3:10 a.m., MZX HQ ;

Although Zhi Al was in a state of shock, his emotions were of least concern to the assassins standing behind him. For them, the two men in front of them were nothing, but a target assignment. None of these ruthless maniacs men of morals or principles. Naturally, they couldn't care less about a fair fight.

As the brute standing beside the 'tattoo-man' pointed his Kosh HK416 towards Zhi Al's head, he waited for his Boss's permission, his index finger right over the firearm's trigger. But even after three nods from the man, Zhi Al remained unscathed.

Confusticated, the two men turned their heads to look at their partner, only to find him strangled to death with a nylon wire, lying down on the floor, blood spilling around beneath his neck and head.

"Now, now, fellas...", Shawn Florence threw the 500-meter Nylon-thread spool away on Mo Zixuan's table, as he smirked devilishly at the two psychos in front of him, "Let's play justly, shall we?"

::::::::::::::

3:15 a.m ;

"Bro Al, Bro Mo!", Rong Xinghe stormed into her brother's office, about two minutes after Shawn Florence was done ripping the two men into tiny little shreds, "Oh, God! Bro Mo... wh- what happened to him?!", she screamed, as she looked at her brother lying down on the carpet floor, unconscious, "Bro Al, is he..."

"He is okay, Xinghe.", Shawn replied, his tone calm, as he tied a stole around the man's torso firmly, "He has gone out to bring the Ambulance staff waiting outside, directly here.

"I am just trying to minimize your brother's bleeding."

"How is he right now?", the girl managed to question.

"Alive. His pulse is extremely faint, Alpha. I don't think he'll be able to-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Shawn.", Rong Xinghe cut the man off mid-sentence, "He is not leaving me, or his brothers, or Sister-in-law Cheng Tai, like this. Not so soon.

"Come on. Let's take him to the hospital."

_____________

4:00 a.m., Elite Multi-Speciality Hospital ;

Xi Yuan strode through the bland silent corridor, making his way towards the girl who was sitting into a corner, on the cold floor, her arms hugging her knees, for who knows how long. She looked... shattered. Xi Yuan had never seen her this frightened, this broken, before. Zhi Bo was sitting beside her, caressing her head lightly, as he tried to calm her down.

Except for Su Rogguang and Cheng Tai, her entire family was there, looking at her worriedly. Even Zhi Al, covered in Mo Zixuan's and his own blood. Probably, Su Rogguang was performing surgery upon Mo Zixuan in the Operation Theater, the man assumed, his eyes never leaving the girl. She wasn't crying, neither was she uttering a single word. Whatever it was that was going on inside her, she was just holding it in. As usual. At least, she was trying to.

"Xinghe...", Xi Yuan sat down beside the girl, as he cupped her face, making her look at him, "Come here.", he said softly.

Looking at her darling, the girl no more felt the need to conceal her emotions. She no longer felt the need to stay strong for her brothers. She knew he would handle everything now. He always did. As tears blurred her vision, the girl hugged the man tightly, burying her face in his chest. For the first time throughout that awful and bizarre night, she broke down. In her safest space.

"It's all my fault.", Zhi Al clenched his fists as a lump formed in his throat, "All of this... everything... happened because he was... saved me. God! I should've stepped back the moment he tried to push me away.

"He doesn't deserve this! Those shots were meant to be fired at me. Not him."

"Al, it's okay.", Songyan rubbed the man's back, as she wiped the tears flowing down her cheeks, "None of you two are at fault here. Stop blaming yourself."

"Thankfully, Cheng Tai doesn't know about Zixuan's situation yet.", Ruo Cy said, as she looked at the girl crying in Xi Yuan's arms, "She is performing some string operation outside City A. Hopefully, he will get through this before she arrives."

"Yeah. She will be devastated if anything happens to him.", Ningtao fidgeted with her neck chain anxiously, "This is so unfair. It hasn't been even two weeks since those two got married, and now, this..."

The family was still trying to process the sudden turn of events, as they thought about how they were all discussing dinner plans that very morning, and how by the end of the day, they were in a hospital, praying for the survival of one of their own, when Xi Fang rushed towards his brother hurriedly. But as he looked at how Xi Yuan was consoling his Sister-in-law, the man stopped in his tracks. Instead, he approached Lu Wei and Zhi Xi directly.

"Senior Lu, the media is in an uproar. Hospital security won't be able to hold them down for much longer.", he informed, "Rumors that Senior Mo couldn't... make it, are spreading like wildfire. I think someone from Superfamily needs to face the cameras. As soon as possible."

Before Lu Wei could come up with a decision, Ningtao spoke up on his behalf, "I will deal with those, insensitive weasels. The man inside that Operation Theater is Wei's and Zhi Xi's and Zhi Al's brother. I am not going to let anyone torture my family emotionally or psychologically, during such a time. Not when I can handle such insignificant matters myself."

"I will come with you too, Sister Ningtao.", Songyan volunteered, her tone giving away ridicule, "How dare they talk nonsense about my Brother-in-law?!"

Lu Wei and Zhi Xi exchanged glances among themselves and smiled at their wives approvingly. No one in Superfamily was weak. But it was better for Ningtao and Songyan to speak for the family now that both their brothers as well as their Kiddo, needed them. Moreover, if the Six men were recognized as Tigers across the country, their wives were no less than Tigresses. And in the end, a Tigress was as fearsome, and formidable as a Tiger, right?

Zhi Bo joined the three men after Ningtao and Songyan left the hospital corridor, leaving the girl with Xi Yuan, "Al, you should get your wounds checked too. You are bleeding.", he said, as he noticed the man's left arm.

"No. It's okay.", Zhi Al shook his head, "I need to know that he is fine first. I am not going anywhere until the surgery is over.

"Anyway, the bullet barely grazed the skin when Shawn was fighting those two earlier. I will be fine."

"This is not a request, Al.", Feng Mian glared at the man, "Do you really think that you getting shot instead of brother Zixuan would've been less painful for any of us, for Xinghe?! It would've killed her equally. Look at how frightened she is. Don't do this to her, Al.

"She shouldn't be worried about her Bro Al's blood loss when her Bro Mo's life is already hanging by a thread. So come on. I've already talked to Ching Tong. Since she isn't required in the surgery currently, she can check on you."