The luxury twin-engine private jet taxied smoothly across the rain-slicked runway of the private aviation terminal at London Heathrow Airport. The intense, sweltering heat of the Lagos mainland was officially a memory; the moment the hydraulic cabin doors broke their seal and slid downward, a wall of pure, freezing British air rushed inside."Omo! Thunder and lightning!" Sledge gasped, violently shivering as his boots hit the metal stairs. He instantly wrapped a massive, triple-layered designer fur overcoat over his heavy, heavily embroidered native agbada, his teeth chattering like a loose exhaust pipe. He looked up at the grey, miserable London sky with deep, ancestral vexation. "Which kind primitive layout be this? The cold dey cut person face like fresh razor blade! Chief pikin, you sure say people dey actually live inside this freezer?!"Adekunle walked down the steps right beside him, completely unfazed. He looked like an absolute international monarch, his midnight-black wool overcoat fitting his hardened, muscular physique perfectly. His skinhead buzz cut was sharp, and his steady, cold eyes scanned the tarmac where a sleek, bulletproof black Mercedes Pullman limousine was already idling, its exhaust pipes releasing small clouds of white steam into the freezing morning mist."Sledge, shut your jaw and adjust your radar," Adekunle murmured smoothly, his voice dropping into that chilling, corporate-kingpin pitch. "We didn't cross the Atlantic to look at the weather. Valerie's old syndicate board members think because they are sitting inside glass skyscrapers, they hold the remote control to our Apapa port finance. We are here to lock down the global routing channels permanently."Amina stepped down from the cabin behind them, trailing a sleek designer white luggage bag. She was wrapped in a chic, warm cashmere coat, her calm, beautiful face glowing with a mixture of nervous excitement. The freezing wind didn't seem to bother her; she just smiled, her gentle presence instantly softening the aggressive masculine tension between her brother and Sledge.The limousine door was opened by a white British chauffeur in a spotless grey suit and white gloves. He bowed respectfully as he spotted Adekunle. "Welcome to London, Mr. Solomon. Your executive reservations at The Savoy Hotel have been fully verified by your maritime routing accounts. The penthouse suite is fully secured.""Standard!" Sledge grinned, quickly leaping into the heated leather interior of the luxury limousine to escape the freezing wind. He immediately touched the polished mahogany panels, looking out the tinted window as the vehicle accelerated smoothly onto the motorway toward Central London. "Omo, the packaging out here get levels o! But Chief pikin, how we go take trace the syndicate board? Kazeem say they operate from highly encrypted high-rise offices.""We don't need to trace them, Sledge. They are already watching us," Adekunle said coldly, pulling out his glowing tablet. The financial dashboard was completely clean of any red blocks, but his advanced network sensors were already picking up subtle, high-level digital surveillance pings tracking their location from the London financial district.An hour later, the bulletproof limousine pulled up in front of the legendary Savoy Hotel on the Strand. The historic luxury establishment was a fortress of old-money elegance.As they walked through the grand lobby—surrounded by crystal chandeliers, gold-leaf ceilings, and wealthy European aristocrats dressed in quiet luxury—Sledge completely stuck out like a dangerous warlord. He was still wearing his massive fur overcoat over his agbada, his eyes darting aggressively toward every corner, his hand casually resting inside his pocket where a concealed automatic pistol was securely locked.The wealthy guests in the lobby instantly froze, stepping back in total silence as they watched the imposing, stone-faced young African billionaire march past them, flanked by a rugged street commander who looked like he could execute a whole room without blinking.They took the private gold elevator straight to the Royal Penthouse Suite on the top floor. The suite was an absolute masterpiece of high-end luxury, featuring massive smart-glass windows that overlooked a panoramic view of the River Thames and the grey London skyline.Sledge dropped his heavy designer coat onto a velvet sofa, walking straight to the window and scowling at the view. "Chief pikin, this place clean normal. But I check the kitchen corridor—common firewood or local stove no dey inside! How person go take cook correct pepper soup to clear this cold from my chest?!"Adekunle didn't answer. He walked over to the executive mahogany desk in the center of the penthouse, opening his leather briefcase and pulling out the ancient encrypted data tape Chief Solomon had stolen ten years ago—the exact document proving that Valerie was a double-agent informant.Adekunle swirled the metallic drive in his palm, a slow, predatory smirk touching his lips—the exact expression of a tiger preparing to corner its prey inside a fresh jungle."Let them look at our hotel location, Sledge," Adekunle whispered, his cold eyes locking with the grey river outside. "Valerie used General Bello to launch a shadow war against my father inside the northern desert. Now that her local network is dead, I am going to walk straight into her syndicate's supreme boardroom tomorrow morning, drop this tape on the global directors' table, and force the entire international cartel to bow to the Mainland script."
