As soon as Ju-Ho shared the information about Grandpa Zhang's grandson, Shin and Yejun were both stunned. They nearly dropped their glasses in shock.
"His secret grandson?! The hidden heir who's been kept a mystery all these years?" Shin's eyes widened in disbelief. Rumors about Grandpa Zhang's secret grandson had always circulated, but no one had ever seen him.
Ju-Ho took another sip of whiskey before revealing the reason behind this secrecy.
"Grandpa Zhang wants his youngest grandson to lead a normal life unlike him and other members of his family," he explained nonchalantly. "Being the only son of Grandpa Zhang's beloved daughter who has passed away, it is no surprise that he cherishes him so deeply..."
It was well-known that the Zhang family were one of the most powerful and influential families in both politics and military affairs. Even if Grandpa Zhang retired next year, his impact on political decisions would still be felt for years to come.
"How did uncle find out?" Yejun inquired curiously.
Ju-Ho raised his eyebrows in amusement at his nephew's questions. "I may be only 33 years old, but..." Ju-Ho said smugly. "Being a generation above you guys has its perks; your grandfather and Grandpa Zhang shared this information with me. And I actually met him once when I visited Grandpa Zhang two years ago."
His two nephews let out a disgruntled pout and muttered their disbelief under their breaths and muttered "unfair."
"Sigh... I can't believe I only focused on the young masters from the Xu, Qin, and Zhao families. I completely missed out on the other three..." Shin let out a deep sigh, regret filling his voice.
Ju-Ho looked intrigued by this revelation. "So there were also kids from the Xu and Qin families? That's quite interesting..." He mused thoughtfully. "Actually, we came to this city partly to cooperate with the security company owned by the Qin family. Their proposal for advanced physical security system integration is impressive..."
Although Ju-Ho had other personal motives for wanting to meet someone from the Qin family face-to-face, he kept those thoughts to himself.
Shin's eyes widened at this news, "Oh! Uncle, you mean the proposal we discussed yesterday?! The next-generation physical security system where state-of-the-art surveillance cameras are equipped with AI-powered analytics that can detect unusual behavior or movements in real-time? And the cameras-"
"Hold on there, brother! Can we talk about something else?" Yejun threw up his hands in surrender, looking overwhelmed by all the technical jargon being thrown around.
Shin grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I got carried away..."
Ju-Ho smiled indulgently at his nephew's enthusiasm before turning the conversation towards a different topic. He relaxed back into the soft cushions of the sofa, his gaze turning to Shin.
"Hey, was the tallest guy in the group earlier from the Xu family?" he asked curiously.
Shin pondered for a moment before responding with certainty, "Yes, that was Kane Xu. He's quite popular among the group."
Ju-Ho let out a soft chuckle before adding his two cents to the conversation. "Ah, Kian's younger brother... They may look alike but their personalities are like night and day," he remarked with amusement. "It must be tough for Kian to have such a troublemaker for a sibling."
"I didn't know you knew Kian Xu so well, uncle," he said with genuine interest.
A look of nostalgia washed over Ju-Ho's handsome face as he replied warmly, "We've known each other for years now, you could say we're old friends..."
Feeling neglected by the conversation, Yejun pouted and started playing with Shin's cocktail glass absentmindedly. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with interest in the drink before him, so he decided to take a sip of the drink. However, Shin quickly snatched the glass from him before he could take a sip.
"Yejun! You can't drink alcohol yet! You'll have to wait until next year when you're legal!"
Yejun's curiosity got the best of him as he eyed Shin's cocktail glass. "But it doesn't look like the alcohol is strong... so a sip would be okay, right?"
Shin scoffed at Yejun's suggestion and quickly pulled his drink out of reach from his underage cousin. "It's called 'silver bullet' for a reason, Yejun," he retorted with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Of course, the alcohol is strong - stop misbehaving."
"Silver...."
