Middle Child Syndrome - Chapter 322

Chapter 322: Ch 322: I will take charge
“Are you done checking? I told you that you will not find that girl in our territory. Now, shall we discuss the terms of the deal you promised me? You did not find your daughter, but you did disturb the peace and quiet of our place.” Natasha’s frustration was palpable, adding to the tension in the room.

The shrewd old man, with his cunning mind, was not going to let this go. His every move was calculated, adding to the tension in the air.

Natasha gritted her teeth, the bitter taste of realization dawning on her. She had been outsmarted by the old man from the very beginning, and she was now falling into a trap.

But her anger at the situation and her affection for Rika blinded her to the truth (or made her not care), and she fell into this trap.

‘This old man is good! Just where did Ren Li hide Rika? We should have found her if she was near this base. She has to be near here! No paranoid person would send their prisoners too far away from their sight.’

Natasha did not know how right she was.

The only places their guards had not checked were the animal farms. The trained pups’ loud yells and barks were enough to keep most people away.

The Triads trained the pups, and they would attack anyone who was an enemy of theirs. Natasha did not want to see her people injured, so she did not force them to search that pet area.

In hindsight, even she knew that it was a big flaw. Rika was more than likely in there. But Natasha did not want to risk anyone getting injured.

‘I will leave it to Emily and Damian to find Rika while I distract this old man. It will be better for our side since this will give the two alphas time to let their steam out.’

The old man likely realized Natasha’s strategy, but his confident smile told Natasha that he did not care for her crazy plan.

“By the way, the new leaders for the next generation are impressive. That dominant alpha left me in awe. How old is he? 21? He reminds me of when I was younger, just a lot more detached. It makes me want to pluck him apart.”

The man smiled his disturbing smile, but Natasha did not react to that smile. She was not going to fall into this trap again.

Damian Rodric was the last person Natasha needed to worry about. He was far too powerful to fall for cheap tricks.

It was also a miracle how he was not running around rampaging this place to find Rika.

“Anyway, let’s go and discuss our contract for now. You can do a lot for me, Alpha Goodwill, and there is a lot I can do for you in return. I am sure our discussion would greatly benefit both sides.”

The old man clapped his hands, and his guard presented him with a document.

Ren Li re-read it once before handing it to Natasha to read out loud.

She tore it apart as soon as Natasha read the first few paragraphs.

“I am sorry, but this is an impossible contract to go through. What you want to achieve in this territory is illegal and for a good reason. I have no intention of introducing drugs to kids or other street people.”

Natasha had seen the deal, but that did not mean she would take such obvious bait. She had no reason or desire to see her turf overwhelmed with such horror.

She expected the old man to look disappointed, even angry at her. What she did not expect to get were all the chuckles and laughter from the old man.

“Oh! This is rich coming from you! How long do you think your people will obey you? They do so now because they don’t have a choice. They have nothing to hold power over them.

But that will change if you get them addicted to drugs. It will make them reliant on you and become loyal to you in return. It’s a simple method that everyone practices.”

Ren Li tried to change Natasha’s mind, but the older woman did not withdraw from her stance.

“I said this before, and I will say this now! I refuse to let such ugly things as drugs into our territory. If you suggest such a thing to me, you are also dead. I will not show any mercy to you!”

The old man looked severe for the first time, but Natasha did not care.

She stood her ground, and her phone beeped just as she reached the climax of her words.

It was Emily’s message to tell her that they found Rika in the triad’s territory. The younger beta seemed to be safe but a little shaken up.

“By the way, Alpha Ren Li, you lost the proposed deal. You said we would not find Rika in your territory, but that was a lie. You must compensate me for telling such a lie, right?”

The alpha female looked dangerous when she smiled.

Her words were not advice but assurance that she would get what she wanted from this deal. It made the older alpha go quietly before his expression hinted at an answer.

“Oh well! Congratulations on finding your daughter. Do you need help tracking down who kidnapped her in the first place? We can talk over tea and-”

“There will be no need to. I need to go and see my daughter since it has been a while. I will talk to you later, Alpha Ren Li.”

The younger alpha finally left the room. She had taken on the old man’s negotiations alone, and it felt incredible to finally be free from all the pressure she was subjected to.

Meanwhile, Ren Li looked impatient to see Natasha Goodwill leaving him alone.

“Boss, should I take care of this situation for you?”

The aide asked worriedly, but the alpha shook his head.

“No. Let things go this time. We will see the situation change soon.”