Yama Reborn-Chapter 410 - 407 [Threat]

Chapter 407: Threat

"Five Ability Users, including two Medal Level and one Knight Level.

Especially Agent Nishio from Asia, who has served the company for over twenty years; his Body Technique abilities are highly reliable. He was promoted to management after earning his stripes in the field operations team. After years of hard work, he was entrusted with the significant responsibility of being the agent for the Asia region.

He has always been very prudent in his work...

The detailed description of the event is as follows..."

Nolan was sitting on the recliner, or to be more precise, he was semi-reclined.

His legs rested on the footrest of the combination recliner, and beside him on the tea table sat a wine decanter.

However, the decanter wasn’t filled with fine red wine, but Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola with ice cubes.

In front of Nolan, a female assistant with a tense expression was reporting meticulously, holding a document in her hands.

The assistant’s tone was very serious and precise, yet tinged with a hint of evasion and nervousness.

Well, to be honest, she was terrified.

Her boss had a notorious reputation whispered among company insiders: it was said that he had personally strangled his previous female assistant to death in the New York headquarters office and then brazenly had the company’s logistics and security team deal with the scene.

In the little over a year since taking office, this boss had bloodied his hands countless times; no one knew how many people he had killed.

It was even rumored that a bloody storm had swept through the Elders’ Council. Within this past year, many seats in the company’s Elders’ Council had suddenly become vacant. Numerous elders had retired or passed away due to illness... 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

In fact, people constantly speculated about who Mr. Nolan’s powerful backer in the Elders’ Council might be. What gave him the audacity to act so recklessly, yet remain so secure in his position?

Of course, all these rumors were far removed from the assistant; matters of the Octopus Monster Company’s Elders’ Council were for the highest echelons of power.

But... the fact that this guy personally killed his own assistant, that’s undeniably true! And supposedly, the first assistant who was killed was found dead in his office, dressed in lingerie! Then, she was strangled to death. Could this guy be some sort of pervert? And... it’s said he didn’t stop at just one! The second assistant was accompanying him on a trip. During a skydiving activity, he threw her out of the plane alive! Without a parachute, of course. The third assistant was male. Rumor has it he was thrown from an upper floor just because his coffee wasn’t good enough. Fifty-six floors!

After consecutively executing three assistants for various absurd reasons, the company’s higher-ups finally stopped assigning him any more.

Then, this man named Nolan announced he would select his assistants himself.

His method of selection was to stroll around the headquarters building one day before leaving work, wandering from logistics to administration, then over to external relations.

Finally, in the vast open-plan office, he closed his eyes and pointed randomly.

And then he pointed at her.

Well! If this had happened over a year ago, before this man became her boss—back when she had been in the external relations department for less than eight months, and just eight months before that, a mere logistics dispatch team leader at a local supply and warehousing branch—suddenly being handpicked as the boss’s assistant would have seemed like a gift from heaven, like hitting the lottery. But... the moment this man pointed at me, all the surreptitious glances from those around were like they were looking at a dead person. My heart just crumbled! If this were an ordinary company, I would have jumped up, slammed the table, and resigned!

But... she wasn’t an ordinary person, and this wasn’t an ordinary company; it was a colossal entity in the Underground World. As an Ability User who had entered the Octopus Monster’s system, leaving alive wasn’t an option unless one died.

Those who left alive... either retired or... defected!

This female assistant was not a combat-oriented Ability User but a support type. She was adept at photographic memory, data processing—a branch of spiritual power.

After many years, she had entered the Octopus Monster’s system. From being a minor leader in logistics and supply distribution in a local area, she had made it to the New York headquarters. More than eight hundred people worked for the Octopus Monster in its New York headquarters. Most of them were ordinary people—they didn’t even know who they were truly serving, simply thinking it was a normal job. Only about sixty of them were actual internal staff of the Octopus Monster.

Having made it to be one of those sixty-odd people at the New York headquarters, this female assistant had actually been full of hope for her life until then.

But being an assistant to this devil... my life has probably already entered its countdown.

In the four months since taking the job, she had always been cautious, treading on thin ice.