As soon as Yejun heard the word 'silver', he remembered something that had caught his attention earlier - a silver-haired man with Kane.
"Brother! Uncle! Did either of you see the face of that silver-haired man who was with Kane Xu earlier?"
Shin furrowed his brow as he tried to recall what he had seen. "You mean that silver-haired man that Kane Xu kept hugging? Unfortunately, I only saw his back... I think he was Kane's lover or something, right?"
"I also just saw his back figure," Ju-Ho added, tapping his fingers on the table thoughtfully.
Yejun's disappointment was palpable, and Shin could sense it from his cousin's demeanor.
"I only saw him briefly from the side," Yejun admitted reluctantly. "But there was something about him that felt familiar..."
"Who do you think he looks like?" Shin probed, a hint of concern in his voice. "Yejun, don't tell me you're still holding onto your old hunch from a few years ago?"
Yejun fell silent at this question, confirming Shin's suspicions that his cousin had been hoping for something specific.
Ju-Ho couldn't help but feel curious as he watched the tension between his nephews play out. Sensing an opportunity for some answers, he decided to press them further.
"What does Yejun really think?" he asked Shin, trying to get to the bottom of things.
"It's about his brothe-"
"Brother Shin!" Yejun exclaimed indignantly.
Ju-Ho was even more confused now. "What's wrong with your older brother, Yejun? Aren't you going to meet him in a few days?" he asked, trying to get some clarity.
Yejun's smile was forced as he tried to play it cool. "Actually... he texted me last night, asking me to meet him at his house next week... This is the first time he's ever wanted me there..."
For years, the siblings had only met in secret at public places. This sudden change made Yejun feel more nervous than ever before - overwhelmed by the uncertainty and unpredictability of this situation. As he spoke about it, an unexplainable fear crept into his heart; something felt off-kilter with this new arrangement between him and his brother.
"Wait... what?"
Shin was taken aback by Yejun's revelation and struggled to find the right words to say. He knew that bringing up Yejun's older brother always brought a tense atmosphere in their family, and he didn't want to worsen things.
"Did he tell you a reason for inviting you?" Shin asked hesitantly, trying hard not to betray his deep concern for Yejun's safety.
Yejun's forced smile disappeared as he adopted a blank expression. "I don't know... but I'm going anyway... I want to find out what he wants," he replied quietly.
Ju-Ho drummed his fingers on the table nervously as they discussed this topic. It was clear that tensions were running high among them due to Yejun's brother being involved in this matter.
"I'll come with you," Ju-Ho offered suddenly, surprising both Shin and Yejun.
Yejun's eyes widened in shock at his uncle's sudden offer. He hadn't expected Ju-ho to accompany him, but he felt grateful for the support.
"Uncle Ju-Ho, you're making me feel like I'm going to war or something," Yejun joked with a chuckle. "But I won't refuse your help."
The tense atmosphere dissipated as they continued their conversation, their laughter mingling with the sounds of the bar around them. Though there were still unanswered questions and potential complications ahead, for now they were content to enjoy each other's company and forget about their worries for a little while.
*
*
*
As the figure made their way through a brightly-lit room filled with people either dozing in seats or engaging in various activities, they couldn't help but replay the events from earlier this night in their mind. They had been at the bar as well, keeping a watchful eye on Yohan and Kane as they interacted closely. Their gaze never once faltering as they observed every word and action between them.
With each step they took, memories flooded their mind like a vivid film reel, causing an enigmatic smile to creep across their lips.
"Things are different now... I can feel it."
"But it's not just him who has changed..."
Just then, the figure was suddenly jolted out of their reverie by someone calling out to them. Turning towards the source of the voice, they saw a person waving for them to come over.
A mix of hope and fear welled up inside them as they approached this person with light footsteps - their expression betraying nothing despite the churning emotions within.
Could this be the moment where fate takes a turn for Yohan? The thought lingered at the back of their mind as they tried to keep any signs of anticipation off their face.