A boisterous bang on the door ripped Ryder from his deep slumber.
"Hey, Ryd! We're going late! It's already 8 a.m. You told me to get your lazy ass up early, and now you're still sleeping like a log!" Riley continued banging on the door while he yelled at Ryder.
"Mm," Ryder groaned, then sluggishly got up, dragging his feet to open the door. "Give me a minute, will yeah? I'm the boss here, you know?" Ryder was still yawning and squinting his eyes. He sauntered back inside and then flopped his body on the bed facing the mattress.
"Ugh!" Ryder groaned. He could feel his head pounding and his body's too heavy to get up.
"Geez," Riley said, shaking his head. He embarked inside Ryder's room, pulled him up off the bed, and then pushed him inside the bathroom. "You lazy thing! Hissh!" Riley hissed and closed the door behind him.
"Don't sleep there, dude! You better take a shower now, or I will go in there and wash you by myself!" Shouted Riley as he couldn't hear the shower being turned on.
Riley strolled to Ryder's walk-in closet, grabbed a pair of suits, a necktie, socks, and a wristwatch, and then placed them neatly on the bed.
Jeez! "This man really is." Riley sighed and picked up the empty glass and bottle of whiskey rolling on the floor. "He's at it again," he mumbled, and he walked out of the room. Riley was about to ask for headache medicine, but Charles beat him to it. He handed him the medicine before he could even open his mouth.
"Are you a psychic, uncle?" Riley remarked. "How did you know that I came down here for this?"
Charles chuckled at his humor. "I am not his butler if I don't know these simple things." Charles knows that when Ryder had a bad day, he always comforted himself with a drink and ended up having a headache when he woke up the next day.
After talking with Charles, Riley gets back to the room with the medicine and ginger tea in hand.
"What the heck, he isn't done yet?" Riley murmured and slogged to the bathroom." Come on, Ryd, you have a meeting in a few minutes." Riley knocked on the door but didn't hear a response so he twisted the doorknob and pushed it open.
"Man, you surely are the cause of my daily dose of headache." Riley got inside the bathroom and pulled the sleeping Ryder out of the bathtub.
"This pig," Riley dragged him out of the bathroom after wrapping him in a towel and tossed Ryder on the bed.
"Geez," Riley dried himself as well. "Should I cancel the meeting?"
"No, I will be fine, I just need this," Ryder then takes a sip of the ginger tea that Riley placed on the nightstand and then eats the headache pill.
"You sure?" Riley shot up his eyebrow.
"Yeah, a few minutes late will be fine," Ryder said and stripped off the towel that Riley wrapped around him.
"What the fuck, why is that thing up?" Riley mouthed to Ryder's erect cock and the latter chuckled at Riley's exaggerated reaction.
"Don't worry about it, It's not like I get aroused because you groped all over my body in the bathroom earlier," Ryeder teases him.
"Gross!" Riley hit him with a pillow which made Ryder chuckles even more. They have been friends ever since toddlers so they were basically brothers as well as Marius, Luke, and Dylan.
**
At the police headquarters
"Officer Wang and Detective Wang, Chief Wells, are calling for an urgent meeting at 9 a.m. sharp." Officer Kole informed them.
"Okay, we will be there," replied officer Kyle Wang, and officer Kole excused himself.
"Hey, what do you think the meeting will be about?" Jax rose from his swivel chair.
"I don't know either; let's go; we still have 30 minutes left, though. First, let's go grab a cup of coffee." Kyle suggested and they went to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee.
"Do you think it's related to the Black Rose case?" Jax wondered while they were walking to the meeting room.
"Maybe," replied Kyle, shrugging his shoulders.
In the meeting room
"Good morning, boys. Is everyone here?" Chief Wells' voice reverberated upon entering the meeting room.
"Yes, Chief!" The officers answered in unison.
"Good, let's start!" Chief Wells then discusses the objective of the meeting, and so on. "So about the case of Black Rose? I will assign a group to investigate the case regarding Mr. Wen's death. Although Black Rose already provided the evidence, we still have to do our part and make sure that all the evidence is factual. Another group for the kidnapping case regarding the missing children and another group for the robbery case.
