Chapter 104: 1031 - 1040

Chapter 1031 - Mother Is Coming

In the end, Romeo Young's persuasion and Jin Jiali's insistence made Jin Chenggong agree to provide the first level of assistance to Rose Young and what seemed to the two older men a ragtag team of amateurs.

"I appreciate your help, Brother Chenggong," Romeo said. "Don't worry. I also have my own arrangements but the people I called need more time to arrive."

Jin Chenggong sighed. "If only Rose told us about her plan sooner, then we could've devised a better plan than this. I'm always telling you that Jin Liwei has never been an easy opponent to deal with. He'll never fall for such an amateurish plan like this."

"I don't care about my daughter's plan succeeding at all. To be honest with you, I'm also upset with her impulsiveness. I repeatedly reminded her to lie low for a while after her debacle earlier this week. However, she's still my daughter and I know how in love she is with Jin Liwei. I'll allow her to execute her plan tonight so that she could purge her frustrations about what happened to her a few days ago from her system. Our goal tonight is to rescue Rose and take her far away as soon as she finishes her plan regardless of whether it succeeds or not."

"I understand, Brother Romeo."

They talked a bit more. Romeo Young hinted to Jin Chenggong that nothing bad would happen to any of them tonight because of the mysterious backer that was supporting the Young family in their quest to seize Jin Corporation by force.

Jin Chenggong was moved, not only because of his desire for revenge, but also because he wanted a piece of the gigantic pie. Even just a small share of Jin Corporation was already enough to provide anyone a guaranteed life of luxury and prestige in the business world. In addition, he felt that he had more claim to Jin Corporation than the Youngs because of his blood relations to one of the founders, Jin Liwei's grandfather, who built the company with Sir Lu Jianhong.

He couldn't express this to Romeo Young, however, because he was afraid of the Youngs' mysterious backer. Although he didn't know anything about the person at all, he was still aware of how powerful he or she was just based on how the Youngs quickly rose and continued to prosper in Singapore and how they already basically took over the Jin Corporation branch there. The Singaporean branch was already filled with people loyal to the Young family only.

After talking to Romeo Young, Jin Chenggong immediately made other phone calls to fulfill his end of the bargain for tonight. Then he took his coat and car key, intending to go somewhere. Jin Jiali wanted to go with him but he refused. His daughter was still complaining as he left the house in a hurry.

###

Jin Liwei was dining with the other executives in a private room inside the five-star hotel restaurant. His long-time assistant was also sitting and eating beside him but suddenly excused himself out of the room after receiving a message on his phone. About a couple of minutes later, Xu Tian returned and whispered something to Jin Liwei's ear.

After hearing what Xu Tian said, Jin Liwei frowned but quickly smoothed out his expression. Nobody else noticed his quick change of expression. "Excuse me. I need to take a phone call. Continue with your dinner."

"No problem, President."

"Please take your time, sir."

Jin Liwei and Xu Tian both left and met up with the two leaders of his security team tonight. One was his direct subordinate, a long-time security expert who worked for him since he became the President-CEO of Jin Corporation, while the other one was the captain of the people his brother-in-law sent from Shadow Winds.

They left the restaurant and found a rather empty seating area in the hotel to talk. His subordinate handed him and Xu Tian an earpiece each to wear so that they could all communicate in a single channel.

"Is it true?" Jin Liwei asked in a grave voice. "Rose Young is here at the hotel?"

The captain from Shadow Winds nodded and told him about the current situation. Jin Liwei's already grim expression frosted over after hearing what Rose Young was up to at this moment.

"Young Miss Ketchup confirmed our suspicions with concrete electronic records of phone conversations and messages sent within a small group of people including Rose Young's friend called Jenny Tseng, a girl called Jin Jiali, and six males in their early twenties. One male is a confirmed maternal second cousin of Rose Young."

"Jin Jiali?!" Jin Liwei's nostrils flared and his eyes flashed with fury.

Great. So that branch family still continued to make trouble despite being disowned from the clan.

"Sir, my apologies for being careless in booking tonight's dinner at this restaurant," Xu Tian said. "I wasn't aware that Rose Young followed you all the way here."

"Ketchup is sorry too, Daddy," a familiar adorable child's voice said in the group's earpieces. "The cute but sometimes not so mighty Ketchup only found out that the poopoo-headed woman and her evil gang got themselves disposable prepaid phones to communicate, so I wasn't aware of their plan tonight until I hacked into their new phones. Meow."

"You already did a good job in finding out their plan before it's too late."

"Thanks, Daddy! The electronic records Ketchup gathered are still incomplete but I'm already cooperating with Daddy's security team to find out more. Meow!"

"Good."

Then a new child's voice interrupted the earpiece channel. "Father, Mother is coming."

Jin Liwei's expression twisted in alarm. "What?! Tell your mom not to come!"

"Understood, Father," Bacon replied.

Five seconds later, Jin Liwei's phone rang. He answered it in a hurry.

"Love, don't come here," he blurted out without even greeting his wife.

Iris was unhappy. "Why? I feel good tonight. I wanted to surprise you, but here you are telling me not to come."

Jin Liwei took a few deep breaths to calm himself down so that he could speak to his wife properly. Then he told her about Ketchup and his security team's findings.

"Oh? Rose Young is planning on doing something to you tonight?"

To his surprise, she didn't sound upset but was rather curious instead, even amused. There was, however, also a hint of coldness in her lovely voice.

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Chapter 1032 - Confused Prince Lin Lin

A dramatic, furious gasp was heard on the other end of the line. Then Dom's voice exclaimed, "What?! That Rafflesia No-boobie Arnoldii is still targeting sir boss after everything that happened?! Shameless! Just watch me, boss. I'll pull all her hair out until she's bald and wipe the floor with her ugly face when I see her! How dare she target a married man?! Immoral people like her is a scourge to civilized society!"

"Damn! Rose Young is that audacious? It seems like what happened to her this week has made her desperate."

Jin Liwei frowned when he heard the unexpected but familiar male voice interrupting his phone conversation with his wife. "My brother is with you?"

"Yes," Iris replied. "We all came from Orchidia Beauty. When Dom and I were about to leave and Brother Chonglin heard where we're headed, he said that he wanted to join us for dinner with the other executives of your company. Xu Tian mentioned earlier that I can bring an extra person in addition to Dom, so I agreed to let Brother Chonglin come along with us."

"That's right!" Jin Chonglin interjected. "I'm starving, Big Bro, so let me come, okay?"

Jin Liwei pressed his lips into a thin line. "You still have the appetite for food after hearing about the danger here at the hotel tonight? There's no way that I'm allowing my wife and my brother to come here in this kind of situation. Don't forget that both of you are high-profile celebrities who're still being featured in the headlines even at this moment after all that happened in the past few days. The two of you will definitely draw too much attention.

"Your presence will then alarm Rose Young and her accomplices and might make them do unpredictable things. I can't afford to take that risk with my wife. You know about her current condition.

"So go back home where it's safe. My security team and I will be enough to deal with Rose Young's group." His tone brooked no argument.

"You heard my Big Bro, Sister Xiulan," Jin Chonglin said. "Let's go. My brother will take care of everything."

"Before you go, please drop me off near the hotel, boss!" Dom declared all of a sudden. "My blood is boiling so much that my foundation is starting to melt! I need to see that homewrecking desperada with my own eyes. And I don't care if it destroys my French manicure but I'll scratch her face off! It's at times like this that I wish I have the holy water that my Momsy packed in my luggage before I came to this country, so that I could douse the evil out of that woman! Humanity will surely thank me later!"

"Go, Uncle Dom! The cute and mighty Ketchup will support you with my mighty paws of justice! Ketchup is also super-duper angry right now! How dare that poopoo-headed woman try to steal my daddy from my mommy and our happy family?! Grrr! Mreow!"

"Let's go, Baby Ketchup! Prepare to battle!"

"Yes, Uncle Dom! The cute and mighty Ketchup is ready! Meow!"

Jin Liwei felt his head starting to ache while listening to the two chatterboxes' impassioned speeches. "Dominic, go back with my wife and brother. Make sure that they get home safely."

"But sir boss!"

"Aaaw, Daddy! Meow!"

"Don't come here. I need you all to go back where I know you'll be safe. Leave everything to me here." Jin Liwei's mind was already made up.

Both Dom and Ketchup continued to make whining noises but otherwise didn't continue protesting against Jin Liwei's decision.

"Go park near the hotel," Iris instructed the driver.

