Chapter 55: The “CEO”

There are names that hold weight in the underworld—names whispered, feared, and respected. Vincent Langley is one of them.

Or rather, he should be.

Because Vincent Langley doesn't exist.

No bank records, no property, no offshore accounts. No face. No history. No proof that a person by that name was ever born into this world. The only thing we know for certain? He's a high-ranking member of The Council, and if we want to burn that wretched organization to the ground, he's our first target.

I've exhausted every resource available—corrupt politicians, law enforcement officers under my command, hackers, private investigators. Yet, no one could even confirm if Langley was his real name.

That's when Edward spoke up.

"There's someone who might have what we need," he said, his voice heavy with reluctance. "But dealing with him… it's like making a deal with the devil."

I turned to him. "Who?"

Edward exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face. "His name is Ricardo Vasquez. You might know him as The King of Loansharks."

That name carried weight. Even I had heard of him—a man whose wealth rivals some of the biggest financial institutions, all built on debt, desperation, and destruction.

I met Edward's gaze. "You don't sound happy about this."

Edward let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, no shit. I hate the bastard."

I leaned back in my chair. "Why?"

Edward hesitated. For a moment, I thought he wouldn't answer, but then he sighed and spoke.

"We used to work together," he admitted. "Back when I was still… involved in things I shouldn't have been."

I already knew that Edward had ties to the underground world before he joined me. It was part of what made him such an asset.

But this was the first time he had mentioned Vasquez.

"He used to be my partner," Edward continued, his jaw tight. "We ran operations together—loan schemes, underground casinos, high-stakes gambling rings. At first, it was business. Profitable, clean, controlled."

I raised an eyebrow. "And then?"

Edward's expression darkened. "And then Vasquez got greedy."

Greedy. That was no surprise.

"He started changing the rules, breaking the old codes of honor in the business. He didn't just trap people in debt—he destroyed them. Families, businesses, entire bloodlines. If you owed Vasquez money and couldn't pay, you didn't just lose your assets. You lost your life—or worse, your family did."

I stayed silent, letting him continue.

"I told him he was going too far. He didn't like that. We turned on each other. One of us had to go." Edward clenched his fists. "I thought I killed him. I shot him, left him to bleed out in a burning warehouse. But the bastard survived. And now, he's stronger than ever."

I nodded slowly. "And you're sure he has something on Langley?"

"If there's anyone who does, it's him," Edward admitted. "But he won't give it up easily."

That was fine.

Because neither would I.

We met Vasquez in a private underground club, the kind of place where money flowed like water and morality was optional. The air smelled of expensive cigars, whiskey, and the desperation of men who had lost everything.

Vasquez was seated in a VIP booth,

surrounded by bodyguards, a glass of aged cognac in his hand. He looked exactly like I imagined—sharp, dangerous, and in complete control. His tailored suit probably cost more than what most people made in a year.

When he saw Edward, he let out a low chuckle. "Well, well… if it isn't the man who tried to kill me."

Edward's fists clenched, but I placed a hand on his arm, stopping him before he did something reckless.

Vasquez's eyes flickered to me. "And you must be William Right. The man who's been making quite the name for himself."

I gave him a small smile. "You've heard of me."

"Of course," he said smoothly. "I make it my business to know who's worth knowing. And right now, you… you interest me."

I took a seat across from him, completely at ease. "Good. Then let's get straight to business."

Vasquez swirled his drink. "You want Vincent Langley."

I nodded.

He leaned back. "And why should I help you?"

This is where the game begins.

I activated one of the skills I had earned long before my system became inaccessible—[Master Manipulator].

I studied Vasquez carefully—his posture, his tone, the slight twitch in his fingers. He was powerful, but not untouchable. And, most importantly, he was predictable.

"You should help me," I said, my voice calm, "because we both know you don't like playing second to anyone."

Vasquez raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

I leaned forward slightly. "You deal in secrets, but Langley? He deals in erasing them. That makes him dangerous to you."

His fingers tapped against his glass. A subtle reaction, but I caught it. A hit.

"Right now, Langley is just another ghost in the dark," I continued. "But what happens when he decides that someone like you—a man who knows too much—should disappear?"

