My father's seat was empty.
Kamman was seated calmly inside, but the composure was a facade.
He always acted as if this matter didn't bother him, yet deep down, it gnawed at him. He knew they wouldn't elect him as head, especially after the scene he'd caused. His fear for his family was a cold knot in his stomach; he knew the moment power was wrested from the Chens, everyone would descend upon them.
He'd racked his brain for a solution, but his mind remained blank even hours before the meeting. Fear had shrouded him since morning, leaving him with a nauseous feeling. This night could be the end of the Chens.
"Raise your chin! You look defeated, and the meeting hasn't even started!" His uncle snapped as they walked to the car.
"The Chens never droop their shoulders like that, huh? When we get there, don't look intimidated. They can't mess with you when we're still alive."
Chen Zeming, his second aunt, offered a rare reassurance.
He'd never seen them this supportive. All his life, he'd only witnessed them clashing with his father, stressing him while he was alive. Today, he was seeing a new side of them.
He thought it was better than nothing, even if their reasons for backing him were entirely self-centered.
As they drove into the venue, flashing camera lights almost blinded him. He already disliked crowds, and the surging mass of people began to feel suffocating. His aunts walked protectively on either side of him. They entered the largest hotel in Thailand, one of the Chens' own properties.
He owned the building, so why did he still feel such intense anxiety walking in?
As they moved deeper inside, a sense of calm began to return. With every step, the quiet tranquility of the environment became more evident. They were followed by a retinue of around twenty-five subordinates: managers, CEOs working under them, their legal team, bodyguards, and many other key figures of the Chen family.
They took the elevator to the very top, the thirty-seventh floor, where the meeting was to take place, a floor reserved for VIPs.
The grand doors swung open silently, revealing a boardroom that whispered of power and untold wealth. Every eye in the room turned to the new arrivals. All the patriarchs had already arrived.
A floor of polished black marble, veined with intricate white and gold patterns, gleamed underfoot, reflecting the room's lavish details. At the heart of the room, a magnificent, elongated oval table stretched, accompanied by a procession of high-backed chairs upholstered in rich cream leather, each with slender golden frames that caught the light.
The chair set at the head of the table, where Kamman's father used to sit, was empty.
Other seats behind them were occupied by families of lower rank.
His father's seat was...empty, and so was his soul.
He raised his head, as he'd always been told to, and walked further into the room, feeling every eye on him. A couple of hotel staff rushed to his side, attempting to guide him to his assigned seat, which was one of the chairs on the side.
He, however, only glanced at his designated seat before looking away, his eyes locking onto the highest seat in the room. He walked directly to it and sat down. It was his father's seat, so it was only natural that he should occupy his father's place. The room erupted.
"Chen Kamman! How dare you?!" Lady Sorn exploded.
"This room is filled with people old enough to be your parents. Your actions appear quite disrespectful," Master Yun, ever the calmest, followed, his voice modulated.
"So what if he sat there?! He is the heir of the Bronze Orchid!" His second uncle, Chen Zhi Xian, rushed forward to defend his nephew.
Everyone was on their feet, yelling and pointing at each other. The meeting hadn't even started, and the predicted chaos had already begun.
"Chen Zhi Xian! What do you mean by that?! Have the Chens already elected the leader of the Bronze Orchid without involving the other families? Who do you think you are?!" Master Zhao fired, veins popping out on his temples.
"Let us not embarrass ourselves in front of everyone; we have guests with us."
Master Xie, second in power only to Kamman's father, spoke up in a low yet authoritative tone. The other families calmed down at his words, some returning to their seats.
"The Chen masters," Master Xie continued,
"The rule is that all families should vote for the leader of the Bronze Orchid. If he wants to sit there for now, then I see no problem with that, but after the vote, he will have no choice but to get up."
"Yes, let us begin the vote. All this argument about a seat is pointless," Master Yun's son, Yun Jaehyun, spoke up.
Everyone calmed completely and took their seats. The results were obvious; no one would vote for a seventeen-year-old. With only the vote from his own family, he would never be their leader.
Chen Kamman's visuals were beyond exceptional. His face was calm, pure white, and ice cold, his handsome features even more defined tonight. Dressed in a burgundy suit, the contrast with his skin was divine. As he sat there, he looked unnervingly unreal, with clear eyes, unbelievably perfect features, and flawless skin. A single glance was enough to intimidate anyone.
He had been quiet all this time, observing the room. Even he was surprised by his own actions; taking his father's seat hadn't initially been his plan. But his confidence was the only thing he had at the moment. If that crumbled too, he would truly be done for.
He knew they would never vote for him, not even with a gun to their heads. Still, he clung to the last hope of his lineage: that he was his father's heir. If any other family took that position, the first family they would destroy would be his; he knew that much.
Thus, he hoped his intimidation would work. It didn't seem to be making a difference, though.
Another silent party was the Armans; they sat there with their turbans, observing everything. It was hard to tell which side they were on. They controlled the Arab Peninsula, which operated quite differently from the rest of the families.
"Okay, let's cut to the chase. We all know why we're here, so I'm going to make my suggestion first. I propose myself as the next head. After all, the Xies have the most power in the room,"
Master Xie began boldly. This was expected, but somehow, they always had to argue.
"Xie Yifan, you are quite shameless. What power? If Bronze Orchid selected their heads according to who does business better, then it would never be the Bronze Orchid we have now," Lady Sorn remarked.
"Then, who do you suggest, Lady Sorn? Yourself?" One of the heads of the subfamily, Nattawat Theerawan, replied sarcastically.
"Did I just hear a dog bark at me?" She fired back with the same energy.
"We did not come here to listen to a bunch of children bickering. Are you not ashamed, Lady Sorn?"
Lady Sorn rolled her eyes and looked away. When Master Yun spoke, nobody ever spoke back, mostly due to the respect he commanded from his peers and slightly due to fear. He wielded significant power. No matter how mad Mr. Theerawan was at being called a dog in front of everyone, he didn't dare speak after that.
"I'd prefer for Yun Jiyoung to take over. He is quite remarkable, I must say," Another person said, and a good number of people in the room nodded, but a group of others seemed sceptical.
Kamman's first aunt, Chen Qiong, suddenly burst out laughing.
"You masters are not as intelligent as people think. Whoever has the staff of authority automatically secures the position, and Chen Kamman happens to have it," she stated.
"You are the one who lacks intelligence; all those traditional methods died with the past. A leader can only exist through an election, sister."
Lady Sorn replied, her voice full of scorn.
"Are you threatening us?" Chen Zhi Xian asked all of a sudden, ready to start a fight at any moment.
"What do you mean by that? Everyone is just making suggestions. If you wish to speak up, you are free to do so rather than making accusations," Master Yun cautioned.
"He is right, though. It does feel like you are declaring war on us. The position of the head has followed the hierarchical system for years. Yet nobody bothered to indulge Chen Kamman on the matter. He is the rightful heir after all."
Chen Qishan spoke for the first time.
"Indulge him for what? He should be playing with other kids," Lady Sorn said, chuckling.
This statement sent sparks of anger into every Chen's eyes, including Chen Kamman.
Chen Qishan stayed silent. He had thought of all the nice things to say to her, but he couldn't find one, so he chose to remain quiet. His siblings, however, were not taking it lightly.
"He is the heir; all that rubbish you have been talking about since the beginning of this meeting is quite interesting but invalid," Chen Zhi Xian answered.
Things had just begun to get interesting.
The Chens had indirectly declared that they would not go down without a fight.