Chapter 306: Much Ado About Nothing
Jacqueline recounted the events of the past few days to the three men, mixing seven parts truth with three parts fiction.
Being defeated by Silver Mask was true.
However, she left out what had happened during those four days, especially the part about having a child for the boss.
“Ten years? Not bad, it's just ten years,” Brunfield remarked, relaxing visibly upon hearing that Silver Mask had only demanded Jacqueline serve the Brotherhood for ten years.
For a long-lived Half-Dragon like him, ten years was but a blink of an eye.
But Alpha wasn't as pleased. To a human like him, with a lifespan barely exceeding a century, the prospect of being apart from Jacqueline for ten years was unbearable.
"Brunfield, you owe me a favor. Time to repay it!" Alpha declared.
Brunfield's expression froze before he turned to glare at him with wide eyes. "You sly old man, you're really trying to boss me around!"
"Not happening!" Jacqueline intervened, her face shifting slightly. She quickly moved to stop Alpha from acting rashly. Both Brunfield and Alpha were dear to her, and she had chosen Alpha for a reason. She didn’t want to see them turn against each other because of her.
Brunfield had a long life ahead, but Alpha, as a human, was bound by a limited lifespan. Jacqueline chose Alpha because, for a human, seeing her with Brunfield would be unbearable. However, if she chose Alpha, Brunfield, knowing the brevity of Alpha's life, would wait. Eventually, after Alpha's time ended, she planned to stay with Brunfield.
Jacqueline understood Brunfield’s feelings and didn’t intend to waste his patience. When Alpha's life came to its natural end, she would seek a lifelong partner, and that could only be Brunfield.
Seeing the two men's gazes on her, Jacqueline shook her head lightly. “There’s no need for this, Alpha. I’m only serving the Brotherhood for ten years. I’m still free, and there’s no need to provoke the boss. If it escalates, people could die!”
The term "boss" drew strange expressions from both men. It carried a certain roguish tone, reminiscent of how street thugs referred to their leaders.
"Is he that strong?" Brunfield asked, eyeing Silver Mask with curiosity. Despite his strange garb, Brunfield didn’t sense overwhelming power from the man. Sure, he could defeat Jacqueline, but so could Brunfield himself. Losing to him wasn’t an option—though even if it happened, it wouldn’t be a crushing defeat.
“Brunfield, don’t!” Jacqueline looked at him earnestly, and under her intense gaze, Brunfield gave an awkward smile. He turned to Alpha, his eyes signaling for support. After glancing at Silver Mask and then Jacqueline, Alpha eventually nodded.
Seeing Alpha relent, Jacqueline sighed in relief. “Wait here. I’ll go talk to the boss.”
With that, Jacqueline hurried toward the boss.
“Um... Boss,” she mumbled, her eyes darting as she lowered her head, seemingly avoiding his gaze. “Boss, Alpha is getting old. Could I... could I spend more time with him?”
Li Meng understood instantly, thinking to himself, 'What a sentimental woman.'
“Go ahead,” he said. Li Meng had never intended to bind Jacqueline to him or the Brotherhood’s base. She was free; he only needed her when she was useful. Beyond that, her whereabouts were her own business.
“Boss, thank you!” Jacqueline looked up, her face lighting up with joy as she expressed her gratitude.
“I enjoy your body,” Li Meng added bluntly. “Make sure to come back and keep me company.”
His directness made Jacqueline blush. 'Does he always have to be so upfront?' she thought. Despite her age, she was still a woman.
“I... I will,” she murmured, her voice barely audible before she turned and left hurriedly, her movements almost a dash.
Watching her swaying hips and graceful figure as she left, Li Meng chuckled. To him, women were merely tools for entertainment.
“Strange,” he muttered to himself. “Why don’t I feel possessive toward women anymore?”
Ever since becoming a goblin, his perspective on females had shifted. Take Bai Ling, for example. She was still young, yet he felt no urge to possess her. Instead, he considered breeding her to produce more albino Lizardmen. If Bai Ling could indeed bear such offspring, he would pursue that.
However, it wasn’t as though he lacked possessiveness altogether. If it were Vanessa, things might be different. Should she take a mate, Li Meng wouldn’t hesitate to kill him and claim Vanessa for himself. Yet if Vanessa wished to leave, he wouldn’t stop her.
“Goblin thoughts sure are complicated,” Li Meng mused, shaking his head as he walked toward the southern gate. The mix of goblin and human mindsets often left him perplexed. To avoid overthinking, he decided to focus on his tasks.
“As long as females can reproduce, there’s no need to overanalyze,” he concluded.
“Alpha, let’s go home,” Jacqueline said upon her return. With Silver Mask back at the base, the matter seemed resolved.
“Just like that?” Hercules muttered, baffled. If she was free, why hadn’t she returned sooner? That way, Alpha wouldn’t have worried so much.
Alpha gave the Brotherhood’s base one last long look before grabbing Jacqueline’s hand and leading her to their carriage. Brunfield shrugged, bored, and followed behind.
“Is that it?” Meanwhile, those watching from a nearby brothel looked disappointed. They had expected a dramatic showdown, but it turned out to be a storm in a teacup.
Inside the Brotherhood’s base, Li Meng walked leisurely through the long corridors, muttering, “Why does it feel like something’s about to happen?”
“Whatever,” he shrugged. “I’ll just focus on my own business.”
With that, he snapped his fingers. “Amayee, find Rose and have the captains gather in the hall to meet me.”
The Brotherhood’s hierarchy had three levels of leadership: squad leaders, company leaders, and battalion leaders.
A squad had five members, a company 25, and a battalion 125—an arrangement known as the "five-five system."
Battalion leaders held real power within the Brotherhood, reporting only to the vice president and the president.