The room fell into silence.

The patrons at the bar gradually left, and Tipsy Bikini entered its quietest time of the day.

John had a drink and closed his eyes to rest, wanting, like the others, to enjoy a moment of peace here to escape the rising sun outside and the anxiety permeating the air.

Jilead decided to chat about something.

"Do you remember Maya?"

"Uh, who?"

John really couldn't recall.

"Gerry Pierce's wife, the one who used to run a food stall on Commercial Street. You asked me to look into her affair, remember?"

John showed a look of realization.

Jilead didn't know the full situation, so he had no idea that Maya was a Special Affairs Bureau agent. He was just casually chatting about it after a few drinks.

Lately, a lot of armed thugs have been robbing residents in the West District, vandalizing stores for no reason, and even teaming up with Ghouls to randomly ambush people.

A large number of them have been driven to despair by gangs, banding together and unleashing violence after heavy modification, while also taking revenge on society.

Jilead cursed under his breath.

"Just like cyberpsychosis!"

Gino and Angelica had heard of it.

John, on the other hand, was the most confused.

He spent most of his time running around outside or holed up in his improved apartment. The plight of the shop tenants and low-rent zone residents seemed distant to him.

"Is the Black Gold Gang just watching?"

Angelica frowned.

Jilead's hand paused as he reached for his e-cigarette.

"We've taken down several waves, but the situation is complex... Most of them are desperate poor citizens, incited and brainwashed. Even the ECPD finds it tricky."

Angelica wanted to mock Bone Shards.

But Jilead instinctively included himself—maybe deep down, he had already accepted his switch of allegiance but still felt uneasy about it outwardly.

He continued, telling the findings amidst thin white smoke.

This group calls themselves the "Rift Party."

Their leader goes by the nickname Du Remon.

Nicknamed "Old Du."

His true identity is an Exile.

"I thought they were wiped out by the Wanderer."

Gino expressed slight shock.

The Silver Port battle stirred the city, and before the gang war erupted, everyone talked about the Damascus Camp—how the leader, Nando, led an attack on the Exile Alliance's base, becoming the ruler within the Border Wall, controlling all Eden City's smuggling routes.

"Exiles, Ghouls, and cockroaches, the nuclear war has proven that these things never die."

After the Silver Port incident, the Exile remnants disbanded.

Coincidentally, the gang war sparked panic.

Du Remon gathered victims in the city, proclaiming to light a fire in the gaps of gang territories, causing both the violent thugs and the cold, apathetic citizens to bleed a little.

"Isn't this pure Shark Coin?"

John blurted out.

Old Du's rhetoric is just the small gangs' usual spiel, creating a panic atmosphere, forming a force whenever they can, dragging innocent citizens into self-destruction.

"To be exact, they're terrorists."

Angelica expressed confusion.

"Is ECPD really being so lenient now? How could the police brass and the council allow such idiots to cause trouble in the city?"

"Who knows."

Jilead shook his head, unwilling to deal with it, reaching for his drink only to have the glass snatched by Gino.

She questioned.

"What's the Black Gold Gang doing?"

"F*ck..."

"I'm serious, buddy. Several girls have talked to me about it. There are stores getting robbed and burned on the streets, with a few fatalities."

Gino showed her anger.

These situations never occurred under Mr. Vito's rule. Gang members would patrol the streets, immediately controlling any sudden incidents, with aid and compensation provided afterward...

The residents of the West District genuinely respected Vito.

"Now you're useless, is that protection money going to ghosts? Don't give me the legal tax nonsense, everyone knows the municipality shares it with the Black Gold Gang. You're letting others make trouble on your turf!"

Jilead felt pressured, scratching his head anxiously.

"You think I copied that information from the newspapers? I got it all from the mouths of the dead. The troublemakers were taken out by the hitmen Bone Shards arranged, but..."

He scratched his head, appearing somewhat anxious.

After being targeted, Old Du and the "Rift Party" fled the West District, spreading across the city along the gang territory borders, requiring cross-district enforcement to kill him.

But it's currently gang war time.

Bone Shards always adopts an aggressive and domineering approach.

Their members face retaliation and ambushes upon leaving the West District, not only increasing casualties but also potentially being targeted by the Owl Town gang.

Bone Shards believes chasing the cockroaches out is sufficient.

He remains remarkably indifferent to the devastated shops, standing in stark contrast to Mr. Vito.

No compensation or help is provided.

If the shop owner can't get back on their feet, they may be forcibly evicted, the store reclaimed for re-leasing, or directly handed to a subordinate's agency to allow chain brands to settle in...

"Really good at kicking someone when they're down."

Gino spat to the side.

She's an old resident from Vito's reign, and Macao has close ties to the Godfather, benefiting from her brother's and the gang's protection, having not witnessed too many gruesome cases.

Angelica, on the other hand, has seen a lot.

Bone Shards' model is common on Sakura Cross Street; even most of the city's commercial streets operate on a survival-of-the-fittest principle of succession.

John showed little reaction.

He inexplicably recalled the state police at the Network Monitoring Office.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.