Building The Strongest Family
Chapter 139: The Weight Of Failure

The air inside the Eastern Consortium's Neo-Luminara headquarters was thick with tension, almost electric.

The scent of sandalwood incense struggled to mask the acrid stench of fear that clung to Chairman Renshu's usually immaculate suit.

He stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his private office, staring at his own reflection in the glass.

Below him, the city sprawled like a glittering jewel, yet tonight, it felt more like a prison than a prize.

Suddenly, a chime echoed through the room.

"Incoming transmission," announced the room's AI in its calm, mechanical tone.

"Priority One. Encryption Level: Obsidian."

Renshu's jaw tightened at the mention of 'Obsidian', the highest clearance possible. Only one person used that channel.

He turned slowly, straightening his tie with deliberate care before nodding. "Accept."

As the holographic display flickered to life, an icy silence enveloped the room.

A man appeared on screen, a figure seated in a high-backed chair who wasn't physically imposing but radiated authority.

Lean and dressed in a simple black suit, his silver-streaked hair was pulled into a tight knot at the nape of his neck.

His face bore no lines, revealing neither age nor emotion,but those eyes? They told stories of empires rising and falling.

"Renshu," he said smoothly, his voice sharp as a blade's edge.

Renshu bowed deeply, maintaining rigid posture out of respect. "Grand Overseer."

Thomas didn't invite him to rise; instead, he leaned forward slightly and steepled his fingers together. "Explain."

Just one word, a death sentence if mishandled.

Renshu straightened up but felt tension coil in his spine like a tightly wound spring. "The operation was compromised... Our attempt to eliminate Damien Armitage was intercepted."

"Failed," Thomas interjected coldly. "Publicly, and embarrassingly."

Renshu swallowed hard and nodded reluctantly. "Yes."

"And the operatives?" Grand Overseer Thomas pressed.

"Neutralized," Renshu replied quickly. "The Crimson Protocol was enacted."

A pause hung heavily between them before Thomas let out a soft laugh devoid of humor.

"The Crimson Protocol," he repeated slowly as if savoring each syllable, "is meant for strategic retreats, not bungled assassinations."

Renshu's fingers twitched involuntarily at his sides as he tried to defend himself: "The situation required..."

"What it required," Thomas interrupted sharply, "was competence."

Those words loomed over Renshu like an executioner's blade poised to fall.

Thomas tapped lightly against the armrest of his chair and continued, "Do you know why you were assigned to Neo-Luminara?"

Silence filled the space as Renshu remained mute.

"Because you were promising," Thomas stated matter-of-factly. "After your triumphs in Jakarta, we thought you were ready for a city that truly matters." His gaze sharpened, piercing through the dimly lit room.

"But instead," he continued, "you return to Neo-Luminara after fifteen years, only to face humiliation within weeks."

Renshu felt his nails dig into his palms as he struggled to find the right words. "The variables were,..."

"Unacceptable!" The Grand Overseer's tone cracked like a whip. "You were outmaneuvered. By whom? A corporate upstart? A mayor?"

Renshu clenched his jaw, a cold fire igniting in his eyes. "It was Arthur Osborn."

Liang raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Ah, the boy who saved his family from ruin. I've heard a bit about him."

He exhaled slowly, leaning forward. "Tell me, Renshu, do you really think it was him? Where's your evidence? Don't think I can't see what you're getting at!"

Renshu's silence spoke volumes.

The Grand Overseer leaned back in his chair, disappointment radiating from him like heat from a flame. "Pathetic," he muttered under his breath.

With a flick of his wrist, the holographic display illuminated Renshu's dossier on the screen.

He scrolled through it deliberately, savoring every moment of Renshu's discomfort.

"Your predecessor," he mused with disdain, "at least had the decency to die when he failed."

A chill ran down Renshu's spine.

The

Grand Overseer closed the file with finality. "But you? You hide behind protocols and let others clean up your mess." He steepled his fingers again, a gesture that always made Renshu uneasy.

"The Consortium does not tolerate weakness," The Grand Overseer declared coldly.

Renshu swallowed hard, desperation creeping into his voice. "I will rectify this! Just give me another chance…"

"No." The word hung heavy in the air.

The Grand Overseer's gaze was unyielding and pitiless. "You are relieved of command, effective immediately."

Renshu's breath hitched in disbelief. "Who…?"

"Operative Raven will take over Neo-Luminara operations," The Grand Overseer stated matter-of-factly.

At the mention of 'Raven,' Renshu stiffened involuntarily, the Viper herself! A woman renowned for never failing her missions; one who had once reduced an entire district to ashes just to eliminate a single target.

The Grand Overseer's lips curled into a grimace that was anything but a smile. "She arrives in forty-eight hours," he stated coldly. "You will brief her, and then you will return to headquarters… for reassessment."

The way he delivered the last word made it painfully clear that "reassessment" was just a polite way of saying something far more ominous.

Renshu bowed his head, his voice hollow as he replied, "Understood."

The Grand Overseer held his gaze for what felt like an eternity before adding, "One last thing."

Renshu looked up, meeting eyes as frigid as ice.

"If you even think about disobeying this order," he warned, "remember we know where your daughter is."

With that chilling reminder, the transmission abruptly cut off, leaving Renshu standing alone in the suffocating darkness of his office.

For what seemed like ages, he remained frozen in place.

Finally, with trembling hands, hands that were usually so steady, he reached for the decanter of wine on his desk.

He poured himself a glass and downed it in one fiery gulp.

Outside, the city sparkled under the night sky,unaware and uncaring of the turmoil within him.

He had come to Neo-Luminara as a conqueror. But now? Now he felt like just another man awaiting execution.

He just stood there infront of the floor to ceiling window with a daze look in his eyes, his hands tightly holding the wine glass.

His eyes full fo fury and indignation.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.