438: [Bonus chapter]YES or No

[Bonus chapter]YES or No

Meanwhile…

Dominic went straight to his home office when Heaven went to send her friends off. On his phone screen was a clown logo and after just a minute, a message appeared. 

[Connect to your computer.]

Dominic wasn't so foolish as to listen to whoever was bothering him. His computer had important data and connecting his phone to it might be dangerous. Much to his dismay, as he sat on the swivel chair behind the desk and stared at his phone, the same logo suddenly appeared on the monitor screen of his computer.

[If I want your data, I can get it.]

"Who…" Dominic's face darkened, staring at the huge display on the monitor. 

The lines on his forehead deepened when suddenly, his computer was redirected to a suspicious chat box. The chat log was clean and had no history. It had a black background with a small joker illustration in the upper left corner. 

[Let's talk.] was the first message that appeared in the chat box. 

Dominic didn't react, studying the chatbox and the other members in it.

The username was: Joker :)

"Joker," he whispered, flinching when another message popped up.

[Yes. The one and only.]

'He can hear me?' Dominic panicked, looking around the home office warily. 

Boing.

The chat box produced another weird soft noise, warranting Dominic's attention.

[I can hear you and see you, yes.]

Dominic's face darkened. "Did you… bug my place?"

[No.]

Impossible.

Dominic let out a scoff, looking around the home office. His mind could only think of who infiltrated the old residence and bugged this place. If someone like this man named Joker managed to get in here, that only meant it was not safe.

Boing.

[I don't need to go to your place to see or hear you. Come on, man. We live in a world of technology. As someone as good as me, it's easy to go through everyone's data.]

[Your computer has a camera and built-in mic. Same with your phone, that tablet in the drawer, and every person who has a gadget in your home. Not to mention, the CCTV's placed in your home. This world is all connected, Dominic Zhu. You're a man with a respectable standing. You should know this, at least. If not, then I am disappointed.]

Dominic read those messages at least three times, making sense of the man's message. His lips were drawn into a thin line, closing his eyes and drawing a deep breath. 

'I only heard of this possibility,' he thought, unable to refute the other person's remarks about the world being connected. Considering that Central Intelligence had all sorts of information about a person and how the world of technology evolved, it wouldn't be a surprise someone could do this in the future. 

Future. 

Yes. According to some reliable people whom Dominic knew, the possibility was high. However, it might not happen now. It seemed they were all wrong, though. A person, talented enough, broke through the possibility and proved it wasn't just a mere probability. 

"What do you want?" Dominic inquired as he slowly reopened his sharp eyes. "I don't need to type to talk to you, do I? You can see and hear me."

Boing.

[This is unfair. Tsk. How can you talk while I type?]

Dominic still had his brows slightly furrowed, reading the tone of voice in the chat. "Why not show your face? In that case, it's fair for both of us… if fairness is truly what you seek. Because if someone is at a disadvantage here, that'll be me."

"You can see and hear me. You know my face and what I'm doing, but I don't know you," he continued, staring at the built-in camera on his computer. "Compared to this, your dilemma is shallow."

[...]

[Make sense.]

*Nodding emote*

On the screen, the other person sent a sticker of a nodding clown, but Dominic didn't lower his guard. He received all sorts of death threats in the past, but nothing alarmed him more than this person. This man called Joker was dangerous. If Joker was able to infiltrate his computer, then that meant he could get all the top secrets of the LYON Group if he so pleased. 

What was stopping him?

'That's right…'Dominic leaned back, displaying a calm front as he kept a clear mind. 'If this man wants to mess with the LYON Group, then he would've done so. He could've leaked a few information or manipulated the stocks, but no. He's here to chat… or negotiate… perhaps?'

"Enough with the introduction, Mr. Joker." Dominic lifted his chin, treating this as an important meeting that needed his undivided attention to succeed. "Why don't we go down to business?"

He glanced at the screen. There was no reply, nor could he see Joker typing. 

"You said, 'Welcome to the circus,'" Dominic recalled, dawdling his words as he considered his next words. "What do you mean by that?"

A moment of silence descended on the home office as Dominic kept his gaze on the monitor. Joker was quiet and hadn't typed until several seconds had passed. 

BOING.

[It means I'm inviting you.]

[Duh?]

"Inviting me… where?" Dominic narrowed his eyes, ignoring the man's side comment. "What is this circus, and why am I honored to have such an invitation?"

[Simple.]

[You are Dominic Zhu.]

"That's quite vague." The corner of Dominic's lips curved down. "If you know I am Dominic Zhu, then I suppose you already know I don't accept every invitation I receive."

[True, but you're also someone who wouldn't let someone so godly-talented as me go to waste.]

Joker sent another emote, and this time, it was a giggling clown. Meanwhile, Dominic remained quiet while tapping his fingers against the armrest. 

"That's true," Dominic admitted, rocking his head. 

[Let me in your team, Dominic Zhu.]

His brow arched at the next message that popped up on the chat box, not expecting that message to come up. Dominic thought it was important to make this talented person his ally instead of his adversary, and was strategizing how to do so. But Joker brought it up himself.

"You want to be on my team?" Despite that, Dominic couldn't agree immediately. "Why? What will you get if you join my team?"

[Someone.]

[My enemy's enemy is my friend. I've been after someone, but that motherfucker is elusive. However, he just keeps popping around you. So I thought, instead of chasing after him, why not chase the person he's after?]

[Dominic Zhu, I don't care about you and your business. However, someone is after your head. Coincidentally, this person who wants your head is someone I am passionate about getting my hands on.]

[What do you say? I'm not asking for any price. All I want is for you to surrender this person to me so I can skin him alive.]

[So?]

After that sentence, a big option that had a green and red box appeared in the chat box.1

[YES] or [NO]

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