inspire-indiana Chapter 317: The Banker !!
Chapter 317: The Banker !!
Sterling Security Base
The atmosphere inside the operations room was completely different from the cheerful mood of Pearl Villa.
Large digital screens covered an entire wall.
Satellite images.
Maps.
Coordinates.
Casualty reports.
Timelines.
Photographs of destroyed facilities.
The room was silent except for the low hum of computers.
Miles stood in front of the main screen with his arms folded.
Monica stood beside him.
Charles operated the system from a nearby console.
The screen displayed nine highlighted locations across the world.
Nine places.
Nine attacks.
Miles stared at the map.
His expression was calm.
But both Monica and Charles knew better.
The calmer Miles appeared, the more dangerous he usually became.
Miles pointed toward the first marker.
"Nine places were targeted in total."
"Operation camps."
"Safehouses."
"Live operations."
He pressed a button.
A timeline appeared.
"I asked Commander Ray to send me a copy of every report the moment the attacks happened."
"After reading them, something felt wrong."
Monica crossed her arms.
"What do you mean?"
Miles walked toward the screen.
"The attacks were coordinated."
"But not in the way most people would think."
"They weren’t targeting locations based on strategic importance."
"They weren’t targeting locations based on military value."
Charles nodded.
"Boss noticed it first."
Miles continued.
"So I arranged the attacks according to their exact timelines."
The first location zoomed forward.
"Huriwa District. Somalia."
A photograph appeared.
Smoke.
Bodies.
Destroyed vehicles.
"Our operatives were ambushed during an active mission."
Another location appeared.
"Indigo Reefs. Haven."
Satellite images showed a burning island facility.
"Missile strike."
Then another.
"Dibrugarh. India."
A damaged building filled the screen.
"Poison gas."
Another marker.
"Emberfall Woods. Haven."
The image showed a crater where a camp once stood.
"Missile strike."
The remaining locations appeared one after another.
Guangzhou.
Hollywood.
Oxford.
Sofia.
Taipei.
Miles pressed another key.
The names rearranged themselves.
Huriwa.
Indigo Reefs.
Dibrugarh.
Emberfall Woods.
Guangzhou.
Hollywood.
Oxford.
Sofia.
Taipei.
The first letters turned red.
H.
I.
D.
E.
G.
H.
O.
S.
T.
Monica’s eyes widened.
Charles remained silent.
The room suddenly felt colder.
Miles looked at the screen.
"Hide Ghost."
Nobody spoke.
The message floated there like a threat.
A challenge.
A warning.
Monica slowly exhaled.
"So that’s what you found."
Miles nodded.
"It isn’t random."
"It was deliberate."
"Someone killed over a fifty people."
"Attacked nine locations."
"Spent millions in logistics."
"Just to send me two words."
Monica felt chills.
"That’s insane."
Charles looked at the casualty reports.
"Imagine if they wanted to send a full sentence."
Nobody laughed.
Because it wasn’t a joke.
The implication was terrifying.
Whoever planned this operation had resources beyond imagination.
Monica slowly sat down.
"This level of planning..."
"Who could possibly do it?"
Miles stared at the map.
"It tells us something important."
Monica looked at him.
"What?"
Miles pointed at the locations.
"They had access to more targets."
"There is no way these were the only locations known to them."
"If they knew these nine, they knew others too."
Charles nodded.
"Which means they intentionally selected these locations."
"Specifically to create the message."
Miles folded his arms again.
"Exactly."
Monica rubbed her forehead.
"The more I hear about this..."
"The scarier it becomes."
Miles remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke.
"To coordinate attacks like this..."
"To know the exact timing of operations..."
"To know which teams were present..."
"To know their communication structures..."
His voice became cold.
"They had help from inside."
Monica froze.
"The Graveyard is compromised."
Charles nodded slowly.
"Commander Ray believes the same thing."
"He already has several suspects."
"He just doesn’t have enough proof yet."
Miles looked toward the map.
"The attacks have stopped."
"Which means whoever leaked the information believes they are safe."
