My Manor

The rhythmic crashing of waves against the boat and the distant coastline echoed in the night. On the vast, boundless sea, a small boat drifted with the currents. Two figures sat on board.

One was Azarina Vicarbolio, the other, Billy Valen.

Billy Valen was in a miserable state. His body was covered in wounds, his face bruised and swollen to a sickly purple hue. His right hand's little finger was missing, hastily wrapped in a piece of gauze that had seen cleaner days. Both his thumbs were tightly bound together with a plastic zip tie, the kind commonly used for organizing computer cables. The tips of his fingers appeared necrotic, darkening to an unnatural purple, yet he remained indifferent to his condition. The woman before him, Azarina, cared even less.

"I don't understand why you'd work for a yellow monkey. Let me go, and I can get you any amount of money you want," Billy said, his tone serious as he looked at Azarina, who sat in front of him, letting the sea breeze tousle her hair.

Hearing his words, Azarina simply smiled. She paid no heed to his provocation. Her striking eyes merely glanced at him before shifting toward the horizon.

Billy Valen sighed. He had underestimated her.

He had been captured the night before and remained in Azarina's custody for nearly a full day and night. In that time, he had endured relentless torture.

When he first claimed he was not the mastermind, Azarina immediately reported to Jiang Hai. But that didn't mean she stopped her interrogation. To her, getting the necessary information without troubling Jiang Hai was preferable.

She had handled it herself. But Billy Valen knew that as long as he held out, his only real chance of survival was speaking directly to Jiang Hai. So, even after losing a finger, he remained silent.

It wasn't until that afternoon that Azarina finally contacted Jiang Hai again.

Jiang Hai's response was simple: buy a small boat, take him out to sea that night, and meet there.

Minute by minute, time ticked by. At around eleven o'clock, in the stillness of the night, an engine's roar broke the silence. Azarina stood up and looked toward the distance.

A small boat approached from Jiang Hai's manor. As per the agreed code, its headlights flashed. Slowly, it neared, illuminated by the moonlight.

"Still refusing to talk?" Jiang Hai asked as he climbed aboard.

"He's quite stubborn," Azarina replied, narrowing her eyes with a slight smile. Yet, it was clear she was dissatisfied. This was her first mission—a test of loyalty—yet she hadn't achieved complete success. Still, Jiang Hai seemed pleased with her work.

"Don't worry about it," he reassured her, patting her shoulder before squatting down to face Billy Valen. He studied him carefully. This man had nearly cost him everything—twice.

"Hello, my name is Jiang Hai. Say whatever you need to say," Jiang Hai said calmly, his anger slightly tempered by Billy Valen's current state. At least now, he could talk.

Billy Valen lifted his head, his voice firm. "If I tell you, will you let me live?"

"If what you say is valuable to me, I promise not to kill you," Jiang Hai replied with a faint smile, spreading his hands in a relaxed manner.

Billy Valen hesitated but then added cautiously, "Not just you—her too."

He gestured toward Azarina. Even if Jiang Hai promised, he wanted to make sure she wouldn't take matters into her own hands.

"She won't kill you either. Now talk." Jiang Hai's tone remained neutral.

Billy Valen took a deep breath. "I hope you keep your word. I never wanted to trouble you. I'm not that foolish—I'd never pick a fight with a rich man like you. The only reason I kept coming after you was because the people behind me wanted you dead."

"That's not what I care about. Who's behind you?" Jiang Hai asked, unimpressed by Billy Valen's attempt to shift blame.

"I don't know exactly. But the one who contacted me was a group of Chinese men. They call their boss 'Young Master.' They're incredibly wealthy and must have influence in China. Initially, they only wanted you dead. But later, they became interested in your cattle."

Jiang Hai frowned. "Chinese?"

Billy nodded. "Yes, I'm certain. Before I came to Boston, I spent time with the Chinese Gray Gang in New York. Their accents were slightly different, but I understood them. They didn't realize I could speak Chinese, so I overheard a phone call. The person on the other end was called 'Young Master.' From what I gathered, he lives in the imperial capital."

Jiang Hai's expression darkened. The first name that came to mind was Qin Feng's father, Qin Taian. But that didn't add up.

Billy Valen had first targeted him long ago, before Jiang Hai had ever met Qin Feng. Furthermore, both Qin Feng and his father were already dead. The timeline didn't fit.

If it wasn't the Qin family, then who? Jiang Hai struggled to think of another enemy in China with the motive to kill him.

"Did they mention their boss's name? What about the leader of their group?" Jiang Hai pressed.

Billy shook his head. "I only know they referred to their boss as 'Young Master.' But I did hear the leader's name—he introduced himself as Rui Jiang."

Jiang Hai's eyes narrowed. "Rui Jiang? Jiang Rui... Americans always get the order wrong. What else do you know?"

Billy sighed. "Not much. They were staying at the XX Hotel in Boston, but as soon as I got caught, they fled. I called them for help, but by then, they were already on a plane."

Jiang Hai turned to Azarina. He couldn't be certain if Billy was telling the truth, but Azarina could.

"He's telling the truth. Looks like that's all he knows. Do you want me to..." Azarina trailed off, smirking as she made a slicing motion across her neck.

Billy panicked. "You said you'd let me go! Please! I just want to live!"

Jiang Hai chuckled. "Relax. You gave me useful information, so I won't kill you. She won't either. But I won't be taking you back. If you're lucky, you'll swim to shore. If not... well, that's not my problem."

With that, Jiang Hai grabbed Billy Valen and tossed him into the sea. His hands were still bound, but he had grown up by the ocean. He was a strong swimmer. Even in his weakened state, his survival instincts kicked in, and he fought against the waves.

Azarina watched him struggle. "Are you really letting him go?" she asked, frowning.

Billy Valen wasn't just any enemy. If left alive, he would come back stronger.

Jiang Hai smirked as he returned to his boat. "Go? Haha, do you think he can?"

He pulled out a bucket of gasoline, poured it over the abandoned boat, and took Azarina back to his own vessel. Then, he flicked open a ZIPPO lighter, watching the small flame dance before tossing it onto the fuel-soaked deck.

"Boom!"

The boat ignited instantly. Flames raged, consuming the wooden planks, illuminating the sea in a fiery glow. Then, a dark shape beneath the water surged toward the flailing Billy Valen.

"Boom!"

As Jiang Hai's boat sailed away, the burning vessel exploded in a violent eruption. The shockwave sent Billy Valen airborne for a brief moment.

The last thing he saw was a gaping, bloody maw clamping down on his legs.

Then—nothing.