The Shadow Billionaire

CHAPTER 7: BLOOD BARGAIN IN THE SERVICE HALLWAY

CHAPTER 7: BLOOD BARGAIN IN THE SERVICE HALLWAY

A wall clock inside their VVIP meeting room ticked relentlessly, while a digital screen in its corner displayed 13:48. Twelve minutes remained before Kaelen's thirteen-billion-rupiah debt officially matured, and if that cash was not paid in full, Baskoro would never grant him a second chance.

Leon stood near a massive glass window holding an encrypted tablet filled with multiple terminal screens. His fingers moved rapidly as he breached Obsidian's old classified archives.

"I have successfully accessed our old project archives," Leon reported without taking his eyes off his tablet screen. 

"However, Baskoro's men are already moving. Ten thugs secured our main lobby, while three others guard basement parking access," he continued with a highly alert tone while swiping his tablet to display security camera feeds.

"They also brought your photos, so we cannot exit through guest routes," Leon added grimly while pointing at his screen. "I spotted several of them hiding telescopic batons and machetes beneath their jackets."

Kaelen, who had been leaning heavily on his aluminum crutches, simply gave a slow nod. Agonizing pain from his cast-bound left leg stabbed deeper into his nerves, yet he refused to let physical suffering cloud his judgment.

"We are not using front doors," Kaelen stated calmly while shifting his gaze toward his trusted right-hand man. "Open our 2024 East Port logistics archives and find shipping manifests under Tirta Logistics."

"Tirta Logistics is directly connected to Johan Tjandra," Leon noted with a frowning forehead while opening those requested files one by one. "I do not understand how this company's data can suddenly help us escape this hotel."

Kaelen took slow, agonizing steps toward a VVIP backdoor, relying entirely on his crutches. He paused briefly as excruciating pain shooting from his thigh forced him to hold his breath.

"Because Baskoro lost his biggest smuggling route at East Port after Johan violently seized that territory," Kaelen explained while enduring sharp pain. "All this time, Baskoro assumed Johan acquired that route by bribing our port authorities, but something much bigger actually lies behind it."

Leon stared at his tablet screen with heightened seriousness.

"What do you mean?" Leon asked curiously while dragging a manifest document onto his main screen.

"Herman Suryanegara lent his corporate logistics infrastructure to help Johan disguise massive money laundering flows," Kaelen answered in a low, calculating voice while looking back at Leon.

Leon fell silent for a moment before opening a specific manifest.

"If that is true, we can use this exact connection to pressure Baskoro," Leon deduced with an understanding tone while grasping Kaelen's underlying strategy.

"We do not need complete evidence," Kaelen instructed firmly while resuming his slow steps. "We only need to give him enough reason to believe Johan left a traceable trail."

Leon zoomed in on several manifest pages stored inside their archives. Rows of shipments worth hundreds of billions filled his screen, yet most transactions were merely recorded as heavy machinery spare part exports.

"Most shipments look completely normal," Leon muttered while thoroughly checking container numbers and receiving entities. "However, several incoming payments came from companies possessing absolutely zero connection to spare part trading."

He opened a subsequent transaction page, pointing at specific bank accounts appearing repeatedly.

"Tirta Logistics received massive payments from several shell companies, then those exact funds moved straight into other accounts tied to Johan's syndicate," Leon revealed while displaying transaction patterns for Kaelen to see.

Kaelen stepped closer, observing glowing data closely.

"If this pattern is matched against port records and other transactions, federal investigators will have more than enough reason to start digging," Leon concluded confidently after finishing his rapid analysis.

"That is exactly what we need," Kaelen agreed smoothly while nodding his head.

"Just this? Not complete evidence?" Leon asked doubtfully while looking up from his screen.

"Not yet," Kaelen answered sharply while pointing at specific transactions on screen. "I do not possess Johan's complete ledger, and we do not need it right now."

Kaelen stared at Leon with absolute seriousness.

"Take three most easily verifiable transactions and send them to Baskoro as a sample," Kaelen commanded strictly. "Do not send any other data because we still need leverage as collateral."

"Understood," Leon nodded firmly while immediately encrypting a copied file.

