The Master Programmer-Chapter 167: Echoes of Chaos 1

Jason Cross stood near the centre of the room, his tailored suit immaculate despite the commotion. His sharp eyes scanned the crowd, his smirk betraying an unsettling confidence. The women stood beside him, also looking calm despite the raging of their hearts.

They had gotten back and seeing how everyone was filing towards a ballroom at the place, had joined everyone so naturally as if they had not just gotten kidnapped only to be chased down and saved by Jason.

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It turned out there was nobody who got hurt too much. It was only the guards and the attackers, but the guests themselves hadn’t been touched at all, and this was something that made the Guests more willing to hear out whatever Troy and his people wanted to say. After all his people had kept them safe.

Besides Jason, Veronica clung to his arm. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves, her sharp blue eyes searching Jason’s face for reassurance. He gently squeezed her hand, his voice calm and controlled.

"Relax, Veronica," he murmured turning to the rest. "All of you. I need all of you to relax. This is just another game. And games?" He let the words hang, the smirk on his lips deepening. "Games are my specialty."

His voice, low and commanding, carried an intentional rhythm. Jason was employing one of his favourite techniques: pacing. By pausing strategically and emphasizing keywords, he directed her focus and created a sense of certainty. Her shoulders relaxed, and she gave a soft, hesitant smile.

Studies done by scientists made people put pens in their mouths, forcing their faces into perpetual smiling expressions, and then when asked questions, they were found to be more likely to see a positive mindset out of it.

As long as he got her to smile, nothing else mattered. She would soon see the positive. They were fine. They were safe. That was all that mattered.

Veronica wasn’t the only one seeking comfort in his presence. Isabella, demure yet alluring in a fitted navy dress, stood on his other side. Her dark eyes flickered with concern, but she remained poised, leaning slightly into Jason as though he were her anchor.

"Jason," she whispered, her voice trembling just enough to evoke his protective instincts. "What’s happening now? Why are we back?"

Jason turned to her, brushing a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "Of course we’re safe," he replied, his tone soft yet firm. "I’m here." His words, simple yet layered with authority, calming the storm in her gaze.

Around them, murmurs grew louder. The hall was filled with affluent guests, many of whom were visibly shaken. Some whispered of the armed men who had stormed in, others about the mysterious sniper who had neutralized the attackers with chilling precision.

The mystery of the sniper, using only a semi-automatic rifle, had left many questioning the true danger they faced. Where was he and why had he not gotten apprehended yet? The police were already filing in as they spoke though, so that was something good. But still...

Jason’s attention shifted as his sharp gaze caught someone familiar. Jack Cross, his estranged cousin, stood across the room, his viper-like eyes fixed not on Jason, but on the women by his side. Jason’s smirk returned, this time tinged with menace.

Target found. As expected. This bastard... How dare he...

This bastard had even given him a thinly veiled threat back then, telling him that he was going to force Jason to do as he wished. Now it seemed Jason knew how it was going to happen. What was he going to do? Kidnap the women and then force Jason to out himself and everything he owned?

Jack’s expression betrayed nothing, as expected of a man like him who had darkness in his heart. But Jason could feel the tension radiating between them. It was a silent acknowledgement of their shared understanding: the game between them had just begun.

Unfortunately for Jack, Jason had a friend that Jack really could not fuck with too easily. Jason would make sure Jack found out about that very soon.

Celine Ellis’s voice broke through the murmurs as she approached Jason, her arms crossed over her chest. "Why don’t we tell you what’s happening?" she said, her voice carrying a note of defiance.

She was stunning, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders and her curves accentuated by a dress that demanded attention. Despite her confident posture, her eyes held a sadness that she could not get rid of.

Jason raised an eyebrow, his smirk never wavering. "By all means, enlighten me."

Celine’s gaze darted to Veronica and Isabella before she spoke. "The auction was attacked as you all probably know. Armed men stormed in, clearly after something specific, everyone knew already what it was. It was the Neural Flux Pills. Troy’s men managed to secure the situation, but the damage was done. Now, we’re just waiting to hear if the auction will continue."

Jason nodded, his mind already piecing together the puzzle. Troy, his ally in the underground, had orchestrated the event, and it seemed the chaos hadn’t deterred him. If anything, it had heightened the stakes. Jason was looking forward to taking things to the next level.

The room fell silent as Troy entered. His presence commanded attention, his dark suit contrasting with his piercing gaze. He addressed the crowd, his tone apologetic yet firm.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Troy began, spreading his hands in a gesture of conciliation, "I deeply regret the events that unfolded tonight. Rest assured, the situation is now under control."

"We have apprehended the people we needed to apprehend, gotten rid of those we needed to get rid of, and soon enough we will be taking this to the authorities with the evidence and information we have," Troy said and then after giving a sigh he shook his head, his eyes taking on a resolute expression.

"The auction will continue, and all entrance fees will be refunded to all of you, even those who wish to leave right now. I apologise for how this evening turned out, but it was mostly out of our control. I hope you forgive me and continue to patronise this Millenium Auction."

Everyone heard those words and they began sharing murmurs again.

It was pretty magnanimous for the man to let them leave like that. It was also pretty magnanimous to let them have their money back. After all this event was not simple to attend. And anyone who was here did not necessarily need money. But it was clear now that there was more to the story. But it was a smart move to give them back their money. He would earn so much more as long as they kept their grubby hands off his reputation.

A man in the crowd stepped forward, his face twisted with suspicion. "How do we know this isn’t some elaborate scam? What if you tried to steal your Pills just so that we think they are valuable? How can we trust you?"

