Chapter 834: Dare Not Slack Off

Walker Grant sensed the shift in the two mercenaries’ demeanors. His tone remained indifferent as he said, "It seems that the next time I see Ike, I’ll have to have a word with him. His subordinates don’t treat guests very well."

As soon as he spoke, the two mercenaries stopped daring to drag him so roughly. This man knew their leader’s name, had met him in person, and spoke with such casual familiarity—he was definitely not someone that nobodies like them could afford to provoke! They wondered what would happen if this man was collaborating with their leader. If they angered him, wouldn’t they ruin their leader’s plans? In the end, they would be the ones to suffer the consequences.

The mercenaries slowed their pace and exchanged a glance. One of them released Walker and turned to walk in another direction; he needed to report this to the masked leader. The remaining mercenary continued leading Walker toward the boss.

The thick scent of smoke drifted through the air. Walker deduced that a massive fire must have broken out nearby. His thin lips curled into a smile as he silently praised her. "As expected of Chloe," he thought. "She’s so clever! She’s using the fire to draw their attention while taking the opportunity to send a signal outside." Walker felt incredibly proud.

After walking for about eight minutes, the mercenary stopped. Soon, a fresh set of footsteps echoed as someone approached Walker. Hearing the chaotic shuffling in the background, Walker deduced there had to be many people in the immediate vicinity. The footsteps directly in front of him halted exactly three meters away. A sharp, probing gaze fell heavily upon him.

Beneath the white gauze covering his eyes, Walker raised a brow. He remained perfectly composed. Even though the current situation was highly disadvantageous, he maintained his indifference, exuding an aura of noble, aloof elegance.

A complex wave of emotions washed over the masked man. After hearing his subordinate’s report, he never would have imagined that Walker Grant actually knew their leader. Furthermore, the man had deduced which organization they belonged to just by crossing paths with a couple of low-level mercenaries. One could only imagine how deep his relationship with Ike must be.

The masked man studied Walker for a long time. Seeing not the slightest hint of fear or panic on the man—in fact, his demeanor only seemed to grow more deeply composed and aristocratic—the masked leader finally spoke. "Mr. Grant, Happy New Year." His accent was thick and awkward, yet he still clumsily offered his greeting.

Walker replied faintly, "Your way of wishing someone a Happy New Year is certainly surprising. If I’m not mistaken, are you trying to destroy my villa?"

The masked man’s gaze grew exceptionally complicated. "You must be joking, Mr. Grant," he said. "I wasn’t the one who started the fire. I just came here to find someone. Unfortunately, that person is far too cunning and excellent at playing hide-and-seek. She even set your villa ablaze. You should seek compensation for this loss from her."

He then waved his hand, signaling a mercenary to bring forward a chair. "Mr. Grant, given your current condition, please have a seat," the masked man continued. "Please don’t complain to my leader that I didn’t treat you properly."

The chair was placed right behind Walker.

Walker didn’t stand on ceremony. He sat straight down and asked, "Have you contacted him?"

The masked man’s eyes flickered with even more complicated emotions. He never expected Walker to guess that far. It was true. He had been trying to contact their leader. His subordinate’s report had forced him to take Walker seriously, but whether accommodating him would affect the progress of their mission still depended entirely on their leader’s orders.