Actually, to protect myself, I’ve even thought of seducing this boss. But the first assistant to die was killed while wearing lingerie, so that discouraged any such thoughts. Even my friends have disappeared since I became this man’s assistant! People who know me, as soon as they hear I’ve become this devil’s assistant, immediately keep their distance! They’ve all cut off contact with me. What? The domineering CEO falls in love with me? No! This is clearly: the domineering CEO will kill me!

The assistant, who hailed from Asia, felt helpless.

Luckily, I’ve been cautious for these four months. The devilish boss seems to be gradually restraining his murderous intent, and I’ve miraculously survived. Still... I’ve heard there’s betting within the company on how long I’ll survive. Some bet on three months... those people have already lost their money and are out. Then there are those betting I can last half a year, eagerly awaiting my obituary. Oh, right... there’s also an option betting I won’t die within a year. But I’ve heard very few people have taken that option. Apparently, the betting pool has accumulated to two million. Damn these bastards! If I were just an outsider looking in—even I would be tempted to place a bet myself.

Dryly, she finished reading the report she had just received—her tone meticulous, her gaze daring not to wander.

Other than what was on the report, the female assistant dared not utter even half a word more. Improvise? Voice her own opinion? Offer suggestions?

Out of the question!

After completing the three-page report, the female assistant immediately put away the folder, stood up straight, and remained silent.

"So... a lone wolf single-handedly broke into our asset management center in Japan and killed our five stationed Ability Users there. And he even dismantled a building with his bare hands?"

Nolan curled his lips slightly, his tone somewhat playful. "Sounds like quite a commotion. It seems the little girl we caught is very important to them, huh?"

The female assistant didn’t speak, adhering to the rule she had set for herself: never share any personal views.

Sticking to regulations was the way to stay alive.

"The report mentioned that guy threatened us, didn’t it? Said that for every hair missing from the little girl’s head, he’ll kill an elder?"

*Gulp.*

The female assistant swallowed nervously. The boss had asked a question, and she had to answer. "...Yes, that’s what’s written in the report."

"Elders from the Elders’ Council! Those are the highest-ranking people in our corporation... I’m not even a member of the Elders’ Council yet. Ah... such a threat, it’s simply infuriating."

The female assistant’s eye twitched.

Infuriating? If it’s so infuriating, why are you sitting back with your legs crossed, holding a Coke? And what’s with that smug smile on your face? You don’t look infuriated at all!

"Alright, go and do something for me."

"Yes! Please tell me."

"Find the best hairdresser to give that little girl we captured a haircut."

"...Huh?"

"Any problem?"

"...No! I’ll get right on it!"

After the female assistant fled, Nolan chuckled.

Kill elders? Go ahead! Over the past year, the thing I’ve seen most is elders being killed.

Nolan was utterly indifferent to such threats.

There are so many people in the Elders’ Council; so what if a few of them die? What does that have to do with me? I’m just a hired hand, after all. But my assistant, she’s still so amusing. She actually doesn’t know that I wouldn’t kill her. Damn it, I’m not really a psychopathic murderer. I killed the previous three assistants because they were all spies sent by various factions within the Elders’ Council after I took office. Since I’ve firmly aligned myself with the Octopus Monster, those spies naturally had to be eliminated—they were just asking for trouble! This current assistant, however... it seems I picked her by just walking into the building and pointing randomly with my eyes closed. Actually, that wasn’t the case. He deliberately went to the company building and pretended to pick her randomly. This female assistant had a clean background. She started from the bottom, climbing up based on her abilities—a branch Ability User from the Jing She system, specializing in spiritual power, an outstanding support type. She didn’t belong to any Elders’ Council faction. With her background, making it to the New York headquarters was as far as she could go in the Octopus Monster organization for the rest of her life. In the future, unless she was recruited and taken in by a faction and gained some backing, only then might she have a chance to climb to a higher position. As for that bet on when he would kill her... He bet on ’surviving for over a year.’ The potential return was quite substantial.

