Jeffrey was fuming, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. "This ore is a rare gem, barely a few hundred grams come out of the ground each month. A single gram, if you put a price tag on it in dollars, we're talking millions."We had a deal with the old coot. He sails us out, we pay him with five hundred grams of the stuff, no bigger than your fist. However, now, he's got the nerve to ask for double!"Double! Can you believe he wants one thousand five hundred grams? That's like hauling around three fists worth of this stuff!"It'd take the better part of a year to dig up that much, and once this ore's gone, it's gone for good—it's non-renewable. So now you get why I'm so worked up?"Jeffrey was so angry he thought he might burst. He ran the numbers a thousand times but never saw that coming—York, the sly old dog, was trying to pull a fast one!He had the gall to demand a king's ransom in ore right out of the gate!Liam, still not getting it, pressed on, "What's so s
Convinced by Liam's earnest nod, Jeffrey made up his mind and declared, "Okay! Let's head over!"Jeffrey led Liam to a different underground gambling joint on the other side of town.This place was a good deal bigger than the York joint they just left, and it had its unique vibe.There, among the usual spread of gambling tables, there was a boxing ring—a different kind of bet altogether.Right then, the ring was alive with action. A beefy white guy was locked in a fierce match with a black guy.The fight was at its boiling point. The black guy might not have had the bulk, but he was holding his own in strength.It was obvious the black guy was getting the upper hand, while the white guy was starting to flag, his energy waning.The white fighter knew he was in trouble, his moves becoming more frantic.He realized if he did not take his opponent down soon, he would be the one hitting the mat in less than ten rounds.With a guttural roar, he launched into a more aggressive assaul
"Hmph."Kastor snorted, a wry smile on his lips. "York's biting off more than he can chew, huh?"The mention of York piqued Kastor's interest, which was flat just moments before.Jeffrey just shrugged, his eyes flicking to the man beside him. "Kastor, meet Mr. Cole, Liam. He's the one looking to talk business."Liam stepped up, his eyes—a deep, frosty black—meeting Kastor's stare head-on.Kastor felt a flicker of surprise. It was not often someone could meet his gaze so calmly. However, he did not let it show. To him, Liam was just another Biskeland nobody—weak, without the muscle or the mojo to matter.Kastor gave Liam a once-over, his eyes dripping with scorn. He flicked a mocking gesture. "A Biskeland man?" he scoffed.Liam's expression turned stone-cold, a palpable chill rolling off him as his eyes blazed with fury.Liam bit back the anger boiling inside him. He needed that guy to show him the way, so instead of blowing up, he just fixed him with an icy glare.Jeffrey caug
At those words, Jeffrey at Liam's side furrowed his brow and leaned into murmur, "Mr. Cole, this Kastor is the town's top fighter. He's known around here as the 'Champion of a Hundred Fights' in the boxing arena."Years ago, Kastor was already a force to reckon with, a veritable God of War. Then, he was even more formidable, easily ranking among the generals in terms of might. However, as for you."Jeffrey was aware of Liam's reputation for being incredibly strong, but having never seen him in action, he could not quite fathom the extent of Liam's power.Yet, when Liam heard the boast about Kastor, he did not even flinch. He did not see Kastor as a threat.With an unflinching gaze, Liam watched Kastor, who was itching for a fight, and simply shook his head. "I'm not going to fight you."Kastor's face twisted with displeasure at the rejection, and he sneered, "Why? Is the so-called Commander-in-chief of Pendragon nothing more than a paper tiger?"Kastor had little respect for Liam
Kastor's fists were tight, his body in a constant, rhythmic motion as he edged closer to Liam, trying to throw him off.However, Liam? He looked utterly unfazed as if Kastor was nothing more than a minor annoyance.That unshakable composure drove Kastor mad. No one ever dared to look down on him like that.With a growl, Kastor charged, his fists heavy and swift, hurtling toward Liam's head with a whoosh.They were in the throes of no-holds-barred combat—surrender or be beaten to a pulp. That's the law of the underground fight club.The moment Kastor swung, the onlookers erupted, screaming their heads off in a frenzy of excitement."Lord Kastor, take him down!""Ha! The nerve of these Biskelanders, thinking they can challenge our Lord Kastor and live!""Crush him! Show this Biskeland nobody the strength we possess!""Finish him!!"...Everyone wrote Liam off, convinced he was going down. The crowd was itching to see him floored by Kastor's knockout punch.Kastor was all smug
The crowd, once wild with cheers, fell eerily silent, their faces a mask of shock as they witnessed the unbelievable scene.What in the world just happened?How could their champion, Kastor, have been defeated?So utterly crushed at that!?Kastor, then a broken figure, continued to bleed from the mouth, his right hand a mangled mess, particularly the palm, which was completely pulverized.Gone was his earlier swagger, and with bitter clarity, Kastor understood the truth—he was never in Liam's league, to begin with.Liam stood victorious in the ring, his face a mask of calm as he gazed down at Kastor sprawled on the mat. "Let me tell you something, Kastor," he said, his voice icy, "We Biskelanders are far from weaklings. And remember your own words, will you?" Kastor, wincing with pain, pushed himself up, his face a picture of shock. Then he got it—why everyone was so scared of the Commander-in-chief of Pendragon. However, accepting defeat? That was something Kastor, the town'
