[hr][hr][i][h1]The Ballroom Party.[/h1][sub]Written in collaboration with [b][@tsukune][/b], & [b][@Spoopy Scary][/b][/sub][/i][hr][i][u]Oakdell Harbor, White Coast.[/u][/i] After that encounter with Abe, Jiao-Long immediately went back to work searching for Biyu. Simply fixing his tie and suit, Jiao-Long was able to resume his search without much obstruction. Hopefully, Jiao-Long will find Biyu before something [i]else[/i] happens. He found it disgraceful that he was so tense at his son's birthday party... while the boy will have no idea of why his beloved father was so tense. It'll be over soon. All they have to do is find Biyu, and the Family's grip over the Lius will be released, and he'll never be Suan-Ni, or a servant of the Family, again. Continuing his march, Jiao-Long was surprised when someone slapped a hand on his shoulder. He shuddered, when he realized it was Blake. The defacto "leader" of the Blessed Three, and the least frightening (at least compared to that nutcase Ezekiel), but arguably the most foreboding. "Jiao-Long!" Blake cheerfully greeted the Liu Patriarch, before he switched to Chinese, "[i]Would you prefer we converse in your native language?[/i]" Blake's Chinese was flawless - nothing less was expected from the leading member of the Blessed Three. "No, English is fine," Jiao-Long said. "What can I help you with, Schmidt? Are we just catching up?" "There [i]is[/i] something you can help me with," Blake said. "But, is there anywhere private in here? And [i]don't[/i] say the bathrooms, because that's so [i]unsavory[/i]." "There's a garden outback-" "No, no!" Blake said as he pulled in Jiao-Long, and laughed. "I think this will be fine, no one can even hear each other over the music!" He winked at Jiao-Long, and kept that friendly smile on his face, "I'll just cut right to the chase! I've come here to convince you to work on our project!" "...I said I'd decide at the end of the we-" "I know, but we're just so close to completion, and your genius is [i]just[/i] what we need to finish it in a reasonable amount of time." Blake explained, keeping Jiao-Long held close. "I admire your genius, Jiao-Long. You devised a way to render the Metahuman energy dormant - effectively depowering a Metahuman... Too bad that it's [i]so[/i] expensive and inefficient that it's impractical to use on the general populace... Ha..." He laughed. Jiao-Long didn't even listen, he wondered where he was going with this. "...But, the Family can fix that, of course. We just request one last thing," Blake looked Jiao-Long in the eye. "Just work on this project, and we'll give you [i]all[/i] the benefits of the Family, and you'll never owe us a thing." That seemed like an easy way out... No. Jiao-Long was done taking the easy way out. He was done serving the Family, and he was done being muscled into their evil deeds. "...We both know that that isn't true," Jiao-Long bitterly said. "I'm too good of an asset to the Family - no matter what I do, you'll never leave me or my family alone." He faced Blake, and pushed him away with one hand, before staring him straight in the eye. He's not going to bend forward for the Family any longer. "I refuse, and [i]that's[/i] my final answer." Jiao-Long said, dead serious. Blake shrugged, but kept that cheerful look on his face. "C'mon, Jiao-Long," Blake took a step forward. "Think about what you mean to [i]me.[/i]" He put both hands on his chest as he tried to plead with him. "You've been in the Family longer than I've even been alive. You were even trained by the [i]last[/i] generation of Blessed Three - God bless their souls. You've known me since I was a child, being propped up on this pedestal that people would kill for. In a way, you're like an uncle to me. If you turn your back on the Family - which you are apart of as much as I am - that would crush me to my soul." While it is true that Jiao-Long was (reluctantly) a longtime member of the Family, he was through with their narcissism. He was through working for madmen, and he was though with Blake. Jiao-Long turned around, and walked off, firmly speaking, "I have made my mind, Blake." Jiao-Long said. "Leave at once, or I will contact security." Meifeng watched from a distance, and pressed her earpiece. "[i]Uncle, who was[/i] that [i]guy?[/i]" She asked in Chinese... because the amount of bad encounters Jiao-Long was having was getting ridiculous. It was for the best that Jiao-Long keeps his mouth shut about Blake. If he tells Meifeng, and she does something, it'll certainly not bode well for his family. "[i]I will explain later, just focus on finding Biyu.[/i]" Blake was deeply hurt that Jiao-Long was so willing to betray the Family. So willing to throw away [i]all[/i] the good times they had. Maybe he was in a bad mood? Maybe he didn't mean it? Though, he was foolish to do so at his son's birthday party - with his whole family here. Because, there is a certain Dog of his just [i]waiting[/i] for the order. Jiao-Long was going to work on the machine, one way or another. Blake pressed his earpiece, and warned his assassin. "...