"Good morning, Mr. Zwick."
Every employee greeted immediately as a man walked into the main lobby of Zwick & SON. Inc, followed closely behind by a female assistant carrying a tablet and several folders. As he walked past the greeting and saluting employees, Walther Jude Zwick showed only a faint smile. He continued to walk towards the special elevator reserved for the highest-ranking people in the company. Arriving in front of the elevator, the man opened it and entered, followed by his assistant.
As soon as he entered the room, Walther Zwick sat down in a chair. He picked up a bottle of wine that was half lying on its side in a large glass bowl filled with ice cubes located near the desk. Pouring the alcoholic liquid into a glass cup, he took a sip as he leaned back in the comfortable chair, trying to relax himself.
"How's the stock market this month?"
The question was a conversation starter.
"The company's stock has risen by about 18.9% in the past week, and it seems that the government has also reduced its investigations into the company." The assistant, a woman in her mid—twenties with straight blonde hair, explained politely while reading the report document on the screen of the tab she was holding.
"Hmmnn is that so?" Walther raised one eyebrow, his attention on the empty glass in his hand.
"The government's suspicions are lessening, as evidenced by several companies that were once competitors now wanting to sell their shares to you." Seeing her superior's casual expression, Barbara-the name of the female assistant-asked, "You seem to be dissatisfied, Director Zwick?" Or rather guessed.
Walther exhaled regularly, his face absent of expression for a few seconds. Putting the emptied glass back on the table, Walther said, "As long as I haven't gotten the rabbit, I'm still not satisfied."
"You'll get the Rabbit someday," Barbara said, sounding reassured.
There was a glint in the director's eye. Walther calmly said, "Yes, of course. Until that day comes, I will bring him to his knees." Both sides of his lips pulled into a smile that would have been more appropriate for a grin.
Walther was a man who knew no mercy. Almost everyone who knew him knew that. Although many more did not know it. When he succeeded his father-Aaron-as President of Zwick & SON. Inc, within three years Walther had managed to bring the company back from the shadows of bankruptcy when one of the drug laboratory factories that was developing the latest research unexpectedly exploded and killed many workers and scientists who were working on the latest research that was still in the development stage.
Zwick & SON. Inc is one of the companies engaged in the field of medicine. They sell various types of medicines and health products. In addition, the company also has several research buildings, factories and experimental laboratories.
Aaron John Zwick passed away about fifteen years ago. He left the entire company to his only son.
Walther became a famous young man overnight; about a young man who inherited a company worth billions of pounds in his early twenties. He took power, making many people and even his father's competitors curious about the handsome and brilliant Walther Zwick.
*
The morning sunlight filtering through the glass window between the drawn curtains had managed to disturb a man who was sleeping in a bed with a ligeon gray sheet that was crumpled in places. The man woke up slowly although his eyelids were still heavy to open.
"Ughh ..." A low moan escaped his mouth as he tried to sit on the edge of the bed while massaging his shoulders with his hands alternately, stretching his aching muscles.
"My whole body hurts like hell." he muttered, again yawning.
Noel was confused when he found himself this morning in a different room. His arms were raised around his eyes to block the glare of the sun as his attention looked out the window, each side of which had gray curtains fluttering in the breeze.
Noel sighed softly, lazily looking at the alarm clock on the bed as it read 9.35am. He tried to remember what happened last night, but his head felt dizzy. His body felt crushed, aching everywhere. Noel wondered, was he delirious by doing something in his sleep? 'Can't remember' might be a better answer than 'doesn't know'.
Before long, there was the sound of the bedroom door opening, and in walked a man.
"Are you awake?" Gregory asked Noel who was sitting on the edge of the bed rubbing his eyes.
"Yes?" Noel replied quietly as he focused his vision on the blond man.
"Noel?" guessed Gregory as he leaned his side against the doorframe.
"Hmmnn ... it's me." There was a moment's pause before he threw out a question, "Aren't we leaving for Moscow today?"
Noel didn't know why that question just came out of his mouth after he woke up. It was like he really had no recollection of what had happened that night.
Shrugging Gregory replied casually, "We're already in Moscow. This is where we're hiding."
Noel didn't believe him. "What? But ... when?" The man was getting more and more confused, how could he not be.
Gregory had no intention of explaining in detail the situation, the man again shrugged and answered briefly. "Two days ago."
It was only last night that he accidentally met Walther and ran away from him. After returning to the apartment, he accidentally fell asleep, and when he opened his eyes, he was already in a different country.
Stunned by Gregory's words in his head, Noel gave no reaction. Gregory saw the incredulous reaction on Noel's face and approached to make sure. "So, you don't remember anything?"