While Jeffrey was practically buzzing with excitement, Liam remained composed. With a shrug, he said, "Kastor's tough, no doubt. Guess I just got lucky."Jeffrey let out a laugh. "Come on, Mr. Cole, no need to downplay it. With the sea guide mess sorted, we can relax now. There's this great spot in town for food—I'll take you."Before Liam could even think of saying no, Jeffrey was already steering him toward the town's most talked-about restaurant. Liam went along with it, nodding in agreement.Jeffrey had the foresight to book a private room on the way over. Once they got to the restaurant, it was like he was a different person around Liam. Calum and Cirocco picked up on it right away, trading puzzled looks. Jeffrey used to be pretty nonchalant with Liam, always polite but not exactly warm.However, something changed after their visit to Kastor's. Now, Jeffrey was laying on the charm thick, all praises when he talked to Liam. At the restaurant, he was all about the VIP treatm
Thud, thud, thud!After a few heavy thumps, silence reclaimed the space outside the private room.Moments later, Calum returned, escorting a woman who was as pale as a ghost, her tears streaming down like a spring shower."It's handled," Calum reported. "Some local punks thought she was pretty and got the wrong idea, tried to pull her away for drinks."He guided the tearful girl to the table as he spoke.Liam gave her a cursory glance. She was partly obscured by Calum, yet something about her seemed oddly familiar.It was not until he saw her face that Liam's face registered shock. "Corie?"The girl, who was scared out of her wits, was startled to hear her name. She looked up, her eyes wide with surprise."Liam!?"Seeing Liam, a mix of relief and joy flashed across Corie's face, quickly followed by a wave of overwhelming emotion, and she could not stop the tears from flowing.If Liam was not there, those vile men would have dragged her into a private room for a forced round o
Meanwhile, Celena and the group were taken out of the hotel and shoved forcefully into a couple of jeeps waiting at the entrance. They were whisked away to a nearby military base. Before they could even get their bearings straight, they found themselves being tossed into holding cells. Celena, on the other hand, was taken separately to a small, dark room, illuminated only by the barest sliver of light that peeped in through a tiny window. The room was entirely empty, save for a metal bed frame. A sour stench hung in the air, and it was clear this room had been abandoned for a very long time. A soldier shoved Celena roughly into the room, and before she could realize what was happening, the soldier slammed the door shut.The soldier had pushed Celena so hard that she fell onto the ground, but upon seeing that her captor was about to leave, she leaped to her feet and sprinted over to the door. "Sir, can you tell me what I did wrong? Can you please have mercy on me? Can you at least
Tristan seemed just as baffled as they were. He returned their puzzled gazes with an equally perplexed one of his own. "I… I have no idea…"The general glanced sharply in their direction, then gestured to his soldiers and declared sternly, "Take them away!"His soldiers obliged and stepped forward to restrain the members of the Drunham City Connoisseurs, who all shrieked in alarm, "Why are you taking us away?""General, what did we do wrong? We didn't do anything illegal, so why are you arresting us?""Mr. Xander, save us! They've got this all wrong!""What's going on here? Why are they arresting only us?"Celena's entire body was shaking like a leaf. She eyed the soldiers around her and asked, stammering, "General, what did we do wrong? Why are we being captured? Where are you taking us?"Tristan, stricken with panic, shoved a soldier aside and shouted at the general, "General, I'm the president of the Drunham City Connoisseurs, and I want to know why we're being taken away. Wh
Celena was utterly terrified by the sudden turn of events. She stared pale-faced at the soldiers around her, not daring to move even a muscle. What was going on?All of a sudden, a man in a uniform stepped into the room. The badge on his shoulder indicated to everyone that he was a general. The heavy thumping of his boots echoed through the silent room with every step he took. All eyes were on him as he stepped onto the stage.He carried himself with great authority, and clearly, this man was not one to be messed with. He scanned the room as if searching for someone. Finally, he announced in a deep, resounding voice, "Do not fear, ladies and gentlemen. We are here on a routine check after receiving a tip-off regarding your conference. We will release you all once we have carried out our investigation, and the process will be quicker and smoother if you all cooperate. "Now, I would kindly request you get your documentation ready so that my men may confirm your identity."Everyone
