Fatal Strike: Paladins Mercenary Road

Derek's will to live quickly vanished, not because of the waterboarding inflicted by the eagle, but because of the news he brought...

When he learned that it was someone high up in the Lake Baikal Foundation who had leaked their information, he knew he had no chance of survival.

Derek knew very well that even if his uncle was 'Mr. Wayne,' he couldn't protect him in a situation like this.

The Lake Baikal Foundation is a relatively loose economic and power alliance, a membership organization formed by a group of top power figures who participated in the division of the world during World War II.

Even someone like 'Mr. Wayne,' who seems unapproachable to ordinary people, wouldn't reach the top positions within the Lake Baikal Foundation.

It wasn't because 'Mr. Wayne' didn't have enough money, but because he lacked influence.

The fact that gambling and money laundering are highly policy-dependent businesses means that 'Mr. Wayne' belongs to the power-seeking party.

He could bribe many people to lobby for his business, but there were always higher-ups who held the power to bankrupt him at any time.

So when the Lake Baikal Foundation ran into problems and decided to abandon the people on the Texas line, they were doomed!

Upon learning this news, Derek's spirit was instantly shattered, because compared to the torture that the mountain eagle had inflicted on him, being 'abandoned' made him even more desperate!

He has done too many things by relying on the power of the Lake Baikal Foundation. Without the foundation's protection, he will soon be targeted by his enemies.

Unlike those politicians, his past actions exposed him to a wide variety of professions and people, some of whom were extremely ruthless, and he just happened to offend them severely...

Once his enemies learn of his situation, they will certainly not hesitate to spend some time finding him and his family, and then make him regret it for the rest of his life!
His uncle couldn't keep his wife and children on his estate forever, because they were all 'liabilities'!
Physical pain can be endured, but mental despair is something one cannot resist...

Derek Wayne stared blankly at the crystal chandelier above for a while, and finally, looking as if he had aged decades, he said in a hoarse voice, "Mountain Eagle, I have the information you want. Agree to a few conditions, and I will tell you what I know."

Mountain Eagle pursed his lips and shook his head, saying, "If the conditions include letting you go, then I won't agree."

I've taken such a huge risk to come to you, not for the Angel of Death, but just to kill you bastards who eat people without spitting out the bones!
"If you're all dead, the Angel of Death might just appear on its own!"

Upon hearing this, Derek Wayne surprisingly nodded slightly and said, "Yes, he won't stay in the shadows forever. That guy is a mad dog, and he wants revenge on us."

Derek Wayne turned his head to look at the mountain eagle, and said with a dejected expression, "You promised to give me a quick death, but before I die, can you grant me a few requests?"

Don't worry, I definitely won't let you work for nothing!

Seeing that the guy had clearly given up on survival, Mountain Eagle nodded and said, "No problem. Even for the sake of 'Mr. Wayne,' as long as you cooperate with me, I will give you a dignified end."

Derek Wayne closed his eyes, nodded slightly, and said, "I have an account at the Panama Bank, and you have 150 million US dollars."

I'm giving you this money, but on one condition: I want you to convert half of it into shares in the El Salvador power plant and then transfer it to my son.

All of this must be done in the presence of my uncle, Mr. Wayne!

After listening for a moment, Qiao Jia said, "You seem very scared. You don't even have enough confidence in 'Mr. Wayne'..."

Derek Wayne nodded and said, “I’ve done some really terrible things and offended some people. The Lake Baikal Foundation abandoned people like us, and those people we hurt will take back what they’ve lost from our families with even greater force…”

My uncle, Mr. Wayne, can protect my family's lives, but there are some things he can't get involved in.

I need to fight for some of my children's property that won't be taken away!

Upon hearing this, Mountain Eagle nonchalantly replied, "If this is your condition, then I agree!"

Now you can talk about the parts I'm interested in..."

Derek Wayne calmed down by then...

There's a saying that goes, "A dying man's words are good." Derek Wayne, knowing he was doomed, actually let go of his inhibitions...

He glanced at the rope in his hands and said, "Can you let me go? I promise I won't run away..."

"You can't escape either..."

Mountain Eagle pulled out his dagger and cut the ropes binding Derek, then stood up and poured the guy a glass of whiskey...

Derek Wayne got off the table, coughed painfully a few times, glanced at the knives on the counter not far away, shook his head dejectedly, pulled up a chair and sat down heavily, then took the whiskey that Mountain Eagle handed him and took a big gulp...

"Cough cough cough..."

The alcohol made him cough violently a few times, then he looked at the mountain eagle and said, "Do you know what a 'scapegoat' is?"

Mountain Eagle nodded slightly and said, "I know. I was the one who destroyed the scapegoat in Thailand, and I also played a part in the destruction of the scapegoat in Los Angeles."

Derek Wayne poured himself a glass of wine, gulped it down, and said with a wry smile, "Do you know the origin of the 'surrogate'?"

Mountain Eagle frowned and said, "Don't tell the 'scapegoat' that it's related to the Angel of Death!"

Derek Wayne nodded with a wry smile and said, "In fact, the appearance of the 'Substitutes' is related to us, and the Angel of Death was just one of the early administrators sent there!"

We used to be an alliance...

This is Texas, the Bush family's territory. Many of us have followed the Bush family's expansion and invested a lot of money around the world.

To protect our business, we need to develop some local presence.

Originally, the CIA was supposed to do this job, but their asking price was too high, so some of us had a sudden idea to use some NGOs to network with a lot of angry young people in certain places.

These young people needed someone to guide them, so we sent Hafari, the Angel of Death, over there!
Did you know that we knew from the beginning that the Angel of Death was the child of Isis, the leader of the tribe...?

We thought we'd come up with a brilliant idea, so we convinced the CIA, Mossad, and MI6 to work together to create a monster! (End of Chapter)