[i]Veronica, I am putting in the order.[/i]" [hr][hider=Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex OST - Security Off][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFaZyp51EM0[/youtube][/hider][hr] Shizuka was very much relieved that the music finally came to an end ([i]about time![/i]); he let out a soft sigh as he mirrored what the other dancers were doing to their partner and bow to Mika. Then he looked up and held out a hand to the girl. "Shall we take a walk around the place?" Mika smiled, as she took his hand. "...Yes, we may." But, she had one thing to suggest. "...But, stop trying to talk like that. It seems so [i]unnatural[/i]." Shizuka stared at her for a couple of seconds before he finally dropped the plastic smile, turning it into his usual smirk. "Good that you didn't like it - I hate acting like this too. It's damn [i]tiring[/i]." "Just... be yourself, Shizuka," Mika assured him with a smile... before realizing how [i]dangerous[/i] that phrase was. Since the girl had said so herself... He gave her an amused chuckle. "I'll take your words for it." Getting off the dance floor as soon as possible was only part of the reason; Shizuka had a bad feeling in his gut the whole time as he glided around under Mika's great control (and she was surprisingly good, given her... build). Even though it was only just a quick glance, he could feel a chilly aura from the intimidating black-haired man who was talking with Jiao-Long, even when he was all the way here - that man was someone he seriously wouldn't want to go anywhere near to. There was also the lady in bright-red dress that man had brought along with him. The way she was glaring at the people around her sourly... she looked as if she practically [i]owned[/i] this place, that this was actually [i]her[/i] birthday party ruined by all these classless people. [i]...Something's not right.[/i] He hoped that it was just his usual paranoia that was drilled into him from his field of work in RAVEN. Oh well - for now capturing Biyu was his top priority, and maybe it would be faster if they tried to search for the target from above. "Let's go upstairs," he suggested. Nodding her head, Mika went along with Shizuka. Once the pair reached the upper level, Shizuka looked around, trying to find a spot where he could get a good view of the ground floor below... and somewhere that wasn't booked by overly intimidate couples, which disgusted him. [i]Jesus[/i] - was this supposed to be a mere birthday party for a spoiled brat boy, or was this an excuse for these loaded snobs to find an even richer sex partner to feed them for the rest of their lives? He dragged Mika with him and squeezed through a few kissing pairs (on top of having to mentally shut out the loud noise of wet smooching), scanning the hall ground below. To any normal party-goers, it was just your normal ballroom event: dancers drifting across the dance floor to the classical pieces, small groups of people chatting with each other over champagnes and red wines, the hungry ones gathering around the buffet area... And it was good that the table where the Liu family was seated seemed alright, for now. But to Shizuka, there was a strange dissonance among these attendees. Beneath the pleasant smiling masks, he could tell that some of them just didn't belong here as much as him; he could even pick out some were here for a very [i]different[/i] purpose. [i]...Shit.[/i] He knew that this was bound to happen... There was no way he could miss the bloodlust in some of their eyes. Just as he had feared, this party was only one step away from becoming a literal war zone. They would just have to find and apprehend Biyu... ASAP. [i]It's now a race against time.[/i] [hr] Lihua had wished that she could have done more to help, but she knew that it was for the best that she remains in the sidelines. Even though it's been [i]decades[/i] since she had even seen Biyu, her anger at the woman was infinite. Lihua had nothing but contempt for her, and she was [i]certain[/i] the feeling was mutual. She took a sip of her whiskey... ah, from her years of drinking her sorrows away, her alcohol tolerance was high enough that most drinks could only tickle her. At the price of her kidneys - but she's survived [i]so much[/i] that a kidney failure is the least of her concerns. Lihua took one look around, while she took a long sip of her alcohol, and her eyes fell on a curious sight at her side. A five-two Chinese woman, wearing a modest, ankle, length tan dress. This woman was quite elderly, because her hair was already going gray, and the wooden stick that she had to support herself with was undeniable. The woman gave Lihua a stern, disappointed, look, and Lihua could only return it with a disgusted look. Because she knows exactly who this woman was. [i]Biyu.