The Smuggler King (Juno Fei #1 Prologue)
By Juno_Fei 1 Comments
Hong Kong, China.
A lowlife's blood smears the hall's stunning marble as he is dragged by his feet. His back is split open from lashings, his fingernails pulled, his left ear gone and the sobbing that accompanied these wounds were harrowing.
Two large oak doors swing open, the lowlife's sobbing became even more hysteric. He knew exactly where he was, the den of a smuggling wolf.
The two thugs that carried him let the body drop to the floor carelessly, looking to their Boss in hopes of approval. "<We loosened his tongue, sir. Found him trying to stow away on one of your planes outside...>" The one thug explained, removing his handkerchief to wipe away the scum's blood from his hands.
The Boss didn't even give his captive the decency of a glance, tapping his teacup with a silver spoon. There were no words given, only a slight wave of his hand to send the two hired guns on their way, closing the two doors behind them.
The office filled with a terrible silence, only peppered now and again with the sniffling and exhausted weeping of the lowlife. The Boss took a long, calm inhale of his tea, relishing both it's fine scent, and the ambiance he found pleasant to his ears.
Boss gently set the spoon down on it's ornate saucer, and got up from his leather chair. Every step of his tailored shoes echoed throughout the mostly stone office, approaching his prey with a cold bravado and hands folded behind his back.
"<Your capacity for disappointment is truly astounding, Niu.>" Boss called the lowlife, Niu, down while buttoning up his suit. "<I took you in when you were nothing but a gutter rat child, and you slowly but steadily climbed up my operation. Enough so, that I give you what I deem an important and personal task...>" His tone never changed a shade from tranquil, it was his mere presence that emitted a sense of fury.
Niu struggled to remain conscious, his injuries bringing him closer and closer to blacking out. Boss wouldn't allow it. The Smuggler King took his cane and jammed it in Niu's exposed lashing wound with impressive speed and precision, jolting Niu back from the ether with a yelp more suited for a dog.
Now that Boss had his attention, he continued his grievances.
"I tell you to find my daughter. Not apprehend my daughter. Not even bring me my daughter... But to simply locate her. An owl on a noon day could have done a better job than you have." Boss's immense grip tightened on the metal handle of his cane, audibly creaking.
Niu brought himself up to sitting by using his head as leverage, looking up to Boss with pleading eyes. "<I-I-I lost her in Venezuela! I was this close to putting the tracker on her ship! B-B-But the military was already chasing her d-!>" Niu's shaken words were replaced by the sharp crack of Boss's cane shutting the informants mouth for him, flopping back down to the ground in a bloody mess.
"<Yes, I've heard all about your blunders in Venezuela, I don't need to be reminded of them from your miserable mouth.>" The contraband titan brought his cane up to inspect it, checking to see if he bent it on the waste of skin's face, clicking his tongue quietly after seeing it was fine. "You mustn't take this failure too harshly though, Niu..." Boss knelt down beside Niu's body, calmly yet harshly grabbing his long hair to pull him up and look at him in the eyes. "At the very least, I know where my daughter last conducted business before flying under the radar for these past few months. You can take pride in that shred in accomplishment, while you bleed out."
Niu's bloodshot eyes widened for the last time, absolute fear taking hold. "Boss NO-!" Were his last words before Boss neatly opened his throat with a straight razor, taking extra caution as to not get any on his hands or suit and laid Niu down on the floor.
The Smuggler King sat back down at his desk, sorrow taking over his face now that he was once again in private. Very gently, he picked up a framed photo on his desk and looked deep into the image inside. It was a photo of a father and daughter, side by side and standing proudly in front of Boss's custom Grumman G-21 Goose plane. A memory from before he had all of this, from simpler times and happier times.
He would find his daughter who ran away from him, and he would once again continue grooming the heir to his titanic operation. No matter how long it would take.
After wiping away a stray tear, Boss pushed the intercom on his phone to hail his assistant. "<Get this mess out of my office, feed it to the pigs for all I care...>" He politely requested, picking up his tea and taking a large sip.
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