CHAPTER 4: THE RAVENWOOD FAMILY
A week flew by so quickly, and it was already Sunday. MB Group maintained all work plans steadily, so Chris got to rest earlier than usual. Since staying at home wasn't much fun, whenever he had free time, he would often go to the garden to drink tea and read the newspaper.
This habit was also passed down from his adoptive parents, Mr. Julian Lysander and Mrs. Elodie. Although they had tragically passed away in a car accident, to him, they were always the most wonderful people!
Most people, except Paul, didn't know that Chris was the name given to him later by his adoptive parents; his real name on the birth certificate was Dorian Vossler. This was also the reason why he gave that girl that name.
"Sir, I've arrived." Paul approached from behind and respectfully spoke. Chris's eyes were still glued to the newspaper. He gently nodded and pointed to the chair opposite. Seeing this, the assistant turned to sit there and then reported the situation to him: "The gift you said to send to Mark's house, I've completed it. As for him, unable to endure the torture from the headquarters' guards, he committed suicide early this morning. For now, everyone has cleaned up the place properly."
Hearing Paul say that, Chris wasn't surprised, as those who entered the headquarters could never endure the torture, so most chose suicide as the best option. The atmosphere suddenly became silent, then Chris remembered something and asked: "The daughter of the man connected with Mark, have you settled that too?"
"It's all settled, sir. I used a few simple words to lure her into willingly handing over evidence of her father's bribery and corruption. I sent it to the police yesterday afternoon."
Chris nodded in approval. Paul always worked swiftly, so he had long been Chris's closest guard. Suddenly, the ringing of Paul's phone caught the attention of a few gardeners around. Although it wasn't clear what it was about, it made Paul's eyes reveal a few signs of surprise. After hanging up, Paul respectfully said to him: "Chairman, it's only Wednesday, but the young man you captured the other day has returned and wants to meet you. It seems he has already dealt with the person behind it."
Hearing this, Chris put down the half-read newspaper and went straight into the house to change clothes, preparing to go to the headquarters. His house and the headquarters were very close, only about a five-minute walk away. Therefore, the two quickly arrived. When he walked in, he saw the person from the other day waiting. Seeing him, he greeted and said: "The matter from the other day, I've already completed it. I injected Leonardo Whitmore with poison while he was sleeping, leaving him to either live in a vegetative state or die, with no antidote. I kept my promise."
Leonardo Whitmore was a high-ranking police officer in Paris. He had long been irritated by the rise of MB Group and Chris, so he had been scheming to kill him. But to reach his position, he was very cunning, not directly getting involved but using a subordinate who then colluded with Mark to harm Chris. There's always a higher mountain; things aren't that easy.
The young man's face was resolute, showing no fear, and he immediately kneeled to confess. Chris sat on the chair from the other day, using his foot to prop up the young man's face, and asked: "Who taught you such a method? Truly keeping your promise to me?"
"My wife is dead. Have you ever experienced the pain of losing a loved one? There's nothing left to regret." Contrary to everyone's expectations, he answered clearly, unlike ordinary people. Hearing this, Chris laughed and said: "Leopold, you're still very naive. Life isn't as simple as you think. If I were like you, I wouldn't have been able to rise to this position, nor could I live up to the name Christopher Lysander, which instills such fear in people. Life is truly a game of chess, and as long as you make the right moves at the right time, you will be the one in control."
Upon hearing Chris's words, Leopold's previous simplistic view of everything instantly became complicated. It turned out that this man was not as unreachable or lofty as people often said; they just couldn't understand what was going on in his mind. Seeing the young man's frightened expression made Chris laugh in amusement and say, "You've thought it through, haven't you? The promise you made, did I fulfill it?"
Receiving Leopold's nod, everyone was surprised by his recklessness, which clearly showed his lack of life experience. Paul pulled a gun out of his coat pocket and handed it to Chris. Chris took it, loaded it, and pointed it directly at Leopold's temple.
Leopold tightly shut his eyes, awaiting the click and bang of the gun, but nothing happened. He opened his eyes and saw many people around looking and laughing at him. "Because you kept your promise and showed such spirit, I'll spare you this time. You graduated two years ago with a major in marketing. I have an open position; would you like to join MB Group?"
"Chris, are you trying to trick me?" Leopold's eyes were filled with doubt.
"I'm eleven years older than you. Do you think I'm playing games with a kid? Besides, the Ravenswood family wouldn't want to see their son die so early. Take your time to think it through."
Chris knew so much about Leopold's background because he owed a favor to his family, specifically his parents. They were businesspeople who had always worried about their son's timidity and hoped marriage would change him. But their daughter-in-law passed away not long after, leaving them to seek Chris's help.
After saying this, Chris and Paul began to leave, but before reaching the main door, Leopold ran over and kneeled before him, saying, "I may be much younger, and I've had little exposure growing up, but from now on, I hope you will guide me. I agree to join you."
"Are you willing to take a blood oath?" Chris said, his hands in his pockets. This was a tradition still observed by those who wanted to follow him, leaving everyone with a scar.
Unexpectedly, Leopold pulled a dagger from his pocket and slashed his hand, letting the blood drip onto the floor. Chris nodded and said, "I only hope my trust is not misplaced. Do your best, young man, Leopold!"
He patted Leopold on the head before leaving. This was the first time he had done such a thing, as Leopold's determination reminded him of his younger self. The boy felt like a little brother. In the days that followed, fearing that the young man would face danger upon entering the underworld, Chris personally taught Leopold martial arts.
Initially, he was weak and couldn't fight back at all. It took several days before he started showing progress. Chris acted like a health expert, adjusting and balancing Leopold's diet for the best results. Alternating between martial arts and shooting practice, two weeks passed, and Leopold improved significantly.
Today was no exception; they were practicing martial arts at headquarters. Even if Leopold could beat anyone else there, when facing Chris, he was always defeated. After more than two exhausting hours, he finally collapsed and gasped, "Chris, do you have to torture me like this? Look at me; I can't even stand up!"
"You're still a child. You haven't even beaten Paul yet, so what am I?" Chris said cheerfully. For some reason, Leopold was very reserved with others but talked freely with Chris, like a student with a teacher, sharing everything.
"You lifted me out of my darkest time, and I'm very grateful. Do you think my wife, in the other world, would be happy to see me like this?" Leopold pondered.
"As long as you believe it, it will be so. Never underestimate yourself with anyone, because you are unique," Chris said gently, like he was advising his younger brother. They both fell silent for a while before Leopold spoke again, "Chris, thank you."