"Ray is waiting."
"Watching."
"Waiting for someone to make a mistake."
Monica sighed.
"You made countless enemies throughout your life."
"You eliminated terrorist groups."
"Cartels."
"Warlords."
"Mercenary organizations."
"And recently you wiped out dozens more."
She looked directly at him.
"It feels like your past is slowly returning."
Miles remained expressionless.
"The Graveyard is compromised."
"The fewer people involved, the better."
He tapped the table.
"My retirement."
"My life in Star Harbor."
"My family."
"Only the President and Commander Ray know the complete truth."
"If information leaks again..."
His eyes sharpened.
"My family becomes a target."
The room became silent.
Monica understood immediately.
Hope.
Asher.
Elena.
Daniel.
Chloe.
Every person Miles cared about.
All of them would be at risk.
"So that’s why you won’t use Sterling Security."
Miles nodded.
"I can’t."
"Our agents are loyal."
"But the more people involved, the greater the risk."
"I need something else."
"Something completely separate."
Charles smiled slightly.
"Elites."
Miles nodded.
"Elites."
"Warriors."
"People who don’t exist in modern intelligence databases."
"People who don’t leave digital footprints."
"People who can operate independently."
Monica finally understood.
"The Ancient Warrior Order."
Miles smiled faintly.
"Clever, right?"
Charles turned toward another screen.
Several images appeared.
Aerial photographs.
A massive island surrounded by ocean.
Buildings.
Docks.
Training grounds.
Communication towers.
Newly constructed facilities.
"The settlement is progressing smoothly."
"The first group already arrived."
"The team that was at Pearl Villa yesterday left several hours ago."
Monica looked at the photographs.
She was still surprised that the island even existed.
Charles continued.
"The infrastructure was already developed."
"So adapting it was easy."
"We’ve transported generators."
"Communication systems."
"Computers."
"Encrypted radios."
"Training equipment."
"We’ve also assigned instructors to teach them modern technology."
Miles nodded approvingly.
"Good."
Charles zoomed into the island.
"Currently dozens of warriors are already there."
"More arrive every day."
"Within two weeks the full force should be assembled."
Monica stared at the screen.
The scale was far larger than she imagined.
Charles continued.
"The island is roughly six miles from the port."
"Transport vessels remain on standby twenty four hours a day."
"Boats."
"Supply ships."
"Helicopters."
"Everything is prepared for rapid deployment."
Miles looked at the images quietly.
An ancient force.
Modern technology.
One hidden island.
One unknown enemy.
And somewhere out there...
Miles stared at the world map.
Then slowly smiled.
"If they wanted Ghost’s attention..."
"They have it now."
...
Have you ever heard the story of the banker?
Not the kind banker who helps people build businesses.
Not the one who helps families secure their futures.
No.
This banker was different.
He worshipped numbers.
Money was not a tool to him.
Money was the destination.
The purpose.
The meaning of life itself.
Every morning began with screens.
Charts.
Market reports.
Balance sheets.
His eyes would scan thousands of numbers before he even touched breakfast.
And every night ended the same way.
Staring at account balances.
Watching the numbers rise.
Watching fortunes grow.
Watching green arrows point upward.
The obsession became worse with every passing year.
Because greed has a strange nature.
The more it gets...
The more it wants.
A million becomes ten million.
Ten million becomes a hundred million.
A hundred million becomes a billion.
And even then...
It is never enough.
Soon profits alone could no longer satisfy him.
He began finding loopholes.
Legal loopholes.
Illegal loopholes.
Gray areas where laws became suggestions.
Shell companies.
Hidden accounts.
Asset seizures.
Hostile takeovers.
Entire businesses swallowed overnight.
Entire communities displaced because a piece of land suddenly became profitable.
People suffered.
Families were destroyed.
Lives were ruined.
Yet the numbers continued climbing.
Every day ended in green.
Every day the balance increased.
Every day the greed grew larger.
And then...
The banker fell in love.
A dangerous thing.
Because greed and love are very similar.
