Chapter 5: The Mastermind Is One Of Us

Xander was alone in his house and was about to start the engine of his car when an unknown man entered with a gun.

"Wtf!! What are you doing in my house? Who are you?" Xander asked the man on a mask with no worries.

"Hands in the air or I'll shoot." The man ordered Xander with a shaky hands as he held his gun tight.

"You've come to kill me right?" Xander smiled while he came down from his car. "Give it your best shot." He let out an evil smirk making goosebumps to grow on the man's body.

"That's it then." The man uttered and tried to fire the bullet but it fell on the ground instead, he was about to pick up the bullet when he received an unexpected punch on his face. "Damnit."

Xander made the lie on the ground and removed his mask. "Tan Shun! Who sent you?

"I'd rather die than to reveal the Mastermind, Master Li." Tan Shun became breathless with fear written all over his face.

"You asked for it! I won't force you to tell me but I'll definitely figure it out. You used to be my ally and you betrayed me." Xander picked up Tan Shun's gun.

"I'm so sorry, Master Li." Xander fired the bullet and it went straight to Tan Shun's fore head and he died instantly.

Meanwhile, that was how Xander killed Tan Shun and how he narrated the incident to both Mu Chen and Master Wang Shu.

"How did you dispose his body?" Mu Chen asked with an heavy heart.

"I threw his corpse inside a bush and heavily guarded my house, since I'll be expecting the Mastermind sooner or later." Xander let out a sigh of relief and noticed Mu Chen's sudden attitude.

"The Angelic Beings must have sent him. They might have hypnotized him to do so." Master Wang Shu concluded with a frown on his face.

"You're wrong Master Wang Shu. The Mastermind is one of us." Xander smiled evilly while Mu Chen hid his face in guilt.

How come he knew the Mastermind was one of us? He might have just guessed it. Xander never joked with his words and he's a man of actions. The saying 'Actions speaks louder than words' is all what Xander believed in.

Mu Chen was going to be on a low key now because if Xander finds out he might end up like Tan Shun.

At the other part of the country, where Ping Ming and Anna Shen reside. Ping Ming was having a visitor; Ling Fei her ex friend.

"Miss Ling, I have no business with you so stop being a bitch and use the exit door." Ping Ming yelled her Ling Fei.

Ling Fei used to be Ping Ming's best friend back then in high school. Ping Ming went on a vacation leaving only her busy fiance, who Ling Fei always had eyes for, at home. A month later, Ping Ming came home only to see her fiance with Ling Fei on her matrimonial bed doing what is called lovemaking.

Now Ling Fei is back to apologize for her nasty behavior.

"Ming, if you just give me this one last chance I'll amend my ways." Ling Fei sobbed bitterly.

"After having an affair with my fiance!" Ping Ming tightened her fist in annoyance wanting to pounce on Ling Fei to disfigure her smooth face.

"It wasn't intentional Ping. I didn't know how I ended up in his bedroom." Ling Fei bit her lower lips.

"You used to be my friend until I caught you in my matrimonial room with my fiance." Ping Ming frown deepened. "You backstabber, you always had eyes for my fiance." 

"I'm asking for this one last chance, Ping." Ling Fei knelt down on the tiles floor.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, you still have the guts to show yourself to me." Ping Ming remembered vividly how she saw Ling Fei riding on top of her fiance. 

"It wasn't my clear eyes. He forced himself on me." Ling Fei tri d to convince Ping Ming to make her believe what she was saying.

Ling Fei was feeling guilty,she really should be ashamed of herself for being such a slut. She had the chance so she grabbed it with a welcome arm. Ping Ming's fiance was from a social class background and admired by all.

"He forced you and you willingly succumb. I'm not that dumb to believe a slut like you." Ping Ming was already exhausted by Ling Fei's lies. Ping Ming stood up,pointing to the exit door ordering Ling Fei to leave.

"Please Ping, give me a last chance. I'm a changed person now!" Ling Fei pleaded like a puppet.

"Leave this instant!" Ping Ming yelled. Ling Fei shamefully left Ping's house.

Ling Fei knew Ping Ming won't fall into her trap this time and won't believe anything she says. Yes, she can amend her ways but she can't change what she has already done in the past. 

Ping Ming was aware that her ex friend was into something bad against her which was why she kept on apologizing. Ping Ming won't allow herself to be fooled by Ling Fei again. She was a fool in the past by believing her lies but not again.

Ping Ming brought out her phone to check what the time, it as already noon and sh hasn't heard yet from Anna who left the house before dawn. Hasn't she arrived at the Shen's mansion yet? What was keeping her to stay this long? Ping Ming was worried about Anna. Ping Ming left the house to the grocery store to pick up some items they'd be needing to prepare dinner. 

"Jeez! Anna won't be happy if she finds out that the store room is empty." Ping Ming laughed inwardly. Anna was like family to her now and she would do anything to please Anna because she was actually the eldest and often describes Anna as 'Little Anna'.

