Young Master Chen lay on the floor of the boutique, clutching his broken wrist, tears streaming down his face.
"You... you're dead!" Chen screamed. "My dad is on his way! He's bringing the whole security team! You won't leave this mall alive!"
Alex sat back down on the velvet sofa, looking bored. Luna stood silently beside him, her icy gaze fixed on the entrance.
"Five minutes," Alex checked his Patek Philippe watch. "Your dad is slow."
Suddenly, the glass doors of the boutique shattered.
CRASH.
A group of twenty security guards in tactical gear stormed in, batons raised. Behind them walked a middle-aged man in a grey suit. He had a beer belly and a furious expression.
This was Chairman Chen, the owner of the Golden City Mall.
"Who?!" Chairman Chen roared. "Who dared to touch my son?!"
"Dad!" Young Master Chen crawled towards him. "It's him! That guy in the suit! And that woman! She broke my wrist! Kill them!"
Chairman Chen looked at Alex. He saw a young man sitting calmly, not even trembling.
"Kid," Chairman Chen sneered, stepping forward. "You have guts. Do you know where you are? This is my territory. I can make you disappear, and no police will ever find you."
"Your territory?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"
"Beat him to a pulp!" Chairman Chen ordered his guards. "And grab the woman. I'll teach her a lesson personally."
The guards took a step forward. Luna's hand drifted to the hidden blade in her dress.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
Suddenly, Chairman Chen's phone rang. It wasn't a normal ringtone. It was the "Emergency Board Meeting" alarm.
He frowned. "Hold on."
He answered the phone. "What?! I'm busy dealing with trash! This better be important!"
"Chairman!" The voice on the other end was hysterical. It was his Chief Financial Officer. "Check your email! The Board just held an emergency vote!"
"What vote? I didn't authorize a vote!"
"You don't understand! Someone just bought 51% of the shares on the open market! And... and they just wired $2 Billion to buy out the remaining debt! The ownership transfer is instantaneous!"
"What?!" Chairman Chen felt the blood drain from his face. "Who? Who has that kind of liquidity?!"
"It's... it's an anonymous holding company called 'Dragon Capital'. The new owner is listed as... Mr. Alex."
Chairman Chen dropped the phone. The screen cracked on the floor.
He looked at Alex. The young man was smiling.
"Did you get the email?" Alex asked.
"You..." Chairman Chen's knees started shaking. "Two... two billion dollars? In cash?"
"I told your son," Alex stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. "I don't like being threatened. So I decided to become the landlord."
Alex looked at the twenty security guards who were holding batons.
"Guards," Alex said, his voice dropping an octave. "Who pays your salary?"
The head of security looked at Chairman Chen, then at the terrified look on his face. He realized the power had shifted.
The guard lowered his baton. "The... the owner of the mall pays us, sir."
"Correct," Alex nodded. "I am the owner now. So, here is your first order."
Alex pointed at Chairman Chen and his crying son.
"These two are trespassing on private property. Throw them out."
"You can't do this!" Chairman Chen screamed. "I built this place! I am the Chairman!"
"Not anymore," Alex said coldly. "Now, you're just a visitor. And you're banned."
[DING!]
[Hidden Mission Complete: The Hostile Takeover.] [Expenditure: $2,000,000,000.] [Reward: +20,000 Tycoon Points. Title: "Real Estate Mogul".] [System Level Up! Level 3 Reached.]
Alex watched as the guards—the same ones Chen had brought—grabbed the father and son and dragged them kicking and screaming out of the store.
"Luna," Alex turned to his assassin.
"Yes, Master?"
"Let's finish shopping. I think I own this store now, too."