[/i] "[i]Qiaolian,[/i]" Biyu started off, addressing her daughter in the most bitter tone. "[i]Is this what you're doing with your life? Sitting your ass on a bar stool and drinking your life away... disgraceful.[/i]" Lihua narrowed her eyes at Biyu, and tried to play it off, trying not to let anger consume her, "[i]I'm sorry, but do I know you? I'm Zhao Lihua...[/i]" She was considering whether or not she should alert the others on the earpiece - but, it'd be too obvious. She has to divert Biyu, [i]then[/i] alert the others. "[i]What? Do you think I am stupid?[/i]" Biyu rolled her eyes at Lihua. "[i]I can recognize the flesh and blood that I am ashamed to say is my own. I see you haven't changed much, Qiaolian.[/i]" "[i]You don't know me.[/i]" "[i]But, I know enough,[/i]" Biyu said. "[i]Your two bastards - one of which isn't even fully Chinese! Your time working for NEST, the Verthaven Disaster, and...[/i] The Hei Long." That's what made Lihua clench her glass so tightly that it nearly broke. "[i]Tyrant they called you,[/i]" Biyu said. "[i]Because you oppressed any Metahuman that didn't surrender to the control of the Chinese government... I wonder,[/i] did you enjoy it?" Lihua raised an eyebrow at Biyu. Every night she dreams about what she did under the orders of the Hei Long... all the innocent people she killed. Or all the times she has been nearly killed herself. "The power." Biyu empathized. "[i]Did you enjoy[/i] the power?" It was time for Lihua to be honest, if she was honest with herself, she can be honest with the world. "[i]... I can't say that I didn't,[/i]" Lihua answered. "[i]But, the power-high was never worth it. The things I have done under the Hei Long will chase me to the grave...[/i]" She bitterly spat out the words, before finishing. "...[i]If I could change anything about my life, it would be that.[/i]" Biyu scoffed. "[i]Is that an admission of guilt?[/i]" Biyu answered. "[i]A way to make me[/i] feel sorry [i]for you?[/i]" Biyu laughed. "[i]You're no different than from when you were a child. You can[/i] only [i]see the world from the barrel of a gun...[/i] Don't speak if your words are meaningless, [i]child[/i]." She quoted the part of the Chinese proverb that almost made Lihua slam this glass into her face, but she has to play it cool. "[i]Is there anything in particular you want from me? Because I am more than content with continuing with my drinking, and pretending as if this conversation never happen...[/i]" "[i]Since you are impatient, Qiaolian, there[/i] is," Biyu said, before Lihua raised an eyebrow at her mysterious mother. "[i]I personally wanted to meet my grandchildren. While they were shameful enough to be born from such a shameful woman such as yourself - they are still[/i] my [i]grandchildren. I at least want to meet[/i] Lijuan." The mere mention of Lijuan filled Lihua with rage. She [i]is[/i] staying out of this. The child's soul is far too pure for this. "[i]Well, you can go to hell.[/i]" Lihua hissed at Biyu. "[i]You are[/i] never [i]coming close to Lijuan. Not as long as I am alive.[/i]" "[i]Well, when you put it that way...[/i]" Biyu shrugged as she turned and walked away. "[i]...That can be[/i] easily [i]fixed, Qiaolian. Watch yourself, because you have more enemies than you think.[/i]" Lihua grit her teeth so tightly that she was about to [i]chip[/i] a tooth. Her self-control was barely enough to stop her from reaching into her purse, and shooting Biyu dead... and she knows all the places to shoot to make it slow, and [i]horrible[/i]. But, Biyu was needed... and Lihua wasn't the type to ruin such a pretty party. Speaking of which, Lihua pressed her earpiece, "[i]I have visual on Biyu,[/i]" Lihua spoke in Chinese into the comms. "[i]She is leaving the bar.[/i]" "[i]On it, sister.[/i]" Jiao-Long replied, relieved that they can get this plan in motion. "[i]We'll be on the way,[/i]" Shizuka immediately responded with fluent Mandarin. "[i]What's she wearing?[/i]" He then turned around, pulling Mika's hand to follow after him, and she nodded in response. "[i]A tan colored dress... very modest, goes down to her ankles,[/i]" Lihua was quick to answer. Mika tugged Shizuka's arm, and then quickly pointed at Biyu. She wasn't that hard to notice, and she was very slow. She telepathically sent Shizuka a message; it would manifest as her voice appearing in his head. [i]'I have found Biyu... let's keep a healthy distance, shall we?'[/i] With a grim nod, Shizuka replied to Mika with his own thought, '[i]I'll let you take the lead.