Hearing the name he was given when he entered Red Moon, Xiao De's shoulders jumped in fear. He quickly steadies his quivering heart and nods his head.
"It's true. I was keeping watch in the security room when all the screens turned black. I thought it was a glitch and tried to fix it, but realized someone had hacked the system."
His head still remained in a bow, and he struggles a hard gulp before continuing.
"My hacking skills are not good enough as I could not trace the person."
Tao Meng listened until the end and nodded his head. He puts on a thinking face and looks at Jia Lin, then back at Xiao De.
"Xiao De, I know you are new to Red Moon, so you do not know the importance of informing me about such an important matter. However, it is not an excuse for you to neglect your job here."
Hearing this, Xiao De's face turned pale, and he lifts his head to look up at Tao Meng, who stood like a tower in front of him.
"l… I didn't mean to… I-"
Before he could try to explain his delay, Jia Lin grabs him by the throat and slams him hard on the ground. His head banged on the hard tile floor, and his vision blurred for a long second.
"Useless sc.u.m. Who gave you permission to talk back to boss?!"
Jia Lin straightens his posture and kicks Xiao De a few times before pressing his foot on the boy's head. With his larger built, a little bit of strength was enough to smash Xiao De's head.
"You should have reported such an important matter the moment you found it. Your lateness to tell boss makes you a traitor to Red Moon! You let whoever it is in!"
"P-please, I'm sorry. Please don't kill me."
Not wanting to die, Xiao De pleads for his life. He knows that he messed up, but no one told him about such a rule.
All he wants to do is survive and go back to take care of his siblings.
Tao Meng stares at the boy with no ounce of sympathy. He looks away and puts his arms around Ling Ni and the other woman.
"Take him away. I have no need for a useless person."
He had only kept Xiao De because he needed a good hacker on his side since Xiao died. He thought Xiao De could fulfill that role since the boy's father would brag about him when gambling. However, it was nothing but a hoax.
Tao Meng walks away with no care for the boy as Jia Lin grabs Xiao De by the collar again and drags him away from the door he (Xiao De) had entered.
"Please! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! I'll do better! Please!"
Tears ran down Xiao De's eyes as he screams and begs for his life. If he dies here, who will protect his siblings? What if his father sells them like him?
Recalling the way Tao Meng was leering at his younger sister, fear quickly overcome him. It was his younger sister who Tao Meng had used to threaten him into coming to Red Moon.
He (Tao Meng) said that if he (Xiao De) doesn't want his sister to become a plaything for Red Moon, he needs to come work for Red Moon.
Fearing for his younger siblings, he doesn't care that Jia Lin is dragging him and starts punching the man's arm.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
However, no matter how much he struggles or hits, he was no match for Jia Lin, and soon, the door shuts, erasing all sounds from him.
Tao Meng walks to the middle of the room and sits down on a chair. He waves the short hair woman away and places Ling Ni on his lap.
"Everyone may lift their head."
He was like a ruler in ancient times. Everyone, being his subjects, does as he says. However, no one returned to what they were doing but wait for his instructions.
"Xiao De is indeed right. Someone did hack our security system."
Everyone's expression turned grave, and a low commotion breaks out in whispers.
Tao Meng watches his men as his hand intimately caresses the side of Ling Ni's thigh like she is his most precious pet.
He was already aware of the hack as the system alerted his phone. Only, he didn't know who it was.
He looks at his men and smirks a chuckle.
"Outsiders who dare to enter Red Moon is seeking for death."
His eyes flash dangerously, and the smirk on his face turned sinister.
"Whoever finds the intruder will be rewarded heftily with money and women."
Hearing this, everyone quickly scrambles like tiny ants and rushes out of the room to search for the intruder.
"We'll find him, boss!"
* SLAM!!
However, before anyone could make a move, the door that had only closed a few seconds ago is kicked open with great force.
Everyone spun around to see who it was. At first, they all thought it was Jia Lin returning, but their eyes widen in shock when a familiar body is thrown into the room. No, not thrown, but kicked.
"Oh my. Why is everyone panicking? Did misfortune fall upon Red Moom?"
Following the body that landed on the ground, four silhouettes, wearing masks, leisurely enter the room. It was as if they were casually taking a stroll in the park.
"Isn't it known that Red Moon likes to enjoy their fun in this shitty place that reeks of filth?"
One of the four men spoke in ridicule, but his words were taunts that made everyone's blood from Red Moon boil in rage.
Ignoring all the murderous glares thrown at them, another man walks a few more steps ahead and stops in front of the body on the ground.
He lifts his right leg and places his foot on the body's head.
"Seems like you are all searching for your guests."
His eyes scan each person in the room until his eyes landed on Tao Meng. Even with his mouth covered, one can see that behind the mask was a smirk full of mockery.
"But there's no need to do that."
He sounds a faint chuckle like he was having the time of his life. His head tilts to the side, and he stares straight at Tao Meng's soul, and his eyes turned dark.
"We're already here."