Jin Liwei's expression turned ugly. "Eve—Xiulan! What are you doing? You're going home right now. Don't forget about your condition!"

She ignored him. "Dom, give me my laptop. Ketchup, show me the findings you have so far regarding Rose Young's plan tonight."

"Here's your laptop, boss!"

"Aye aye, Mommy! Meow~"

"Xiulan, love, please listen to me...." Jin Liwei had to stop because he could sense that his wife was already absorbed with her laptop.

Worry gripped his heart, squeezing it so tightly that he almost found it hard to breathe. He wasn't worried about himself at all but about his wife instead. She was pregnant and only in her first trimester. They had to be extra careful because this was the crucial period in pregnant women.

"Whoa, what the hell?! What's going on here? Who's Ketchup? Why is this child calling you Mommy and Daddy? She also keeps on meowing. Weird. Wait a minute. I remember that Ketchup is the name of one of your cats! Huh? HUH?!!"

Jin Chonglin's confusion was clear to everyone but nobody took the time to explain things to him. They were all preoccupied by the current potentially dangerous situation so Jin Chonglin's questions seemed trivial to them at the moment.

"And holy shit! Sister Xiulan, look at those fingers flying over the keyboard. Whoa! Are you hacking?! So cool! Wait, are you a computer expert or something?!"

It wasn't that Iris was ignoring him. She was just too absorbed with what she was doing on her laptop that she couldn't hear him properly. This didn't take too long, however.

"I see," she muttered. "So that's how it is. Bacon, contact your Uncle Zihao and tell him to get Shadow Winds to assist your dad and provide back-up security."

"Mother, Bacon is still grounded."

"Darling."

Jin Liwei sighed while massaging his temples. "Alright. Bacon, you're not grounded anymore but only until we resolve tonight's matter."

"Bacon thanks Father. I will now follow Mother's instruction and go to Uncle Zihao."

Then the polite child's voice disappeared.

"Huh? Bacon? Another child is calling you Mother and Father? I also remember that you have a new cat named Bacon. Is this...huh?! I've only ever met Ice Cream and Popcorn but never Ketchup and Bacon. Don't tell me that your two youngest cat children can freaking talk?! Are you kidding me? Is this a prank?! Are there hidden cameras filming me right now?!"

Jin Liwei's head started to hurt more. "Chonglin, just stop talking for now, alright?"

"Yeah, Prince Lin Lin!" Dom said. "Even a loudmouth like me knows how to keep quiet when the boss and sir boss are talking about something serious."

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Chapter 1033 - Carrying The Next Generation Of Jins

"Dominic Chua, you sure don't think highly of this superstar prince, do you?" Jin Chonglin said in a grumpy voice.

"Ehehehe. What do you mean, Prince Lin Lin? My pure maiden heart always starts skipping a beat and racing like a demented stallion on sugar high whenever I watch your exciting performances. Such a handsome, sexy and talented musician like you is someone worthy of respect, so of course my beautiful and gorgeous self think highly of you."

Jin Chonglin chuckled, clearly smug. "I'll accept your admiration since you're so genuine."

"But of course, my boss is still the number one musician in my heart and my soul. Don't worry though, Prince Lin Lin. You're still in second place. Nobody can take it away from you unless boss and sir boss' babies decide to become musicians in the future as well. Ehehehe."

"Ketchup super-duper agrees with Uncle Dom! He's one million percent correct! Mommy is the bestest musician ever in the whole wide world—no in the whole wide universe and beyond! Right, Daddy? Meow~"

Jin Liwei's troubled expression softened at the mention of his wife and the chance to compliment her. "En. Your mom is the best. No doubt about it."

A sulky Jin Chonglin started muttering some half-hearted complaints under his breath but Jin Liwei ignored him. There was a far more serious situation that he had to handle right at this moment. Dealing with his bewildered younger brother wasn't on his priority list.

He tried persuading his wife again to go home where it was guaranteed to be safe and sound but Iris remained adamant in staying near the hotel's vicinity. It was at times like these that he wished she wasn't so strong-minded, although it was one of the traits that he loved about her. However, he had no intention of giving in to her stubborn idea this time and risk her safety and that of their twin babies.

"Father, Bacon is back," his AI son interrupted. "Uncle Zihao wants to speak with you."

Jin Liwei immediately accepted his brother-in-law's call, not noticing the relief flooding within him. After quickly speaking with each other, the two men banded together to persuade Iris to go home.

###

An irritated Iris hung up on her husband and older brother in a huff.

"Overprotective cavemen!"

She punched Little Liwei's cute, fluffy face a couple of times before pulling the huge teddy bear in a suffocating hug, strangling the poor thing while furiously inhaling her husband's scent from the shirt it was wearing.

Jin Liwei's scent calmed her a little but it wasn't enough to completely remove her current frustration. She understood her husband and older brother's concerns about her safety. Yes, she truly did.

But how could she just leave and go home at this time while knowing that an obsessive woman had a sinister plot to entrap her own husband tonight? Why couldn't the two men understand that as much as they were protective of her, she also felt protective of them?

Her pregnancy might be limiting what she could do to help them during this time but that didn't mean that they should treat her like a disabled person! She could still function like normal. It was only her energy that was lacking. Frustration once again flooded her at the thought of being forced into the sidelines by her husband and older brother, causing her to crush the poor teddy bear in her arms.

"Sister Xiulan, Big Bro is right," Jin Chonglin interrupted her increasingly volatile thoughts. "Let's go home, alright?"

She glared at him. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]

He raised both arms in mock surrender but his expression was serious. "I think that it's best to listen to my brother this time. Rose Young's current behaviour is reminding me so much of what I experienced with...uh, I don't really want to remember those horrible memories but..." He sighed, rubbing his face and running his fingers through his hair. "Rose Yong is reminding me of what I experienced with...with Fan Luo back then."

Iris froze.

"Obsessive people like them can't be reasoned with properly. They can also be extremely dangerous. Just remember the extent of what Fan Luo and her family did back then to us and you'll know what I mean."

She frowned but didn't say anything, her expression showing that she was thinking about what he said.

"I'm just saying that it's not safe for a pregnant woman like you to stay here in what looks like a dangerous situation. Rose Young might be an obsessed madwoman just like Fan Luo. It's better to be safe and sorry." Jin Chonglin's gaze dropped to her flat stomach. "Remember that you're carrying the next generation of Jins. Even if you don't care about yourself, you should think of my baby niece or nephew's safety. I'm with my Big Bro in this one."

She glared at him once again but it wasn't as vicious as before. Her hands subconsciously went to touch her stomach and started rubbing it. She turned her head away from her brother-in-law because his words hit her where it hurt.

Was she wrong?

Were they right?

Was it really the best to leave and go home while her husband faced the current potentially dangerous situation by himself?

Her eyes dimmed but it only lasted for a couple of seconds before they flashed again with determination.

No!

During their wedding vows, she said that Jin Liwei was her other half. Meaning, they swore to be partners in life. She couldn't just let him face this kind of danger alone. She wanted to be there for him—no, she needed to be there with him. If their roles were reversed, Jin Liwei would surely be there with her regardless of her protests.

"Uhm, boss..." a hesitant Dom interrupted. "Shall we head home now?"

"Yeah, let's go," Jin Chonglin said and gestured for the driver to go.

The driver, however, hesitated and didn't obey Jin Chonglin, waiting for his lady boss' instruction instead.

Iris already made up her mind. "No, we're not going home. Continue to the hotel."

"What the hell, Long Xiulan?! Didn't you hear what I said?! How can you be so hardheaded?! Dammit! If something bad happens to you or my brother's baby growing in your stomach under my watch, it's not only my big bro who's going to kill me! Grandma Li and my mom will beat me up! And Grandpa Lu who has been pining for a great-grandchild for so long will skin me alive! Ah, this is so frustrating!"

"Uncle Lin Lin, don't forget about Uncle Haohao!" Ketchup's adorable child voice chimed in. "Uncle Haohao is also super-duper to the highest level protective of Mommy just like my daddy! If Uncle Lin Lin lets Mommy be harmed tonight, Uncle Haohao will surely clobber you too! Oooooh, so scary~ Poor Uncle Lin Lin! Ketchup will light a virtual candle for you in advance. Meow~"

The dashboard monitor showed a white candle with Jin Chonglin's name written on it being lit up while a fluffy, white cat smiled brightly, her expression looking so much like Iris.

"T-this kitten...." Jin Chonglin stammered, his face twisting in bewilderment.

