Four months have passed since I took control of the Black Market.
Today is the day of the auction that will be held in Ember City of Veilhaven Country, the place where Greg and Vince came from.
It's been almost 7 years since I left that country. My emotions are a mixture of excitement, sadness, and hatred.
I'm excited to finally return and move a step closer to my revenge, but I'm sad that I can no longer see my family there and mad to see the people who burned my family to death enjoying their lives.
We made our way to the airport to catch our 9 am flight, using the VIP passage to avoid running into a crowd of people. We're quite popular, almost celebrities in the eyes of some, especially the young girls.
They call us The Three Princes of Sparks Country.
Greg is known for his athletic achievements, especially in Taekwondo. He won several awards in the Olympic games, bringing honor to Sparks Country.
Vince, on the other hand, is known as the Tech Genius, being the mind behind InfernoTech Solutions, a subsidiary company of my PyroTech Holdings.
As for me, I am known as the Youngest and Richest CEO of Sparks Country.
Wherever we go, we are the subject of people's adoration. I can't blame them, though. It's not just our achievements that they adore, but our handsome appearances add lots of points too.
Honestly, I still don't like the feeling of being the center of attention. I still don't like making public appearances. That's why I only have Greg and Vince as my friends. Aside from them, I treat everyone coldly.
But I need my popularity to gain control and power. I need my enemies to know about my existence and my might. So from time to time, I still accept interviews regarding my company.
As we made our way to the private jet, the crew handled our luggage and assisted us to our seats. It took us 3 hours of flight before arriving in Ember City.
We went directly to the Ember Star Hotel, where we are going to stay while we are in the city. We had lunch at their restaurant and rested for a few minutes.
The three of us have separate rooms, so we went to our rooms to change clothes. The auction will start at 8 pm tonight, so we planned to look around the city first.
Trying to be low-key, we strolled around the streets, wearing plain t-shirts, joggers, slip-on shoes, and black baseball caps.
"Brothers, hurry up! Let's try the basketball machine at the mall. Let's make bets on who's gonna get the highest score," Greg urged us.
Vince just gave a shrug while silently following him.
"Do you even have coins or cash to pay there?" I gave Greg a side-eye.
"Oh, shoot! Bro, I forgot Veilhaven has a different currency from Sparks Country," Greg facepalmed.
"Sigh. Here," I gave him a red envelope.
"What about Vince? You won't give him?"
"I'm not an idiot like you. I came prepared unlike you," Vince gave him a mocking look.
"You little bastard, when did you learn to talk to your big brother like that?" Greg messed up Vince's hair.
"Stop messing with my hair, or else I won't help you with your homework," Vince threatened.
My lips couldn't help but form a little smile looking at how they're teasing each other.
"Okay, enough, let's go." I lead the way.
Ember City is a place where orphanages and nursing homes are located. It is also a place where mostly middle-class families of Veilhaven Country reside.
There are only a few high-class hotels, restaurants, and malls here. The Ember Star Hotel where we checked in was their best hotel.
Looking at Greg and Vince while we strolled inside the mall, I'm glad they're somehow okay and don't have any emotional fluctuations ever since we stepped into this city, the place where they were born.
Maybe because Greg grew up in Ember Orphanage that he hardly comes outside, so he was quite happy strolling. While Vince, on the other hand, was an introverted person, so I guess he doesn't have any friends here because I never heard him talk about friends.
I'm glad they're doing well right now and not much affected by their past when they were still living here.
Looking around, I saw a building outside with a banner "For Sale" hanging on it.
'It was a newly built building, so why was it on sale?'
I looked for information about it on my phone. It was stated there that after the building was built, the owner found out he has stage 3 lung cancer.
All his money was spent on hospital bills, and he still didn't have a return on his investments, so now he has no choice but to sell it.
He actually owns a real estate company, and that building was supposed to be their main headquarters. He has properties but lacks cash, which is what he badly needs now.
His company now lacks funds, and he needs investors to inject cash or, worst case, he might just sell his company, especially now that he can no longer manage it. His health is now his main priority.
Reading it, I can't help but feel excited. This is exactly what I am looking for. Now I can enter Veilhaven Country's market; I just need to buy that company.
I hurriedly contacted the owner and met up with him together with Greg and Vince. Just like that, the deal was made, and I now have my real estate company.
We went to Ember Orphanage around 5 pm. Greg wanted to visit the place where he spent his childhood days.
Mother Kelly, who was the director of the orphanage, welcomed us. She knows about Greg and Vince's achievements. They were often featured in business or sports news from time to time.
Mother Kelly didn't know about what happened to Greg and Vince after leaving the orphanage when they were adopted by the rich couple. She only knows they became citizens of Sparks Country and are doing well.
Greg toured us around the orphanage. He spoke about his memories while growing up here. He had a soft smile and a reflective posture, embodying a blend of longing and fondness for past memories.
Looking at Mother Kelly's interaction with Greg, I felt relieved knowing he has somehow received genuine care from Mother Kelly.
I guess Greg just became envious of those children who were one by one being adopted while he was being left here. That makes him feel like no one wants him. That's why he once wanted to become a celebrity because he wants to feel loved and be accepted by people.
It was only an hour left before the auction, so we bid goodbyes and returned to the hotel.
The auction venue is on the top floor of this hotel we are currently staying in, so we still have plenty of time to prepare.
After some time, we arrived at the venue.