Cristan narrowed his eyes and glanced at Great Grandpa who still sitting quietly on the seat next to him.
The old man's eyes stared at the commotion in the room with an expressionless face. He is observing every reaction of the core members who were still greatly shocked by the new rules that he had just issued earlier while their elite guards like Jade silently watched the chaotic ambiance with the indifferent facial expression. Some members of the Senate are busy chatting happily while the other female members were busy covering their mouths and endlessly chatting without hiding their enthusiasm excitedly. Only very few people stay unaffected by the news, like Phillipe, Argo, Anthony, Thomas, Joseph, Leo, and Cristan Levy himself. Each of them remained still on their seats seriously with their eyes stared intensely at Great Grandpa while some of them were deep in thought about this sudden change.
What kind of game that this old man playing on?
"What kind of joke is this, Grandpa?" Cristan sneered sarcastically to the old man who was sitting next to him quietly. While the one who was asked, only shrugged his shoulder and smile widely while showing his innocent look like a child.
Cristan shook his head and chuckled lightly. This game… is ridiculous for him. This means tantamount to tells everyone in the same room to pull their swords and fight one another until a single winner came out in the end.
"However, because the position as the clan leader is extremely important and dominantly influence of global decision in all countries, each member in this room can nominate someone or themself as long as they are supportedly minimum by 5 voters..."
"Cristan Levy ...."
Cristan's eyes suddenly bulged when he heard his name mentioned casually by Great Grandpa without his permission. He glared and turned to the side to snap the old man when he realized that the old man had raised his hand as a signal of voting.
"One vote for Cristan Levy…"
"What the hell is this! Wait ….Wait... .. " Cristan groggily panic. This incident was beyond his expectation at all.
"One vote for Cristan .."
Borca suddenly raised his hand and made Cristan froze in his seat. Stunned by the second voter.
"Me too… One vote for Cristan Levy"
Marianne, Selina, and another member spontaneously raised their hands one by one. A sly smile crossed their lips.
"What the hell is going on here???" Cristan got up from his chair as slammed his coat on the table as a sign of protest. Unfortunately, no one pays attention to what he just did. His existence was completely ignored.
Two more hands were raised on behalf of Cristan. In total there are 7 votes of members who nominated Cristan as a candidate for the next clan leader.
Next, there is Leo Levy who support by 6 votes.
Phillipe Levy is supported by 9 votes.
Argo Levy is supported by 9 votes.
And the rest of the members abstain.
In the end, there is Octarina who is supported by 12 votes and at the same time, she is the only female candidate who was nominated in the race to compete for a position as the next leader of the clan for the next period.
The atmosphere of the room at that time became very intense. This circumstance never happened in the previous council before. When Arina was alive, the council always held in solemn order. But tonight, although all members seem calm and relaxed, there was a storming rage and greed that clearly visible in their eyes as each candidate looked at one another except for Cristan who felt trapped in this awkwardness completely. His brain was still confused and couldn't process what had happened when Borca returned to recite the standard protocol and rules for the same election as before.
"The nominees are obliged to compete fairly and square to give the positive contribution by providing the best solution to solve the mankind problem of the global level on earth and food scarcity for countries in South America. The nominee with the best results and won one of the international awards in two problems above, will automatically become the supreme leader of the clan ... "
"The final result will be announced exactly 1 year from now at 24.00 ...
.............................................….
The meeting was end quickly and concise. Only about 1 hour. The members of the council began to dismissed and resigned themselves from the room. One by one and followed by their elite bodyguards. Only a handful of members remains and busy chatting about some business and other matters because they haven't seen each other for quite a long time. Great Grandpa is still sitting on his chair and observed the whole scene in front of him thoroughly. His expression seems a bit relaxed and not as serious as he was before when the meeting was taking place. At the same time, Cristan also still sitting in his chair with a disheveled expression like a soldier who had just lost his war.
Great Grandpa rose and patted Cristan on the shoulder gently like a father who gave a piece of advice to his son.
"Let's go home. This old hag needs some sleep…. "
Cristan keeps silent as he walked following Great Grandpa walked out from the meeting room sluggishly and Jade just followed them both from behind.