The white cat's smile grew wider, her green eyes glowing like emeralds. "It has been a long time coming but it's better to be late than never. Nice to meet ya, Uncle Lin Lin! I am your super-duper to the highest level cute and mighty kitty niece Jin Ketchup, English name Kitty Jin, wielding the powerful paws of justice to defend our happy family from hateful poopoo-heads like that Rafflesia Rose Young Arnoldii!

"If Uncle Lin Lin needs help in any way, feel free to hire from Ketchup's own company called White Tigress Virtual Assistant Services! You are my uncle so Ketchup will give you a family discount! Meow~"

Jin Chonglin blinked, not knowing what to say.

"Oh, Bacooooooon~ Come here for a sec and introduce yourself to our Uncle Lin Lin! Meow~"

A stoic black cat with glowing golden eyes appeared beside a smiling Ketchup.

"Greetings, Uncle Chonglin. My name is Jin Bacon, English name Panther Jin. I don't have my own company but I currently work as a freelancer for Uncle Zihao and will soon sign an employment contract as a part-time virtual assistant at Big Sister Ketchup's company. Bacon is open to accepting new clients so if you're looking to hire me, rest assured that I am very professional like my parents and a highly efficient worker as long as you pay me properly. Unlike Big Sister Ketchup, I do not give out family discounts but I guarantee that my productivity increases with every bonus and salary raise that you give me.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Bacon is technically still grounded with some special exceptions to the rule. Uncle Chonglin needs to wait until Father announces the official end of my punishment."

The speechless Jin Chonglin continued to stare at the white and black virtual cat siblings on the dashboard monitor. His mouth opened and closed several times but no words came out. All he could do was goggle at the unbelievable sight before him.

Iris and Dom watched all this happening without saying anything. Dom was giggling quietly at Ketchup and Bacon's attempt to promote their professional skills to Jin Chonglin.

While hugging Little Liwei, Iris allowed her AI cat children to introduce themselves to their paternal uncle, not at all concerned at Jin Chonglin's bewildered state.

Although Jin Chonglin might seem frivolous, he was actually a very discrete person. He was able to reach his superstar status by learning to choose which information to share to the public and which ones to keep private. In addition, he respected his older brother Jin Liwei a lot, so Iris didn't worry too much about Jin Chonglin divulging the existence of Ketchup and Bacon, two very highly-advanced and sophisticated AI beings.

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Chapter 1034 - Familiar Forbidding Aura

Despite her confidence in her brother-in-law, Iris still made Jin Chonglin swear to keep the existence of both Ketchup and Bacon a top secret. Although the continued confusion made Jin Chonglin's mind whirl, he still agreed and swore on the spot to not tell anyone about his incredible cat AI niece and nephew.

His IQ might not be as high as his older brother Jin Liwei but he was still smart enough to figure out on his own about the implications of having not one but two revolutionary AI beings. Humans weren't all the same. There were some people in the world who were greedy enough to do just about anything, including cold-blooded brutality and even murder, just to possess this kind of ground-breaking technology.

Upon realizing this, a chill went up his spine. His eyes almost bulged out of their sockets as he stared at Ketchup and Bacon with great worry.

"D-damn!" He turned to Iris while pointing at the two AI cats on the dashboard monitor. "Are you crazy?! Why would you show them to me?! This kind of technology is something great nations and powerful international organizations will fight over! What if they're discovered?! What if someone kidnaps me and tortures the information out of me?! I'm telling you now, Long Xiulan! I hate pain! I'm not strong enough to keep such a dangerous secret under great duress!"

Iris sighed. "Exposing Ketchup and Bacon's existence to you tonight was an accident. We weren't planning on letting you or the others outside our household know about them. Ever. Your brother and I will compensate you and provide you with better security. Don't worry about it."

But Jin Chonglin continued to worry. It wasn't just worry but also fear that started to overwhelm him. "Better security? Is that enough?! What if some powerful greedy bastard hires the triad or mafia or someone dangerous like that?!"

"Brother Chonglin, let's talk about this another time." Iris sighed once again, her head starting to throb at her brother-in-law's complaints. "I have other far more important thing to worry about than your situation right now. My husband is being targeted by an obsessed woman. As Jin Liwei's wife, I need to make sure that he's safe from any danger."

Jin Chonglin remembered the current situation, so although he still wanted to talk about the AI cats and the danger of knowing about their existence might bring him, he restrained himself. For now, at least.

"Fine."

Iris was relieved but didn't relax as she received a notification on her laptop. She once again became absorbed with her computer. Bacon also left to assist Shadow Winds for tonight's mission. Ketchup's image remained on the dashboard monitor, her cute and fluffy self chasing a virtual butterfly, but her uncharacteristic silence signified that she was also busy providing much-needed support to her father at the hotel.

"Boss, we're here," Dom announced.

Iris looked up even as her fingers continued their swift typing on the keyboard. Indeed, they could see the five-star hotel towering up ahead. The driver then parked in front of a nearby retail boutique that was closed for the night.

"What's the plan, boss?" Dom asked.

Before Iris could reply, Jin Chonglin scowled at Dom. "What do you mean what's the plan? There's no plan! She's pregnant so we should stay here in the vehicle where it's safe since you don't want to go home. Let Big Bro and his bodyguards deal with Rose Young. Oh, we should also contact the police. Yes, that's what we should do. Let the experts do their thing. That's the plan that we should follow!"

"No, we can't call the police. Absolutely not!"

Jin Chonglin's eyes almost popped out of his head as he looked at her in disbelief. "Why not?! Don't be ridiculous! Calling the police is what a responsible citizen should do in this kind of situation."

She ignored him, focusing instead on doing what she could with her laptop. Yes, Jin Chonglin was right. Calling the police was indeed the normal thing to do but that only applied to truly normal people and situations.

Her older brother was coming to assist her husband tonight with his group Shadow Winds. Call the police? Never! If the police were called, they might arrest Lu Zihao and everyone from Shadow Winds instead of Rose Young. What a joke! As if Iris would allow something like that to happen.

Jin Chonglin fished out his phone, about to call the police on his own, but Iris caught him in time and chopped his arm with a knife-hand strike.

"Ouch! Long Xiulan, what the fuck?!!! That hurts!!!"

Following her example, the loyal Dom also moved quickly and snatched the fallen phone from the floor so that Jin Chonglin couldn't reach it anymore.

"You two! Why aren't you letting me call the police?! You're all crazy!!!"

"Prince Lin Lin, please trust us. Calling the police will bring more trouble." Dom might not be privy to the full extent of Lu Zihao's shady businesses but he wasn't stupid and could tell that something wasn't fully legal about Mr. Yummylicious. Despite this, he had no problems with Lu Zihao as long as the man remained true to Iris—Dom's boss, idol and best friend.

Jin Chonglin kicked the back of the seat in front of him in frustration. He didn't understand why they were stopping him from contacting the authorities. However, he couldn't do anything because both Dom and the driver only listened to Iris, not him.

Then they heard Iris exclaim something in a different language. Jin Chonglin wasn't sure what language she was speaking but Dom kindly informed him that she was cursing in Russian. Dom was apparently learning Russian with Jin Liwei since the past few weeks.

"What's wrong?" Jin Chonglin asked Iris.

She didn't reply, too focused with her laptop.

The white cat on the dashboard monitor stopped chasing virtual butterflies and her green eyes started glowing brightly again.

"Mommy, it's the poopoo-head Eagle again! He's interfering with our mission at the hotel! Mreow!"

Iris frowned but otherwise became even more focused in hacking.

"Uh-oh! Emergency, emergency! Mommy, this is an emergency! Jin Corporation's security system is under attack! Ketchup's preliminary analysis indicates that there might be several different hackers involved in the current attack at Jin Corporation but all of their patterns follow Eagle's distinctive style! Bacon, hurry up! Ketchup needs your help ASAP! Mreow!"

"Bacon is on it," the no-nonsense Bacon replied.

Iris clicked her tongue, wishing that she was in her own computer room. The laptop that she was using right now was something that she assembled and customized herself. It was therefore several leagues more powerful than the average computers available in the market. Even so, it was still just a laptop and ergonomically terrible compared to her personalized set-up at home that looked like a spaceship's cockpit.

It only took a few seconds for her to make a decision.

"Bacon, return to Shadow Winds and assist your Uncle Zihao's hacker team with tonight's mission at the hotel. Ketchup will work with me to defend Jin Corporation."

"Understood, Mother. Please be careful and don't exhaust yourself or Bacon will destroy this continent."

"Aye aye, Mommy! Meow!"

