Chapter 6: A Cold Demeanor

“Yes, sir…!” Brandon replied curtly.

Jack Black stared piercingly at Brandon once again, noting internally that the young man before him possessed an unshakeable resolve and a dangerous, reckless edge.

Jack Black was a former military officer who had pivoted to running a private security firm, providing bodyguards for anyone willing to hire them.

His final rank in the military had been Captain. He had served ten years in prison for killing a man, an incident that also led to his dishonorable discharge from the armed forces.

Upon his release from prison, he reconnected with an old comrade who had since been promoted to Brigadier General. Through this friend, Jack Black was offered a job as a bodyguard for a high-profile businessman with a long list of enemies.

Born Jack Samuel, he earned the moniker "Jack Black" due to his dark, Eastern Indonesian complexion.

When his contract with the businessman expired, the client advised him to launch his own bodyguard agency.

Taking the advice to heart, Jack initially recruited two men—former military and police personnel who had also been dishonorably discharged over various incidents.

Over time, Jack Black’s reputation grew as someone who could guarantee his clients' safety, enabling him to expand his squad by recruiting eighteen more operatives.

Contracts flooded in continuously, mostly from businessmen or corrupt officials offering lucrative retainer fees.

Now, Jack Black’s security firm—fittingly named CV Jack Black—was swamped with orders to protect high-value clients.

He maintained a close relationship with Senior Commissioner Roni. Whenever special guests or wealthy businessmen in the Commissioner’s network required personal protection, Roni would immediately reach out to him.

Naturally, Jack Black understood the arrangement and never hesitated to split commissions with his old friend.

“Is it true you’re a master marksman?” Jack Black probed.

“I know my way around a gun, sir.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” Jack Black asked, slightly puzzled by Brandon’s blunt, laconic responses.

“When I line up a target in my sights, I rarely miss. It’d be a waste of ammunition otherwise, sir.”

Jack Black burst into laughter at Brandon’s deadpan honesty.

After exchanging small talk for about thirty minutes, Jack Black decided to hire Brandon on a two-month probationary period. If he performed well, he would be brought on permanently. Brandon agreed, and that very day he signed the contract presented by Mita—Jack Black’s tomboyish yet charming personal secretary.

Brandon officially started work that day. The rapid hiring process was driven by Jack Black’s deep trust in Commissioner Roni’s recommendation, confident that Brandon would not let him down.

“Just keep a tight leash on his temper. When Brandon gets pushed over the edge, he can kill a man in cold blood,” Commissioner Roni had cautioned—a warning that only made Jack Black chuckle with satisfaction, as he preferred men with a cold, ruthless edge.

Mita introduced Brandon to fourteen fellow bodyguards. Most of them were heavily built, as Jack Black mandated regular weight training. The office featured a dedicated gym where operatives worked out during downtime between assignments.

In total, Jack Black managed twenty-four bodyguards. Ten were currently deployed on active client assignments, leaving fourteen at the headquarters who had just finished their shifts and were unwinding at the gym.

Naturally, Brandon joined the physical conditioning to stay in peak shape. Occasionally, Jack Black took his crew to a firing range to hone their marksmanship. He also required his men to train in martial arts dojos, knowing that every bodyguard would eventually face off against hostile threats attempting to breach client security.

It was during these sessions that Jack Black came to admire Brandon’s martial prowess, as the young operative single-handedly outmatched three seasoned men at once during spar practice.

Combined with his lethal precision with firearms, the entire team gradually grew to respect the taciturn Brandon, who rarely ever cracked a smile.

True to Jack Black’s expectations, Brandon’s performance over the two-month trial was exceptional. He executed every assigned detail flawlessly.

During those two months, Brandon guarded five different clients—mostly high-net-worth entrepreneurs and celebrities—and the feedback was glowing across the board.

“He’s just so cold, almost like a hitman for hire. He barely speaks, let alone smiles, and when you talk to him, he answers in three words or less!” one client remarked to Jack Black.

Jack Black merely smiled, explaining that it was simply Brandon’s nature and asking clients for their understanding.

TO BE CONTINUED