NOVEL NEXT Chapter 965: The Original Host
Chapter 965: The Original Host
"You're really a genius," Lena said. "How did you know he was going to come to me?"
June smirked, leaning against the couch. They were in Haruto's apartment now. The four had built a strange friendship. Despite being years younger than the other three, June felt like the oldest among them.
He still had a blue tint on his skin because Haruto bought paint that had ink in it, but he didn't mind.
Nothing could ruin his day.
"There are a lot of things I know about June, but it beats me how he's always so right about these things," Jay said before June could respond. "However, I've gotten used to it."
Haruto smirked as he listened to their conversation.
"It's because he has no other choice," June responded, ignoring Jay's comment. "He had ruined everything. He can't even get Dan to do anything now since he left him all alone. He also can't trust your neighbor because he exploded on him for not being the owner of Phoenix."
"In the end, he has no one else."
"He thought he had you, but he's mistaken for that, too."
"He's truly alone."
***
The countryside was far more peaceful than Lei had expected. The house Lena had sent him to was massive—a three-story house tucked away in the rolling hills, surrounded by trees and long, winding roads. No neighbors for at least a kilometer.
As he stared out the window at the stillness, the realization that he was truly alone started to sink in.
"This place is insane," Lei muttered, leaning against the windowsill, shaking his head in disbelief. "Lena's really rich."
He took a slow breath, trying to clear his mind. But it didn't work. His thoughts circled back to the catastrophe that had just unfolded. Who could have exposed him?
It couldn't have been a coincidence. No one knew except for a few people, and even then, they were supposed to be loyal. His mind swirled with the loss-the empire he had built in the entertainment industry was crumbling.
Sure, he had lost his footing in showbiz, but that wasn't the worst of it. He was starting to lose the sense of who he was.
Could he start over? Build something from the ashes of his old life? Could he... start a gang again?
He let out a bitter chuckle at the thought. It felt like a lifetime ago, but the memories still clung to him.
It all started 12 years ago.
Back then, Lei didn't have a vision for his future. He had been aimless, getting into trouble and eventually being kicked out by their parents. They had no patience left for him. But Lin Zhi, his younger brother, had been different. Lin Zhi was full of hope, full of dreams that seemed too big for their small, poor world. He wanted to be an idol-an actual star.
But they didn't have the money for lessons, for the connections, for any of it.
Even after Lei was kicked out, Lin Zhi kept visiting him, bringing him food, and talking to him about his plans. No matter how much trouble Lei caused, no matter how clumsy and careless he was, Lin Zhi believed in him. And because of that, Lei wanted to believe in something too.
At first, it was for Lin Zhi-to make his brother's dream happen, to give him a shot at the big time. But somewhere along the way, Lei found a dream of his own.
Lei's gang started as something small, something no one really knew about. He stayed anonymous because it felt safer that way. He didn't want his family involved, and he didn't want Lin Zhi's hopes tied up with the shady world he was stepping into. But the gang grew quickly, and the people in it listened to him. They respected him. He was just 19, but as soon as he had a taste of that sweet, sweet loyalty as soon as he realized he could make others work for him...
...it was game over.
Flashback, 2012: Shanghai, China
It was late one evening, and Lei was in one of the backstreets of the city, his gang somewhere nearby, keeping an eye on things. He leaned against the grimy wall of a closed shop, smoking a cigarette and keeping his head low.
He took a drag and exhaled, watching the smoke curl into the night.
Then, he saw him-a bald man, probably in his late 40s, walking confidently down the alleyway in a suit.
He had a mop keychain dangling from his briefcase. Lei raised an eyebrow. What kind of idiot walks through here alone, looking like that?
His instinct was to rob the guy. His gang could use the money, and no one would bat an eye at another business type getting roughed up in this part of town. But something held Lei back. "Ah, we could use the money, though," he muttered. "And this guy looks loaded." Before he could make a move, the man noticed him. Instead of looking scared, though, he walked right up to Lei, stopping a few feet away.
"What is a young man like you doing in such a dangerous place like this?" the bald man asked, his voice calm, almost curious.
Lei didn't answer. He kept his expression neutral, eyeing the guy warily.
The man didn't seem fazed by Lei's silence. Instead, he pulled something from his coat pocket and held it out-a bandaid.
"Clean yourself up. You've got a cut on your face."
Lei glanced down at his reflection in a nearby shop window and noticed the small gash near his temple. He hadn't even realized he was bleeding.
"Don't you have classes tomorrow or something? You should head home. Your parents must be worried," the man continued, still holding out the bandaid. "You're still young. You shouldn't be wasting your time in alleys."
Lei scoffed, batting the man's hand away. "Go away, old man. You don't know anything about
me."
The man just sighed and shook his head, but he didn't leave.
"Ah," he muttered, more to himself than to Lei. "I thought you were the one. What a shame. Your heart is black and does not have hope."
Lei frowned, taken aback by the cryptic comment. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Before the man could respond, a loud noise broke the tension. Lei whipped his head around to see a black cat darting out from a dumpster, the lid slamming shut behind it.
When Lei turned back, the bald man was gone.