Brian James looked at Carson Flores in terror. He didn’t know what would happen to himself after ten minutes, but the instinct to survive compelled him to dial his son, Shepard James’s phone.
The lazy voice of Shepard James came through, "Dad, aren’t you asleep yet?"
Brian James, gasping for breath, managed to say, "Shepard, I might be about to die."
The voice of Shepard James suddenly changed, "Dad, what’s happening to you?"
Just as Brian James was about to speak, Carson Flores already grabbed the phone, "Your dad has three days left to live. In two days, I will come back here. If you can beat me, I’ll save your dad’s life!"
Shepard James shouted angrily, "Who are you to dare lay a hand on my dad? I’ll kill your whole family."
Carson Flores’s mouth curved into a slight smirk, "Your dad really does understand you. Remember my words — I’ll be back in two days. Don’t harass me during these two days; otherwise, your dad is as good as dead."
After he finished speaking, Carson Flores threw the phone onto the ground and crushed it with his foot.
Carson Flores looked down at the crumpled Brian James on the ground and said indifferently, "I’m letting your son join you. It’s better to have company on Yellow Springs Road, don’t you think you should thank me?"
The resentful gaze of Brian James fixed on Carson Flores, "You madman, you’re dead meat!"
Carson Flores just laughed, "Yeah, I’m a madman, but who asked you to provoke a madman?"
Overcome with emotion, Brian James felt a surge of blood to his head, his vision darkened, and he immediately passed out.
Carson Flores found the surveillance room, removed the storage hard drive of the monitor, and then drove off in the black van away from the villa.
He didn’t touch a cent of the money and gold bars in the safe.
He killed Brian James to get rid of a nuisance, not for robbery.
In an area without surveillance, Carson Flores parked the black van by the roadside, didn’t bother to lock it, walked a few steps, hailed a taxi, and returned to where he was staying.
After taking a shower, Carson Flores lay in bed and dialed Samantha Tate’s number on his cell phone.
"Got home, goodnight."
Samantha Tate didn’t ask questions. She simply replied with two emojis: the first a smiling face, and the second a sleeping face.
Waking up from his sleep, Carson Flores arrived at the company at a leisurely pace, booted up his computer, launched a game, and started his day as a slacker.
"This is Hugo Combs, the deputy leader of the inspection team, and this is our president of the Miller Group, Shirley Miller..."
Shirley Miller greeted him with a smile, "Inspector Combs, hello!"
As Hugo Combs looked at the celestial-like beauty of Shirley Miller, his eyes filled with shock, "Ms. Miller, hello... Do you know Samantha Tate?"
Shirley Miller was slightly taken aback, then quickly smiled, "Samantha Tate is my cousin; we look very much alike. Inspector Combs, you know my cousin?"
Hugo Combs laughed, "So, it’s true. What a coincidence, we were high school classmates."
Shirley Miller expressed surprise, then immediately smiled, "That’s indeed a coincidence."
Combs continued smiling, "It really is. Just yesterday, we had a class reunion, and I met Samantha Tate. I never expected to meet her cousin today."
Martin Baker stood aside, his eyes filled with surprise.
There was such a connection?
You’re not going to go easy on us because of it, are you?
Everything has been arranged by Mr. James; we’re just waiting for you to step on the stage and perform so then I can work with you to bring down Shirley Miller and acquire the other shareholders’ shares.
Shirley Miller invited Hugo Combs and other work staff to sit down in the reception area, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then steered the conversation to the main topic.
"Inspector Combs, this morning, your team carried out an inspection of our factories. How did it go?"
Hugo Combs gazed at the stunningly beautiful face of Shirley Miller and suddenly had new thoughts.
Shirley Miller and Samantha Tate looked so alike, they could have been twins, and both were extremely beautiful. Shirley Miller’s demeanor was cold, Samantha Tate’s was charming, like ice and fire, two entirely different styles.
Shirley Miller wore a business suit, exuding a strong CEO vibe, that kind of ice-queen allure inspired intense desire for conquest.
Such a woman, if she could be conquered by oneself, pressed beneath oneself, that must be utterly exhilarating!
To destroy River Miller, to fulfill Mr. James’s mission, and then to take the opportunity to sleep with Shirley Miller—a double triumph!
Samantha Tate, I’ll sleep with your sister first, then you!
The mere thought excited Hugo Combs, but he managed to contain his smile, making his face look incredibly serious.
"Ms. Miller, as you are Samantha Tate’s cousin, we’re not strangers. I won’t beat around the bush, I’ll be straightforward."
Shirley Miller’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be a serious problem?
"Please speak, Inspector Combs."
"The problem is serious."
Combs unveiled the verdict first, then proceeded, "The city is enforcing regulations very strictly. During our inspection, we found many issues, many of which are not permitted and must be rectified..."
Shirley Miller quickly responded, "If there are problems, we will certainly rectify them promptly."
Combs shook his head, "Ms. Miller, rectification is necessary, but according to the requirements of this rectification campaign, all disclosed problems must be rectified before production can resume. Only by doing so can we resolve issues quickly and thoroughly."
The expression on Shirley Miller’s face changed, "Rectify before production, Inspector Combs, are you suggesting... a shutdown?"
Combs’s face was stern, "Yes, a shutdown for rectification, until all disclosed issues are resolved and pass the inspection, then production can be resumed."