...Yama, huh... Such a strange name. Hmm, the Huaxia Organization? A Chinese person? It seems that can’t be confirmed. Although Yama is a figure from myths originating in Huaxia... The East Asia region is heavily influenced by Huaxia, and neighboring East Asian countries also have similar myths. And... it doesn’t necessarily mean the person is of Asian descent. What if it’s some Westerner who admires Huaxia civilization? Many white people find Eastern myths mysterious and alluring. Some even get tattoos of Chinese characters or Eastern mythological figures to express their fascination and admiration for Eastern culture.

Chen Nuo waited in Japan for twenty-four hours.

He hadn’t received any news about Xicheng Xun being released by the Octopus Monster... He believed that if Xicheng Xun were released, she would definitely find a way to contact him.

It seems... dismantling an asset management center in Asia clearly wasn’t enough.

Then, Chen Nuo witnessed an even more interesting scene!

The next day, as if to intentionally coincide with the end of the "twenty-four-hour" deadline Chen Nuo had set—that is, starting from the first minute of the twenty-fifth hour after Chen Nuo issued the threat—a strange post appeared on the Octopus Monster’s website.

The content of the post was a short video.

In the video was Xicheng Xun—her face was pixelated, but her voice was recognizable. The poor kendo girl, whose signature ponytail had been cut off, now sported a very Japanese-style bob. Hmm, she even looked a bit like a young Ryoko Hirosue.

Clearly, the kendo girl, her long hair now gone, was displeased and resigned. She sighed at the camera, "Next time you make a threat, could you think it through before saying it?"

The video ended there, lasting just over ten seconds.

However, it was obvious that Xicheng Xun was in good condition and had not suffered any abuse. Moreover, when facing the camera, Xicheng Xun made a hand gesture to Chen Nuo. This gesture was a special, unspoken understanding formed between them during their school days.

The meaning of the gesture was simple: "I am fine."

However... it seems they don’t take my threats seriously. My threat was to kill an elder if even one of her hairs was harmed. So, they cut all of it off? Clearly, they aren’t taking this unknown group called ’Yama’ seriously at all.

Chen Nuo pinched his chin, looked at the computer screen, and suddenly laughed.

Well then, let’s start by slaughtering an elder.

「A day later.」

A private island in Southeast Asia, not far from the Ryukyu Islands.

The island boasted opulent, palace-like buildings, as well as a horse ranch and a farm, a freshwater circulation system, and wind and hydropower generation equipment. It was almost completely self-sufficient!

This island belonged to a mysterious, anonymous tycoon.

However, Chen Nuo knew that the true owner of this island was a senior elder of the Octopus Monster’s Elders’ Council. He was also one of the few Asians among the Elders’ Council members, an influential elder who had always regarded East Asia and Southeast Asia as his sphere of influence.

In his previous life, Chen Nuo had met this man.

The Octopus Monster was, after all, an underground organization. Even in his past life as Chen Yanluo, he couldn’t have grasped too many of the Octopus Monster’s internal secrets. This was one of the few pieces of information Chen Nuo possessed about the members of the Elders’ Council.

Chen Nuo’s plan was simple: kill the guy. Then destroy the facilities on the island, creating a significant uproar. Next, he would use his actions to demonstrate to the Octopus Monster that his threats were not mere words.

And then... Chen Nuo was dumbfounded!

On the western side of the island, far from the coastline, on a highland slope, a row of new graves had been constructed.

In front of the largest grave in the center, Chen Nuo stared at the tombstone for a long time, his eyes fixed on the photograph on it... This feels utterly absurd!

In the middle of the night, Chen Nuo found the remaining staff on the island. The island’s grandiose buildings were already sealed and had even been registered for auction. This caretaker was an assistant sent by an asset auction company to inventory, assess, and preserve the assets here.

From this caretaker, Chen Nuo extracted the answers he sought.

"They... all died?"

Including that elder, his two sons, one daughter, and seven attendants—including the driver, bodyguards, and four personal aides... all died of a sudden illness in a single night, half a year ago?

Sudden illness?

Chen Nuo found it absurdly laughable.

What kind of sudden illness specifically targets people from the Octopus Monster, yet spares the island’s ordinary workforce—the maids, cooks, gardeners, stablehands, and electricians—all unharmed? How could it be that this elder, his entire family, and his core staff all perished, yet the illness was so selective?