The banquet hall remained deathly silent.
Not a single soul dared to move.
Zhao Tianlong sat rigidly, his knuckles white as he clenched the armrests of his chair.
The whispers of the elders, the trembling breaths of the nobles—everything faded into the background.
Only one thought echoed in his mind:
Ochieng is back.
And this time, he was not the child they cast away.
He was a storm.
A force.
And he had promised a reckoning.
Zhao Tianlong's fingers twitched.
Then—
CRACK.
The armrest of his chair shattered under his grip.
---
The moment Ochieng stepped out of the grand Zhao estate, he tilted his head upward.
The night sky stretched endlessly before him, stars flickering like whispers of fate.
"So this is how it feels..."
His voice was low, almost amused.
To return.
To stand above those who once looked down on him.
To see fear in the eyes of the mighty.
But this was just the beginning.
The true game had yet to start.
As he walked forward, a shadow peeled away from the darkness and knelt before him.
"Master, the arrangements have been made."
Ochieng did not pause.
His steps remained slow, deliberate.
"And the underground forces?"
The kneeling figure hesitated for a second before responding, "Still investigating, but we suspect the Bai family is moving in secret."
Ochieng exhaled lightly.
The Bai family…
They were supposed to be allies.
But in this world, alliances were fragile.
Bonds were meant to be tested.
And betrayals were inevitable.
---
Somewhere in the dimly lit corridors of an underground club, a group of figures gathered around a long table.
Cigarette smoke curled in the air.
Whispers of power deals and assassination contracts filled the space.
At the head of the table sat Bai Sheng, a man with sharpened eyes and a fox-like grin.
"Ochieng... Ochieng... why does this name suddenly shake the entire city?" He mused, tapping his fingers against the wooden surface.
His subordinates remained silent.
Everyone in the room knew one truth—
A monster had returned.
And the question was, would they kneel or would they fight?
Bai Sheng exhaled slowly, the glow of his cigar illuminating his smirk.
"No matter how much the underdog rises, he will never be the master."
His eyes flickered toward a shadow in the corner of the room.
"Send the assassins. Make sure he never leaves the city alive."
The shadow vanished.
And with that, the first move of the war was set.
---
Back at Ochieng's private residence, the scent of jasmine tea filled the air.
A woman sat across from him, her features delicate yet unreadable.
Her black silk dress clung to her frame, revealing a grace that was both enticing and dangerous.
"You knew they would send assassins, didn't you?" She finally spoke, swirling the tea in her porcelain cup.
Ochieng smirked.
"If they didn't, I'd be disappointed."
The woman chuckled softly.
Her name was Yu Ling, the owner of the most powerful intelligence network in the city.
And unlike others, she did not fear Ochieng.
She found him fascinating.
"So, tell me, Ochieng..."
Her red lips curved into a smile.
"How do you plan to greet your guests tonight?"
Ochieng leaned back, his golden eyes glinting under the soft candlelight.
"With the same courtesy they show me."
Outside, the wind howled.
And in the darkness—
The assassins were already closing in.
---