Bai Li was having the best night’s sleep of his life. That alone should have been enough to let him know that something was going to go wrong.

He should have burned out his apartment before he slept in it.

A ghost of some sort or another had decided to disturb him.

Bai Li bolted upright in bed.

Knox Degas.

The name came to him as a flash in the blue. Julian Simmonds. Two people, he was supposed to know but didn’t.

Looking at his phone, he noticed the time and date. He turned on the news and checked every channel before confirming his suspicion.

Didn’t he say it. This man would have to be dead for him not to know who he was.

The accident was such a big deal that it even broke into his medicated, drugged, depressive haze. Cedar International Hospital had a major accident happen. An oxygen tank exploded and destroyed half of the hospital.

Knox Degas was a casualty of that accident.

It was a name that anyone in business was familiar with. As the owner of Trident Industries, he was a pioneer in many fields. He was known to be as ruthless as he was imaginative.

He sat beside that man and carried out a calm conversation. He might as well have waved a red flag at a charging bull. No wonder he attracted his attention. Any sane 15-year-old boy would not have been able to do that.

At least he did not leave a bad impression, or at least he didn’t think he did. It shouldn’t be a problem. It was an odd encounter, but not enough to generate too many feelings.

Bai Li drifted deeper into a mindless haze. It was a startling realization that he could save people’s lives.

The supposed accident didn’t happen that meant it was staged. The target could have been any number of people, but it was likely to be Knox. He didn’t know this at the time. Later he found out that the Degas family was unique and brutal.

None of the children were legitimate since Aron Degas did not marry. He did not plan to train anyone or give his inheritance to his favorite child. His only stipulation was that the person who had the best results would inherit.

Each brother was given startup money and ten years to grow a company. If he had not died in a tragic accident, Knox Degas should have won. The bet was coming to an end this year.

Could he go and collect this favor?

He remembered the security guard that came out of the closet with a nurse. A member of his security detail would never cause a breach like that.

Having pointed it out, Knox was the type of person that would take action immediately. Trident started out as a private military company, basically mercenaries.

It was now the largest security firm in the world. Their focus now was on cybersecurity.

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Bai Li sort of felt bad for the other Degas brothers.

The family rapidly declined after Knox’s death. Not because his siblings were subpar or useless, simply because he put fail-safes in place. It was a running joke that he was more vicious dead than alive.

It wasn’t a full year before the Degas Empire was torn to pieces. Trident Industries splintered into different branches and continued as several smaller companies.

Bai Li wanted to kick himself. He said that the actions he took wouldn’t affect the global market. In the next breath, he saves the life of a man that could shake the international business scene.

The companies he was focusing on investing in were located in the United Plates. It was a good thing that he made those plans. If he wanted to count on his knowledge of the domestic market, he would be screwed.

Knox Degas being alive would change everything.

It was a pity he couldn’t go and boast about his good deeds. Having Degas owe him a favor would be useful.

He would behave more cordially when they met for a second time. It was impossible that they wouldn’t.

Bai Li sent a prayer up for his father. He would have to work five times as hard to grow Wen Shi in the current business climate.

A lot of companies benefited from the Degas family tragedy. Many spaces opened up in industries, and the infighting was a perfect opportunity.

He was even more hopeful that Lee Shan would cause a commotion. Business would be slow. The rush he predicted would not happen. He needed something to divert his father’s attention.

He patted the bank card that his father gave him last night. There was an opportunity if the business collapsed, but there is also an opportunity if it grows.

Bai Li could figure out that the Degas half brothers were involved in something shady. Even if Knox did not know what it was, he would still need to take steps to avoid future problems.

Bai Li could practically count the money he would make. Degas would sweep through and deal with his siblings. Trident stocks would be worth more, and he could short the stocks for his brother’s companies. Not to mention their subsidiaries and partners!

At first, he thought their encounter was an unlucky one. Now he realized he got the first big opportunity since his rebirth.

He would count the benefits he received as Knox Degas paying him back. He would have to figure out a way to collect from Julian Simmonds. Since they were family, he would be sure to give him a discount.

To keep the relationship balanced, you have to treat your family the same as everyone else. If Bai Li looked in a mirror, he would be terrified by the smile on his face.

As it was, he jumped out of bed and happily went about his day. There were a lot of things that he needed to get done.

He called Bai Tao and arranged for a driver. He spent the whole day buying things he would need for his apartment.

When he got back, he organized his purchases.

The space he was most proud of was the office. He put on a keypad lock on the door. It was better to be safe than sorry.

He dived into work. Happily throwing everything to the back of his mind.

It was 5 in the afternoon when his alarm went off. He didn’t finish everything he needed to do, but he got a good start.

Getting up, he prepared dinner.

He put his best foot forward since he would be feeding Bai Tao. He didn’t think BAi Fang would care what was put in front of him as long as it was edible.

It was important to give a good impression since he didn’t want Bai Tao trying to interfere by providing meals.

Dinner was a loud affair, with Bai Fang carrying most of the conversation. It would have been better if he could have a sip of wine with dinner. He reframed because he didn’t want to teach Bai Fang bad things or attract attention from Bai Tao.

It wouldn’t make a difference if he drank when he was by himself.

He helped Bai Fang with his homework and gave him a tour of the apartment. It was a scarily plain evening.

It gave him a taste of how things would be if all the women in their lives disappeared. It wouldn’t happen, but it was a nice respite.

His father and brother had left. The dishes were clean, and he was preparing for bed when there was a buzz at the door.

It could only be a few people that could get to him. He thought it was his father as he made his way to the door.

Looking through the peephole, he saw an anxious Lee Shan.

Lee Shan was not acting smart. Coming here after putting Bai Fang to bed was as dumb a move as she could ever make. Bai Tao told him over dinner that he would be heading back into the office.

What did she hope to achieve by coming here? Lee Shan should have gone through Bai Tao if she wanted to meet him.

He got his phone and sent a text. He had cleared himself of culpability by informing his father.

Did she assume that he wouldn’t notify Bai Tao?

This was likely to be the work of someone else giving her advice.

Opening the door, he stood to the side. Lee Shan stood there for a long time, looking at him. He couldn’t care less what conclusion she came to, but she nodded at him before taking a step over the threshold.

“It would be smarter if you turn back. There is nothing to be gained here.” He still left the door open. He gave her the last opportunity to leave. “Suit yourself.” He said, swinging the door shut. As it slammed close, he saw her flinch.