Once Kata left the office, Kenny sat back and was deep in thought about what to do next. He decided to give a call to Zeres and see if he had any idea of what they could do next. He picked up his phone, but he could feel something was off.
Kenny's senses were always very alert, and he felt a strange presence of Simone in the room. A sense of unease settled within him, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. He couldn't shake off the feeling that someone else was there with him. Kenny had never assumed his senses, and he had always been alert. He knew how cruel the world was and he couldn't stay calmly at any given time.
Suddenly, he heard a gentle tap on his shoulder, and his heart skipped a beat. Instantly, he turned around, his body tensed with readiness, and swiftly clasped the hand of the person behind him. His eyes widened with surprise and caution as he examined the face before him.
The person behind Kenny burst into laughter. With a mix of curiosity and disbelief, Kenny managed to utter, "Zeres? Is that really you?"
Zeres, still grinning, nodded his head. "Yeah, it's me! Surprise!" he exclaimed, clearly amazed by Kenny's reaction. "I couldn't resist sneaking up on you. You should have seen the look on your face!"
Kenny's grip on Zeres' hand loosened, and he chuckled, shaking his head. "You sure know how to give a guy a scare. But seriously, how did you get into my office? I was the one who opened it, and there was no one inside. And if I can recall, no one has ever entered my office without my permission."
Zeres shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's just say I have my ways," he replied mysteriously with a mischievous light in his eyes. Kenny looked at him and could guess how he got into his office.
Maybe he climbed through the windows and entered the office silently and he couldn't hear. With Zeres's ability and the experience he had in the underworld, there was nothing that seemed very difficult for him.
Kenny raised his eyebrow, still slightly perplexed. "Well, alright then. But you better not be up to any mischief in here. This place is supposed to be off limits after hours, you know. And you shouldn't be sneaking into my office as you like," he warned.
Zeres smiled," What if I don't stop it? I think next time I wanna sneak into your room and peep at you as you did that with Natasha."
Kenny lifted his head, his face with a weary smile," Doing what with Natasha?"
"Stop playing dump buddy, doing what adults do," he answered.
"I think you are lonely; you should find a girl for yourself," Kenny added.
The expression on Zere's face became dull. I am not in need of a lady. I had better concentrate on protecting you."
Kenny could clearly understand the expression on his face." You miss her?" he asked.
"Why should I miss her? She betrayed me, I wouldn't want her in my life again," he added.
"Can we stop talking about women now?" Zeres asked.
"Fine...So why are you here? What are you up to?" Kenny asked.
Zeres flashed a mischievous smile again."Don't worry, Kenny. I'm just here to catch up with my buddy. No mischief, I promise."
Relieved, Kenny gestured for Zeres to take a seat. They sat down in the comfortable chairs near the window, the city lights visible to their view. The familiar scent of old books and coffee was in the air, adding to the cozy atmosphere.
"So, Kenny," Zeres began, leaning back in his chair, "how did you find out that she is related to the Summer Palace?"
Kenny leaned back as well, his expression unreadable. "Actually, you won't believe what happened .. I went home directly the moment we parted ways. I found my mom and Sophia in the house."
"Mum was cooking dinner while Sophia was in the shower, putting on my bathrobe. I went to the balcony for a while, then decided to pick up my laptop so that I could work on something. When passing through the corridors, I heard her on the phone, and I heard her mention the Summer Palace and record her conversation.
Zeres leaned forward with interest. "So what are you planning to do with her? She is your mum after all."
"I will never spare anyone, be it my mum or a friend who tries to mess with the people I care about," Kenny said with a lot of determination.
He had promised to take care of and protect Natasha, but he felt like he had failed her. It was just for the time being that he was going to take revenge on everyone who tried to harm Natasha; they were going to pay for their evil deeds sooner.
Zeres nodded his head. He knew how his friend felt. "Kenny, I think we need to act on this thing as soon as possible. I have got a friend who is going to be of help to us."
Kenny lifted his head with excitement," Now this is the Zeres that I want; I think we should go there tomorrow evening, how about that?"
"Yes, I need to meet him tomorrow morning, update him on the situation and get him ready. We need to be well prepared. As I told you, this is the biggest risk we are taking, we aren't sure if we will come out alive or dead," Zeres said.
"We can't lose in this battle, buddy, I'm sure we will come out as winners," Kenny said.
According to Kenny, the word failure never existed in his vocabulary. He had to become the ruthless Kenny he used to be; he had to become the merciless king of the underworld who could kill without batting an eye. The good side of him could only be shown to Natasha and not anyone else.
As Kenny spoke, Zeres listened attentively, taking in every word. He couldn't help but feel envy mixed with admiration for his friend's fighting spirit. Zeres had always known how strong Kenny was, and he never allowed himself to lose to anyone..
Zeres just smiled. "Well, then it's settled, let's keep communicating, and we will decide on the time."
With that agreement, the two friends parted ways again.