New guests walked into the bar again.

John turned sideways, coincidentally meeting Jilead's gaze.

"Dogg, brother."

He greeted John with a street hand gesture.

"I heard there was trouble with Shark Coin in the bar, so I came to check it out. I wouldn't have brought people if I'd known you were here."

John followed his gaze.

Black Gold Gang members were gathering at the bar entrance with guns, most looking like street rookies, mixed with a few tough characters.

It seems there has been internal restructuring within the gang.

Jilead turned and waved at them.

The crowd dispersed.

But Angelica shook her head. "I thought the Black Gold Gang no longer handles street disturbances."

She spoke clearly with emotion.

Mr. Vito hadn't appeared in the public eye for a long time.

Bone Shards and his belligerent followers have taken over the street affairs.

Various high-tax policies were introduced, with some clauses aggressive and extreme, seemingly aiming to cleanse the "atmosphere" left by Vito.

Dawn was approaching its end.

The city sky turned gray-white.

Dim light shone through the mall dome, diluting the glow of the lamp strips and billboards, as if trying to tear away the night owl's umbrella.

The bar became lively with Jilead's presence.

It was then John realized Dan Street had changed.

Daredevils swarmed into the Black Gold Gang's jurisdiction, with new dangerous faces filling the streets and alleys.

They had no bottom line, even going as far as to hassle vendors within the territory.

Gang leaders flaunted exaggerated muscles, tattoos fresh, glittering gold around their necks and fingers.

The gym speakers blared distorted rock music.

Every blank wall had become a canvas for newbies' graffiti.

But these fools completely ignored the rules; the designs lacked individuality, and some dared to destroy symbolic and significant artworks for more space.

Bone Shards brought prosperity and violence to the West District.

Traffic in Bolago Club's shopping district multiplied several times.

Angelica was particularly touched.

Revenue pressure and tax targets were rising, and incidents like today's, where idiots came to cause trouble at Tipsy Bikini bar, were becoming more frequent.

From the Red Light District to the underground market…

The entire street was filled with chaos and smoke.

Gino and Macao's Bandage Boxing Gym were packed with burly men; if John scanned them, he'd find many high-bounty fugitives.

Boxing matches and their ancillary revenues were crucial economic sources for the Black Gold Gang.

Bone Shards directly cut the gang's salaried fighters, omitting the scouting and training process, opting instead to recruit seasoned fighters through contracts.

No matter where you came from, or how bad your temper...

As long as you can bring unpredictability to the ring and drive the audience wild, you can sign and fight, exchanging life for immense wealth.

"The number of fighter deaths in the recent qualifying and monthly matches exceeds the total from the past five years. Bone Shards really doesn't care about human lives, as long as he can please the wealthy folks..."

Gino suddenly became curious.

"Doesn't anyone in the Black Gold Gang have dissenting opinions?"

"Those loyal to Mr. Vito certainly feel dissatisfied, but things internally aren't as straightforward as you think."

Jilead had a bitter look on his face.

The Black Gold Gang rapidly expanded under Bone Shards' rule, its power surge during the imminent gang war, yet those fierce guys didn't dare rebel against Bone Shards.

"Of course, some tried to defy him."

Jilead took a deep breath.

He had witnessed:

Bone Shards beat someone who challenged his authority to the point of wishing for death, leaving him moaning by a trash can for two days before finally dying.

"The remaining ones are wholeheartedly loyal to him."

Illegal trade numbers doubled, the manpower initially used to maintain order now sent out to engage in fire fights, openly challenging the Owl Town gang and surrounding forces.

"We used to have fixed channels for business, occasionally having things spread further in the city, always stealthily once or twice, but after Bone Shards took over, it became blatant big deals."

Jilead's brows were tightly knit.

There was a hint of fear and the unknown in his tone.

"Now, from the West District to Sakura Cross Street, in both contraband sales and illegal trades, we have our footprints, effectively shoving the barrel into the Eastern People's mouth and snatching food."

Click.

Jilead pulled out a golden handgun from his chest.

"Wow~"

"It's all show and no substance."

"A symbol of status."

The crowd applauded heartily.

Jilead just shook his head with a bitter smile.

Bone Shards turned the Black Gold Gang into a money-making machine.

The inflow and outflow of goods, combined with shop rental incomes, along with various legal and illegal commercial activities, were raking in astronomical figures.

Vast resources were used to arm gang members, doubling street firepower, in full preparation for the upcoming war.

He grasped his glass, describing the changes in the West District and Bone Shards' management from a gang insider's perspective.

Angelica first exchanged glances with Gino, then raised her head, indicating to John that she wanted to hear his opinion on Bone Shards.

"I can't stand the guy, but honestly... the gang leader in my mind should be such a cold-blooded bastard. Mr. Vito seemed like an anomaly; when I first met him... I was surprised."

"Alright, what about you then?"

They asked Jilead.

He didn't answer immediately.

Gino didn't rush him, instead picking up the golden handgun on the table, seemingly admiring its design details.

"I can tell you've been promoted, Jilead, so are you now siding with Bone Shards or loyal to Mr. Vito?"

Click, bang.

The golden piece was clicked back to safety and placed on the table.

When John first met Jilead, he was a slender apartment manager, now he had bulging muscles, stretching his arms across the bar sofa chair so tightly his shirt puffed round.

He wore a lot of gold, had minions following him, clearly progressing further.

"What's this all about? Your looks are hurtful, I swear I haven't betrayed anyone, I want to follow Mr. Vito, but he's vanished, could initially be seen in gang activities, suddenly all contact was cut, only rumors confirm he's alive..."

People including Jilead were lost.

Their idolized leader vanished.

Gang tumult was even scarier than company layoffs.

Top leader and traditional rules changed overnight.

A bunch of rookies, clutching guns more capable than you, broke into the "family" you cherished, trashing up the street you valued.

"I've got a fire burning in my heart, really, want to find someone to fight..."

Jilead and Vito's old followers waited for a reckoning.

They imagined there'd be a crescendo of tension, breaking in Dan Street with a bloody battle, fighting Bone Shards' forces to the end.

Vito's disappearance impacted more than expected.

No one held enough charisma to rally all remnants.

Everyone was waiting—who'd tell them who the enemy was, where to find them, what to do!

But damn it, nothing came.

Bone Shards crushed the "Black Gold Gang family" with overwhelming force, then accelerated creating a printing machine, turning the chaotic West District into an untouchable massive collective, challenging other city gangs!

"The Black Gold Gang fell into his grip; I know... the rebellion I imagined will never happen, so I started waiting for death, maybe one day a car will screech to a halt beside me, a gun extended from the window, shooting me dead in a pool of blood."

Jilead pressed two fingers to his temple.

He paused.

"But what waited for me was a huge sum of money, high-end muscle bundle, fully equipped rifle, symbolic vehicle, and golden accessories."

"Buying loyalty?"

"I initially thought that too, but Bone Shards doesn't care at all..."

Black Gold Gang seemed to expand haphazardly; however, it merely cut certain operations, dividing into roles according to a military-like structure, with clearer internal promotion tracks and specific job details.

The West District was a giant.

Bone Shards didn't intend to fill the entire dining table with his confidants.

He laid conditions before Jilead, offering a choice—take power and wealth, shoulder responsibility, or opt to throw things away and leave, to become an anonymous street fighter or exit the gang.

Rebels would die.

Acceptors would gain new identities and jobs.

Bone Shards didn't demand their loyalty, nor Vito's secrets, nor did he need to win hearts during the gang war.

"Just complete your duty, nothing else matters."

Jilead shook his head with a complex expression.

"Including me, Bone Shards said that to everyone..."

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