Once Leon finished securing their data, they abandoned that VVIP room through a backdoor. This narrow corridor led them straight into a hotel service area, which was far tighter and dimmer than standard guest routes.

Harsh disinfectant odors mixed heavily with cooking aromas from a hotel kitchen below, while trolley wheels clattered faintly in a distance. Kaelen walked with heavy, agonizing steps, whereas Leon constantly monitored his tablet to ensure no security systems detected their presence.

However, just as they reached a steel service elevator, an indicator light above its door suddenly flared red. Numbers on a digital panel began climbing rapidly from ground floors.

Leon instantly halted his steps, raising one hand to signal a stop.

"Wait, Boss," Leon warned with a low, tense voice while watching those changing numbers closely. "Someone is coming up from below."

Kaelen stopped beside him, staring at those steel doors without showing even a hint of panic.

Ding.

Heavy steel doors finally slid open.

Five heavily built men stepped out simultaneously, immediately spreading out to block their narrow hallway. A man sporting a scorpion tattoo on his neck pulled a telescopic steel baton from his waist. After flicking it open with a sharp clack, he glared at Kaelen with a freezing sneer.

"Target located," a tattooed thug reported through a collar microphone while scanning Kaelen from head to toe. "We do not see any cash."

"If that is the case, we have a serious problem," Leon muttered coldly while gripping a tactical knife handle hidden beneath his jacket.

A tattooed man stepped forward, rhythmically slapping his steel baton against his open palm.

"Boss Baskoro sends a message," a thug mocked with a vicious sneer while staring mockingly at Kaelen's cast-bound leg. "If you cannot return thirteen billion today, we will take your right leg as a substitute."

Leon had just drawn his combat knife when Kaelen firmly grabbed his shoulder.

"Keep your weapon hidden," Kaelen ordered softly while standing firmly beside Leon. "I will do the talking."

Kaelen extended his empty hand toward a tattooed thug.

"Hand over your phone," Kaelen demanded with absolute calmness while maintaining a deadpan expression. "You are connected to Baskoro right now, correct?"

A thug let out a short, barking laugh before raising his baton.

"You still have time to request a phone call?" a thug scoffed mockingly while raising his steel weapon high in the air. "It seems your head injury is far worse than your leg."

His baton nearly smashed into Kaelen's kneecap when he suddenly heard Kaelen's voice booming with authority.

"You will lose East Port forever, Baskoro!" Kaelen shouted suddenly with a dominating voice while glaring directly at a microphone clipped to that thug's collar.

A swinging baton halted entirely in mid-air.

A tattooed man touched an earpiece inside his ear, his expression shifting drastically after receiving direct orders from his boss. He pulled a smartphone from his jacket pocket, reluctantly handing it over.

Kaelen accepted it, pressing a speaker against his ear.

"You are testing my patience, Kaelen," Baskoro growled from across a line with a heavy, threatening voice. "Your one hundred and fifty billion from NexaCorp just failed to disburse, while my insiders at the ministry confirmed Herman's little game successfully destroyed your plans."

Kaelen refused to take his bait.

"I did not call to discuss that money," Kaelen replied evenly while staring straight ahead. "I called because I possess something far more valuable."

Baskoro remained silent for a tense moment before finally speaking.

"What can you possibly offer me?" Baskoro asked suspiciously with a dark, calculating tone.

"I have East Port shipping manifests, transaction patterns, and several accounts directly linked to Johan's shell companies," Kaelen revealed in a highly controlled voice. "There are enough traces here to make any investigator start digging."

Kaelen deliberately paused to let his words sink in.

"And I know exactly where his next trail lies," Kaelen added with a mysterious tone while forcing Baskoro back into utter silence.

"Do not try to sell me smoke," Baskoro threatened with a deadly tone while breaking his silence. "If you actually have something, prove it."

Kaelen turned his head toward Leon.

"Leon, send over our first three transactions," Kaelen commanded smoothly while raising two fingers.

Leon immediately transmitted encrypted data through a secure channel. Seconds later, Baskoro opened a received file.

"This is last year's East Port shipping manifest," Baskoro noted with a slightly shifting tone after reading several pages. "Tirta Logistics' name is here."