Although Iris was worried about Jin Liwei's safety tonight, she trusted her husband and older brother enough to handle Rose Young's plot until she could assist them later after dealing with Jin Corporation's current attackers. She also felt more reassured with Bacon assisting the two men.

Her two AI cat children were the products of her creation, their hacking skills based on her own abilities. Although both Ketchup and Bacon moved independently from her, she could still lead them like natural extensions of her body since they operated in the powerful virtual system that she created herself.

Jin Corporation was the fruit of Grandpa Lu and the late Grandfather Jin's blood, sweat and tears throughout many decades. Iris might not have met Grandfather Jin but she respected him very much just based on the stories that Grandpa Lu would tell her during their business lessons and also because the man was her husband's grandfather.

Now that Jin Corporation was under a vicious attack, there was no way that Iris would just allow the enemy hackers to do whatever they wanted. It was a company that hundreds of thousands of employees internationally were depending on for their livelihood.

Let a huge business empire like Jin Corporation collapse in one night?

Not on her watch!

Tonight, the hacker world's rising star Drakon once again bared its fangs after a few months of inactivity.

But something was different this time around.

Emanating from the fierce Drakon was a familiar forbidding aura that many veteran elite hackers would recognize as that belonging to the legendary figure in the hacker world back then before the person disappeared without a trace a few years ago.

###

In a large, dim room somewhere, the sounds of rapid keys and mice clicking could be heard, punctuated by sudden curses and exclamations in a foreign language that many people considered to be romantic. The atmosphere in this room, however, was anything but romantic.

There were several people busy typing away in front of computers. Most of them were using laptops but a few had more robust desktop computer set-ups.

The room might be luxurious but their current condition didn't look comfortable at all with the mismatched computer equipment, makeshift chairs and tables, dirty fast food takeout containers, empty cup noodles, and other messy things scattered almost everywhere. Nonetheless, everyone appeared used to this kind of unorganized working conditions.

"We failed so many times to breach Jin Corporation's new security system but thankfully Master El Payaso gave us useful advice. We're almost there! Hang in there, brothers! We can do this!"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

Then several danger alerts popped on their screens.

"Fuck! Someone skilled appeared! Who's this fucking bastard?!"

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Chapter 1035 - Best Hacker In The World

The leader squinted at his own computer screen, his fingers flying nonstop over the keyboard, before chuckling. "There is no need to wonder anymore which bastard is valiantly defending against our attack on Jin Corporation right now. Say hello to our old friend and rival, my brothers. The motherfucking Drakon! Ahahaha!"

"Arrogant son of a bitch! Always getting in our way! See how I pummel you with all the new viruses I made! Take that, little lizard!"

"Shit, he took me out already. Dammit!"

The leader became even more focused in the hacking battle. Bloodthirsty viciousness glinted in his eyes but the interesting thing was that there was no animosity directed at their tough opponent, only pure excitement and burning competitiveness. In fact, his mouth was stretched into a wide grin, giving him a roguishly charming air.

"Just like the last time we faced off against Drakon, it seems that he isn't working alone," he said. "This one should be the annoyingly tough defender and all-rounder support, WhiteTigress. Not bad at all, no? Fufufufu."

"I think it's only WhiteTigress this time. Thank fuck! I hate the other one. Such a nasty, aggressive little fucker. He fried my beloved laptop that I lovingly assembled last time. Ugh! Makes me so mad just remembering it!"

The leader raised an eyebrow, amused at his friend's words. "Calling someone else nasty and aggressive, hm? Why don't you go and take a look in the mirror first?"

All of them laughed and made fun of their brother.

"WhiteTigress and BlackPanther might be difficult little shits who always manage to give us trouble, but remember that they're nothing compared to Drakon," he reminded everyone.

"So true, my brother! Drakon, that bastard, always ends up saving those two little shits whenever we almost beat them. It's clear that the two are quite important to Drakon or else he won't come running to clean up after their asses every single time."

"The two must be really Drakon's disciples if he cares so much about them, no? Interesting. Fufufu!"

"Hmph! Taking his own disciples, huh. Who does Drakon think he is? He can never compare to our own master when it comes to teaching disciples. Master El Payaso is the best hacker in the entire world! No one can beat him—AH!!!"

"!!!"

Everyone was startled at the loud crash.

"Oh, sorry about that," the leader drawled. "The bottle slipped out of my hand. What a naughty, disobedient beer bottle. My brother, forgive me, yes?"

The one who was almost hit by the bottle gave a nervous laugh. "All good, no worries! We're brothers so of course I forgive you. Haha. Let's...let's continue our attack and beat Drakon and his disciples' asses tonight, shall we?"

A chorus of assent echoed in the large, luxurious but dim and messy room. They looked pumped to battle against tough opponents but the tense atmosphere after the smashed beer bottle remained.

The leader acted as if everything was normal but his eyes glinted with cold hostility. It wasn't directed at his brother but at the words uttered just a few seconds ago.

Out of his earshot, his other brothers whispered among themselves.

"You know that he worships Fantom like a great god. In his mind, there's nobody else in the world who's a better hacker than Fantom, not even our own master, El Payaso. Of course, he's going to lose his shit when you named another hacker as the best in the world instead of Fantom."

"Master has been around earlier and longer than Fantom. I think that Master is still the better hacker than Fantom, especially now that it has been a few years since Fantom disappeared from the hacker world without a trace. Fantom is gone but our master is still going strong and even training the lot of us to continue his legacy."

"I agree with you but our brother doesn't think the same way. He's the best hacker among us, that's why Master appointed him as our group leader. Even Master knows that it's Fantom that our brother admires the most, not him. But Master doesn't resent him because of his undeniable natural talent and skills in hacking."

They sighed. However, they were all brothers who had been through so many ups and downs together since they were little boys. Disagreements among them occurred often but they always made up in the end because of their strong brotherhood.

"Just be careful about what you say next time, brother, so as not to trigger our leader especially when it involves Fantom. If given the choice between Fantom and our Master El Payaso, we all know that he's going to choose Fantom. That's why our hacking style follows Fantom's distinct style more than our own master's. It's also the reason why our leader is so fixated on Drakon because the bastard's style is also quite similar to Fantom."

They nodded.

"Alright. Enough chit-chat. We still have to win tonight's hacking battle against Drakon and his two disciples."

In the next instant, however, they heard a loud curse from the other side of the room.

"Fuck! It's that nasty fellow BlackPanther again! Ah, my poor baby laptop! I just powered up your specs this week but that little shit fried you. Again!"

The leader glanced at his brother who was grieving for the poor dead laptop even as his fingers sped up over his keyboard. "I see. So that's how it is. Drakon and WhiteTigress are defending Jin Corporation while BlackPanther is holding the fort at the hotel and protecting Liam Jin."

Then he smirked before giving instructions to his brothers. "Group B, continue battling Drakon and WhiteTigress to breach Jin Corporation. Give them as much trouble as you can, yes? I'll join Group A this time. Let's see what Drakon is going to do when his other disciple, BlackPanther, is pushed in a tight corner by us. Drakon will surely come running to rescue the little one, no? Fufufu. Once Drakon leaves Jin Corporation to save BlackPanther, then that's the best time to attack Jin Corporation all at once and overpower WhiteTigress. Oh, how exciting! This is what I'm talking about! Hahahaha!"

With a clear goal, everyone became more focused. The earlier tension in the air disappeared. Once again, the brothers worked together as one like how they always did since their childhood while growing up in an extremely harsh environment.

###

Back at the five-star hotel, Jin Liwei and Xu Tian returned to the restaurant's private dining room where the other Jin Corporation executives were eating and waiting for them. They didn't question them about their half an hour absence from the dining table.

It was a common occurrence anyway because Jin Liwei was the CEO and was always busy. And as the CEO's executive assistant, Xu Tian was also extremely busy, perhaps even busier than Jin Liwei depending on one's point of view.

Jin Liwei's expression didn't show any of his real thoughts as he interacted with the other executives as if nothing was wrong in the world and they were all just enjoying dinner together to celebrate his marriage with Iris Long.

Deep inside, however, he was on extremely high alert as he continued receiving updates from Bacon through the earpiece. But he began to feel more reassured because his brother-in-law Lu Zihao was already on his way to the hotel.

A few Shadow Winds members who were near the area and were summoned by Lu Zihao had already started arriving before their boss. But instead of sending these members to provide back-up to Jin Liwei's security team at the hotel, both Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao were of the same mind and sent them directly to Iris' group a short distance away.