[/i]' [hr] Veronica had her eye on the targets in the crowd. First, she noticed that Meifeng was tailing Jiao-Long from a distance. From the way she was constantly moving... it was obvious she was trying to keep him within her line of sight. That tipped Veronica off. Maybe she had something to ask, but at the same time, Veronica wasn't the type to brush off [i]obviousness[/i] like this. So, if she's tailing her uncle, - for whatever reason - what are the others doing? Veronica split off from Jiao-Long, and she made sure to look for Shizuka, and the fat-bitch. They were last at the dance floor... Oh. They're gone. Veronica noticed them walking up the stairs, and merely was guised as onlookers watching the new crowd of dancers. They passed by Veronica, and then she looked at them. She kept her distance, though, much like Meifeng, and made sure that she wasn't obvious, but at the same time, she was quick to glance at them every now and then. Damn. She wished that she had attended the bar, if she was drinking something, that'd help her blend in. While glancing at them... she was quick to realize that Shizuka had an earpiece on. Her eyes went wide as his finger touched his ear. [i]Ooooh, they are up to something.[/i] Given that Meifeng and Shizuka were against the Family... could they be chasing a lead here? Oh. Veronica was tempted to tell Blake, but he was busy. She might as well [i]confirm[/i]. The fat-girl pointed at someone, before they went after her - and that was Veronica's cue to run some interference. They could be up to something, and she didn't like it. She could distract them by telling Shizuka how bad he was at dancing, and whose dick did Mika have to slobber on to get a date... but, in the Intimidation Unit, there were two sides. Unsubtle - which was reserved by the Black Hound - and subtle. Veronica would have been rotting in a prison cell if she wasn't subtle. Oooooh, she had the perfect idea. Veronica made sure to quickly wade through the crowds, and go around them in a motion to cut them off. As planned, Veronica appeared from off the side, and inadvertently cut them off from Biyu. Now, Veronica knew that Mika had a telepathic ability... and she had a few tricks in store that could throw even the best telepath off. Well, at least distract them from her true goal. Because telepaths were annoying. When she approached Shizuka and Mika, she smiled. "Oh, hello, there!" Veronica said, putting on a thick French accent, which she perfected during her time in Quebec. "Hello, I'm Amy, I'm the secretary to a business associate of Mr. Liu... are you his daughter? I've heard a little bit about you, but I came here to confirm it." Instantly, Mika tried to dive into her mind, but she couldn't get a straight answer out of it. She narrowed her eyes in irritation; Biyu was getting away, but she had no choice but to play along. "Yes," Mika said. "Mika Liu... Nice to meet you." "And who is this?" Veronica cheerfully said to Shizuka. Shizuka narrowed his eyes at her - he had wanted to keep her in view in the back of his mind for the time being until he was done with Biyu, but he wasn't expecting this [i]woman[/i] to suddenly intercept them... Well, at least this action had confirmed his suspicions about her, that she was [i]definitely[/i] up to something no good here. Unlike Mika, he couldn't be bothered to waste time here with retarded pleasantries to a bitch who obviously didn't deserve it (i.e. he had seen through her acting - anyone could if they just use their brain, period). "...You're in the way." "...Of what?" Veronica raised an eyebrow, but she could just tell from the look on his face that he's on to her. Or just a dick. Either way, at this point, she most likely slowed them down a little bit. "You're a rude one - where do you get these guys, Mika?" Veronica said to Mika, before laughing. "But, if that's what you want..." She said as she stepped aside. Mika and Shizuka walked past her - but Mika couldn't help but think (sending another message to Shizuka). [i]'She might be with the Family. Diverting us... but, that just means they're onto us.'[/i] '[i]So that whore just now is with the Family, huh?[/i]' Shizuka couldn't help but feel glad to have Mika's telepathy on their side. If Mika was right, the Family had the situation under their control again, turning them into helpless pawns struggling in the hand of those Fags - just like all their previous encounters with them. [i]God damn it.[/i] [i]'I'm not sure... my telepathy didn't put up any hostile intentions... but there are ways to throw it off.'[/i] Shizuka gritted his teeth. Whatever - he could deal with that bitch later... only if she was going to cause more unnecessary trouble for him. '[i]Just concentrate on keeping tabs on Biyu and Jiao-Long,[/i]' he thought, hoping that Mika would pick that up (he didn't want to risk saying out loud and let that slut hear their real plan here). Once he was sure that they were out of the woman's earshot, he muttered into the comms, "[i]Lihua, Mei - the Family's dogs have already infiltrated the party. I dunno what they're up to, but just be on your toes.