Never Judge

"Cedric, is it true?" Ian asked as he burst into Cedric's temporary office carrying his laptop and other important documents to Mor Co. "Did Lucius Ting really launch an attack on Guan Ming in the airport? And why are you in Ayanna's office and not your own?"

Cedric couldn't resist the urge to laugh as he heard his friend's second question.

Seeing that Cedric was amused by something, Ian looked around, puzzled as to what had caused Cedric to laugh.

"Really Ian, there is an attack on our friend in the airport and your priority is why am I not in my office?" Cedric asked his former assistant.

"Obviously something serious happened, you hate moving offices." Ian said as he rolled his eyes at Cedric.

Ian had worked long enough with Cedric to know that even when they were working at Mor Co. even changing desks annoyed Cedric. He liked working in his set spots where everything he needed was within reach.

"We had a security breach." Cedric said simply.

"In your office, the most secure place in this building? You've got to be kidding me!" Ian said as he threw his arms in the air and walked over to find a spot where he would be comfortable working.

"Wu Jun was here, did Mae or Dave tell you?" Cedric asked as he leaned back on his seat.

"He was? What did the slimeball want?" Ian asked Cedric, it seemed that the younger assistants had failed to inform Ian about the events that had unfolded earlier today.

"He wanted to switch sides." Cedric said casually.

"Please tell me you didn't buy into whatever crap he was selling." Ian groaned, he knew his friend had a big heart, but he also knew that Cedric was smarter than most people gave him credit.

"Of course not." Cedric said with a laugh as he sat up and shook his head.

He leaned forward and his expression hardened.

"When he was here, he managed to plant several listening devices in my office. Clearly it's a sign that he has malicious intentions against us." Cedric told Ian.

"The kids just let him in and left him alone, didn't they?" Ian asked as he tried to figure out how Wu Jun had managed to plant listening devices in Cedric's office.

Even if the people around him weren't paying attention, Wu Jun probably wouldn't have the time nor subtlety to set everything up.

"Yeah, but it's fine." Cedric said with a sigh. "I don't want to play the blame game when we have much bigger problems to face. Plus when I saw the look on Dave's and Mien's faces I already knew that they had already learned their lesson."

"Such a grown up man." Ian teased as he clapped.

"The sweep should be done soon, and honestly I'm itching to get back to my office so that we can get more work done." Cedric grumbled as he took a look at his laptop.

A report had just popped up coming from their men on the ground.

"It seems that they have figured out where Guan Ming and his people are hiding." Cedric informed Ian.

"Can they get them out?" Ian asked as he looked at his friend.

"I doubt it." Cedric said as he shook his head. "If our people went to save Guan Ming their attackers would be alerted to where Guan Ming is hiding and that could prove fatal."

"Yeah, not just for Guan Ming, for you too." Ian pointed out. "Camilla will be furious when she hears about this. You promised her that Guan Ming would be safe."

"It was his choice to be involved in this, he knew the risk." Cedric said with a sigh. "But we didn't expect Lucius Ting to go crazy like this. Attacking Guan Ming in the open at an airport, it doesn't feel like his style."

"Do you think it could be someone else?" Ian asked.

"Possibly, but I doubt it." Cedric told Ian. "We took a lot from Lucius Ting over the past few days. We took his sister and we took the woman he loved. That's enough to break a man."

"But do we even have proof that Lucius Ting is behind this?" Ian asked Cedric as he questioned his friend.

"No, we don't. That's the hard part." Cedric said with a sigh as he shook his head, contemplating how to get proof that Lucius Ting was behind the attack.

"We need to get his men alive. They need to be questioned." Ian reminded Cedric.

"Can you check with your contacts if Lucius Ting tried hiring people to attack today?" Cedric asked Ian. "I'd ask Ray to check but I feel like this matter requires a more subtle touch."

"I'll see if the Dean family knows anything, but I doubt he approached them." Ian said as he thought of the possibility.

"Do the people in the underworld know about his connection to us?" Cedric asked, he didn't want the underworld and legal world mixing too much. Or at least for their connections to either to be revealed.

"No, it's not that." Ian said as he shook his head. "They were somewhat involved in the capture of Louise Ting, I bet he has his suspicions on why."

"What excuse did Seth give?" Cedric asked as he leaned forward to listen to what his friend had to say.

"First of all, the head of the Dean family does not need to give an excuse for his actions, the only person he is accountable to is the King of the Underworld." Ian said, seemingly offended at the thought that Seth needed to provide an explanation for his actions.

"Relax Ian." Cedric said with a sigh as he shook his head. "And your next point?"

"Well, my next point is that Louise Ting offended someone from the Mafia." Ian said as he gave Cedric a stern look. "She went against the Rocci family and the Dean family simply answered her call. The people of the underworld understand that."

"Then how can someone be working with Lucius Ting if it does not break any rules in the underworld?" Cedric asked.

"It would have to be someone desperate, and I have a few people in mind." Ian said as he began to think of who would be willing to go against the top mafia families.

"Do you think we have a war in our hands?" Cedric asked as he considered that the Gangs might be tired of Ray's favor towards the Mafias.

"I doubt it. Ray has a firm hold on the gangs." Ian said as he calmed Cedric's worry.  "Give me time, I'll find out who is behind this.." Ian added as he took out his phone and made some calls.