The two men were helpless against her stubbornness. They also had to act cautious around her because of her extreme mood swings that could strike at any time without any warning. It would be hell on earth if they ended up infuriating her to the point that she decided to run away, hide from them, and give birth to the twins on her own. She was a very strong-minded woman and could really do that if angered.

Since they couldn't make her leave and go home tonight no matter what they said, all they could do was send more people to guard her group, and most importantly, to prevent her from storming inside the hotel where it could be potentially dangerous especially for a pregnant woman like her.

Right at that moment, the door opened and a waiter entered carrying a tray of different cocktails. Some of the executives cheered, feeling excited at the thought of loosening up their stiff collars with some stronger alcohol than the red wine served earlier.

Jin Liwei frowned when an elaborate glass was served in front of him. "I didn't order this."

"Ah, President. I ordered a cocktail for you and Assistant Xu while you two were gone earlier. I hope that you don't mind my presumptuousness. If the cocktails that I ordered don't suit your taste, please order other ones instead."

"No need to order another one. This is fine." Jin Liwei reached for the cocktail but didn't drink it yet.

Everyone was waiting for him to drink first because he was the person with the highest rank in the room.

A voice talked to his earpiece but the others didn't hear it except for him and Xu Tian.

Jin Liwei's fingers tightened around the glass while everyone looked at him with anticipation.

Xu Tian looked grim. "How about I drink President's—"

Jin Liwei downed the cocktail. The others cheered and started drinking their own cocktails. Nobody noticed anything unusual because both Jin Liwei and Xu Tian had already mastered the art of a stoic face.

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Chapter 1036 - Poison Expert

It had been quite a long time since Jin Liwei had drank an alcoholic beverage so he couldn't help but frown a little when the cocktail hit his palate. He consumed only about one-third of the cocktail before stopping and putting it down on the table.

Xu Tian leaned closer to him and whispered, "Sir, are you feeling alright?"

"Hm." He was okay. For now.

Then a polite, matter-of-fact, child's voice spoke through his earpiece. "Father, Bacon is 99.98% certain that Mother will become upset once she learns about this plan that you and Uncle Zihao devised as a counterattack to Rose Young's plot tonight. This plan is certainly not the classiest, but according to Bacon's own forecast analysis, although it's one of the most dangerous options to Father's safety, it's also the one that has the highest probability of completely destroying Rose Young while obtaining the necessary evidence against her in this attempted crime, and at the same time making sure that the involvement of Uncle Zihao and Shadow Winds in tonight's mission won't get them into trouble with the authorities.

"Since this is the case, Bacon reluctantly agrees to stay silent about your plan as per Father and Uncle Zihao's request and not report it to Mother if she doesn't specifically asks for it. However, if she does asks, Bacon will not hesitate to divulge everything to Mother. I don't want Mother to become upset with Bacon ever again. It is horrible and makes Bacon want to destroy the whole world which is not classy at all."

Jin Liwei sighed and tapped his ear, replying to his cat AI son in Morse code. 'OK.'

The other executives were too absorbed in chatting with each other and enjoying their cocktails that they didn't notice their boss secretly conversing with someone else through an earpiece. Those who saw Jin Liwei gently tapping his ear only thought that he was probably thinking about something important, perhaps about Jin Corporation's year-end performance, or maybe he was just scratching an itch in the ear.

Jin Liwei's secret conversation with his cat AI son in Morse code continued.

Bacon told him in a serious tone, "Most importantly, Bacon also doesn't want to upset Mother too much by telling her the truth about Father and Uncle Zihao's plan. Mother is still in her first trimester and Bacon doesn't want anything bad to happen to her or my twin baby human siblings.

"That's why Father should take extra care of yourself as you throw yourself directly into danger tonight. Uncle Zihao, Shadow Winds, Father's security team and Bacon will all do our best to get you out of Rose Young's evil clutches safely before Mother realizes what's going on."

Jin Liwei once again tapped his ear. 'Understood.'

"Father, please also remember—"

Silence.

Jin Liwei waited for five seconds but Bacon was still silent. He tapped his ear. 'Son, are you OK?'

No response.

'What happened?'

Still no reply.

He frowned, no longer able to maintain his stoic expression. Fortunately, the other executives were too engrossed in their own conversations and drinks that they didn't notice anything amiss about their boss. Or if some did, the alcohol had already somewhat dulled their senses that they failed to register their boss' change of expression.

"Father, my apologies for being unable to reply right away."

Jin Liwei was relieved when he heard Bacon's voice again.

"Eagle is interfering in our control of the hotel's surveillance system. Bacon and my colleagues from Shadow Winds' hacker team are now battling against Eagle to regain control without alerting the hotel's admin and the authorities."

'OK,' he tapped.

"Jin Corporation is also under attack. We suspect that it is Eagle's doing as well. Mother and Big Sister Ketchup are currently working together to defend Jin Corporation while Bacon is assigned to provide assistance to Father and Uncle Zihao's mission here at the hotel."

Jin Liwei's expression turned ugly. He stood up abruptly but staggered on his feet when a sudden wave of dizziness assaulted him. Xu Tian moved to support him but he waved him away and threw his assistant a meaningful look. Xu Tian hesitated but eventually stepped back, obeying his silent order.

"President, you look pale. Are you alright?"

Someone among the other executives finally noticed that something was wrong with their boss. Upon hearing their colleague's concerned question, they all turned to look at Jin Liwei.

"I'm fine." Jin Liwei regained his balance and stood straighter. "Don't mind me. It has just been a while since I drank some alcohol and my tolerance decreased a bit."

"Looks like Madam Jin is doing an excellent job in controlling our president's alcohol intake."

"That's what happens when one marries!"

Laughter filled the entire private dining room. Jin Liwei didn't have the time to feel offended at the others making fun of him and insinuating that he had become a hen-pecked husband after marrying because his body was now starting to feel weird. And even if he was feeling fine like normal, he wouldn't find their words offensive at all.

Seeing him straightening up his clothes and Xu Tian also standing up, the other executives also stood up but Jin Liwei gestured for them to sit back down.

"Continue enjoying your dinner. Order more food and drinks if you want. Everything is my treat as promised. I need to head home now."

"But it's still so early, President Jin!"

"I have a wife waiting for me at home now." Jin Liwei's voice was filled with pride.

"Right, right! Let the President go home. He and Madam Jin are still newlyweds after all!"

Another round of laughter filled the room. Then everyone respectfully bid Jin Liwei and Xu Tian goodbye and goodnight as the two left while the rest of them stayed and enjoyed the rest of their meal and more cocktails. Xu Tian also already received earlier the wedding gifts they prepared for their boss and his new wife.

Outside the dining room, Jin Liwei walked away in a hurry and entered the men's room reserved for the hotel restaurant's VIP diners like him. Xu Tian followed him inside.

"Sir—"

Jin Liwei held up a hand and silently warned him with his eyes not to speak out loud. He tapped his ear.

Bacon replied, "Father, the men's room that you are in right now should be safe. Bacon detected no bugs inside."

Both Jin Liwei and Xu Tian sighed in relief. However, Xu Tian's concern immediately returned.

"Sir, you look feverish. I think we shouldn't continue with this plan. It's too risky and dangerous for you!"

"The plan is set. It's too late to change it now. The enemies have already made their move as you can see by my condition."

Jin Liwei washed his face with cold water in an effort to alleviate the heat spreading all over his body. In addition to an increased body temperature, his thing beneath his trousers also began to stir. He wanted to find his wife and make love with her right at this moment.

Then the door to the toilet opened and in came a huge figure. Xu Tian instinctively stepped in front of his boss to protect him especially right now that Jin Liwei's senses had been dulled from being drugged.

"It's me," a familiar deep and low voice said.

"Mr. Lu," Xu Tian greeted and then stepped aside.

"Wait for us outside," Jin Liwei told his assistant.

"Understood, sir."

After Xu Tian left, Lu Zihao lowered the black cowl covering the lower half of his face. "Still holding on?"

"En, not too bad." Jin Liwei swallowed, trying to moisten his dry mouth and throat with saliva—a side-effect of the drug he ingested from the cocktail.

"Good, 'cuz you look terrible."

"Thanks, Brother-in-law," Jin Liwei replied in a dry tone.

Lu Zihao grunted before fishing out a small amber bottle out of his coat pocket and then tossed it. Jin Liwei managed to catch it despite his current condition.