[/i]" "[i]I kind of suspected that.[/i]" Meifeng answered in Chinese, rolling her eyes up into her head. "[i]My eyes are going to be on the Liu family, just keep[/i] yours[i] on Biyu.[/i]" "[i]...Right.[/i]" Shizuka had a nagging feeling that she wasn't taking him seriously, but he really couldn't waste any more time and let Biyu get away. In the end he chose to resign and went after the elderly Liu with Mika. [hr] Everything seemed fine and dandy... people were dancing, talking, enjoying the food, and Honghui, most of all, was having a good time. It was finally time for Honghui to cut his birthday cake! Carrying the birthday cake - a rather large, circular, birthday cake, covered in vanilla frosting, and having HAPPY BIRTHDAY written on top of it - on a tray was Chunhua his mother, dressed in a blue dress, and his sister Lin Liu, wearing a white dress. They placed the cake on the table where Honghui was sitting, and there was light in the little boy's eyes as Chunhua lit each candle one at a time. The lights were dimmed. Meifeng had walked over to the railing, and looked down, and smiled. She pressed her earpiece. "[i]Look at Honghui,[/i]" Meifeng said in Chinese, "[i]Ain't he just adorable right now?[/i]" She followed it up with laughter. "[i]I just hope they're not about to sing Happy Birthday...[/i]" Lihua groaned - if they even [i]think[/i] of singing that annoying song, she's going to shoot herself. "...Happy Birthday to you..." Chunhua and the Liu siblings said as Lihua reached into her purse to get the sweet release from a hot half-inch piece of lead as everyone began to playfully sing along in melody. "[i]C'mon, mom,[/i]" Meifeng said with a smile. "[i]Just play along, he'll only have like one seventh birthday - Hell, I'm almost tempted to jump down there and sing along.[/i]" Lihua sighed, and shook her head. "[i]But, I-[/i]" That's when everything went to hell. Bullets had rung through the air, causing screaming, as a blue swirling portal opened near the table most of the Lius were gathered on. Meifeng's eyes went wide, as panic overcame her. [i]Please don't be the Hound, please don't be the Hound...[/i] She repeated that sentence in her head over and over and over again. ...Stepping out of the portal was the man with the symbol of the snarling dog etched across his armor. Slinging an M60 over his broad shoulders, his eyes shined red as people retracted in fear of his massive, inhuman frame. "Everyone get down." The Hound's electronic voice echoed through the ballroom, and everyone did as he said. "...Damn it." Meifeng said to herself (in English this time). Okay, it's the worst possible outcome. The god damn Black Hound's here. Meifeng wanted a piece of the Hound as much as anyone else, but with the Liu Family here, she couldn't risk a fight. The Hound was a tough bastard, and all Meifeng had was water... She looked around, and saw that some of the other "partygoers" had pulled out weapons of their own. Pistols, and other small concealable weapons... and they were, of course, blocking all the damn exits. It'd be enough to Intimidate these rich-assholes into compliance. However, Meifeng got down with everyone else... because, far as she could tell, she was on the Family's shitlist, and if she stands out, then she's going to meet her end from the Hound's machine gun. "Alright," The Hound said as he took a few steps, walking in a circle. "These are the rules; if anyone tries anything... [i]I will kill them.[/i]" He threateningly said. "My employers have no business with any of you, so I'd suggest that you keep it that way." The Hound reached towards his belt, and pulled out a square device with two knobs on it. He held it up into the air for everyone to see. "This right here is a signal jammer. Essentially... it disables all communication as long as it's active. So, no one will be calling for help, interrupting us..." The Hound took a few steps towards the table which was full of the terrified Liu Family - stepping specifically towards Chunhua. The woman's screams pierced the air as the Hound grabbed her by the hair, and threw her to the ground so hard that she rolled onto her back. Before she could catch her breath, the Hound had placed his foot onto her chest. Not hard enough that he would cave her chest in (which, with his weight, he could easily do), but enough that she found it hard to breathe. The Hound then aimed his machine gun right into her face. "Jiao-Long, you have ten seconds to show yourself..." The Hound said as he pressed the machine gun right against her skull, and Chunhua was practically crying. