My Family's Secret Website

POV - (???)

An abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of an unknown industrial city.

Deep night.

A dilapidated warehouse building.

Cold moonlight streamed through the broken windows near the roof, casting long shadows on the rusty metal structures and piles of old junk.

The air was heavy and damp, with a tang of mold, rust, and machine oil.

Somewhere in the corner, water was dripping — the sound echoing steadily in the emptiness.

In the center of this derelict space stood about twenty men in stark black uniforms.

They stood in a semicircle, silent and disciplined.

Each was armed — pistols in holsters and automatic rifles held at the ready.

Their auras were cold and professional.

These were no ordinary thugs, but a well-trained, dangerous security detail.

In front of them, slightly ahead, stood the head of security.

The man was about forty years old.

He was tall, athletic, with a cold, neutral expression.

Two old scars crisscrossed the skin near his left eye, making his gaze even more stern; his red hair was slicked back.

The man stood with his hands in his pants pockets, looking as if he was already fed up with the whole thing.

No one was here by accident.

A little further away, right in the center of the warehouse, stood four wooden chairs.

Seated on them were four men of medium build.

Their arms and legs were tightly bound with duct tape and ropes, and black bags covered their heads.

Three of them were trembling with fear.

The fourth man — dressed in an expensive business suit was shouting and making threats, even though he couldn’t see a thing:

- (???). "Do you fucking know who you’re messing with?! I’m a very influential person! You’ve made the biggest mistake of your life! I won’t rest until I’ve slaughtered every last one of you! And then I’ll go after your families, your children, your mothers! You’re all going to die, do you hear me?!"

The head of security slowly stepped closer.

His face showed fatigue and a hint of irritation.

- (Head Guard). "You’re very loud... Be more civilized, please."

He nodded to his men.

Three guards approached the chairs and simultaneously removed the bags from the prisoners’ heads.

When the bags were removed, faces familiar to everyone appeared.

The first was Park Kang, aka "Blonde Guy," the same one who had tried to flirt with Sohen’s relatives on the beach.

His face was pale with fear

- (Park Kang). "Mom... I want to see Mom..."

Sitting next to the blond was Ryu Oba, his cousin, also known as "Brunette Guy."

His face was contorted with horror.

The third was Ryu Zhao, a man in a gray business suit, with graying hair and an expensive watch.

He was Ryu Oba’s father and also looked frightened, but he was trying to keep his composure.

The fourth was a man in a blue-and-gold designer suit, none other than Hoi Kang, Park Kang’s father, who had previously tried to intimidate Sohen.

Hoi Kang, upon seeing the security guards, became even more enraged and shouted:

- (Hoi Kang). "Do you know who I am?! Do you realize you’ve just signed your own death warrant?! I’ll kill you all..."

The head guard calmly stepped closer and, looking him straight in the eye, said quietly but firmly:

- (Head Guard). "You talk too much..."

The scarred man pulled a dagger from his pocket, and within seconds it was inches from Hoi Kang’s eye.

- (Hoi Kang). "..."

Silence reigned once more in the large, empty building, broken only by the heavy breathing of the four bound men.

- (Head Guard). "So, gentlemen... Let’s talk about why you’re here."

Hoi Kang, seeing that he wasn’t being physically harmed, quickly regained his usual arrogance.

He shifted in his chair and began shouting again, spittle flying:

- (Hoi Kang). "Do you even know who I am?! Do you know what power I wield?! Why did you kidnap us, you cheap gangsters?! I’ll destroy all of you! Answer me, you bastards!"

The head bodyguard with red hair and a scar near his eye sighed heavily.

He looked tired, as if he was already fed up with this theatrical show.

- (Head Guard). "It’s simple... You crossed our family."

Hoi Kang grew even more enraged, his face flushing red.

- (Hoi Kang). "What family?! Name it right now! What scum dared to threaten me?!"

The man in the gray business suit sitting next to him suddenly interrupted sharply, his voice hoarse with fear:

- (Ryu Zhao). "Brother... look at their necks."

Hoi Kang, still seething with rage, turned his head and... instantly turned pale, as if all the blood had been drained from him.

On the necks of all the guards, in different places, on each one, including the leader, was a distinct tattoo... a red-and-black two-headed dragon.

The blond and the brunet saw the symbol too.

Both boys’ faces contorted with horror; they began to cry quietly, their bodies trembling.

It was the symbol of the Mao family — the most influential, the most terrifying, and the most secretive family in the world.

Hoi Kang quickly changed his tone.

His voice became soft, almost pleading:

- (Hoi Kang). "I’m sorry... I didn’t know... I really don’t understand why you kidnapped us. I’ve never had any problems with the Mao family. Never."

