Semua Bab When Life Takes A Turn: Bab 731 - Bab 740

There was one more realization. Zayn had a feeling that the path to being Unbeatable was total devotion—the kind that required one to be less and less involved with worldly, earthly affairs. Xander was the prime thesis for that; he had been a master fighter since ten years ago, and yet he had not made much progress. He was better than a newly-joined member but no way at the absolute top, and Zayn bet it was his lust for worldly power that hindered him from devotion.Of course, it was next to impossible for a human to live in complete solitude all their life. What about family? Friends? Lovers? These bonds were often hard to break. So, all Zayn could do was to make sure he was less involved in his business. He would leave most of the heavy lifting to his subordinates and be content with being the man behind the scenes.Many expressed incredulity at his choice. Why would a young man in his prime let go of his authoritative power? Sean and Gordon could not fathom his intention; in fact,

Annabelle’s trance lasted for a good few minutes until Esther walked in on her, who then responded to the former’s blank-eyed stare by waving her hands in front of her eyes.“Hello? Earth to Annie?” Ester tried, “You called Mr. Larson as we planned? Did he say yes? …Oy, Annabelle Laking! Snap out of it!”Annabelle jolted with a rush of rosy blushes to her cheek. “Est?! Oh, hi. W-What did you say? I, uh, wasn’t listening…”“Of course you weren’t,” Esther scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I asked if you called Mr. Larson like I told you. What did he say? Did he agree? C’mon, Annie. You don’t really think I haven’t noticed you staring into space at inopportune time, do you? I even wonder if you’ve got someone living in your headspace up there, rent-free.”Annabelle’s heart skipped a beat, but outwardly, she shook her head. “No! N-No way! I don’t have someone on my mind! I mean, my career is my priority, Est. And, well... Idols like us aren’t really allowed to be in relationships, are we? Th

“Mr. Smith! You’re here!”Seeing the named man and a few companions exiting from a Porsche Cayenne, Esther was quick to greet them. In response, Smith nodded and asked, “So, is Mr… Mr. Larson here yet?”“He’s on his way. Pretty sure he will be here shortly.”A cold glint flitted through Smith’s eyes as he nodded. “Good. I’ll be waiting upstairs. I hope he doesn’t back out!”Esther felt a jab in her gut instincts—a subtext nestled within his word choice. Still, she decided to forgo delving too deeply; after knowing who Zayn was, Smith would know to restrain any display of aggression and antagonism, right?“Huh. Where’s Miss Laking?” Smith inquired after a cursory scan around failed to show him where Annabelle was.“She’s waiting for everyone in the reserved room,” came the reply.“Great,” Smith said, nodding again before leading Kenneth and the rest of his retinue up the stairs.Sure enough, the first thing that caught their eyes upon entering the room was Annabelle. Kenneth’s r

Zayn could already sense in his guts that Smith’s intention was impure. He could sniff the ulterior motive, the trap hidden behind an apologetic pretense. To think, some foreign celebrity would have the audacity to set up a trap in what was effectively Zayn’s home-turf! How amusing.Zayn could not wait to see what kind of surprise Smith had in store for him.Esther pushed the door open, and Zayn’s eyes came face-to-face with the newcomer, Kenneth, and the full glory of his pillar-thick neck, his almost similarly-sized face, and his bulking muscles pushing against the man’s shirt. He had the potential energy of a loaded shotgun. Then, judging from the calluses paving his knuckles as he set his fists on the table, Zayn was sagely enough to know that he was looking at a professional boxer with commendable skills.So, Smith managed to get a pro on his side. No wonder he worked his damnedest to secure Zayn’s attendance—things were about to get interesting.Zayn, impossibly perceptive as

Zayn curled into a lopsided smile. Riling these foreigners was his precise intention.So what if a few Rheasians with inferiority complex had humbled themselves so much that it inflated these foreign races’ ego that after a period of time being served as master, they thought they could lord over everyone else. But Zayn, oh he would not feel welcomed and entitled at all. They were in Rheasian land; they were the ones who should bend under the host and their rules!Smith was balling his fists so hard that he could hear his knuckles popping from under the table. With almost impossible willpower, he managed to keep his ire from spilling out while forcing a mechanical smile out of his lips. “Excuse me, Mr. Larson, but I was wondering where did you learn—”He had not even finished his sentence when Zayn suddenly turned to Annabelle and said, “Oh, Miss Laking, I forgot. I’m craving some top-notch pork ribs, so please help me order it.”“O-Oh!” Annabelle was stunned for a second, but her e