(Author note: Apologies for not uploading for a while now. I've been taking a break as I was hit with a massive block on this story. But now I'm back, and this chapter will be especially long. Some long explanations and some weird wording will be ahead. This was created over 2 weeks... So it will be a little strange. Regular uploading will return. Hope you enjoy!)
The main house of the Fude household was deathly silent. As the wind and the dark clouds outside gave the vision of large-scale change about to hit the Fude household hard...
"My second grandson, Stella Fude. Will now officially be reinstated as the second heir of the Fude family." Father Ku's stern and emotionless voice boomed throughout the hall.
"..." The entire hall was silent, as the servants' jaws dropped to the floor. Kiera had an unreadable expression, Ryan narrowed his eyes at Stella, trying to understand how this situation has come about. While Zou had a look of dismay on her face.
This was quite an astonishing announcement, the servants in the hall didn't dare breathe loudly, for all of those who had bullied or abused Stella in the past are now sweating buckets.
"I've already settled Stella a marriage with the young miss of the Cher family miss. I hope this decision is fine with you all." Father Ku gave the family edict.
There were no opposing words, nothing said would change Father Ku's decision anyway... And no one had the influence to do so anyway.
.........
"He's been on the move again, look at some of these reports from the insiders." Cerim reported in an amazed tone.
Mou sat in the seat of his office reading the reports. He had just flown back from Country F a few hours ago he went straight to work. Now he had heard some interesting news.
He peeked over to read the reports from both Stella and the insiders placed into the servants of the Fude household.
"..." Mou was quite surprised, the drastic change in Father Ku's attitude towards Stella was a little strange. He sat staring at the words as he tapped the table.
"According to some intel, the scandal Zou faced forced Father Ku's hand. He didn't appreciate how Yuon was placing his fiance over the business and putting the reputation of the entire family in jeopardy. So now he turned to the grandson he labeled a bastard...
"Well, he has successfully infiltrated his own family as a spy... The family will fall apart from the inside out." Cerim chuckled, he was in awe of Stella, the fact that he managed to place the leader of the Fude family into such a situation that he would ignore his own pride to reaccept a bastard into the family, it was impressive.
Mou continued to tap the table, attempting to think of the inner mind of Stella. "No information from them?" Mou shifted to another topic surrounding Stella.
Cerim shook his head. "I wouldn't expect anything, they are known to work fast, by now we should know where his birthmarks are." Cerim confirmed Mou's thoughts.
Mou stayed silent as he finished off his work. Taking long enough to make Cerim remember that he also had work to do...
.........
*Knock* *Knock* Mou rubbed his temple, he checked the time and saw it was only early evening.
"Come in." Mou was confused that he didn't get notified about a meeting, he reached under his desk with his hand...
The door opened as Mou's eyes turned cold, his hand clenched the weapon in his desk...
A large male wearing a pure black suit walked in, his face emotionless as his eyes wandered to Mou in his chair...
"Who are you?" Mou had loaded his gun, ready to fire at the wrong answer...
"You wanted the information?" The man's voice was coarse, it was something which would make people shake from fear...
Even the bold Mou felt fear at the presence of this man. He was clearly trained and it wasn't hard to tell that he also had a weapon on him. It looked to the man that lives were nothing to him...
"You're from the Bei family?" Mou asked as his hold on his gun didn't falter, except getting tighter instead.
The man nodded as he reached for the inside of his suit. "Here is what you asked for." He walked over to Mou's desk as he pulled out an envelope.
Mou kept his guard up, while he didn't want to be enemies to the Bei family, he couldn't help but guard against someone with such an overwhelming and rooted power...
"I see... Are you always the messenger for these things?" Mou asked as he reached for the envelope with his free hand.
The man didn't respond, not that it bothered Mou anyway, at least he couldn't feel any malice from the man... For now.
"I do what I'm told." The man replied with unwavering loyalty. As he turned around to walk out of Mou's office...
The man shut the door, leaving Mou to read the envelope. His expression didn't change, even after walking past the secretary outside who didn't mind the man.
Mou opened the envelope, it was split into 3 parts. He took them and started to read them carefully...
.........
*Bang* Mou's office door slammed open, making Mou frown immediately.
"Oh thank god. Why did you use the emergency button for?" Cerim came in breathing heavily, the relief on his face made it obvious how much Mou worried him.
Mou then remembered that he pressed his emergency button, calling Cerim, Nio, Chirs and Eun to the location...
Mou didn't say anything, but he instead pushed the envelope towards Cerim, indicating to him to read it.
Nio, Chris and Eun all walked in behind Cerim. As they closed the door they all started to read the information...
After 10 minutes the 2 parts of the envelope was passed around the men.
