Chapter 424: A big fan

SPLASH!

Nathaniel gasped for air as a bucket of liquid was dumped over him. His eyes shot open, his mouth agape. But when he took a breath, he quickly clamped his mouth shut, realizing the liquid wasn’t just water.

It was gasoline.

His heart raced as the reality of his situation sank in. He instinctively sat up, only to discover his feet were bound together, and his hands were tied behind his back. He was also not in his filthy small apartment, but in a sparkly lit wide living area.

"Good evening."

Nathaniel’s frantic thoughts came to a screeching halt upon hearing a man’s deep voice. His shaky, wide eyes moved to the source of the voice, and his breath hitched the moment they landed on Zoren.

Zoren sat comfortably in a chair, one leg casually crossed over the other, arms resting on the armrests. His dark eyes seemed even darker than in the pictures Nathaniel had seen, and though he was pale, he didn’t look as ghostly in person.

However, what caught Nathaniel’s attention wasn’t Zoren’s intimidating presence or his calm demeanor. It was the white cat sitting in his lap.

Meow.

’Didn’t they say his pet was a black panther?’ Nathaniel thought, his mind wandering despite the danger. ’Was that just a rumor? Impossible, right? I was certain he had a black panther, not a beautiful cat!’

He scrunched up his nose, lifting his gaze to Zoren once more. The man looked different from the photos and reports Nathaniel had seen. He wouldn’t be surprised if the black panther was just an exaggeration.

’Ah, shit... my intel is bad, isn’t it?’

Meanwhile, in Zoren’s mind, if Renny hadn’t run off, he would’ve gladly had his panther by his side. After all, people usually confessed everything at the mere sight of the beast before they were even questioned.

Renny often saved Zoren a lot of time. But well, Renny probably missed running outside because it had been staying indoors because of Chunchun.

"Nathaniel, is it?" Zoren’s cold, low voice echoed in the room, snapping Nathaniel back to reality.

Nathaniel cleared his throat, looking up at the man across from him. "Yes, sir! That’s me, Mr. Pierson! The one and only!"

Despite the level of danger of his situation, Nathaniel was oddly calm and enthusiastic. The initial shock in his eyes quickly faded, and he looked Zoren directly in the eye.

His composure, however, didn’t sit well with the others in the room. Their faces soured, displeased by his cheeky attitude. But no one voiced their concerns. Otherwise, Zoren wouldn’t be pleased.

"You know who I am?" Zoren asked, amused rather than annoyed.

Nathaniel nodded.

"Boss, I see you as a very dedicated man!" Nathaniel said excitedly. "Of course, I know who you are! You’re the legendary Zoren Pierson!"

"Then I assume you already know why you’re here." Zoren smiled subtly, still amused by Nathaniel’s audacity. "Or do you need me to explain?"

Nathaniel shook his head profusely. "No need, sir! I know why I’m here! Please don’t hurt me! I’ll tell you everything I know, I swear!"

"It’s William Pierson!" he blurted out before Zoren could respond.

Nathaniel had dealt with many dangerous individuals in his life. He knew if Zoren started explaining why he was there, it would likely be the last thing he would ever hear. The only way to survive the night was to give Zoren exactly what he wanted. Hence, that was what Nathaniel was doing.

Zoren tilted his head slightly, frowning.

Seeing Zoren’s reaction, Nathaniel gasped, assuming the man didn’t believe him. "I’m telling the truth, sir! It’s him. I have all the information you need, even recordings of our transactions. I have it all—if you want! I also know who are the people involved — there’s more of them!"

"Hah." Zoren rocked his head. "That’s anticlimactic."

"Sir, I know if you say the word, I’ll disappear off the face of the Earth. Protecting my clients is my motto, but not at the cost of my life."

"So you always throw your clients under the bus to save yourself?"

"No," Nathaniel giggled nervously. "But it’s the Phantom Circle that got me. I’m no fool!"

That piqued Zoren’s interest.

Zoren’s brow arched, while the expressions of the men in the room darkened. None of them could figure out how this guy knew about the Phantom Circle. Even the most sophisticated intelligence agencies or international units couldn’t get information on them.

Yet here Nathaniel was, seemingly aware of their existence.

Zoren glanced at Mark, who approached him and bent down to whisper in his ear.

"We ambushed him, sir," Mark murmured. "There’s no way he knew about us—he was unconscious when we got to him."

Nathaniel’s drink had already been spiked before he bought it at the convenience store. In other words, he hadn’t regained consciousness until he was being transferred.

Zoren nodded, assured that Mark’s statement was accurate. This could only mean one thing: Nathaniel had gathered information about the Phantom Circle before their encounter.

"You know about us?" Zoren asked, raising a brow, now more intrigued.

Nathaniel smiled, though a sense of dread crept into his heart. Earlier, Zoren had already seemed dark and intimidating, but now, with the smirk on his face, the danger felt even more palpable.

As expected from the man at the helm of the most feared and sophisticated organization in the underground world. Despite the fear clawing at him, Nathaniel’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

"Of— ahem! Of course!" Nathaniel cleared his throat, trying to maintain his composure. "I know about the Phantom Circle because... I’m a big fan!"

Mark snorted, while Zoren chuckled.

"A fan?" Zoren repeated, making Nathaniel nod enthusiastically. "And as a fan, you dug up information about us?"

"Yes."

"Interesting." Zoren leaned forward, releasing the cat from his lap and resting his elbows on his knees. His hand revealed a vintage silver lighter he had been holding.

Zoren flipped the lighter open with his thumb, gazing at Nathaniel through the flickering flame. "Tell me, Nathaniel... why shouldn’t I burn you alive, aside from the fact that it’s not morally correct?"