Charged and Proven.

30 years ago.

"Well done, Zhao Lei."

A young and upcoming student of the family. Zhao Lei was proving to be an excellent seedling.

The white bearded old man looked at his disciple and smiled. Zhao Lei was kneeling on one leg, with his head facing the ground.

"At this rate, you and your brother will become the leaders to guide our organization to their unmatched heights."

He had to complete a mission. S class, and confidential. With a big scar on his chest, he returned in triumph. Right now, that scar was the most valuable thing he possessed.

"Be proud of your achievements. You have been promoted."

Head Disciple. In other words, leader in training.

Lei was overjoyed. He wanted to jump and punch the air with all his might. All these years, and he had finally reached his brother.

"Rise."

He stood up, and looked straight into the head's eyes.

"The mark of your achievement."

A dragon insignia.

"For Honor, and for duty."

He handed him his prize.

"Everyone! Greet your new head disciple!"

1796 assassins. All present in the grand hall for acknowledgement.

One of them, the other head disciple. Zhao Qiao was the most proud out of everyone present. His smile was the most vibrant one.

All the assassins bowed.

Zhao Ling Shan smiled.

"Our Family has another Dragon!"

He roared out of joy.

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"The ceremony ended. We both took an official break from the family to celebrate."

Zhao Qiao choked up.

"He was so happy back then."

He suppressed his emotions. No time to waste.

"We drank until we blacked out. Brother Wei scolded us the next day, but I was sure that he was angry because we didn't invite him."

He wanted to go back to that moment.

He closed his eyes and continued the story.

---------------------------------------------------

"Zhao Qiao, Maxim Smirnov, Ronald Curran, Zhao Lei."

The list had been updated.

"Why isn't the American here?"

Zhao Lei asked.

"He is already a family head. These are the people in contention to become heads in the future."

Zhao Qiao explained.

"Unlike the others, we have two people on the list. Two leaders for a family is unorthodox, but not unprecedented."

There had been families with multiple leaders in the past.

"However, this is a first time for our family."

Zhao Qiao wanted to mend their relationship status among the Collective. He had taken his proposal to the current head about this, but Zhao Ling Shan had refused him time and time again.

"It is time to leave all of the hatred in the past."

Zhao Lei agreed with this. For progress, they had to have strong ties with others.

Together, they were sure that they could change the head's mind.

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"Rigidity is the curse of reality."

Back to the present.

"What does that mean?"

Alex couldn't connect the dots. Something like a proposal couldn't have lead to a downfall of this magnitude.

"Our Leader was not ready to leave the memories of his past behind. The humiliation suffered by the Zhao family, even if it was due to their own decisions, was too much for him to forget."

Zhao Ling Shan was a child when his teacher had been killed right in front of him, inside this very settlement. It was the Curran family head, and he didn't show the Zhao family any mercy. Time had moved on, but he was still stuck in the past.

"And now, the second question that I have for you."

Alex was prepared.

"If you have been framed, what will your fist move be?"

Zhao asked.

"To prove my innocence."

"Wrong."

He said in a cold tone.

"To figure out the root of the allegations and track down the person responsible?"

"Wrong."

This wasn't the answer either.

Alex was perplexed.

"Then what should I do?"

Zhao Qiao took a deep breath in.

"Both of your choices leave a margin of error. There can always be a way to frame a person with 100 percent accuracy. What if there isn't any proof? What if the perpetrator made sure that you could never track the crime back to him in a million years? What if your accepting the punishment to the crime will serve you better than trying to fight it?"

Alex came to a conclusion.

"Then we cannot do anything."

The one-eyed man smiled.

"Exactly."

The situation that he found himself in back then.

"I tried proving my innocence."

It didn't work.

"I tried to track down the perpetrator."

I found him, but it was too late.

"And I accepted my punishment."

Being branded as a traitor for life, to protect the family that I wanted to die for.

"In the end, acceptance was the poison that killed my ambition. I accepted a false truth."

People pointed towards the Zhao family when it came to betrayal. And that day, one of their own was tarnished by that tag.

"Alex. The murderer of the 15th head of the Zhao family is seated in front of you. Charged..."

A grim expression, and two words.

"And proven."