Vasquez's expression remained unreadable, but I saw the slight tension in his jaw.

I pressed further. "We both know how men like Langley operate. He eliminates threats before they become problems. And you, Vasquez, are a very big problem."

Silence stretched between us.

Then, Vasquez chuckled. "You're good. I can see why people follow you."

I smiled. "Then you know I'm right."

Vasquez exhaled and reached into his jacket, pulling out a small black USB drive. He placed it on the table between us.

"This contains deep secret profiles—confidential reports, hidden accounts, and behavioral patterns about Langley. Things that not even government agencies have access to."

I reached for the USB, but Vasquez placed a hand over it.

"There's just one condition," he said, his voice smooth.

I already knew what was coming. "A favor."

He nodded. "One day, I'll ask for something. No questions. No refusals."

Edward looked like he was ready to rip Vasquez apart, but I didn't hesitate.

"Done."

Edward turned sharply to me. "William—"

"We need Langley," I said simply. "And sometimes, you have to make deals with devils to kill bigger devils."

Vasquez grinned. "Smart man."

As Edward and I stood to leave, Vasquez's voice stopped us.

"Oh, and one last thing," he said, swirling his drink. "Once you open that drive, you'll realize something very interesting."

I narrowed my eyes. "And what's that?"

Vasquez smirked. "Let's just say… Langley's past is messier than you think."

Back at our base, I plugged the USB into a secure, offline system. The screen flickered, revealing a series of highly classified documents.

Edward, John, and Marcus stood behind me as I clicked on the first file.

A series of aliases appeared on the screen.

Weapons trafficking. Money laundering. Human smuggling.

And then—

I froze.

Edward inhaled sharply. "You've got to be kidding me."

John took a step back. "This… this isn't possible."

Because listed under Langley's earliest criminal connections was a name I knew all too well.

David Lawrence.

Langley wasn't just part of The Council.

David Lawrence created him.

I clenched my fists, my mind racing. How? How could a 15-year-old kid create someone like Vincent Langley?

I clicked on another file. A scanned document from just a year ago appeared.

PROJECT: LANGLEY

Client: The Lawrence Family

Initiator: David Lawrence (Age: 15)

Subject: Vincent Langley (Alias: X-27)

Objective: Long-term asset cultivation. Psychological conditioning. Identity erasure. Reprogramming for strategic deployment.

The words burned into my mind.

"Psychological conditioning." "Identity erasure." "Reprogramming."

I scrolled down, scanning the details. The document outlined a process so brutal, so calculated, that it made my skin crawl.

Vincent Langley wasn't always Vincent Langley.

Before he became the untouchable ghost we knew, he was just another person caught in David's web. A homeless man, selected from an underground trafficking ring that the Lawrence family controlled. David had handpicked him.

Why?

I kept reading.

Phase 1: Erasure

• Original identity removed.

• Language reprogramming enforced.

• Isolation and psychological fragmentation initiated.

Phase 2: Reconstruction

• False memories implanted.

• Obedience conditioning through deprivation and reward.

• Combat and survival training under extreme duress.

Phase 3: Deployment

• Subject provided fabricated history, resources, and autonomy.

• Strategic networking to integrate into financial and political landscapes.

• Psychological triggers embedded for long-term loyalty to the Lawrence family.

I exhaled slowly, gripping the edge of the table.

David didn't just create Langley. He built him.

He erased the boy's past, ripped away his identity, and reshaped him into the perfect asset—a ghost, a manipulator, a kingmaker. A man who could move through the highest levels of power without leaving a trace.

I glanced at Edward. His face was pale, his jaw clenched tight.

"This… this is insane," Jonathan muttered. "David was only fifteen when he did this?"

I nodded slowly. "David wasn't just a monster. He was a prodigy."

Fifteen years old. When most kids were worrying about exams and dating, David was already orchestrating human experiments, bending people into tools for his own use.

Marcus crossed his arms. "That means Langley's loyalty to The Council isn't because he believes in them."

Edward nodded. "It's because he was programmed to serve them."

A controlled variable. A ticking time bomb designed to move through the world unseen, influencing governments, corporations, and criminal empires alike.

I leaned back, staring at the screen.

Langley was David's creation.

But creations can be broken.

And I was about to tear him apart.