"I already assigned your groups, officer Kole; please distribute these." Chief Wells handed him the folders containing the files inside.
"That's all for today; the meeting is adjourned." Chief Wells announced
"Officer Wang, Detective Wang, please stay," said the chief, and he motioned for them to sit back. "I have something to discuss with you two," he added.
"Yes, sir," Kyle and Jax said in unison.
After their subordinate has left, the chief heaves a sigh of frustration.
"Officer Wang and Detective Wang, please open the folder!" He gestures with his hand for them to open the folder in their hands.
"The two open the folder with confidential information written on it. and they both narrowed their eyes.
"As you can see, that's the order from the higher-ups. We don't have a choice but to obey the orders; that's our job," Chief Wells stated.
"The government is worried about the series of killings of higher government officials these past six years... "So do your job, boys." Chief Wells patted both Kyle and Jax's shoulders and then left the meeting room, leaving Kyle and Jax in a daze.
"What the hell!" Jax swore after they returned to their quarters.
"Kyle, do you think we can do this?" Jax then tossed the folder on the table.
"We don't have a choice anyway, do we?" replied Kyle, flopping his bottom on his swivel chair.
"Seriously, five months? in just five months? What are they afraid of?" Jax is sauntering back and forth while Kyle is sitting on his swivel chair. He was resting his head and massaging his temples in frustration. "This black rose truly is a headache." Thought Kyle
Jaxx examines the files again. "They are clever this time, huh? Instead of sending the order through an official email, they use hard copy this time," Jax chuckles.
"You know what, Kyle, I am doubting this!" Jax caressed his chin as if he were thinking deeply about something.
"About what?" Kyle glanced at him.
"Look, man, the higher-ups' order to catch Black Rose in just five months, dead or alive! They don't even care what method we use. Just ordered us to eliminate him within five fucking months, or we can pack our stuff and fuck off and drag our asses off out of here!" Jax commented on it angrily, as he was so pissed off. "Isn't this amusing?" He added
"I don't know, Jax; maybe we should first investigate why Black Rose is going around slaying those higher officials. Then we would know how to approach him and come up with a plan for our next move," suggests Kyle.
"Geez! What a headache!" Jax then sat down on the chair in front of Kyle's desk.
"Hey, Jaxx, do you think Black Rose is working alone?" Kyle intertwined his hands while fiddling his thumbs.
"Nah, I don't think so." Jaxx shook his head." Back then, in Shanghai, he assassinated one of the government officials in the city. I followed him and saw him enter the car. I followed them when I saw them leaving the crime scene. But unfortunately, they caught me… we fought, but I didn't stand a chance. The one wearing the white mask just toyed with me." Hahaha! Jax chuckles.
"He looks like a wild fox, man. With his slender contour and thin waistline." Jaxx looks up, trying to dig some memories in his head. "I thought he was a girl, bro, except he doesn't have those voluptuous boobies." Jax chuckles with dreamy eyes.
"Who can tell he was able to take down a trained combatant like me? He gave me an unforgettable double-roundhouse kick, uppercuts, and an abdominal jab. And that Goddamn black rose just stood there and smirked like a devil laughing at my misery and watching me get beaten by that sly fox! I thought they were going to beat my life out of me! But they didn't.
“We don't kill innocent individuals, but stop tracking us down, or this slay fox will beat you up handsomely.” "That's what he said after dropping me off in front of the hospital." Jax shook his head after reciting his monologue.
Kyle chuckles at Jax's expression while talking about the sly fox.
"But you don't seem to hate them, though; I think you enjoyed the beating," Kyle snickered.
"Oh, come on, don't tease me, man!" "I know that smirk of yours." Jaxx shook his head, getting his ass off of Kyle's desk.
Kyle's phone rang, and the two forgot their duty for a moment. Jax went to his table, and Kyle answered his ringing phone.
"Hello, bro? … Yes, I will. Bye."
Kyle ended the phone call quickly.
"Brother Ace?" Inquired Jax
"Yes, Dad asked me to come home tonight. You come with me; I'm sure Dad and brother Ace will be very happy to see you too."
"Okay, I miss Uncle Jun, as well," replied Jaxx.