"Drink it," Lu Zihao told Jin Liwei. "One shot is effective in neutralizing or lowering the effectiveness of 23 of the most common poisons available in the black market including aphrodisiacs. I concocted it myself and my subordinates also use it so rest assured that it's effective."

Jin Liwei immediately popped the lid open from the small amber bottle and drank its contents bottoms up. The liquid medicine was slightly viscous and extremely bitter. There was also a touch of spiciness that burned his tongue and throat a little. He couldn't help but cringe at the horrid taste but forced himself to swallow every single drop.

"This"—cough cough—"tastes like shit." More coughing.

Lu Zihao smirked. "As the saying goes, the more bitter the medicine, the more effective it is."

The coughing lasted for only a few seconds before the spicy aftertaste intensified inside his mouth. It turned from a burning sensation into a soothing and cooling menthol taste instead. Jin Liwei sighed in relief.

"You say that this is effective against 23 poisons? What if the aphrodisiac that I was drugged with isn't included in those 23?"

"Then you're screwed."

Jin Liwei gave his brother-in-law a side eye.

Lu Zihao shrugged. "That's the only shot that a person who didn't undergo poison resistance training can take without suffering any adverse side effects. I have others that are much more effective but they're also quite toxic to untrained people like you. Actually, that shot might still give you diarrhea or vomiting tomorrow but that's a small price to pay given your current situation."

"Curing poison with poison, you mean."

"Yeah." Lu Zihao paused, then added, "Evelinka also knows how to concoct these shots."

Jin Liwei froze.

"You read the Vetrov report. Remember our mother's expertise."

Jin Liwei understood. "In addition to being an elite assassin, your mother was also a biomedical expert who specialized in poisons."

"Exactly."

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Chapter 1037 - A Test Of Acting Skills

"Long story short, our mother made me and my sister go through poison resistance training as soon as our young bodies became able to barely handle it," Lu Zihao explained. "The most integral part of the training wasn't the forceful modification of our bodies to build up poison resistance but it was actually the concoction of antidotes."

Both his tone and expression showed no emotions whatsoever as if what he and his sister endured back then in the name of training was nothing more than a trivial matter.

It was Jin Liwei who felt upset instead, not only for his wife but also for his brother-in-law. After reading the Vetrov report so many times that he almost memorized the entire thing, he had begun to realize that Nikolai Vetrov didn't become evil because he was born that way. His cruelty and seeming lack of conscience were a product of his upbringing.

Jin Liwei tried to imagine himself in his brother-in-law's shoes as the heir apparent to the number one international criminal organization in the world. Perhaps if he were born in the same kind of brutal and literal survival of the fittest environment, he would have also become no different than what Nikolai Vetrov became—a cruel man who had no qualms killing others in cold blood.

Only a special kind of pure person like his wife would be able to withstand such a harsh and deadly upbringing. No wonder even a man known for being evil and heartless like Nikolai Vetrov was so loving and gentle towards his little sister. Evelina Vetrova was indeed the type of rare person whose inner purity couldn't be tainted no matter how others tried to change her by force. She would only change if she decided to do so.

While Jin Liwei's heart ached for what the brother and sister went through in their past lives, Lu Zihao took a small hard leather case from his coat's inner pocket. He opened it and took out what looked like two-inch mini pen. Then he grabbed Jin Liwei's hand and used the mini pen to prick a finger.

Jin Liwei frowned but didn't say anything, allowing his brother-in-law to finish whatever he was doing to him. He watched as Lu Zihao pressed the small bead of blood on his finger to a thin strip of translucent paper.

The paper changed colours in an instant. First, it turned into a reddish black colour with some specks of dark brown. Then it quickly changed into an unpleasant shade of muddy violet.

"Heh~ An aphrodisiac and a sedative, huh. Well, at least there's no lethal poison so it looks like that nympho doesn't want you dead. Good. I don't want my sister to become a widow this early." Lu Zihao handed Jin Liwei an adhesive bandage while he returned the used tools to the small container, not daring to discard them in the men's room.

Jin Liwei snorted before washing his hands, drying them, and then bandaging his finger. His brother-in-law didn't sanitize either of their hands before drawing blood from him. He didn't complain though because this wasn't the time to act fussy.

"I intend to live a long life and spend a happy, blissful marriage with my wife until we grow old. I'm not going to let her become a widow while she's still so young."

Lu Zihao grunted. "Based on the test results, the nympho gave you quite a high dosage of aphrodisiac so the shot I gave you won't completely neutralize it. You'll still feel it so you need to do your best to keep your head clear in order for our counterplan to work. As for the sedative, don't worry about it. She gave you a very common one so the shot is extremely effective against it."

"En. Thanks. I can handle this much."

Jin Liwei was relieved and irritated at the same time—relieved that the sedative wasn't a problem anymore and irritated because he still felt hot all over.

If it wasn't for his goal to not only thwart Rose Young's sinister plot against him tonight but also to gather incriminating evidence to push her to the point of no return, he would have already ran to find his wife and make love with her as soon as possible in order to alleviate his drug-induced need for pleasure.

Lu Zihao gave him a pointed look. "The shot I gave you is a highly sought after antidote in the underworld. Only the Vetrovs know how to concoct it."

"En, I understand. My lips are sealed. No need to worry."

"If you begin to suffer the delayed side effects of the shot tomorrow, ask Evelinka for help instead of going to the doctor. She knows several methods to relieve the side effects. I don't want any fucker analyzing my concoction in a lab from your blood. If someone discovers it, motherfuckers from the criminal underworld will connect it to us. Too dangerous for my sister."

Jin Liwei frowned, feeling hesitant to involve his wife. Lu Zihao immediately knew what he was worrying about based on his expression.

"Just tell her the truth tomorrow. She'll find out about our entire plan anyway. I'm sure that the little mama's boy AI son of yours will tell her everything in the end."

"I know." Jin Liwei sighed. He wiped the perspiration beading on his forehead. The effects of the aphrodisiac had decreased but he still felt uncomfortable.

Lu Zihao paused because one of his subordinates stationed at the restaurant was reporting through his earpiece. Shadow Winds had their own voice channel that was separate from Jin Liwei's security team. However, Bacon created an additional channel that the two groups could use to communicate with each other.

After listening to his subordinate, Lu Zihao covered the lower half of his face again with the black cowl around his neck. "Your complexion is already starting to improve a little. We need to move. The nympho's minion is starting to get antsy that you've been inside the toilet for too long."

Jin Liwei nodded. Then he paused and looked at his brother-in-law up and down. "You're such a big man. Did anyone notice you going in the toilet after me?"

"Who do you think I am? You think I'm an amateur like the nympho's minions that she brought tonight?"

"Right. Never mind."

"I'll go out first. Wait at least two minutes before going out." Lu Zihao didn't wait for a reply before slipping out of the men's room without making a sound.

Jin Liwei pursed his lips, feeling impressed and a little envious at how such a big man could move so effortlessly like a phantom in the shadows.

Two minutes later, he finally exited the men's room. Xu Tian was waiting for him alongside a couple of his bodyguards. The rest of his security team that he originally brought tonight to protect his wife's privacy if she decided to join the dinner with the other executives were stationed in several locations in the restaurant and the hotel. Now that the situation developed like this, their priority was now to protect him instead.

Another group of his security team had secretly arrived at the hotel from Dragon Palace to provide back-up and coordinate with Shadow Winds. They were all in disguise to avoid alerting not only Rose Young's group but also the authorities.

"Father, my apologies. Bacon is still busy battling the pesky Eagle. My assistance in tonight's mission will be severely limited until I defeat Eagle. Please be patient. Bacon will definitely return with a classy victory."

Jin Liwei tapped his ear. 'OK.'

"Uncle Zihao and his hacker team will take over in providing Father with remote instructions until I return. So please take care not to lose your earpiece, Father."

'OK.'

Jin Liwei and Xu Tian passed by a large aquarium in the restaurant's hallway. He glanced at his own reflection. Indeed, his complexion had improved but he still looked a little feverish. Then he adjusted his expression, making himself look like he was enduring pain.

This mission was going to be a test of his acting skills. Even though his acting skills weren't anything impressive, he had no choice but to give his all or fail the mission. Failing was out of question so the only choice was to succeed no matter what.

"They're on the move," Lu Zihao's voice spoke through his earpiece. "A fucking minion is watching you like a hawk. Act more groggy and unsteady on your feet. You took a sedative in addition to the aphrodisiac after all."

Jin Liwei followed his brother-in-law's instruction and pretended to sway. Xu Tian was also doing a great job in showing concern for him. His assistant's supporting act should make his performance more believable.

