Chapter 271

In a sky-high restaurant, John sat by the window, sipping coffee.

Two bodyguards flanked John, their eyes scanning the room with unwavering vigilance. When a waiter approached to offer assistance, they were promptly waved away by the bodyguards.

John raised his hand to check the time on his watch, furrowing his brow slightly.

The elevator doors slid open, and Mike strolled in, wearing a trench coat.

Mike scanned the restaurant and quickly spotted John. The two burly bodyguards were hard to miss. With a casual whistle, he approached, only to be stopped by the bodyguards.

"Alright, alright," Mike grinned, turning around as the bodyguards confiscated the gun from his waist.

After a thorough search, Mike was allowed to sit across from John.

"Mr. Williams, we've met before. If I wanted to take you out, I could've done it at the bar last time. No need to be so jumpy," Mike remarked, a smirk on his face.

John set down his coffee, picked up a napkin, and wiped the corners of his mouth with deliberate precision.

"I've been waiting for you here for fifteen minutes," John said coolly, his gaze fixed on Mike.

Mike glanced at his watch, then flipped it over and tapped the dial.

"Mr. Williams, I don't think I'm late, am I?" Mike's tone suggested that John had arrived early, so he couldn't be blamed for being late.

A faint smile touched John's lips. "You sure are something special, Mike."

Mike's expression suddenly sharpened, and he scooted his chair back a bit.

"John, you've got Ms. Taylor. Why are you still flirting with me?" Mike asked, his tone cautious.

John's eyes narrowed. "That's a pretty gross thing to say."

Mike shrugged. "Hey, you called me something 'special' first!"

"Alright, enough with the small talk. Where's the contract I asked for?" John said, sounding bored.

Mike grinned, pulling out two contracts from under his trench coat. "Sorry, the paper's a bit wrinkled. Hope that's cool."

John took the contracts, gave them a quick once-over, and nodded, satisfied.

"These are the properties you wanted." John gestured, and one of his bodyguards stepped forward, handing the other contract to Mike.

Mike carefully looked over the contract, then signed it quickly.

"You're as generous as they say, John. Thanks," Mike said with a smile, grabbing the contract and getting ready to leave.

"Our business is done here. Goodbye, John." Mike had just stood up when he heard the click of a camera shutter.

Mike's face darkened as he turned to see a bodyguard in the corner snapping pictures.

"What the hell is this, John?" Mike asked, his voice tight with anger.

John leaned back in his chair, his voice steady. "Look, I think you're a valuable asset, so I wanted to bring you on board. But since you turned me down, I guess I'll have to use a different approach."

Mike's expression darkened as he glanced at the contract in his hand, realizing it had become a trap.

"Are you blackmailing me?" Mike snapped, his anger barely contained.

John's tone remained cool and detached. "Call it what you want. From the moment you started negotiating with me, there was no way out."

Mike scoffed, "I didn't expect someone from a prestigious family to stoop so low."

John chuckled lightly, a smirk playing on his lips. "If you thought I was a gentleman, you were mistaken."

"Anyway, I've given you what you wanted. Our deal is done. If you refuse, that's fine. But the moment you step out that door, I'll let my uncle know about our little arrangement." John flashed a grin, his teeth gleaming.

Mike's hands trembled with rage. He clenched his jaw and asked, "What do you want from me?"

John's smile softened, but his eyes remained cold. "Nothing dangerous. Just keep me in the loop if my uncle makes any moves. That's all."

"You call this simple? Do you have any idea how terrifying your uncle is? This is the most dangerous job ever! If he finds out I teamed up with you behind his back, I'm dead meat. He'll throw me in a gas drum, fill it with cement, and dump me in the ocean!" Mike's voice shook as he grabbed John's collar.

The two bodyguards immediately stepped forward, grabbed Mike, and tossed him out.

John straightened his collar and adjusted his appearance.

He looked down at Mike, now sprawled on the ground, and spoke with an icy calmness, "If you don't agree, you'll be swimming with the fishes soon. But if you do, at least I can protect you."

Mike sat on the ground, glaring at John. "I was a fool to think the heir of a big family would be someone decent."

John sat back in his chair and replied, "I can let that insult slide, but now tell me, what's your choice?"

Mike struggled with his expression while sitting on the ground, and finally let out a weary sigh. "Do I have any other choice? You're all a bunch of ruthless bastards."

With another sigh, Mike got up from the ground. "Fine, I'll do it. But you better keep your word and bail me out if things go sideways."

John nodded slightly. "Don't worry, I still got a little decency, and besides, you did save my life once."

"I should've let you die," Mike muttered, then grabbed his contract and left the restaurant.

Once Mike had left, John handed the contracts to his bodyguards.

"Hey, check the fingerprints on this contract. I wanna see if my uncle's prints are on it," John said. He still didn't fully trust Mike and wanted to make sure Michael really didn't know about this contract.

Meanwhile, as Mike settled into his car, a sardonic smile played on his lips.

"Bet John's checking those fingerprints right now. Like cautious Michael would leave such an obvious mistake!" Mike's face twisted into a cold smile.