Night City, Yunxiao Technology Building.
Armed guards surrounded the entire building, creating an impenetrable perimeter. Without permission, not even a fly could get near the area.
Under the watch of these fully armed security guards, a fleet of high-end, bulletproof hovercars—vehicles the average person could never afford in a lifetime—were parked at the building’s entrance.
Important figures in respectable suits, flanked by their secretaries and bodyguards, stepped out of their cars. They slowed their pace to chat with a few familiar board members before heading together into the building’s exclusive VIP elevator once it was time.
The 201st floor, a magnificent, golden conference hall.
Waitresses with full-body golden cybernetic modifications pushed carts laden with high-end delicacies like fish belly, steak, caviar, and top-tier fruits, placing them on the immaculate long table.
Dozens of Yunxiao Group board members were lined up beside the long table, an air of deadly seriousness and nobility blending harmoniously around them.
At the head of the long table, Charles sat in the seat of honor.
And beside him stood a boy of twelve or thirteen.
The boy had delicate features and wore a top-of-the-line, custom-tailored black suit. Though his expression was full of amiability and deference, a closer look revealed a hint of defiant arrogance in his eyes.
Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Charles glanced down at his watch. He cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention, before speaking at a leisurely pace, "Esteemed elders of the board, I’ve gathered you all here today to discuss the matter of my successor!"
"My son, Bob, is now twelve years old. According to company regulations, he is eligible to inherit a portion of the company’s authority. Bob is an exceptional young man, so I would like to place him in the security department to let him begin gradually acclimating to the company’s various operations!"
Hearing this, the board members showed no surprise. They had, in fact, already been informed of this appointment before they arrived.
Under normal circumstances, when Charles decided to support an heir, the board members wouldn’t object unless they had a major issue with the candidate.
This time, however, a slight murmur of unrest rippled through the board members.
After a brief moment of whispered discussion, the youngest director on the board stood up and said, "Charles, we have no objection to you placing your heir in the security department, but have you forgotten about your other son?"
"Command of the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team has yet to be recovered, and now you’re placing a new heir in the security department. Don’t you find your own actions ridiculous?!"
"Little Charles," the one in control of the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team, had always been a thorn in the side of everyone at Yunxiao Group.
Over the years, the board had pressured Charles about this matter on numerous occasions.
Charles had also used considerable power trying to restrain Li Chang’an and the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team.
But compared to domesticated dogs like the NCPD, the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team was a wolf that had never truly been tamed, possessing a great deal of autonomy.
Now, under Li Chang’an’s control, not only had its finances become completely independent step by step, but its management was also firmly in his grasp.
In other words, the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team was now a completely rabid dog, on the verge of turning on its master at any moment.
Hearing the director’s challenge, Charles’s expression remained largely unchanged. He simply glanced back at the boy behind him.
Seeing this, the boy stepped forward and said calmly, "My father was able to grant command of the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team, and he can naturally take it back. You need not worry about that!"
At this, a supremely confident smile spread across the boy’s face. His gaze swept over every member of the board as he continued, "I, Charles Bob, can guarantee all of you that after taking over the security department, I will reclaim actual control of the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team within half a month—without shedding a single drop of blood."
Hearing his guarantee, the faces of the many board members filled with skepticism.
One of them couldn’t help but stand and ask, "This is no joke. You think you alone can reclaim actual control of the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team in half a month?"
The Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team had expanded its ranks. Its numbers had likely long since surpassed three hundred, and it was already showing signs of becoming too big to control.
Aside from making the decision to gather all of Night City’s security forces and expend massive amounts of manpower and resources to eliminate them by force... the board members present could think of no other way to reclaim power from their hands without bloodshed.
Seeing that he was being doubted, a vicious look flashed across Charles Bob’s otherwise delicate face. He gave a contemptuous laugh. "That guy is nothing but an insignificant scapegoat. Everything he has is property my father will one day leave to me!"
"Father was lenient with him in the past only because I hadn’t officially started taking over the company. Now that I’m taking over the security department, the countdown on his life has officially begun!"
Clearly, he was extremely confident. Just like Charles, he had never once taken Li Chang’an seriously.
Upon hearing his over-the-top, confident promise, a minor commotion broke out among the board members. They whispered amongst themselves, discussing the veracity of his words.
Although they were all skeptical and unwilling to believe it, since Charles had dared to let his heir make such a guarantee in front of so many of them, they decided to trust him one more time and hold their noses while they waited to see what would happen.
After all, if Charles wasn’t absolutely certain, he would never have allowed an action that could shake the foundation of his heir’s position right from the start.
...
The many board members present were all busy people with limited time.
Therefore, after concluding the main agenda of the meeting, several directors prepared to stand and leave.
But just then, the clear, melodious ring of a phone suddenly echoed through the room.
Every board member present fell silent at once, their eyes instinctively turning toward the source of the sound.
To prevent the meeting’s contents from being monitored by pervasive hackers, the 201st-floor conference room of Yunxiao Technology Company had been shielded from all external communication signals since the day it was built. Even board directors had to remove all communication devices before entering.
And what was ringing now was the only encrypted communicator in the conference room capable of contacting the outside world.
Obviously, all the board members were curious as to what could have happened to make this device—which rarely rang even once a year—suddenly receive a call.
Charles frowned and walked over to the communicator.
To avoid arousing the board members’ suspicion, after glancing at the display and seeing the internal call was from the security Captain, he answered it and switched on the speakerphone. "What’s wrong?"
Under normal circumstances, the security Captain would never have dared to call at such a critical juncture.
But since the call had come through, it meant something must have happened in the security department that required his immediate decision, prompting the Captain to dial this internal number before the board meeting had even ended.
On the other end of the line, the security Captain’s voice was trembling. He was silent for a long moment before speaking, "Lord Charles, Little... Little Charles is here. He’s asking for... for you to grant him permission to enter the building!"
Hearing the Captain’s words, Charles was visibly stunned. A moment later, he frowned and asked, "What did you say?"