"He seems like a normal bastard here. After being pronounced illegitimate he took on servant work, then his mother died while he was young and he then disappeared for a long period. The house didn't care too much, except when he came back..." Eun tried to make sense of the limited information given by the report.
Mou tapped the table with a brooding expression. "He acted the same after coming back, except he would start to disappear at times. First, it was only a few weeks. Then it became a few months. But despite always escaping he came back to the Fude household... Why?" Chris didn't understand the mind of Stella, if he could escape why would he keep coming back instead of consolidating more power?
Mou kept on tapping the table, there were many unanswered questioned still left, in fact, this report just gave him more questions that he wanted the answers to...
"Bro... This can't be it, right?" Cerim asked with his eyebrows scrunched together, he didn't understand how the Bei family could get such unimportant information about a person...
"Mmm." Mou hummed as he pulled out another piece of paper, this time it was different to the report given...
Cerim took it and started to read... His heartbeat sped up as he read it, looking over to Mou nervously.
"Bro... Is this real?" Cerim's hands were shaking, Mou might have struck a hidden landmine...
Eun took the letter from the hands of the shaking Cerim. He read it with a calm expression and handed it off to Chris...
"Really? Cerim makes such a big deal and you just sit there and inwardly debate? Give it here." Chris begins to read the letter...
.........
"..." The room was silent as Mou's finger continued to tap the table.
Mou's finger stopped. "What do you think Eun?" Mou asked for his strategist's opinion first.
*Cough* "The lack of information given is a little worrying, either Stella isn't a significant person. Or he is so powerful they can't find information on his either. Both aren't possible, the Bei family offering an alliance probably means that Stella is either an enemy or someone they want to keep in check. But if they give us too much information then we could make our own decision. But since we can't be sure about the extent of Stella's influence we are practically forced to align with the Bei family." Eun gave his analysis.
"Huh? Why would we be forced to align to the Bei family?" Cerim asked, he was good at certain things. But the logistics of family alliances was not one of them.
*Sigh* "If we don't then we are announcing to the Bei family that we are aligning with Stella, but since we don't even know if Stella holds any relative power then it's extremely risky. Since they didn't give us enough information we would need to side with them for protection if Stella holds power. If don't take sides then the Bei family can use the fact we asked for information on us, making us a target of an extremely talented person... Mou, we have been played here." Chris slumped in his chair.
"..." Cerim was annoyed, annoyed at the fact that they had fallen into a trap so easily. They had been trapped between a pincer. They only have one option, to side with the Bei family...
"Damn, we are being used." Cerim was fuming, he wouldn't sit down and accept being used in such a way...
Mou subtly smiled as he looked down at the letter given by that man. "The person who gave me this had my explicit permission to enter my office, he is part of the same group which we met before... But the offer they have given us is not acceptable." Mou's voice caught Cerim's attention.
"But can we go against the Bei family?" Cerim asked, they were an established family for centuries, their influence didn't just stay within a single country. But within the entire world. Most businesses are related to the Bei family.
Mou looked at Cerim. "I don't know, but I won't be sitting down to accept this outcome, being under the thumb of another is not in my nature." Mou replied, making Cerim surprised at how much passion Mou was suddenly showing...
"So we side with Stella?" Eun asked, that was the only plan in his opinion.
Mou lightly shook his head. "No." This left Eun a little confused, as Nio ruffled his hair in agitation.
"We get Stella to side with us instead." Mou then revealed after a dramatic pause...
Cerim had a look of realization on his face. While Eun put his hand to his chin. "So we gamble that Stella has power and we get him on our side. Instead of making him wanting us on his side, we make him go on ours... I see, consolidating our forces will be necessary. Also getting Stella on our side is crucial." Eun agreed with Mou's idea.
While Cerim was thinking about something else. 'Bro, don't tell me you became this passionate because it looked like Stella could be in danger?' Cerim was becoming confident that he might need to deal with a brother-in-law soon...
Nio and Chris were a tad confused and out of the loop. "I'm sorry that I can't follow this. But what is the difference between us going to Stella compared to Stella going to us?" Chris asked a valid question.
"Simple, We will be protecting Stella, meaning that we get all of the benefits with him joining us, while also announcing to the Bei family that going for Stella means attacking the Guillard family... Instead of us joining Stella which could leave us defenseless if he holds no power. It's our best option so we don't become a puppet under the Bei family." Eun explained to Chris.
Mou stood up, as he took some documents in his hands. "Make a plan to start next week. Cerim, you need to consolidate forces. Nio, train up some new men. Chris, Start infiltrating various places to gain support in the government. In this fight getting support from the government will give us protection." Mou commanded as he started to walk out of his office, his face having an unaccustomed determined look.