“Taeyong-hyung, I spoke with Stray Kids and they’re willing to talk to us in person next week. Thing is, the only time they are available is when we’ve scheduled Renjun to go on a negotiation with WekiMeki.” He sighed, already feeling a headache at what the younger was reporting and found himself wanting to drop all responsibilities. “Hyung?”

“Can’t you reschedule?” He asked the rabbit-like male, knowing that they wouldn’t get the money they needed for the next two months if Renjun didn’t go on that negotiation. “Or meet them when Renjun comes back?”

“Hyung, if we wait any longer, only God knows what will happen to Renjun,” Doyoung pointed out, mouth turning into a thin line as he furrowed his eyebrows. “It’s best to do it earlier.”

“But we don’t have anyone else to send in,” He replied, sighing at the end as the fact that letting the negotiation with WekiMeki go would be near fatal. 

“I mean, we could always ask if Chenle would do it for us,” Doyoung suggested and Taeyong shot him an unbelievable look since Zhong Chenle was never part of NCT. “Don’t look at me like that. Renjun is his cousin and would have referred them to Zhong Enterprises for weapons anyway.”

“No, you don’t know the statement that we could be saying with that,” He said, shaking his head as he went to his desk. “We could be implying that we would be willing to take Chenle from his family-“

“But shouldn’t we?” Doyoung asked, slamming his hand on the desk that Taeyong was staring intensely at. “You know Zhong Enterprises is . You know they treat Chenle like .” He took a deep breath before turning to the younger.

“Doyoung-“

“And you know that we could treat him so much better,” Doyoung finished, holding his gaze. “I overheard Chenle talking with Kangmin when I went to check up on our prisoner a while ago. They were talking about family, Taeyong.”

“Then you would know that the Zhongs are-“

“Not what Chenle considers to be family,” Doyoung interrupted, digging out his phone from his back pocket and playing a recording on speaker.

“But wouldn’t all of us? We all have some people that we would do anything for.”

“I guess we do. Who is it for you?”

“TRCNG and Renjun-hyung. Maybe you too, now. What about you?”
“Renjun-ge, definitely. NCT, Donghyuck-hyung, Jaemin-hyung, Jisungie, and now, maybe you too.”

“Doyoung, we can’t,” He insisted, trying his best not to crumble at the younger’s pleading eyes. “He’s not…he wouldn’t be safe and the Zhongs would kill us if-“

“Then send him in with someone!” Doyoung shouted, resorting to grabbing his shoulders and squeezing them to get his point across. “Jaehyun, Johnny, anyone Taeyong! Please, I’m begging you! He sounded so broken and-“ He sighed, shaking his head and prying the younger’s hands off him. 

“When is the negotiation?” He asked, earning a small ‘Thursday’ from Doyoung who stared at him in wonder. “Then, on Thursday, send Zhong Chenle to meet WekiMeki with Kangmin, Jungwoo and Kun. I want Renjun and Jaemin to come with us to talk to Stray Kids. We’ll have Johnny, Yuta, Winwin, Jeno and Taeil there too.”

“You want me to send Kangmin?” Doyoung asked him, brain obviously spinning at the new orders and he nodded gravely. “But he’s-“

“TRCNG are not our enemies,” He replied curtly before walking to his bed and reaching underneath the pillow to bring out a briefcase. “Here, inside are some spare guns and ammunition that you can lend them.”

“Okay but why does Jaemin need to come?” Doyoung asked, warily taking the briefcase and looking at him with questions filling his eyes. “He’s a civilian-“

“I