Chapter 97: Drax's Vacation-1 (A Side Story)

Drax's flight landed in Sani and he had already been in the country for two hours. There was not much of a time difference between the country he left and the country he was visiting, but he had been awake for nearly three days and the short four hours nap he got on the plane was not enough. Pulling his duffle bag over his shoulder he hailed a taxi and headed for one of the country's most luxurious hotels. Drax was the third son of an affluent family. His parents were actually trying for a girl when he was born, although they did not treat him poorly, they definitely did not dote on him the way they doted on his brothers. As a result Drax had a tendency to be rougher and more independent than the rest of his family members. He could never imagine any of his siblings hailing a taxi, no matter how desperate. They would have pre-arranged for a car waiting for them before they disembarked from the plane, but Drax was not sensitive or fussy in that manner.

In fact, Drax was rebellious from the womb. His mother often joked that she knew she would have her work cut out for her from the moment she felt him move for the first time. She did not need a sonogram to tell her she was having another boy, and as she told him in the past, she did not mind it. She only wished for her baby to be healthy and that he was. Drax walked earlier than other children his age, so he required around the clock supervision. Once he was old enough to get into true mischief, his nannies quit left and right. His parents tried to nip his bad behavior in the bud, but after his sister was born, they had no more time for either of their sons. She was the princess of the house and Drax himself had to admit that she was adorable.

Drax's brothers were model children. His oldest brother who was the legal heir to the family's estate, excelled at his studies. He was not a genius, but his talent for discernment and his ability to lead, made him ideal for the position of family head. Drax's second brother was a politician and the current vice president of Pan country. Needless to say, he had an upright and just image among the Pan nationals. He and the President had made history in Pan as the first bachelors ever elected to office. The second brother was not interested in the lowly corporate world at all. Drax, who had no interests, and was largely left to raise himself.

When Drax was thirteen, he hit puberty and had grown nearly a foot taller in a few months. He stood 5 foot 10 inches, while the tallest of his peers was only 5 foot 4 inches. The height difference gave Drax confidence and other boys his age were both afraid and envious of him. Drax did not use his height for much, as he was not very interested in sports, but he liked to work out and took pleasure in trying to build muscle. By chance, the year of his growth spurt, he met Mr. Ben Rowe at an event organized by the Lee family. After inspecting the boy, the man practically begged Mr. Staton to allow him to train their son. At first, the husband and wife were reluctant, but when Drax's quarterly progress report was released they packed him up and shipped him off. Not everyone was destined for success, they told themselves.

After Drax's first month of bootcamp he called his parents and pleaded with them for mercy. He was cold, tired, and hungry and Mr. Rowe seemed to have had it out for him. When his parents coldly refused, Drax stiffened up and submitted himself to the torment. It took only a year for him to realize that the military life fit him well. He was still expected to learn basic skills that other children his age had to learn and under the strict guidance of the military his grades improved. Soon, he was amongst the top students for both physical and academic achievements. Back then, Drax finally felt what it was like to make his parents proud when he completed his degree in military science, and they got to attend the award ceremony where he was promoted from soldier to General. He was only twenty-one at the time, but his family was already beginning to insist that he find himself a wife, and they had even pushed a girl onto him. By that time, he was already friends with Ian who everyone claimed had chosen a fiancé from the age of seventeen, Drax however knew that Ian could care less who he married. The man just wanted to learn how to kill people quickly and efficiently. He was not openly romantic or endearing at all, and always claimed that he had no interest in women. Years later, the same rumors persisted.

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When Drax made it to the hotel, he was greeted respectfully by its staff. No one recognized him as a special ops troop, as far as the world was concerned, Drax was just a grunt for the Lee family. If only they knew how many catastrophes and wars were averted because him. Even the vice president had to admit that his shiftless younger brother had become an invaluable player behind the scenes of Pan country. Today, however, Drax was not in Sani for a mission. There was no enemy, there was no secret intel, no hostage situation and no danger involved. For the first time in his life, Drax was in another country for pleasure.

Rolling onto the bed of the hotel, Drax made a call to his little sister Fiori.

"Fifi, I need your help with something," he said. "How do I get a woman to like me?" The sound of sputtering came from the other end of the line. For as long as Fiori could remember her brother was only interested in his work. He was seldom at home, and whenever he came to visit their parents would try to set him up with this woman or that woman, but he classified them all with the same word; boring. Getting his call right now felt akin to being struck by a bolt of lightning.

"Is this advice for you?" Fiori asked.

"Who else would it be for?" Drax retorted.