The blinded guard screamed in terror, his hands clawing at his own face. "I'm blind! I can't see anything!" He stumbled into a wall, crashing into a marble planter and sending dirt and petals scattering. A wave of pure fear swept through the room. The other politicians and their companions scrambled to their feet, their drinks forgotten, their eyes widening by a trifle. The remaining guards backed away, their hands held up in surrender. All eyes were fixed on Zeke, filled with raw horror. Senator Vince stared at the blind guard, his face pale. He took a stumbling step backward, his voice shaking. "What did you do to him?" he whispered, his voice shaking. Zeke’s gaze was cold as he glanced at the blind guard then back at the Nāga ring. "This ring holds the ability to curse anyone I wish. It's power was supposed to be a secert, but now you've now witnessed it. I cannot let you leave this room with the memory of what you've seen." A chorus of panicked pleas erupted from everywhere

After Zeke finished paying the entry fee, the chef handed Zeke a red armband. "Don't lose this. It identifies you as a buyer."The waitress led him through the walk-in freezer, which opened into a hidden doorway. They descended a narrow staircase into a maze of damp, concrete tunnels. The air grew cooler, filled with the scent of damp earth and tobacco. The tunnels opened into a vast underground chamber, bustling with activity. Men moved crates stamped with foreign labels, stacking boxes of untaxed alcohol, cigarettes, and electronics.The waitress finally brought Zeke to a private area where a woman with sharp eyes and expensive clothes sat behind a desk, chewing gum and typing on a laptop."Hi," the waitress said nervously. "This man is a buyer. He wants in on the auction."The woman looked Zeke up and down, unimpressed. "Sorry, fella," she said, popping her gum. "This one's for the big boys. Take him to one of the street vendors." She waved a dismissive hand as though Zeke was

The Tortoise's men began bringing in the goods. They set everything down on the long side table behind the Tortoise.One by one, the items were displayed: a Renaissance masterpiece ripped from a museum wall, a case of uncut blood diamonds from a sanctioned mine, a medieval crown missing two rubies, and a collection of priceless vintage watches stolen from a billionaire's vault.Zeke stared at all the items with an air of boredom. These weren't what he was looking for.Inorder not to look suspicious, he participated in the bidding, driving up the prices for the other two buyers, but always allowed himself to be outbid at the last moment.Item after item were presented. Bid after bid were made.But Zeke bought nothing.The Tortoise started twitching with impatience. The veins on his neck bulged a little more each time Zeke didn't buy a thing.By the fifth item, his patience had ran thin. "You," he said, slapping both palms on the table. "For a man who wave his money around, you still ha

The Tortoise's face was stunned with pure horror. "How is this possible?!" he screamed, his voice cracking. "How could this happen all at once?!""I warned you," Zeke said, his voice still calm as he regarded him. "You're dealing with forces you can't comprehend. This is just the start. Your luck has run out, and it will only get worse from here."The Tortoise swallowed hard. His mouth felt like it was packed with desert sand. His empire that he had built over the decades, was collapsing in minutes. He was finished. "Who... who the hell are you?" he whispered, his voice trembling in panic.Zeke stepped closer, his shadow falling over the man."Who I am doesn't matter," he replied, his hands still resting calmly on the desk. "The question is, are we going to bargain, or are you going to stand there and watch everything you've built turn to ash?"The Tortoise’s jaw worked uselessly for a moment as his mind scrambled.Then he spun around toward his secretary and his chief smuggler. "Ge

"I'm sorry!" Anna cried, her voice trembling. "It was a terrible mistake! I never meant to lose the money! I thought I was helping. I swear I didn’t know.""A mistake?" Zhao Long roared, his face turning red. "Your 'mistake' has put us eight million dollars in debt! Do you understand what that means?"He paused, pacing around with his hands flying in frustration. "Our company is still recovering from the stock crash! We cannot afford to owe the banks right now! And what will our investors think, especially the Rockechilds Group? If news gets out that the wife of the CEO was scammed out of millions, they will pull their funding and we will be ruined!"Anna fell to her knees, sobbing harder. "Please, I beg you! I'll do anything to make it right! Forgive me!""Father, please," Pepper said, stepping forward, her eyes pleading. "It was one mistake. Anyone could’ve been deceived. Mother deserves a second chance."Her brothers and sisters quickly stood up, adding their voices to the plea. "