"Heh~ Not bad. But your assistant has better acting skills than you."

'I know that already!' Jin Liwei inwardly complained upon hearing Lu Zihao's comments. He gritted his teeth and focused on acting weak.

The only person who he managed to deceive with his lousy acting skills was his wife when he tricked her into becoming his girlfriend and eventually a lover back when they first met. She was so innocent back then, and in some ways, she still retained her innocence even now.

He didn't dare say any of these thoughts out loud or his brother-in-law might murder him in cold blood.

"Concentrate," Lu Zihao told him, interrupting his distracted thoughts. "One is heading your way. Prepare yourself."

Xu Tian received a separate order and crouched down to wipe a nonexistent dirt from his shoe, leaving Jin Liwei to walk by himself in the hallway.

Once he reached a corner, a young man suddenly bumped into him. Jin Liwei's eyes narrowed but he still pretended to fall.

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Chapter 1038 - Something Is Weird

Inside the hotel room, Rose Young and Jenny Tseng were both listening to the report of Luke's friend who was assigned to monitor Jin Liwei at the restaurant downstairs while acting as a cleaner.

Rose trembled in excitement upon hearing that Jin Liwei had successfully drank the drugged cocktail and that he was now suffering from the effects of the aphrodisiac and sedative. Since she was Singaporean and not a Chinese native, she had no idea at first how to procure these illegal substances from within the country. Fortunately, she had Jenny.

Her best friend had lived longer in this country than her, so Jenny had built quite a number of useful connections largely thanks to her two ex-husbands' circles. Jenny had a natural talent to make most people like her, resulting in amicable relationships with her ex-husbands, former in-laws, her exes' friends and acquaintances, despite divorcing the two men. As a result, she was able to maintain the connections she made through her ex-husbands without suffering any alienation like most divorcées.

Using these connections, Jenny helped Rose obtain strong aphrodisiac and sedative from an illicit supplier. Rose paid a premium for both drugs but she had no complaints because they appeared to be very effective after hearing that Jin Liwei stumbled after being bumped. Luke's friend also reported that Jin Liwei looked feverish and groggy which were both clear indicators of the two drugs' combined effects.

Rose couldn't wait to make Jin Liwei hers tonight. He had been the man of her dreams for so many years that her desperation and obsession for him were making her go crazy. Just thinking about what she had in store for him tonight in the hotel bed was already making her wet and hot with need.

After the phone call with Luke's friend, Jenny was dumbfounded. Her surgically lifted eyebrows almost touched her hairline at how astonished she felt.

"Gosh, is this really happening?" Jenny asked with an exaggerated, shaky gasp. "Rosie, I can't believe that your stupid clichéd plan looks like it's going to really work! Wow. I totally didn't expect for Jin Liwei to fall for your ridiculous trap. Did his brain turn into a semen-filled mush after honeymooning with Iris Long? Ahahaha! Oh my god of botox, this is unbelievable!"

Rose glared at Jenny for mentioning the slut Iris Long in front of her, but there was still a smug look in her eyes. It was as if she was telling her best friend 'I told you so' after Jenny repeatedly told her that her plan was so stupid that it was going to fail no matter what.

How could Jenny not know what her best friend was thinking? Jenny rolled her smoky eyes and pursed her artificially plump lips. "Don't get too complacent, Rosie. We still have to get Jin Liwei inside this bedroom so you can have your wicked way with him tonight. Don't count your eggplants before your ducks! Your plan hasn't succeeded yet. This is just the start, okay?"

"I know, Jenny. And it's 'don't count your chickens before they hatch', not eggplants and ducks."

"Whatever. Same thing!"

'It's not the same thing at all!' Rose shouted inside her mind but decided not to bother about it anymore.

Her best friend's IQ had long been hopeless anyway. There was no point in correcting her because Jenny would still continue butchering idioms.

Jenny tapped her chin with a finger. "Don't you feel that something is weird?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everything's going well! Too well! Don't you think that's weird?"

Rose rolled her eyes, annoyed at her friend. "Stop thinking too much, Jenny. It's not weird. It just means that my plan is meant to succeed tonight. You're the one spreading bad vibes to my plan by constantly saying it's stupid and doomed to fail. Why do you think that everything is going well right now? It's because the universe is agreeing with me that my destined life partner is Jin Liwei! If not for that slut Iris Long snatching him up too early, I would've eventually made him mine given more time!"

"Ahahaha! Riiiiiiight. Whatever. Believe whatever you want to believe." Jenny shrugged and then sighed. "I'm so bored. Ugh!"

Rose ignored the whining Jenny. She was too focused on receiving the updates from Luke and his friends downstairs and also giving them instructions whenever the situation needed it.

'Almost! I can almost have you, Big Brother Liwei. After tonight, you'll no longer desire another woman. I'll make sure to blow your mind with extreme pleasure. That slut Iris Long can't possibly compare with my skills in bed. I'm all that you'll ever need. Only me!'

###

"Mother, Bacon is in trouble," the black cat AI announced through the vehicle's dashboard vehicle.

Iris' fingers didn't stop moving on her laptop's keyboard under the dazed gaze of her brother-in-law, Jin Chonglin. She took her eyes off her laptop and glanced at her cat AI son. "Explain."

"Bacon had already regained control of the hotel's surveillance system 3 minutes and 24 seconds ago but Eagle became stronger all of a sudden and successfully snatched the control away from me again. Eagle's hacking style became much more aggressive and is clearly targeting the weak areas of my defence which are usually fortified by Big Sister Ketchup.

"Mother, Bacon is doing my best to fight them off so that I can return to assisting Father and Uncle Zihao inside the hotel as soon as possible but I am starting to feel too irritated, frustrated and angry. My control might suffer if I allow myself to become overwhelmed by these emotions. But Bacon can't stop myself from feeling this way."

Iris narrowed her eyes, realizing something. "I see. So that's what happened. I'm guessing that the most skilled hacker in Eagle's team left the attack on Jin Corporation to focus on the hotel. That's why defending the company has become easier now. Hmmm. What's their real target? Your dad or Jin Corporation? Or maybe both? Or this might be a trap. Hmmm."

Even as she was wondering about these things, she continued hacking with Ketchup to defend Jin Corporation using her laptop. Both Dom and Jin Chonglin didn't dare to make any noise for fear of distracting her and causing harm to both Jin Liwei and Jin Corporation.

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Chapter 1039 - Five Minutes

Iris thought for a moment before making a decision. "Bacon, hold on for five more minutes."

"Mother, Bacon might not last that long because I'm feeling too angry at Eagle for wasting my time when I want to assist Father and Uncle Zihao at the hotel as soon as possible and make sure that they're both safe. Targeting Father and Jin Corporation at the same time is not classy at all."

"I'll give you a red packet if you manage to hold on for five more minutes."

The black cat AI paused and considered his mother's offer for a couple of seconds before asking, "How much will be in the red packet?"

"1,000 US dollars."

"Bacon wants 10,000 US dollars."

Despite the gravity of the entire situation, Iris couldn't help but chuckle when her AI son threw a counter offer. Bacon was indeed her son—shameless to the core when it came to family. Grandpa Lu's teaching permeated their entire family.

"No, Bacon. You're the one who needs my help. 2,000 dollars."

"5,000 dollars?"

"Bacon." There was a warning tone in her voice but she wasn't really mad. Not at all.

Jin Liwei was the strict parent, not her. She was just pretending to be displeased to see how far her AI son would continue countering her offers.

After Bacon's shocking meltdown earlier with his father, Iris had already decided to cooperate with her husband to raise Bacon to become less obsessed with money.

"2,500 dollars?" Bacon made another counter offer.

Despite her determination to re-educate her AI son, Iris still couldn't resist Bacon especially since he looked so adorable as a black kitten. In the end, she gave in to him.

"Fine. Just make sure to hold on for an exact five minutes. If not, no red packet for you. Understood?"

"Yes, Mother. Bacon understands."

"The five minutes starts now."

A timer appeared at the bottom corner of the dashboard monitor showing a countdown of five minutes which quickly turned into 4:59 and so on.

Beside the stone-faced Bacon who had a slightly pleased look in his golden eyes, his sister Ketchup wiggled her fluffy white butt and started blinking imploringly at their mother.

"Mommy, the cute and mighty Ketchup also wants a red packet! Ketchup wants the same exact amount as my little kitty brother Bacon—2,500 dollars! Meow~"

"Alright. But you have to continue defending Jin Corporation and not allow any breaches after I go assist your brother later. For now, I'll fortify the company's security system and make it more robust while dealing damage to Eagle's team of hackers and hopefully trace their identities or origins as well. If you can do that, I'll also give you a red packet."