Derek nodded earnestly and replied, "Of course it's true. My sources have never failed me. I wouldn't have trusted you with this information if I didn't think you'd be interested."Celena stared at him for a moment, then turned to glance in the direction of the people he had pointed. She could not help but be tempted by the offer. She considered this for a few moments, then accepted his offer. "Alright then, Mr. Duncan. I'll go with you. Thank you for inviting me."The smile on Derek's face widened. He could hardly believe his luck—Celena had agreed to go with him! Taking that first step was always the hardest, but he had done it!Unbeknownst to Celena, Derek already knew her long before their first meeting at the conference. Her name was known far and wide in Drunham City, not least because of her beauty, but because of her—in the eyes of the public—tragic marriage. Celena had earned herself a reputation as one of the most beautiful women Drunham City had ever seen, and although
The attention they received, however, was large due to Celena and her young, handsome companion, who was a man named Derek Duncan. Their attractive looks, both individually and combined, were easily the topic of discussion that night. Everyone who laid eyes on them admired both their good looks and brains, for certainly only the cream of the crop were allowed to attend this prestigious event. What made this feat even more impressive was the fact that they were both so young!Aside from her beauty, Celena's name was already known far and wide in the business world, not just because of her strong leadership but due to her association with Liam and her company's connections with many international corporations. She had started her business from scratch, but within a few short months, she had single handedly built it up to become one of the top ten grossing companies in Drunham City.There were hundreds of people gathered there tonight, and their seats had been allocated according to t
The moment Clifford left, Kastor turned to Liam with a wide grin, all hint of his hostility now gone. "Mr. Cole, thank God I arrived just in time."He raised his brows as he said this, and Liam took this to mean he was trying to claim credit. Truth be told, he would have been able to handle things on his own even without Kastor's help, but he decided this was a detail Kastor did not need to know. Instead, he returned Kastor's smile graciously. Kastor, like a child, burst into laughter at this. No further words were exchanged, but they understood the message nonetheless.Jeffrey also grinned. "Kastor, what brings you here all of a sudden?"Kastor replied, "Ah, you might not know this, Mr. Stein, but I actually own this very restaurant that you're sitting in right now. One of my employees called me for help, citing that a brawl was about to break out, so I rushed over immediately. I had no idea it would turn out to be you and Mr. Cole!""Ah, what a pleasant surprise, then!" Jeffrey
Clifford scowled upon hearing this. He cracked his knuckles menacingly as he stared at Kastor through narrowed eyes.Kastor did not seem at all intimidated by this. Instead, he brushed past him and approached Liam, smiling. "Mr. Cole, I apologize for the delay. I rushed over as soon as I heard the news, but I was late anyway. I'm so sorry for the wait."Liam's expression eased up slightly. He tugged the corners of his mouth into a strained smile but did not reply. Clifford's expression turned even more sour when he sensed Kastor's tone. He asked sharply, "What is the meaning of this, Kastor? Are you intent on making me your enemy?"Clifford's reputation was known far and wide, and many feared him, but Kastor was not one of them. He shot Clifford a look of utmost disdain and replied, smirking, "Yes, Clifford, that's exactly what I'm going to do. So what if we will be enemies from now on? What are you going to do about it?"He was confident that Clifford would not dare to retaliate
One of the muscle-bound goons stowed his submachine gun and drew a hefty machete, nearly a foot long, from his side. He advanced on Liam with deliberate steps.Calum and Cirocco were poised for a fight, ready to jump in at Liam's command and wipe out the roomful of petty thugs.However, Liam had other plans. He remained seated, an unfazed smirk playing on his lips, watching the approaching thug with the machete.The thug, mistaking Liam's calm for fear, grinned viciously and raised his machete, aiming for Liam's arm.However, in a flash, the scene changed.A figure hurtled through the air, and with a resounding crash, the thug was sent flying into the wine rack. The rack toppled, bottles shattering, their contents spilling and perfuming the air with the scent of alcohol.The thug hit the ground, blood spurting from his mouth, his eyes wide with shock. He lay there, lifeless, staring at Liam, dead before he hit the floor.The room plunged into a deathly hush.Corie clapped a h
Corie was also shaken, her fists clenched tight under the table as she watched Liam with wide, fearful eyes, barely managing to whisper, "Liam!"Liam stood there, steady as ice, without a trace of fear. "Don't worry, I've got this," he assured.Corie, seeing Liam's calm dismissal of the threat and recalling his proven strength, felt her fear ebb away.She could not explain it, but she had an unwavering faith in Liam.Across from them, Clifford lounged back, his legs thrown carelessly over the table, his gaze dripping with disdain. "You don't know who you're messing with, do you?" he sneered. "Karpos works for me, Clifford. And yet, you've got the gall to attack my men in broad daylight? You're in over your head!"Jeffrey was about to chime in, but one look at Liam's icy demeanor and he thought better of it, choosing instead to watch the scene unfold in silence.He was curious to see just how Liam would handle that.Liam chuckled, a sound as cold as the winter wind, and fixed Cli