Both of them share a special bond that can never be broken through friendship.

A/N: Author wanna share some friendship tips with dear readers. Skip if you don't want. Thank you!

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Friendship is tough! Finding loyal friends you can really count on and be yourself with is always a challenge. But an equal challenge is having great friends that you care for, and who care for you, but who don’t care for each other. By treating both with respect and showing them their common ground, you will help them learn to get along.

Even though they may not like the other, it is not fair to either friend that you end your friendships just because they do not get along. Continue to spend time with both friends just as you would have before. Their conflict should not affect their treatment of you or your treatment of them.

Be honest with your friends.Tell them that because you care about and respect both of them, and do not want their conflict to have a negative impact on you, you will remain friends with each of them.

Do not show favoritism to either friend. For instance, do not sever ties with one friend at the behest of the other, or due to your own inability to remain neutral in the conflict. Do not spend more time with one than with the other. A good friend will spend equal time with each friend, despite the conflict between them.

Consider staying out of the situation entirely. You can be friends with both people without feeling like you need to manage their problem for them.

If your friend will not respect your decision and continues to pressure you into denouncing the other friend, or insisting that you agree with them, it might be best to limit contact with that individual. Let them know why, suggesting that "I look forward to spending time with you again when you are willing to accept my neutrality in this matter. I hope you understand that my decision to stay neutral is final."

Choosing healthy, positive relationships means choosing friends who listen to and understand your point of view. If your friend cannot do so, they are failing as a friend. Let them know how you feel by saying "I’m sorry you cannot see my point of view. I feel that my decision is not being respected."

Respect must be given as well as received. Be respectful to your friends who are in conflict. Do not pressure them into spending time together or reconciling before they are ready. Similarly, do not accuse them of being petty or stupid for fighting at all.

When your friends ask you to take their side, or insist on an explanation as to why you will not support them against the other friend, stay firm.Remind them that you deserve to make your own decisions about your relationships and will not be pressured to do otherwise. Do not give in to threats or intimidation.

To start listening, stop talking. You cannot listen when you are constantly interjecting your point of view or telling the speaker they are wrong.

Put the speaker at ease with calming body language. Sitting down, putting your hands in your lap, and smiling go a long way toward creating a positive sharing environment.

Be patient when listening. Do not interrupt your friend when they speak. Not everyone can quickly and concisely summarize their feelings or point of view.

Think about what the speaker is saying. Ask yourself if you agree or disagree and why.

Follow up on what your friend said later; perhaps you can help him or her find a new perspective by asking them to clarify what they believe. Responding constructively to what your friend says will show them you care about their point of view.

Let them speak their minds. Allowing them to express their feelings can be cathartic. Knowing that someone has listened to, acknowledged and understood them can help them get over the conflict, or realize they were wrong.

Never engage in criticism of your own. Even if you get mad at a friend for making acerbic comments, don’t lash out at them. Creating more conflicts will not resolve the dispute between your two friends, and may even make the dispute worse.

If you feel yourself becoming frustrated with your friend, excuse yourself. Say something like "I am frustrated by the way you are speaking. Let’s continue this conversation later."

Try deep breathing techniques; slowly repeating a mantra or a relaxing phrase ("I am cerulean blue; I am a cool breeze"); or envision a peaceful scene such as a pine forest or snow-capped mountaintop.

Don’t act defensively if your friend starts blaming you or name-calling for your decision to remain friends with the other individual. Stay cool. Do not become angry just because he or she is angry. The problem is their attitude and perception, not you. Do not take their insults or bad attitude personally.

Use humor to defuse a tense situation. If you or your friend are getting really worked up over the conflict between your two friends, try to make a joke of the situation. Do not be sarcastic or caustic with your humor. Rather, employ some self-deprecation and a congenial tone to reevaluate the situation you and your two friends are in.

If one friend asks you to pass a message on to the other, tell them they should bring it to the other friend directly. Instead of acting as a go-between, instruct your friend(s) to give you more information about what they want to say, and offer to help them find a great way to say it.

Acting as the messenger for one or another of the warring parties may bias the other against you.

Do not intervene in the substance of the dispute. When the subject is raised, try to change the direction of the conversation to something different. If you friend insists on speaking about it, let him or her do so, then remind them that you cannot support or takes sides in their conflict.

Typically, neutrality indicates that you are disinterested in the results of the conflict or the parties involved. However, as a friend of both parties, you may rightly have an interest in their conflict and hope they will resolve it amicably. There is no problem with this desire, since it is what good friends wish for one another.

If this is just a personality clash, you can't make it better by taking sides. If one of them asks you to, or tries to make you feel guilty enough to do so, simply refuse.

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A/N: I'll be glad if this tips help you in anyway. I won't be adding anything like this later on. Thanks for reading!