Kaelen simply let Baskoro continue reading.

"And several companies received massive payments from them," Baskoro continued while typing rapidly on his keyboard. "Wait."

Loud keyboard clacking echoed from across a line.

"These three transactions..." Baskoro paused briefly before speaking in a much lower voice while analyzing his data. "I am matching them right now."

Kaelen remained silent, waiting patiently.

"Our first transaction matches perfectly," Baskoro finally confirmed with a stunned tone. "Its nominal value and dates are identical."

Keyboard sounds resumed rapidly.

"A second transaction matches too," he added with an increasingly serious tone while typing faster. "And this third one..."

Baskoro paused for a very long time.

"Its receiving company is indeed connected to Johan's syndicate," Baskoro concluded heavily after a long pause.

Leon glanced at Kaelen. Kaelen simply gave a subtle nod.

"So you are truly not making up stories," Baskoro admitted after a while, his tone no longer sounding like a man threatening a desperate debtor.

Kaelen rubbed his thumb against his crutch handle before answering.

"I never asked you to trust me," Kaelen stated calmly while maintaining his composure. "I simply gave you something you can verify yourself."

Baskoro reopened a folder Leon had sent.

"If these three transactions are real, what else do you have?" Baskoro asked with a highly intrigued tone while leaning closer to his monitor.

Kaelen smiled faintly.

"That is a wrong question," Kaelen replied with a faint smile while gazing at a tattooed man standing in front of him. "A right question is exactly how deep you want to dig."

A few seconds later, keyboard typing sounds resumed.

"Fine," Baskoro agreed after opening a subsequent archive. "I want to see more."

Kaelen nodded at Leon.

"Send a second archive, but do not open everything just yet," Kaelen ordered in a low voice while maintaining strict boundaries.

Leon sent one additional file.

"File opened," Baskoro confirmed after a few seconds. "There are far more transactions here."

Typing sounds grew significantly faster across a phone line.

"Twelve transactions within our last three months," Baskoro read aloud with a fascinated tone while checking each data entry. "Three different companies received payments from Tirta Logistics, yet their delivery dates are extremely close together."

He stopped reading abruptly upon discovering something else.

"Wait, after that, those funds moved again," Baskoro noted with a surprised gasp while discovering another hidden layer.

Leon stepped closer to Kaelen as Baskoro's voice returned.

"There are several accounts never appearing in Suryanegara Capital's audit reports," Baskoro revealed in a hushed voice. "How could a massive corporation fail to record these funds?"

Kaelen briefly glanced at Leon before replying.

"Because those reports were never made to show complete flows," Kaelen answered firmly while adjusting his crutch position.

Baskoro instantly caught his hidden meaning.

"Do not tell me Herman knew?" Baskoro asked with a highly guarded tone while realizing a terrifying implication.

"I am not saying that," Kaelen replied sharply while keeping his answers ambiguous. "I am merely saying his infrastructure was used."

Kaelen continued with a much more cautious cadence.

"Who gave those orders and who received those profits, that is a part you must find out yourself," Kaelen continued with a cautious tone while staring straight ahead.

Baskoro returned to scrutinizing available data. Seconds later, a shifting chair squeaked through his speaker.

"There are port records here," Baskoro stated with a shocked tone while shifting in his chair. "Container numbers, entry dates, and exit dates are all recorded."

Leon instantly opened his internal database.

"However, one specific shipment is not recorded as heavy machinery spare parts," Baskoro noted with a grim tone while reading further. "Its container number is TLX-7741."

Leon typed that exact number into his tablet. Seconds later, he looked up at his boss.

"It is a perfect match," Leon whispered tensely while looking up at Kaelen. "That container was indeed recorded entering, but its cargo type does not match our manifest."

Kaelen finally formed a thin, victorious smile.

"So this is not just three transactions," Baskoro concluded with a deadly serious voice after fully understanding Kaelen's pattern.

"No, it is not," Kaelen agreed confidently while looking at Leon.

"How much data do you actually possess?" Baskoro asked pressingly with an eager tone.

Kaelen deliberately delayed his answer, letting heavy rain sounds echoing from outside corridor windows fill a tense gap between them.