The three of them soon arrived at the main house and Great Grandpa quietly sat in the family room and turned on the TV. Whereas, Cristan, still with his haggard face, just sat next to his grandfather and leaning on the sofa they were sitting on. He felt like being thrown straight from heaven into the lowest depth of hell. Cristan wasn't ready for this. Not yet…
But he can't go backward anymore.
This is a battlefield!
And like it or not, he must be ready and prepare himself for this ...
"Heh ... You must have planned all of these, right?" Cristan asked the old man who sits next to him exasperatedly.
Big Grandpa turned off the TV with remote control and looked at his grandson's face. Bemused of his words.
"What do you mean?"
"You have planned everything right? Starting from the phone call, then this birthday party, and now the council with new rule which doesn't make sense at all… "
His tone was getting higher and everyone knows that he is upset about what his grandpa's doing. Even more, when he said all the conclusions, Great Grandpa narrowed his eyes and soon, those eyes turned into a crescent moon. Then, the old man burst in laugh uncontrollably..
OK! Fixed! Cristan has got into this old man pit! He's trapped!
Great Grandpa keeps laughing loudly and patted his knees several times for a while before then his laughter suddenly died as he coughed to take a breath.
Jade, who still standing there, moved quickly to get a glass of water for Great Grandpa.
After a few sips, Great Grandpa felt much better, and amusedly, he stared back at Cristan.
"Yes, it is true…"
.................................................
But before Cristan could shoot his protest, the old man took a letter from his pocket and gave it to Cristan.
"But it was all on your mother's idea, Arina .."
Cristan stunned after he heard those words and took the letter and opened it slowly.
..............................................
Rose Mansion, 2 years ago, a week before the accident….
"Are you sure, Arina?"
Great Grandpa looked at the beautiful woman who still standing firmly while he staring out the window with a doubtful look. Cristan is currently pursuing his studies in biotechnology in Sierra City after he graduated and got his cum laude a year ago in Scudesco. With the research that he is currently doing, Cristan will be finished his studies 2 years from now. As a fresh graduate with such a minimum level of experience, it seemed a bit overwhelmed for Arina to subtly more force him and put him to get involved in the internal affairs of the clan after he finished his studies.
The beautiful woman turned to Great Grandpa and sitting on the sofa leisurely then she took a sip of the warm tea on the coffee table.
"A hero was born and baptized in tears and blood…" said Arina quietly but her aura and demeanor were intimidating inside the room.
"I've never been this sure, Great Grandpa. He's a Levy after all and he was born from my womb .. "
...........................…
Cristan took out something from the letter.
There is no writing in it. Only a piece of old animal skin with the first ancient symbol of the clan from the time of the founding father. Not a single member knows of its whereabouts except the direct bloodline of Leone Accardi. Not even Leo Levy.
The old man only inherited Arina and no one else. Now, Arina is giving the same "command" to Cristan.
No more hiding. It's time for you to get up and fight!
Cristan seemed to hear his own mother's voice when he saw the symbol.
Slowly, he got up from the sofa and gripped the envelope tightly after reinserting its symbol and carefully, tucked it back into his pocket.
Jade is preparing the car to send Cristan off when Cristan suddenly issued an order.
"Take me back to the apartment, Jade, and please prepare The Troops for me ... "
Jade nodded obediently then he called someone immediately and giving some instructions afterward.
In less than 5 minutes, a group of six bodyguards is showing up and fully alert inside the main house. Under the standard protocol and basic rules for each candidate for the next clan leader in the next period, they are obliged and have some privileges to summon an escort from a unit of elite bodyguard from the clan named The Troops. They are tasked with guarding and escorting each candidate until the one was chosen in the day of the inauguration. Because Cristan is one of the candidates for clan leader, he is also entitled to this privilege.
Cristan walked out to the exit and was escorted by his bodyguards when suddenly, he heard a strange noise from the main bedroom. Slowly, driven by his curiosity, he sneaked in and opened the door very carefully without making a sound. His eyes quickly caught the lewd scene which ongoing by his father and Wanda shamelessly. Their bodies are entangled with each other and sweating while they let out loud moans and groans which are heard all over the main house. Soon, Cristan instantly closed the door and looked away in disgust, and quickly left the house.
The sports car that he often uses was waiting for him in front of the house. While the members of his bodyguard have their car. There is only 1 person that accompanying Cristan as a driver when they finally departed from the Rose Mansion.
...........................