Chapter 2 - The era of 'Joan'

In city G of Country B, dark clouds loomed over yet another flourishing business corporation. A man in his forties was cursing the people who were bringing in a small shipment worth a couple of hundred thousand dollars, illegally through the border.

They had no idea what went wrong but the contents of the shipment had suddenly disappeared en route. There were no traces of stealing or any presence of breaking into the container forcefully. It was as if it had disappeared in thin air.


Although it was only a small shipment and did not worth much compared to the other black market purchases of the company, it was still a loss to any rising businessman. And deep in his gut, he could feel something ominous arising from this situation.

"This is way too familiar. This year there were whispers about various underhanded dealings that had been interrupted in the business world. Could it be that?"

Ring! Ring!
His office phone rang breaking his monologue and a robotic machine-altered voice was heard from the other end.

"Mr Gu, we have not received the other half of the money for the shipment. The news of your missing shipment has reached the ears of everyone in the underworld. According to the contract, we do not bear any responsibility whatsoever happens to the goods once they leave our territory especially if 'that' person has anything to do with it. Now that it has come to this, if you do not make the rest of the payment, you won't be able to bear the result."


Beep. Beep. Beep …


The phone went dead without any response from the concerned party.

Gu Huojin gritted his teeth and slammed the phone in anger. "How dare they! That shipment only cost a couple hundred thousand. That is nothing to the Gu corporation. Just because of that measly amount small pests are beginning to think that they are above me? How daring!".


Gu Huojin tried his best to contain his temper and started thinking. He knew that those black dragons were just a new emerging group of dealers in the underworld, but their fast-growing network and product quality were too good to make an enemy of. He loosened his necktie and took few deep breaths and a sip of water before calling his personal assistant.


Shen Minxi who was Huojin's personal assistant and the head secretary strutted into his office. Her pointy channel heels clicking in rhythm to her swaying hips. But the usual flirtatious demeanour changed when she saw the dark aura coming from Mr Gu and even more for the fact that she was coming with bad news.


But even then, she wanted to reduce the impact on herself, so she brought up her most coquettish voice and puffed up her breasts. She was glad that she wore her customized extra padded push up bra today.

"President, you called for Minxi?" Shen Minxi said blinking cutely with a slight pout on her lips.


Gu Huojin was in no mood to play with her but looking at her semi-pouted lips, he was reminded of them in action and felt his throat tighten up a bit.
Ahem. Ahem…Cough.


"Minxi, send the rest half of the money for the shipment," Huojin ordered with a slight frown, coming out of his brief moment of distraction as he recalled the pesky problem.

Shen Minxi, who was initially delighted with the president's reaction, could not help but shudder.

"Um- I, Si-ir That money, I came to say that the money we set aside for that..that account was hacked and…and the money is gone."


"What?!??" Gu Huojin rounded his eyes and immediately called the finance department.

Shen Minxi saw fearfully and held her breath as Huojins' face darkened with every second of the phone call and it was unfathomable at the end of it. She bit her lips in nervousness as she too knew that this was not just any hacking, something like this at this time was a misfortune because it was the era of the most notorious thief which the world came to know as the 'era of Joan'.

Gritting his teeth as hard as he could, he breathed out one word,
"Joan".