Matthew raises his head up.
Waking up to the sharp sting of light cutting through a cracked curtain.
His head, pounding.
The whistling sound persists.
His vision at first, blurry.
Slowly it becomes clear.
He sees someone in front of him.
The person, whistling, smiling.
Matthew's eyes widen as he comes to grip to reality.
He moved his hands, then quickly realising that they're tied tightly to the sturdy chair he's on.
He then looks down, trying to move his feet, but they are tied as well.
"Shit! Not this again!" He mutters, still struggling.
"Ignoring the man right in front of you?" A cold voice cuts through the air.
"Tsk…disrespectful." The person's tone, cold.
The man's face twisted in subtle disgust, like he'd just smelled rot.
Matthew raises his head up—only to be greeted by a chilling surprise.
The old man right in front of him.
This old man is the emperor.
"Good afternoon, Matthew." The old man gives a warm smile.
Matthew stared, trying to process the man in front of him.
The emperor's face revealed nothing—like trying to forecast a storm from a cloudless sky.
"Also ignoring an elder's greetings?" The emperor leans in closer.
He slaps Matthew across his face.
Moving him slightly off balance.
Matthew's head sways from the slap.
"The only thing saving you from a proper correction is because you're still recovering" The emperor's cold gaze could freeze anything in its path.
Matthew looks all over his own body.
He notices that he's been covered in more bandages than the last time.
"What did they do to me?" He thinks to himself.
"It doesn't feel like I was injected with anything…" he says in his head, but sweats in reality.
He then focuses attention on his bandages.
"Rest assured, if we wanted you dead"
"You'd already be—not even having the luxury of waking up." The emperor smirks as he looks at Matthew sinisterly.
All this makes Matthew's slightly numb, his body tingley.
Goosebumps ripple across his body.
Drenching in cold sweat, as it passes down his left cheek.
"If you have any question, please gladly ask." The emperor's tone then quickly switches to his "nice self".
Matthew, his eyes dart around the room.
The room, looking classy and regal, but yet modern. It was too elegant, velvet drapes, golden markings—Lian Wu markings.
The windows so clear and high that clouds and skyscrapers could be seen.
"W-Where I'm I?" he asks.
"Good question." The emperor claps while smiling.
"Well, you're currently on our land." He smirks.
"Our?" Matthew asks, sounding confused.
"Yes, our." The emperor answers.
"The Lian Wu." He slowly says it as he mouths it.
"Lian Wu?" Matthew questions his own head.
Then a flash just came in, reminding him of everything.
"Oh the Lian Wu!" Matthew sounded more dreaded.
"One of the top five biggest triads in the whole of Asia." He says to himself, he gulps.
He then reminisces of a time he was speaking to Freddy face to face.
Back some few months ago.
There they are, standing infront of a hotel in Afghanistan that deserves less than a star in any rating.
"Here." Matthew says as he hands out a bag to Freddy.
Freddy collects the bag.
He opens it, he checks the bag.
"This is legit." He smirks while nodding his head.
He then zips the bag up, closing it.
"So what do you want to know?" Freddy asks.
"Who the Red Artist is." Matthew clenches his fist, squinting his eyes in anger.
"Hmm, based on the pay you gave me, just know your information is going to be limited—." Freddy says.
" —Very limited."
"I don't care, just tell me." Matthew desperately says.
"You already know my story." He clutches his fist, tightening them with no loose gap.
Freddy, looking at Matthew, sees the bandages on his body.
He also sees Matthew's missing left ring finger.
He sighs.
"You're gonna get yourself killed, don't say I didn't warn you." Freddy yields in.
Matthew, nods in agreement.
"The red artist, someone that's said to be just a rumour, even to us seekers."
"It's said that he had a major role in the red war, I don't know the exact details." he moves around as he explains.
"T-The red war?!…. What I'm I getting myself into…" Matthew says in his head, looking distorted.
"Losing morale already." Freddy chuckles.
Matthew hesitates.
His lips, slightly parted.
"Yes please, go on." He says.
"Okay if you say so." Freddy as he nonchalantly waves his hands.
"Like I was saying, he's basically a myth, more like a ghost."
"Some believe he exists while some do not."
"But what do you believe?" Matthew butts in.
"If you ask me, I believe he doesn't necessarily exists." He says with a straight face.
"What do you mean?" Matthew, his tone rising.
"During the red war, one of humanity's darkest periods, bloodshed everywhere." Freddy continues.
"I think that due to the red war being so violent, hence earning it's name."
"The red artist is a by product of that, something we created to personify all the pain, destruction and death."
Matthew's face shrinks up in horror.
He looks puzzled.
"But those people were looking for the red artist, and they confused me for him." He thinks.
"We almost died together looking for these." A brief memory of dusk saying those words.
"They wouldn't be moving based on some speculation, especially with Dusk's attitude." Matthew says in his head.
"What if I tell you–." Matthew says.
"Hmm?" Freddy questions.
" —That the red artist is real." Matthew saying it with a look of pride, assurance.
Freddy seeing this, he just laughs.
"Hahaha." He continues to laugh.
"Tch." Matthew grunts.
"Whatever you say man, whatever you say." Freddy says.
"I don't care as long as I'm getting paid." As Freddy checks his phone and a notification.
It's a transfer of one million dollars into his account.
He smirks.
"Oh that reminds me." Freddy continues.
"If you want to find more info, I'll say try the underbelly." He says as he turns around and walks away.
"The underbelly?" Matthew asks, sounding visibly confused.
He pauses.
"Yes the underbelly of Asia, I'll say start at the Huo Long Guo or the Lian Wu." Freddy says.