Noel shook his head. "What happened over the past two days?"
"Nothing happened, after the plane landed at the airport, you immediately fell asleep for two days." Gregory lied and continued to convince Noel with his words.
So their memories were not connected even though they were in the same body. At this rate I'd better keep the events of that night a secret. If I tell him the truth I don't know how he'll react. Gregory thought to himself.
On the other hand, Noel, who got the answer from Gregory about what he asked, also wondered. Was he telling the truth?
After being deep in thought, Gregory finally said, "Never mind, you look tired so I didn't wake you up for those two days."
Noel's lips quivered silently, seemingly about to say something. However, he was quickly interrupted by the man in front. "Are you hungry?" Gregory asked, trying to change the subject.
Noel, who remembered that he hadn't eaten since that night, nodded slowly even though several unasked questions were still swirling in his mind.
"I've ordered food. Clean yourself up first, at least wash your face. I'll go to the kitchen to heat up the food."
With that, the brown-haired man left.
Still on the edge of the bed, Noel's mind went back to Walther. Had the man returned from Manhattan? Or was he back to his old self? I don't know, Noel didn't know.
Ever since waking up Noel had been trying to put thoughts of the man aside, but it was so difficult. In the end, Noel just let out a long sigh. He stood up and walked to the bathroom.
The morning at the dinner table was filled with an atmosphere of awkwardness. Neither Gregory nor Noel seemed to want to say anything. And Noel knew that Gregory was hiding something from him. Meanwhile, from Gregory's side, he was again thinking about the plan he was going to execute, or rather Nate's plan. Although his lips were sealed, but his mind was busy making plans, Gregory was still thinking about where to start. While his attention returned to Noel who was eating.
Seeing Nate's body now possessed by Noel's soul made his personality a hundred and eighty degrees different. He thought that Nate's body matched Noel's soul and his personality matched his face. He wondered what Noel looked like in his old body.
"You're not eating?" asked Noel, successfully breaking Gregory's reverie that had been struggling with his thoughts.
The brown-haired man smiled slightly. "I'm full." As soon as his attention fell on the empty bowl that was still filled with seaweed soup with large slices of beef and spring onions, Gregory began to ask serious questions. "Can we talk?" His tone was more formal than before.
"Just talk, you seem to have a hard time saying it." Noel said as he gulped down the water in his glass. Seeing Gregory's reaction of silence for some time, Noel guessed that what the man was about to say was something very complicated.
And sure enough, it wasn't until Noel gave him a serious look that Gregory spoke up. "I already know why you were in Nate's body." The statement from Gregory succeeded in making Noel silent. "He intentionally summoned your soul."
"Wh-what? But how?" Unable to contain his curiosity he asked in a slightly stuttered voice. The wave of shock immediately hit his hard. Noel never expected at all how someone would sacrifice their body to summon the soul of another person, especially if it was a stranger. Because in the past, Noel never felt like he had an acquaintance named Nate.
Gregory knew that Noel would ask a question like that, even though he didn't believe in the mystical either, the man still tried to answer it clearly to make it sound more reasonable. "I don't know either, but it seems like he learned something like mystical things back in the orphanage where he used to live."
Nate had lived in an orphanage? Noel's eyes blinked as he learned one more fact about the man who owned the body he was occupying. Despite everything that had happened, Noel had no reason not to believe in transmigration. However, what Noel didn't understand was why Nate had chosen him? Why not someone else? Why did it have to be him?
"But why me?" Noel uttered the question he had been thinking about.
Gregory shook his head slowly. "I don't know for sure, but if he intends to involve you in this, it must have something to do with you." Gregory knew his best friend better than anyone else in the world. He knew Nate wasn't one to pick on people lightly, anyone who knew him knew that, so in the end Gregory just accepted Nate's decision when he said his choice of Noel was the right one.
Noel was at a loss for words, even though there were some questions that were still unanswered, but his brain seemed to be cramping as he took in the back-to-back facts that just wouldn't and couldn't be accepted.
After waiting a few moments to allow Noel to ask more thorough questions, Gregory stood up from his chair when he was sure the man in front of him had no more questions to ask. "Ready or not ready I think we should start now."
Noel stood up too. "Follow me!" Gregory pleaded. He took a step towards a room in the elite apartment they were now living in.
Noel Baluev looked at a brown painted door from behind Gregory Illéa, as the man was unlocking the door to the room with several coded padlocks. Once the code was matched the door automatically opened. Gregory entered with Noel following close behind.
"What room is this?" Noel asked looking around the dark room with a look of horror on his face.
