âIâm close. I donât want to die. Please, I was wrong. Let me go. I can barely breathe.â Woody said with his hoarse voice. He was extremely nervous.
âNow can you smell death?â Maximilian asked with a smile.
Woody felt that Maximilian was like a devil when he smiled.
Because of the fear, a warm stream flowed down his thighs.
âI, I can feel it, the smell of death.â Woody said with his voice cracked. Now he thought it was the most regrettable thing he had ever done.
Maximilian threw Woody beside the car and said with despise, âSuch a loser. If you donât have the power, then youâd better lay it low.â
âI was wrong. I swear Iâll keep it low from now on.â Woody begged as he covered his neck with his hands while wriggling on the ground.
Addison grinned. Though he could not see how miserable Woody must be, he could imagine it.
Maximilian kicked Woody, âDrive now. Donât waste my time.â
âMy hand is broken. I canât drive.â Woody said with frustration.
He intended to say he wanted to go to hospital, but he decided to shut up.
Maximilian shook his head and opened the safety of the pistol. Then he pointed Woody with it. âI heard that a manâs potential can be fully stimulated when he wants to survive. Iâm sure you can drive well under my gun.â Staring at the black hole of the pistol, Woody swore inwardly.
He had seen some mad men, but he had never seen anyone like Maximilian, because a crippled driver might lead to an accident. But he didnât dare to say what he was thinking. If Maximilian was provoked, he might take a bullet.
Feeling wronged, Woody got into the car with frustration while enduring the pain on his right hand. He used his left hand to start the engine, put the gears and drove away slowly.
âI can only drive like this since I can only use one hand. I donât dare to drive faster.â Woody said to Maximilian meekly.
Maximilian nodded absently, and then he closed his eyes to rest in the seat.
In the abandoned factory, Astonâs bodyguards had prepared for Maximilianâs arrival. Except the two guards always by Astonâs side, there were other men busing around in case Maximilian would harm their master.
Aston frowned after he had been play with his phone for quite a while, as Woody had not returned.
âWhat happened to him? Itâs been so long. The time he took was enough for him to go there and come back several times!â
âYoung master, please donât worry. Let me make a call.â
The guards dialed Woodyâs number, but Woody could not pick his phone since he was using his only functioning hand to drive.
Woody heard his phone ringing, and he kept casting glances at Maximilian, hoping that Maximilian would help him check who the caller was. But he dared not to say it. It was not until the ringing stopped that he felt relieved.
The bodyguard put the pone down with confusion and said with dissatisfaction. âHe didnât answer the phone. Perhaps something happened to him.â
Aston hesitated for a moment and lowered his head to continue playing with his phone. âLetâs not hurry.
We just keep waiting. Since Woodyâs phone is not dead, then itâs not something serious.â
Although he felt worried inside, he still seemed calm, because he believed that a leader must be confidant in front of his followers.
He thought of Jarvenâs calmness during the war and tried to be calm. Finally he heard footsteps.
Maximilian walked into the factory with Woody in his hands, Addison trailing behind.
Woody then wobbled toward Aston with his left hand on his right wrist.
âWhy didnât you answer my call?â The bodyguard shouted at him.
âI, I offended Mr. Lee and he taught me a lesson. My right hand is broken, so I drive with the other hand. Thatâs why Iâm late and didnât answer your call.â
Woody told them what happened with frustration. His story made Aston and his guards felt chilly on their spines.
They wondered if this man had any humanity at all. Let a crippled man drive? How bold this man must be!
Maximilian threw Addison to the ground near Astonâs feet and said with a smile, âYou followers didnât know the rules, so I taught them a lesson.â
âWho do you think youâre? Our young masterâs followers are not for you to teach!â The guard shouted.
âKeep quiet! Show some respect to Mr. Lee. Woody made a mistake, so he deserves it. In fact, I should thank Mr. Lee for it.â Aston said with ease.
âWhereâs my chair? I assume the young master wonât keep me standing during the discussion.â
Maximilian sounded very kind. But Aston didnât believe that Maximilian was a kind person. As he looked at the fake smile on Maximilianâs face, he believed this man could change his mood very quickly.
âBring Mr. Lee a chair. Choose the best one.â
The guard left and fetched a luxury leather chair from the warehouse. Then he put it behind Maximilian.
âPlease sit down. This is not a cozy place, but donât blame us for it.â Aston said politely.
Maximilian sat down and said, âSo tell me what you want to cooperate.â
Aston cast a glance at Addison and winked at the guard, who then dragged Addison out. âWoody, come with me.â
Then Woody left with the guard. He wanted to stay away from Maximilian as far as possible, because this man scared him to death.
After Addison was taken away, Aston took out a cigar and put it into his mouth. âI have a professional cutthroat organization. Many top killers have joined in, so I wonder if you are interested. I just took a big order. If we succeed, you can get 50 million dollars.â
âI donât care about your damn organization, but Iâm interested in the order.â
Astonâs face turned somber. He was not satisfied with Maximilianâs answer because he wanted Maximilian to be one of his cutthroats.
However, the somberness on his face was soon replaced by a smile, because he was confident about his plan B.
If Maximilian could complete that mission, Aston could easily make Maximilian afraid of doing anything out of line, even if Maximilian refused his offer now.
âAlright, since you are not interested, I wonât force you on that. After all, nothing forcibly done is agreeable. But I need you not to tell others about it. If you can keep it a secret, I can tell you.â
âIâm good at keeping secrets.â