"Both are one of the most biggest triads in Asia." He continues to walk.
"So good long, and pray that your death may be quick." As he waves off.
"Wait—" Matthew rushes towards Freddy.
"No."
"That's all the information you paid for."
"If you want more, you gotta pay for more." Freddy coldly staring at Matthew over his shoulder.
He then walks off into the distance.
"Damn." Matthew says in frustration.
"Try checking out Taiwan, if you'll find anything." Freddy shouts.
Matthew, raising his head up as he looks at Freddy.
"Alright, I'm not sure if the information is concrete."
"But it's still something." He grasp his hands as he's raising them.
Matthew watches Freddy disappear.
His fists tremble.
The ghosts of Mary and Peter press against his chest.
He raises his head higher, grasping the air with his hands.
His hand, back in the chair, clenches tightly.
"I have to play this smart." Matthew says to himself.
"Hey, hello?" The emperor asks.
"Has he gone off again?" He asks himself.
Matthew raises his head up and looks at the emperor.
"Ignoring me again?" The emperor asks, this time looking at Matthew with disgust.
"No, I'm not." Matthew answers, looking cold and menacing.
The emperor, grasps his cane firmly, tapping his feet on the ground.
He stares down Matthew.
"I was just thinking of a question to ask you." Matthew breaks the silence.
"I have to play it safe with this guy, he just seems….off…." Matthew says internally.
The emperor, taking a deep breath out, trying to breathe out his frustration.
He asks "and have you thought of one?
"Yeah, I actually have many." Matthew says with determination.
"Who are you?" Matthew asks.
The emperor, just smiles at Matthew, he chuckles.
"I'm the emperor." He spreads his hands out, making himself look bigger.
"Yes but emperor of what? The entire Lian Wu?" Matthew follows up.
The emperor is silent.
"Oh shit, did I say something wrong?" Matthew asks himself, he's trembling in fear.
The emperor breathes out in frustration once more.
"Second in command… of the Lian Wu." The emperor said, voice like ice over steel.
His eyes locked onto Matthew—unblinking, predatory.
Matthew, upon hearing this, feels an unbearable pressure cover his whole body.
His spine feels like breaking.
"The second in command?!"
"What does the second in command want with me?!"
"Was Tan one of them?!"
"If he's like this, then who's the number one?!"
These were all but a fraction of the thoughts racing through Matthew's mind.
He was quaking where he sat.
The emperor noticing Matthew's body shaking.
"Relax, I'm not here to hurt you." He says.
"But believe me, every fibre in my bone wants to hit you right now." He glares at Matthew.
Cold sweat rushes down Matthew's face, his whole body.
"What do you want with me?" Matthew struggling to speak.
"Now straight down to business." The emperor smiles.
"I like that." The emperor chuckles.
"You see, we picked up word that you took down members of our rival triad, the Huo Long Guo." The emperor asks.
"The Huo Long Guo? Who are they?" Matthew asks.
"Huo Long Guo, what now?" Matthew said in his head.
"I'll just feign ignorance." He thinks–but the sweat on his brow betrays him.
"Oh don't you act like you don't know who they are?" The emperor says.
He then gets up from where he's sitting.
"We have proof that you took down the Huo Long Guo." He stops behind Matthew.
He then bends down, close to Matthew's ear.
He whispers.
"Nothing can get past the Lian Wu, especially here in Taiwan."
Matthew swallows down saliva, like he's swallowing a stone.
The emperor then backs up.
"We literally own the police force." He laughs while walking around, feeling grand.
"S-Shit!" Matthew, realising that he's messed up.
"Now, Matthew, why don't you just say the damn truth!" He slams his cane into the ground.
Matthew, hesitating to answer.
"They came after me first, I just wanted to know something." Matthew answers.
"And that was?" The emperor asks.
"That's something personal." Matthew says while trying to wriggle his hands out of the ropes.
The emperor moves in closer on Matthew.
Raising his cane and pressing it against Matthew's hands.
"Don't you think that you're in a position to not keep anything personal?" The emperor grins, adding pressure to Matthew's hands.
Matthew reclining due to the pain.
He grunts, while holding a face of that of a kid whose tasted lemon for the first time.
The emperor, smiling, continues to add pressure to his hands.
"Okay I'll talk." Matthew giving in.
He breathes out.
"Okay, I know that you'll think I'm crazy or I'm lying, but—." He wears a face of determination.
"I'm looking for the red artist." He says, while feeling a pain where he's left ring finger is supposed to be.
The emperor froze.
His cane lifted from Matthew's hands.
Like a trigger pulled in slow motion.
Then a step back.
His eyes widened.
Like he'd just seen a ghost.
"Heh, I knew you won't believe me." Matthew says, sounding defeated.
"What– business do you have…with the red artist?" The emperor looking like he's just seen a ghost.
Matthew leans in, his eyes sharp.
"Revenge."
The emperor, still quiet, he recoils back.
"What's wrong with him?" Matthew thinks.
"A-After all these years…" The emperor mutters to himself.
"Finally, there's something about him." The emperor slowly smiling.
He then moves back to the front of Matthew.
Grabbing him by the shoulders tightly, trembling with happiness.
"What now—." Matthew already afraid, but he also wonders.
"Matthew, how would you like—." The emperor, seeming like he's about to bust.
" —How would you like to join the Lian Wu?" The emperor's face gleaming with happiness.
Matthew, seeing his reaction, is confused and afraid at the same time.
"What?" Matthew says, while looking afraid.
"What's gotten into him?" Matthew wonders.
The emperor looking happy, like a girl who's just gotten a reply from her crush.
—The end of chapter 7—