The room was rather small; four by three meters with minimal lighting. Inside there were several metal safes with codes and shelves of cabinets made of teak wood neatly arranged.
Gregory looked for the switch to turn on the light, then answered, "Weapons room."
The lights came on, clearly revealing the contents inside, Noel barely blinked after taking a good look. In the room were various models of weapons such as knives, homemade firearms, pistols of various types such as Glock Meyer, Ruger RedHawk, Desert Eagle, Lesson Magnum, several small grenades and many unused bullets.
Without even glancing at Noel who was still standing motionless in the doorway, Gregory picked up a gun that was located on one of the shelves. "Here, try it." The man said as he handed a gun into Noel's hand.
Noel took it with some hesitation. "What is this?"
"It's a Raging Bull gun."
"No, I mean ... why are you handing it to me?"
"Try shooting something with it."
"What should I shoot?" Noel's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
Gregory looked around the room for a moment, and found something suitable for an experimental target. "Try shooting that vase!" he instructed, pointing at an innocent blue cloud-patterned white porcelain glass vase as a target.
Noel looked more and more hesitant. He thought the vase must be expensive.
"Come on it's okay, the vase is worth nothing, the effect of the shot isn't that big either." Gregory explained lightly. "Focus on your target, then pull the trigger and shoot."
After the man said that, Noel did not immediately follow his orders.
The gunshots boomed loudly like thunder. Luckily the room was designed to be soundproofed, so it didn't really make it outside or even to the other residents of the apartment. After the screeching subsided and the vase shattered into pieces creating small shards that spread around the floor where he stood, Noel was silent unable to say anything. His mouth gaped, he hadn't expected the sound to be so loud and the force of the shot to destroy the vase instantly. As for Gregory, the man was laughing. In stark contrast to Noel's expression which was pale with shock.
"This isn't funny!" Noel snapped in fear, half shouting at the man who was laughing out loud at the side.
"I'm sorry ahaha!" Gregory laughed while holding his stomach. "That was just normal, you should get used to that kind of sound. Learning to fight is easy."
Noel looked at Gregory through a serious expression. He forgot one question that Gregory hadn't said since this morning. "You said Nate called me because of a plan, right? Then can I know what Nate's plan is?" Noel asked, his tone serious.
As soon as his sense of hearing caught Noel's question, Gregory's laughter stopped instantly. He answered aloud. "I'm not really sure either."
Noel paused, after getting the answer to his question, his face was paler than before. Like someone who had just donated half the blood in his body.
Seeing Noel's response, Gregory felt bad and continued with his words. "Actually, I don't know what Nate wants either. However, according to my guess, he seems to want us to go with the flow."
A hush fell over the room as Noel got his answer, an answer that didn't satisfy. If Nate wanted this plan to go with the flow it couldn't help but be that the flow would eventually lead him to Walther Zwick. Ah that man, Noel still had one more question about Nate, so he asked again, "What is Nate's relationship with Walther Zwick?"
At first glance, Noel got a look of surprise from Gregory's brown eyes as he looked at Noel through questioning eyes. The man asked himself how Noel knew about Nate and Walther?
Silence fell again as Noel's question remained unanswered. Noel gulped his saliva nervously after asking it. The gun still in his hand was squeezed so tightly that his fingernails turned white. There was an ache that rose in his chest as his mind was again filled with questions about the two men.
The second Gregory opened his voice, it wasn't an answer he received, but a question full of shock. "How did you know that Nate knew Walther?" Gregory tried to guess. "Have you ever met Walther Zwick?"
Noel nodded silently, the answer still awaiting him from the blond man. even so he still chose to answer Gregory's question first and waited for the answer afterwards. "The night you left, I met him. More precisely he met this man." Noel pointed to his face.
Through Noel's expression, Gregory caught a glimpse of the sadness that had been building up for so long as soon as he mentioned Walther Zwick's name, the man concluded that Noel must also know Walther Zwick. He wanted to ask to make sure, but Gregory wanted to say the answer first. "Regardless of what the relationship between the two is like, 'complicated' is probably the right word. Nate also never told me what kind of relationship he had with the man."
After getting the answer from Gregory, Noel could only look down. His mind began to wonder if Walther had special feelings for Nate. The word 'complicated' had many meanings. However, the more Noel thought about it, the more it made his head hurt and spread to his heart.
"Starting tomorrow, I will teach you how to fight and use weapons. At least to take care of yourself. Even though you live in the body of a good fighter, that ability doesn't work for you."
"Alright."
Only a sigh was exchanged as a sign that he agreed. At least by starting to learn the early stages, Noel could independently take care of himself who was now an assassin.
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