Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet

Upon hearing William's words, everyone immediately looked at the monitor, where eight fully armed soldiers in American-style gear appeared on the screen.

"Well, these mercenaries are quite efficient; they arrived two minutes ahead of schedule," William said, glancing at his watch.

"How do you know they're mercenaries?" Banning asked without turning his head.

"Take a close look; I bet you'll notice they're in disguise."

After a few seconds, thanks to his experience and military background, Banning quickly realized these people were not reinforcements.

"Sht, they're not ours. Each of them is carrying at least 20 kilograms of gear, yet none of them is sweating. The timing doesn't add up either; we've only been here for 22 minutes, and they arrived way too quickly."

He immediately turned to Jacqueline. "Where's the weapons room?"

"Wait," William called out before Banning and Jacqueline could retrieve their weapons. "My men are outside. If you're sure these people aren't ours, I can take care of them, even capture them alive if you want. Though for live captures, I'll need to charge a bit extra."

"Seriously? You already got paid!" Banning looked incredulously at William, who stood there looking like a rich gentleman in a tailored coat. "I don't think I've ever hated your type more than I do now."

Without much thought, Banning pointed at the mercenary who looked like the leader. "How much to capture him alive?"

"Alright, alright, Mr. Devonshire," interjected Benjamin, trying to leverage his past connection. "I personally invited you and your girlfriend, Miss Ambrosio, to the White Palace gala months ago. Cut us a break here."

Benjamin didn't wait for William to respond before inviting him again. "If you have time, I'd love for you and Miss Ambrosio to come to the New Year's gala—it could be good for her career."

William chuckled. "Not particularly interested, but thanks anyway." Covering his earpiece, he gave orders to his team outside. "Take down everyone except the leader."

"Understood, Boss," Barney replied.

As soon as he spoke, Gunnar, Yin-Yang, and Barney, who were lying in ambush, received targeting orders via Sunday's communication. A volley of silenced shots took down the seven mercenaries before they could react. The leader was also hit twice, one bullet to each arm, courtesy of Barney.

From the building across from the safe house, Gunnar emerged, quickly restraining the disarmed leader by binding his hands and feet, then hoisted him over his shoulder. He headed to the door of the safe house, waving at the surveillance camera.

With a click, the door opened, and Gunnar carried the captured mercenary upstairs. Entering the room, he casually dropped him on the floor and said, "Boss, I know this guy."

"You know him?" Banning's eyes lit up as he looked at Gunnar, who was fully clad in a black tactical suit and helmet. "Is that combat suit bulletproof, too? How much does it weigh?"

Ignoring Banning, Gunnar addressed William directly. "These guys must be from the Desert Hyenas. Only they are reckless enough to do anything for money."

As Gunnar reached for the knife strapped to his leg, William called out, "Stop."

Gunnar looked at William, confused, with his hand on the knife handle.

"Do 500 push-ups when we're done here," William said calmly. "I've told you not to use marked weapons on my assignments."

"Understood." Gunnar immediately shifted to cover the knife's skull-and-raven insignia, locking it back into its sheath. He then drew a dagger from the captured mercenary, cutting away part of the man's clothing to reveal a hyena tattoo on his back.

"I've dealt with these people before," Gunnar continued. "Boss, if possible, I recommend eliminating every one of these Desert Hyenas in London. Otherwise, we could be facing more trouble."

William nodded and asked Banning, "Do you need to question this guy?"

Banning thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No need, as long as we know who they are."

William nodded at Gunnar. "Take him away and deal with it. Prepare the car; we'll head to the London Anti-Aircraft Defense HQ shortly."

"Understood." Gunnar grabbed the mercenary's head and twisted his neck with a crack before lifting him over his shoulder again and heading downstairs.

A few minutes later, Barney reported that the car was ready. William turned to Benjamin. "Gentlemen, let's go. I'll take you to the London Anti-Aircraft Defense HQ. You'll be safe there."

Benjamin and Banning nodded, not questioning why they weren't going to the U.S. embassy—they both knew it would be riskier than the Defense HQ at this point.

With Black Blade drones scouting the way, they proceeded cautiously, winding through several detours before arriving safely at the Anti-Aircraft Defense HQ in London.

Upon entering the command center, Commander Richard Bromley greeted Benjamin excitedly and quickly contacted both Downing Street and U.S. officials. Meanwhile, William stepped aside, watching Benjamin's conversation with U.S. officials while mentally scanning a man named John Lancaster.

When Lancaster discreetly used a satellite phone to relay Benjamin's location to Barkawi's group, William immediately drew his gun, approaching Lancaster from behind and pressing the weapon to his head. He grabbed the satellite phone from Lancaster, and, under the puzzled gaze of everyone in the room, said, "Thank you, Mr. Lancaster. I didn't expect to find the mole so easily. You not only revealed yourself but also helped us locate Barkawi's group. Should I call you loyal or a fool?"

Lancaster's betrayal left everyone stunned. Jacqueline quickly approached, taking the satellite phone from William and reviewing the undelivered messages Lancaster hadn't yet deleted.

Benjamin and the other leaders passed the satellite phone among themselves, verifying the evidence before handing it back to William. Now, whether they could catch more traitors depended on Lancaster's standing within the network of infiltrators.

William wasn't convinced Lancaster alone could orchestrate such a significant operation.

After knocking Lancaster unconscious, William holstered his gun, clapped his hands, and loudly declared, "If I were you, I'd get armed immediately. Soon, this place will turn into a battlefield. As for the civilians, unless you want to be heroes, you're dismissed."

"Go, go, go—everyone, get moving!"

Many caught on quickly. With Lancaster captured and Benjamin brought here, if there were other spies within the Anti-Aircraft Defense HQ, it was highly likely Barkawi's forces and their English collaborators would attempt an assault on the facility.

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