"That is a wrong question, Baskoro," Kaelen answered calmly while maintaining his upper hand.

"Then what is a right question?" Baskoro challenged impatiently while demanding clarity.

"How deep you are willing to dig," Kaelen repeated with a subtle smirk while lifting a corner of his lips.

Baskoro fell completely silent. 

That loan shark finally understood Kaelen's brilliant game. Kaelen did not hand over complete evidence because he simply did not possess it, yet he held more than enough puzzle pieces proving Johan left a highly traceable trail.

"You deliberately held back portions of this data," Baskoro deduced with an understanding tone after a long silence.

"Naturally," Kaelen confirmed while rubbing his crutch handle. "If I give you everything right now, I have absolutely no leverage to ensure you uphold your end."

Baskoro let out a soft snort.

"You are still thinking about transactions while my men are standing right in front of you?" Baskoro scoffed softly with a nearly disbelieving tone.

"Precisely because of that," Kaelen retorted sharply while locking eyes with a tattooed thug. "I have enough data to make investigators start digging into Johan's network, while you possess enough power to ensure those investigations actually proceed."

Kaelen paused briefly to let tension settle.

"I need thirteen billion, and you need East Port back," Kaelen stated flatly while laying out terms. "We both gain something highly valuable from this transaction."

For several seconds, Baskoro offered no reply. Then, a low chuckle rumbled across his line, slowly escalating into full-blown laughter.

"You magnificent bastard," Baskoro laughed heartily while letting out a genuine chuckle. "You are not selling me evidence. You are selling an opportunity."

"I am selling something far more useful," Kaelen replied smoothly while staring at closed elevator doors.

"What?" Baskoro asked curiously while wiping a tear of amusement.

"Absolute certainty that Johan left a trail," Kaelen answered calmly while solidifying his deal.

Baskoro's laughter returned briefly before finally subsiding.

"I am starting to like you, Kaelen," Baskoro admitted with an amused tone while his laughter subsided.

"Do not," Kaelen rejected flatly while maintaining professional distance. "We are not friends."

Baskoro's laughter died instantly.

"True," Baskoro agreed after a few seconds while returning to business. "We simply share aligned interests."

Baskoro immediately issued orders commanding his enforcers to stand down.

"Your debt is wiped clean, Kaelen. Zero. We are even," Baskoro declared with a heavy voice while finalizing their deal.

"Call them off right now," Kaelen demanded strictly while staring down his attackers.

"I already did," Baskoro confirmed smoothly while fulfilling his promise.

However, right before Kaelen disconnected, Baskoro's voice echoed one last warning.

"But remember one thing. Herman Suryanegara is no ordinary businessman," Baskoro warned seriously before disconnecting. "If he can freeze a multi-billion auction in just two hours, he can destroy you before you even see his attack coming."

Baskoro took a deep, heavy breath.

"You just declared open war against a literal monster," Baskoro added while acknowledging Kaelen's suicidal bravery.

"Let that monster worry about me," Kaelen retorted confidently while hanging up his call.

A tattooed man in front of him received final instructions through his earpiece, reluctantly lowering his steel baton.

"Stand down!" a thug barked aggressively at his four subordinates while sheathing his weapon. "Boss called us home."

All five thugs retreated into their service elevator. 

Leon exhaled a massive sigh of relief once heavy steel doors finally closed shut.

"That was way too close, Boss," Leon admitted with a breathless tone while leaning his back against a concrete wall.

Kaelen offered no reply. He simply kept walking toward an emergency exit, hauling his increasingly heavy cast. 

Once they stepped outside a hotel's loading dock, freezing rain instantly battered his face. Kaelen stared at a towering Suryanegara building standing far away behind curtains of rain.

"We will no longer play on Herman's chessboard," Kaelen declared with a freezing tone while opening Obsidian's van door. "Starting now, we play in a territory he cannot control."

Leon followed him inside.

"Next target?" Leon asked professionally while starting an engine.

Kaelen stared at a phone screen displaying a news article regarding Bastian's upcoming Green Tech company ambitions.

"Bastian," Kaelen answered with a thin, predatory smile while turning off his screen. "We will let him destroy his own family."