“Mr. Xu, please calm down.“
“Don't tell me what to do! Get out of my way and just mind your own business!“ Darren shouted in a fit of rage. He didn't have a single ounce of care for Harlan's plea. At that moment, it was clear that no one could put his mind at ease. “If you don't step aside right now, I might kill you as well.“
Harlan wanted to leave as soon as possible when he heard Darren's threat against him. But he was too concerned about what trouble his boss might get himself into. As a result, he stood his ground and pleaded once again. “Mr. Xu, please don't let your anger cloud your judgment. You'll lose your whole life's work if you kill someone. Are you really prepared to sacrifice everything just because of Jacob?“
“Don't make me say it again! Get out of my way right now!“ Darren shouted again while staring at Harlan with his bloodshot eyes. Even though Darren was dead serious about killing him, Harlan still tried his best to calm his boss down.
“Think about the people who look up to you. They'll be disappointed if they find out that you killed someone. To make matters worse, some people might even think that you're a coward for choosing to kill your competitor instead of battling him with your wits. Do you really want people to remember you that way?“
Harlan's words infuriated Darren even more. Without hesitation, he threw a powerful punch straight at him. Luckily, Harlan was able to block it with his arm. Unfortunately, the punch was so strong that it made him fall to the ground. Before walking out the door, Darren raised his right foot and stomped on Harlan's stomach while he was on the floor. Harlan curled up in pain. On the other hand, Darren just looked at him like he was a stranger and walked past him.
“Mr. Xu! Please don't do this! Don't let your anger ruin your whole life! You might not care about me, but please think about Bonnie! She's still in prison and waiting for you to save her! If you really kill Jacob, who's going to set her free?“
Just with the mention of Bonnie's name, Darren regained a part of his sanity. He started to look a little less crazy and acted like a person that could be reasoned with.
In his heart, he knew it was true. If he was to get himself imprisoned, there would be no one else left to help Bonnie. Could he really let her live the rest of her life behind bars?
To make matters worse, anyone who wanted to harm Darren knew that his weakness was Bonnie. If he was to disappear, who would protect the love of his life?
When Darren finally calmed down, Harlan breathed a sigh of relief.
While gasping for air, Harlan could smell a scent of blood coming from his mouth. However, he couldn't care about it since he needed to make sure that his boss wasn't going to lose it again. After struggling to stand up, he stood at Darren's side and said, “Mr. Xu, I know you want Jacob to disappear forever, but you don't have to do it with your bare hands.“
Harlan's words completely intrigued Darren. He quickly turned to face his assistant and hinted with his eyes for him to go on.
“Can't we make use of Bill and his men? Ahem...“ Harlan had to stop midway from coughing up blood. When he finally caught his breath, he continued. “Don't you think using Bill is the best way to kill Jacob? If they fail, no one would ever guess that you were behind it. Even Jacob himself wouldn't find any evidence to prove that you were involved.
And besides, Bill and his men are a gang of outlaws. They live their lives like every day is their last day on the earth. They've even done things like this before. No matter what, those people have a better chance of actually killing someone than just the two of us.“
For Darren, Harlan's suggestion was like a breeze of fresh air. It completely brought him back to normal. As soon as Harlan was finished speaking, an idea popped up in Darren's mind.
Just in a few minutes, he knew exactly what he needed to do next. He tidied up his suit and walked back to his office chair. Then, he said, “You're right. Not using a man like Bill would be a waste of a great opportunity.“ While he was speaking, Darren noticed Harlan's lips were stained with blood. At the sight of his wound, Darren waved his hand and added, “You should go downstairs for now and treat yourself. Thank you for your hard work today.“
Harlan simply nodded and left. As soon as he did, Darren immediately called Bill and told him his plan about dealing with Jacob. Bill was completely enthusiastic while talking with Darren, especially since the two of them hated Jacob to their core. In just in a few minutes, the two agreed on a plan to destroy Jacob's entire life.
A few hours later, it was already late at night. The busy streets that were always filled with workers going home became completely deserted.
Only a few offices still had lights on. The HT Group's building was one of them. From time to time, a few people would pass by the building's main entrance.
Under a dim street light, a few shady-looking men gathered together. While smoking cigarettes, they whispered to each other and looked at the HT Group's building from afar.
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