Everyone turned to the man with weird looks. Wasn’t he the same man from before? He was causing trouble again…

Troy’s smirk was razor-sharp. "Trust? That’s a luxury you can choose to afford or not. But consider this: if the attackers were willing to risk their lives for these items, doesn’t that speak to their value?" His voice, rich with confidence and subtle challenge, silenced further objections.

"That’s the whole point. You are trying to inflate their price and value in the hearts of those present, all while making them make these decisions in emotionally heightened states. I still believe the pill needs to be verified to see if it was the right pill."

The man said that but with him being the only one speaking this time, with few people who believe in the things he had to say, things had taken a bit of a turn. Jason smirked. He couldn’t help but admire Troy’s skilful handling of the situation.

"You love talking a lot. Let’s see if your pockets are just as talkative. Let the auction continue!" Troy said, not even paying attention to the man anymore.

As the auction resumed, the atmosphere shifted from tension to exhilaration. The Neural Flux Pill was, after all, a well-sought-after item. Bids skyrocketed, the allure of danger adding a thrilling edge to the proceedings. And soon enough, the money was flooding in.

Jason held himself back from celebrating. Not yet he had to wait. When the final gavel fell, the total earnings reached an astronomical $480 million. Jason finally allowed himself a smirk, and it only widened as he met Troy’s gaze across the room. The unspoken understanding between them was clear.

If they could sell fifty for this much, then could they not sell them for so much more?

As the crowd began to disperse, Jason prepared to leave with his women. But a voice called out, stopping him in his tracks.

"Jason," Jack’s voice was smooth yet venomous. Jasn came to a stop not turning back for a few seconds. But when he did turn back he saw the man coming towards him with a smirk onhs face. He approached with calculated steps, his eyes never leaving Jason’s face.

"Interesting night, isn’t it? We come here, we meet for the first time, our family situation forces us into having a bit of an awkward situation, and then we all get attacked, but the Auction House still rakes in 480 million from selling fifty pills… How crazy."

Jason turned slowly, his expression unreadable. "Interesting night, huh… That’s one way to put it."

Jack’s gaze shifted to Samantha Ellis, who had just joined the group. Jack’s smirk widened. "Sister-in-law," he drawled, his tone dripping with mockery. "How lovely to see you. We didn’t speak before, and I hoped we could speak about the future of our two families working together. Your father might have withdrawn his investment, but you will always be his daughter."

Samantha’s icy glare could have frozen a lesser man. "Don’t delude yourself, Jack. Sister-in-law? That title will never belong to you."

Jack smiled, but his smile was a bit forced at that moment. Jason was probably the only one who didn’t have a forced smile at that moment, and he was smiling brightly. He had earned hundreds of millions, and this fucker had gotten proverbially slapped in the face.

Ah, what a good ending to the night. But not enough. He wanted Jack to suffer more.

Jack chuckled darkly. "Oh, but the Ellis family and the Cross family are already intertwined. It’s inevitable. There is a lot of business going on, Ms Ellis. Maybe because of your estrangement from your family, you can’t see it. Well, that’s fine too. You’ll understand soon enough. Sometimes chasing handsome younger men is not a good thing."

Handsome younger men? Was he serious right then? Jason stepped forward, his voice cutting through the tension. "Not everything is as inevitable as you think, Jack. What if Celine breaks the engagement herself? Or what if the man she is engaged to… breaks a leg? Or maybe he comes to an understanding, that he really should not mess around with some people."

Jack’s face changed at that moment, but before Jack could respond, another voice interjected. "Of course, Jason would say that," James Carter sneered as he stepped into view. His presence was as commanding as ever, his tailored suit and confident posture exuding wealth and power.

"He’s made a habit of breaking engagements, hasn’t he?"

Jason’s laugh was low and dangerous. "I’ve broken a lot of things, James. People’s bad plans happen to be my favourite."

Jack’s eyes flashed with anger, but he masked it quickly. Jason noticed it though. Why not make him even angrier? Jason turned to Celine, his expression softening into something almost tender. "If you want to talk, Celine, you know where to find me."

Celine said nothing, but she did nod and it was something that spoke volumes, at least to Jason. He smirked and took Veronica and Isabella away. Samantha took Celine’s hand, her touch firm and reassuring. "Let’s go," she said, leading the group toward the exit.

But as they reached the door, Samantha suddenly embraced her sister, whispering something too faint for anyone else to hear. Celine stiffened, her expression shifting to one of shock.

Jason turned, his sharp eyes narrowing. "What is it?"

Samantha let go of her sister, and turned to Jason, smiling. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." After saying this, she turned to Celine and winked, causing her to look at her sister with an uncertain expression. Jason didnt know what Samantha said, but he wasn’t bothered.

It was clear to him that Samantha and Celine loved each other. Smanahtan had a younger brother who she rarely spoke about. It seemed he was the estranged brother.

Samantha and Celine continued talking, and then at the end, Celine stood there. "Goodbye. I wish you all a good night."

"Some of us will be for sure," Samantha said with a knowing smirk, causing the two other women to giggle. Jason heard this and felt a shiver. Was he being sexually objectified again? How was he supposed to feel about this?

"You guys have fun, I’ll walk her back, okay?" Samantha said, looking at Jason momentarily and then with another smirk, she walked away with Celine, whispering things to her.

Jason watched as the two of them walked away and when they did, he couldn’t help but smile. Familial love was something impressive to him. He genuinely hoped Celine could have happiness. Now that he knew what her fiance was like and his connection to her, he would make sure of it.

Jason shook his head, turning to Veronica and Isabella who needed his sweet, sweet attention. As Jason began talking to his two beautiful women, making them smile and giggle, little did he notice that as Samantha and Celine were walking away, Celine kept looking back at him, her eyes narrowed in interest.