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six..." Aw fuck. Meifeng had to do something, that bastard was going to execute Chunhua. She turned her head towards Jiao-Long, who was desperately clawing his way over to his wife in dangerous. "Wait, no." Meifeng tried to plead with Jiao-Long. [hr] A stray bullet struck the dainty glass in Abe's hand and spray small shards of glass onto his dress jacket, flinching at the sudden disappearance of his drink more than he was at the sudden, dramatic entry by what must have been some terrorist. Reflexively, he ducked down to avoid the oncoming fire and kicked the legs out from under the table to use it as cover.Despite the severity of the situation, he couldn't help but feel grateful for finally getting to experience a bit of action. He did not know who it was by name, but the news of a recent terrorist with multiple sightings running by the name of Hound, or Black Hound, or something else that sounded about as stupid. That being said, a stupid name was a petty thing to be worrying about when they were in the same room as you and spraying and praying haphazardly. Abe squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to shut out the outside noise and tried to come up with a plan of action. He doubted that a terrorist as well equipped as this man is came here for a holdup. No, he already had money and resources. That meant everyone in this room is expendable. Damn it! Abe had to come up with something before he started executing everyone. As the situation played out, one thing became clear. They were only interested in Jiao-Long. [i]'Damn it, Mr. Liu, don't you get killed before you get to play your part.'[/i] Just when Veronica was about to report Shizuka to Blake... the Hound had finally made his appearance. She wasn't surprised by the bullets, but she had to play along, of course. She let out a shrill scream as she ducked underneath one of the tables. Some of the other rich-folk dipped inside with her, but she didn't mind. While Veronica was with the Family, she was a spy, at worst. She wasn't the type to stand guard - she was the type to slit someone's throat in their sleep, and leave before the police caught on. The last thing she wanted to do was catch someone's attention, and blow her own cover. All she had to do was sit on her ass, and wait for Jiao-Long to be thrown into a portal. Then she would leave before the police got here to pick up the pieces. Though, she should spot Meifeng and the brat that Mika had brought along with her. The Hound would looove a piece of them. Her eyes drifted towards the bar, and Lihua wasn't even there. ...That was because the very second the bullets started flying, Lihua vaulted the counter. Well, she more of desperately tried to carry her weight over the counter, and fell onto the ground. Hurting the hell out of her arm. But she had to be vigilant. She peaked over the counter, and had her second encounter with the Hound.... And at literally the worst moment, too. He was wielding a powerful machine-gun, but worst of all, he jammed communications. Which makes the earpieces [i]useless[/i]. Lihua had an idea - just to get communications flowing between her group again - but she was unsure of the exact limits of Mika's ability. [hr] "...Here I am! Don't hurt her!" Jiao-Long shouted as he ran down the stairs - tripping on the last step and catching himself. He almost broke his thumb from the way he landed, but he was high off fear for his wife's life. "Please, Hound, I'll do anything! Just don't hurt her!" Just as Jiao-Long said, he took a step off Chunhua, and grabbed his machine-gun with his other hand. Jiao-Long slid over to Chunhua, and grabbed her tightly. "[i]Chunhua, are you okay?![/i]" Jiao-Long said in Chinese, shivering in fear. "[i]It's... hard to breathe... but I'm okay.[/i]" Chunhua answered. "I knew you would never exchange your wife's life for yours, Jiao-Long." The Hound said. "It was... more of a bluff, to get this over with faster." Jiao-Long looked at the Hound, and narrowed his eyes, "You invade my son's birthday... what do you want, you bastard?!" "[i]Hmph.[/i]" The Hound brushed off the "bastard" comment as he walked over to Jiao-Long's side. "You should know by now... I was sent by my employers to "convince" you to reconsider their offer, Mr. Liu." "I refuse to work on it for a reason... I'm not serving the Family!" Jiao-Long said. The Hound narrowed his eyes at Jiao-Long from underneath his helmet. "It's not like you have a choice, Mr. Liu... Look around you..." The Hound pointed his finger, turning it around looking at every person here. "...Do you think you're in control? Do you think your [i]pride[/i] is worth the lives of all these people...?" He then looked at Jiao-Long. "...Do you think your family will survive if you resist?" Jiao-Long remained silent. "Of course, I was ordered to bring you in by force if you continued to defy the Family," The Hound said, before he turned towards Honghui. "...And take your son with you." The Hound let the words hang in the air as Jiao-Long looked between him and his son. "...So, what's it going to be, Mr. Liu?"