Let my people out of this place alive, and I'm yours."

"Heh." The voice let out a short snicker. "So heroic. Just as I expected from someone like you, Dominic Zhu. Fine. I'll let everyone else go, except you and a few people."

As the voice negotiated with Dominic, Bear remained standing in the corner. He looked to his left and then to his right. Two people stood on either side of him, aiming their guns at him. And yet, Bear was unfazed as he maintained his poise, arms folded underneath his chest. 

Meanwhile, Tiger shook the lighter and tried to light up the cigarette clipped in between his lips. Just like Bear, four people were surrounding him with their guns aimed at him. 

"What are you doing?" Ivy, who was frozen on the spot, tugged the hem of his clothes. Because she was with him when the lights went out, she, unfortunately, got herself stuck under these guns that surrounded Tiger that same second.

"Miss Wei." Tiger drew a long drag and puffed it in the air. He snapped his eyes languidly at the people around them before setting his eyes back to the woman beside him. 

The side of his lips curled up into a reassuring smile, trying to ease the nervousness in her heart. "It's okay. You won't die tonight," he said, pushing her shoulder a bit as he faced the man who had him at gunpoint. 

"Before you kill me, can you take her away? Your boss said he'll let everyone go except my employer and a few people, including me." His voice bore the same arrogance as if this situation didn't scare him a bit. He even had the leisure to take another long drag as he added, "Also, she said she liked her dress so much. She'll definitely cry if it gets ruined."

pqdm.com