Neither knows when to stop.
Neither accepts loss.
Neither likes sharing.
So what happens when a man obsessed with possession becomes obsessed with a person?
What happens when he believes affection can be owned?
Purchased.
Taken.
Controlled.
And what happens...
When the woman he loves falls in love with someone else?
How far would such a man go?
How much blood would he spill?
How many lives would he destroy?
Just to obtain the one thing money cannot buy?
...
Azure Bank Headquarters.
Chongqing, China.
The top floor overlooked a sea of skyscrapers stretching toward the horizon.
Floor to ceiling windows reflected the afternoon sunlight.
Inside the luxurious office, silence reigned.
The scar faced man sat alone behind his desk.
A cigarette burned slowly between his fingers like always.
The glowing screen in front of him displayed countless financial accounts.
Investment portfolios.
Offshore holdings.
Corporate acquisitions.
The man clicked a button.
The page refreshed.
His eyes immediately moved toward the total balance.
A smile appeared.
A small one.
But genuine.
His money had increased again.
Another successful day.
Another victory.
Then came a knock.
Three sharp taps.
The smile disappeared.
"What is it?"
The door opened.
His assistant stepped inside.
The man immediately bowed.
"Mr. Xīn."
"There is a lady downstairs."
Xīn did not even look away from the screen.
"So?"
"Reception has asked her to leave several times."
"But she keeps insisting."
Now he finally looked up.
"Who?"
The assistant hesitated.
"She said her name is Avelin."
For the first time, Xīn’s expression changed.
The name sounded familiar.
Very familiar.
His eyes narrowed.
"Avelin..."
The assistant nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Xīn leaned back.
"Tell her I don’t want to meet her."
The assistant was about to leave.
Then he suddenly stopped.
"Sir."
"There is one more thing."
Xīn looked annoyed.
"What?"
"She said she met you at Graveyard."
The room fell silent.
A few seconds passed.
Then Xīn slowly put out his cigarette.
His eyes became colder.
"Send her up."
"Immediately."
"Yes, sir."
The assistant bowed and quickly left.
...
A few minutes later.
The office doors opened once again.
Avelin walked inside.
Her posture remained elegant.
Confident.
As if she belonged there.
Xīn remained seated behind his desk.
His scarred face revealed nothing.
The burn marks stretching across one side of his face made his expression look permanently threatening.
Avelin calmly sat down without waiting for permission.
The two stared at each other.
Old enemies.
Connected by a common nightmare.
Finally Xīn spoke.
"What do you need, Avelin?"
Avelin crossed her legs.
A faint smile appeared.
"I heard you’re hunting someone."
Xīn remained silent.
"So?"
Avelin leaned forward.
"I thought I could help."
"We happen to share a common prey."
Xīn’s fingers tapped the desk.
"What did he do to you this time?"
The smile vanished from Avelin’s face.
Instantly.
The memory still hurt.
Even after all these years.
Her voice became colder.
"The same wound."
"The same humiliation."
"That year..."
"He took everything from me."
"My organization."
"My people."
"My reputation."
"My influence."
She clenched her fist.
"Everything."
Xīn listened quietly.
Then he smirked.
"I heard he made you kneel."
"I heard you begged for mercy."
The temperature inside the room seemed to drop.
Avelin’s expression darkened.
Immediately she fired back.
"I heard he did this to your face."
Her eyes moved toward the scar.
"Look at yourself."
"Look what he turned you into."
The smirk disappeared from Xīn’s face.
Neither spoke for several moments.
Then he finally leaned forward.
His voice became dangerously calm.
"Get to the point."
"If you don’t have anything useful."
"You can leave."
Avelin smiled.
Because she had been waiting for exactly that response.
"You know what he did to me."
She slowly folded her hands together.
"But do you know why?"
Xīn’s eyes narrowed.
Avelin leaned closer.
A dangerous smile spreading across her face.
"Do you know what made Ghost do it?"
The room became silent.
And for the first time since entering the office...
Avelin knew she had captured his full attention.