"Aye aye, Mommy! The cute and mighty Ketchup will make sure to do my super-duper bestest to defend Daddy's company from all these Eagle poopoo-heads and earn 2,500 dollars from Mommy! Meow~"

Bacon glanced at his excited older sister and had the urge to hiss at her but restrained himself so as not to upset their pregnant mother. He felt a little annoyed that his Big sister Ketchup was also getting the same benefits as him when he was the one who worked so hard to negotiate with their mother just now.

However, he had no time to complain about it because he was truly having a difficult time dealing with this other Eagle team that was more aggressive than normal. Only five minutes. If he could just hold on for five minutes, the 2,500 US dollars will be deposited to his bank account. This incentive alone was enough to push him into overdrive with 100% laser focus.

Sitting not far away from Iris, Jin Chonglin was gaping at her and the AI cats on the dashboard monitor with a dazed expression. It seemed that he still hadn't recovered from his earlier shock.

During the mother and AI cat children's negotiation earlier, Jin Chonglin opened and closed his mouth many times but was unable to interrupt them because the entire situation dealt a huge blow to his normal brain.

When he looked at Dominic Chua, the guy was nonchalantly preparing snacks and drinks for Iris while she worked on her laptop. Dominic looked like all of these things including the unbelievably lifelike conversations with the AI kittens were normal occurrences to him. Even the driver at the front was the same.

In short, only Jin Chonglin looked like his soul had flown out of his mortal body. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind and make sense of everything that was happening right now. Then he glanced outside the tinted windows and saw several men and women loitering a few steps away from the vehicle.

"Hm?" He looked closer and recognized a couple of men as people who followed Lu Zihao.

They were all wearing regular clothes and acting as if they were just a bunch of buddies hanging out together. However, if one looked more closely like what Jin Chonglin was doing, it would be clear from the way they positioned themselves and how they always had the vehicle in their sight that something must be going on.

Jin Chonglin opened his mouth, about to inform the others about the people outside, but eventually changed his mind and stayed silent instead upon seeing how busy Iris was in hacking.

Dom was also hard at work holding the water bottle and straw for Iris so that she could stay hydrated without stopping her work. The guy would also wipe the perspiration beading on her forehead and neck.

All Jin Chonglin could do was sigh and let the two do their own thing. Since he recognized two of the individuals as Lu Zihao's people, then the group must have been sent by his Big Bro Jin Liwei's fifth brother to protect them, or more specifically, to protect Iris Long. He was just an addition. The priority would always be Iris Long and the baby she was carrying.

Then all of sudden, there was a low buzz.

"Mother, the five minutes are up," the black cat AI announced.

"Good job holding on, Bacon," Iris replied.

"Thank you, Mother. Please don't forget Bacon's red packet of 2,500 dollars."

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Chapter 1040 - Power Flood

"You'll get your red packet tomorrow when this is over," Iris replied.

Bacon swished his fluffy black tail. "Thank you, Mother."

Iris nodded. "Ketchup, I'll leave Jin Corporation to you. I'm going to help your younger brother Bacon to regain control of the hotel's surveillance system and ensure your dad's safety."

"Okie dokie, Mommy! The cute and mighty Ketchup will handle all these poopoo-heads by myself! Meow~"

"Good. Call me immediately if you think that you're in trouble."

"Aye aye, Mommy! Meow!"

Iris straightened her back, stretched her neck and shoulders, and regulated her breathing. Then her eyes became sharp as her fingers flew in a faster blur over her laptop's keyboard.

It was easy for the mother and AI son pair to wrest control of the hotel's surveillance and security system from this particular Eagle team. In the next few minutes, however, Eagle's force at the hotel weakened all of a sudden.

And then....

"Mommy, mommy! Oh no! The attack on Jin Corporation has become fiercer! These Eagle poopoo-heads are fighting dirty! Pweh! The cute and mighty Ketchup looks down on all of them! Ganging up on a little kitty baby like me—where's their sense of hacker honour?! How dare they treat a cute and fluffy kitty baby like this?! Hmph! Take that, stinky birdies! Ketchup will never forgive you if you prevent the cute and mighty me from earning tonight's red packet from my mommy! Mreow!!!"

"I knew it." Iris narrowed her eyes, already prepared for this kind of strategy from the opponent. "Not bad, Eagle. Not bad at all." Then she smirked. "However, you're still quite the amateurs compared to those old guys from back then."

She took a few deep breaths. Her smirk disappeared and was replaced by a serious expression. She became calmer and more focused. Nevertheless, excitement burned within her eyes.

"Ketchup, Bacon. Fortify your internal systems, secure all of your data, and prepare for a power flood."

"Gasp! Power flood?! Really, Mommy?! Meow!!!" Ketchup's shocked expression looked exaggerated and comical but it was actually genuine.

Bacon stood on all fours, becoming serious but also excited at the same time, and all ready for a fierce battle. His golden eyes glowed brightly. He licked his sharp teeth and almost couldn't conceal his anticipation. "All done, Mother. Bacon is ready at any time."

"Oh oh oh! Wait a sec! Ketchup is doing it now, too! Yep, all done! The cute and mighty Ketchup is also super-duper to the highest level ready for the great and legendary power flood which until this time has only been a dormant code in our systems since our births but will now be activated for the first time ever! Woohoo! Yay yay! Ketchup can't wait! Meowowow!!!"

Iris glanced at her two AI children on the dashboard monitor and smiled at them. All three of them had the same exact excitement and anticipation burning in their eyes.

"Do me proud, my babies. From this moment until tonight's power flood ends, we'll work as one."

###

Gold Heights Condominium.

Wei Lan and her new best friend Randy were having their own impromptu fashion show in the formal living area with all the new outfits that they bought earlier today at the mall. It wasn't only the two of them who were strutting their stuff on a makeshift catwalk. Iris' old housekeeper Yi Mei, the cook, and even the maids and houseboys had also been incited to model new outfits.

It was because the vizcondesa and the Zumba instructor decided that it was high time to update the entire household's outfits. Again. They had already become known in the area as the most fashionable household and was even featured by various influential fashion bloggers.

Wei Lan wanted to dress up the bodyguards as well, but unfortunately, the men refused to become her living mannequins. How boring!

They told her that their boss, Jin Liwei, had a strict standard dress code for all of his security subordinates. Wei Lan had no choice but to let them go, no matter how unsatisfied she felt about their too-stiff bodyguard suits, because she still couldn't help but feel intimidated by her impressive son-in-law. Jin Liwei definitely had a much more formidable countenance than her ex-husband, Long Tengfei, although the two men were both considered elites in the business industry.

While she and Randy were having a blast directing and starring in their own private fashion show, all the lights in the penthouse suddenly went off.

Wei Lan screamed alongside the younger maids. Randy had the girliest shriek out of everyone.

Unlike them, Yi Mei and the cook were tougher and didn't panic at all.

Fortunately, the total darkness only lasted for about five seconds before the electricity returned.

"What in the wooooooorld happened?!" Wei Lan demanded.

While all of them were trying to figure out the cause of the brief power outage, nobody noticed the abnormality happening inside the locked computer room concealed inside the library office.

All of the computers and servers inside turned on at the same time. They looked dusty from months of not being cleaned because Iris stopped coming over ever since Wei Lan returned to the country and made the penthouse her temporary residence.

Despite the lack of physical maintenance, all of the device's software were still in tiptop condition from Iris and Ketchup's regular remote updates. They were now performing in their peak capacities within seconds of activation without any problems.

There was a soft, dull but very discernible hum as the devices borrowed power not only from the rest of the penthouse but also from the entire condominium and even the adjacent buildings.

###

Dragon Palace Home #10.

Things were less lively in the mansion compared to the penthouse. The power supply here was much more abundant and robust compared to normal residential properties in the country.

There was no five-second power outage but there was still a barely noticeable dimming of the lights. It was only a brief flicker. Very few noticed the abnormality.

"Hm?" Jiang Ying Yue looked up at the bathroom lights while she was bathing her son in the childproof tub that Iris and Jin Liwei had customized just for Little Jun.

"Mommi? Wat wong?" (Mommy? What's wrong?)

The lights remained bright and steady. She shook her head and wondered if she was just imagining things. Then she smiled at her son. "Nothing. Let's finish up, okay?"

"Kaykay, Mommi!"

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