The head guard looked at him coldly.

- (Head Guard). "Are you sure of what you’re saying?"

- (Hoi Kang). "Yes! I swear! I would never, not even in my wildest dreams, try to cross you!"

The head bodyguard tilted his head slightly.

- (Head Guard). "Then recall the events from a few weeks ago. The hotel. You threatened a specific person at night in your room."

Hoi Kang furrowed his brow.

- (Hoi Kang). "Who exactly?"

The head security guard was slightly surprised that Hoi Kang was so confrontational that he even needed clarification, but he answered anyway:

- (Head Guard). "A young man. He has dark hair, dark blue eyes, and is about your height."

Hoi Kang finally realized who they were talking about and quickly replied.

- (Hoi Kang). "Yes, that happened, but I didn’t know who he was! When I saw him in person, I realized right away... Red Yasu. We’ve settled everything; we have no hard feelings toward each other!"

The head security guard silently nodded to one of his subordinates.

The guard approached, opened his laptop, and after a few seconds turned the screen toward Hoi Kang.

What Hoi Kang saw made his face contort in horror.

- (Hoi Kang). "This... This..."

- (Head Guard). "Then what is this?"

The screen displayed detailed information about Sohen from the past few years, as well as a complete plan for his murder with elaborate alibis that Hoi Kang had prepared for himself in advance.

He began to tremble nervously.

His gaze darted around, his voice breaking.

Hoi Kang began to lose his mind right before everyone’s eyes:

- (Hoi Kang). "This... this isn’t me!... I’ve been framed!... It’s a setup!..."

A few minutes later, to the surprise of everyone present, Hoi Kang, who turned out to be mentally very weak... completely broke down and began shouting completely insane things:

- (Hoi Kang). "Yes, I want to kill him! He’s made me so angry! He deserves to die! I’ll carry out my plan, and not even the Mao family will stop me! I’ll destroy him!.."

- (???). "Look at him..."

The massive metal warehouse gates slowly opened with a loud screech, and an old man slowly entered the room.

- (Hoi Kang). "???"

Medium-length gray hair, a slightly wrinkled but still noble face, traditional red-and-black Chinese attire, and a golden cane with a handle shaped like a two-headed dragon.

Outwardly, he looked like a good-natured old man, but the aura he exuded was icy.

Even the chief bodyguard tensed involuntarily.

About twenty of his personal bodyguards — the cream of the crop followed the old man.

Everyone present in the formation, including the chief bodyguard, bowed their heads low and greeted him in unison:

- (Bodyguards). "Patriarch!"

His name was Shen Mao — the head of the Mao family.

The old patriarch slowly approached the bound men and stopped in front of Hoi Kang.

Shen smiled good-naturedly and asked gently:

- (Shen Mao). "How’s life, Hoi Kang?"

- (Hoi Kang). "..."

Hoi Kang was as white as a sheet and couldn’t utter a single word.

Shen Mao feigned indignation comically:

- (Shen Mao). "A great river flows quietly, a wise man speaks quietly, ha-ha..."

- (Hoi Kang). "..."

- (Shen Mao). "Don’t understand? Too bad, but never mind... Tell me, Hoi Kang, do you know a young man named Namgung Sohen?"

Hoi Kang, summoning his last ounce of strength, replied hoarsely:

- (Hoi Kang). "Red Yasu..."

Shen Mao smiled even wider, but this smile was already cold and deadly.

- (Shen Mao). "Wrong... Sohen is my future son-in-law."

At that moment, Hoi Kang’s hair began to turn gray right before his eyes.

- (Hoi Kang). "Oh no..."

Shen Mao calmly placed his hand on his shoulder, patted it gently, and said:

- (Shen Mao). "Yeah, yeah... You know Hoi Kang... Family is everything to me, and if anyone tries to hurt my family... that person won’t live long, hehe..."

- (Hoi Kang). "..."

He turned around and slowly walked toward the exit.

The red-haired head bodyguard silently followed him.

(~sounds of gunfire)

When the large gates closed behind the patriarch, massive, muffled sounds of gunfire rang out from within the compound, continuing for several minutes.

Shen Mao stopped in the street, raised his head, and looked at the exceptionally beautiful moonlit night sky.

- (Shen Mao). "Zhu Xiang... your men did a good job. Give them a substantial bonus."

Mao Zhu Xiang — one of Shen Mao’s twelve sons, a red-haired man with two old scars was responsible for eliminating Hoi Kang.

- (Zhu Xiang). "All right, Father..."

Shen Mao continued to gaze quietly at the moon for a few more seconds, then smiled faintly and said to himself:

- (Shen Mao). "My beloved sweet daughter Minkun must be pleased with the gift I have prepared for her."