Chapter 83: The Initiation

Santiago stared at Ethan, the casual power radiating from the young man undeniable. He had just witnessed the swift, brutal takedown of one of his best fighters and heard the explicit, cold-blooded offer of $100,000 for the Landlord’s life. The math was simple: Ethan was money and protection; the Landlord was debt and pain.

"Well, Santiago," Ethan asked, his voice even, not bothering to wait for a full response. "Are you going to accept being my subordinate, or do you want to do things the hard way?"

Jason took this as his cue. He made a deliberately loud, metallic sound by racking the slide of the assault rifle, chambering a round. The sharp clack-clack echoed down the street. The gang members—despite their pistols—looked instantly nervous. Facing a trained operative with an automatic rifle was a death sentence, and their eyes darted to their boss for direction.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay," Santiago said quickly, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender to the rifle. "We yield. We’ll be your subordinates. I just want to see what makes you so important that you can walk in here and own the street."

[The pearls, Champion. It’s the pearling. All intimidation starts with well-maintained genitalia! Don’t forget that!] The System joked internally.

"That’s the best decision you could have made," Ethan affirmed, the ghost of a smile touching his lips. He pointed toward the Landlord, who was still weeping on the ground. "Take that idiot. Make him disappear. I don’t want anyone to connect his death to this location or to my new property. Make it look like another crew took him out."

"It will be done, homes," Santiago replied, now using the respectful street term. He gestured to two of his men, who grabbed the Landlord’s broken body and started dragging him away. "When do you want to talk business, Boss?"

Ethan took a pristine business card and a pen from the inside pocket of his jacket, scribbling an address and number on the back. He handed the card to Santiago. "Come to my place later today. We’ll talk there."

Santiago looked at the card. It was engraved with a symbol he recognized, and the address scrawled on the back: Celestial Garden. His eyes widened, and he immediately looked back at Ethan, his composure cracking slightly.

"Boss, is there any way we could meet somewhere else?" Santiago asked, his voice suddenly anxious.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, a flicker of genuine irritation crossing his face. "What’s the matter, Santiago? I didn’t expect you to be so cowardly."

The gang leader didn’t take offense. His eyes were wide with genuine fear. "It’s not about being cowardly, Boss. That zone is controlled by a very dangerous group, a group nobody messes with. We can’t even get close to Celestial Garden. Nobody who goes in there uninvited comes out alive. Nobody knows who they are, but they are not the Dukes’ level."

[Oh, a high-level Taboo Zone! This is exciting! Champion, this is the perfect opportunity to show off your money! Show them who owns the monopoly on danger!] The System egged him on.

Ethan sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a different card — the one given to him by Agent Alpha, the covert symbol of the organization that governed the city’s power players. He tossed the card to Santiago.

"They won’t bother you if you show them this," Ethan said simply.

Santiago took the card, his brow furrowed in concentration. He recognized the subtle power it represented. He let out a long, shaky breath. "I’ll believe you this one time, Boss. But we need evidence that the pig is gone."

Ethan’s voice dropped to an icy whisper. "You should guard your words. If I think that’s a threat, I doubt you’ll make it back to your turf alive."

Santiago immediately recoiled. "My apologies, Boss! Not a threat. Just... for security. This one time." He swallowed hard and gave a quick signal to his men.

The Dukes dragged the Landlord away. The heavy man didn’t move, only resigned. He knew that once this gang made a decision, it was final. His eyes found Cassandra standing in the doorway, her silhouette framed by the light. He clenched his teeth so hard that his mouth began to bleed, yet he didn’t utter a word, terrified that if he spoke, they would not only kill him but torture him first.

Ethan turned around, meeting Cassandra’s gaze. He offered her a reassuring smile.

"Get in the car, Cassandra," he told her. "It’s time to leave this place. Everything will be fine."

She nodded, getting into the passenger seat as Jason went around to take the driver’s seat. Cassandra looked a little calmer, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, though there was still discomfort in her beautiful eyes.

As Jason started the engine, Ethan leaned toward her. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she replied, running a hand through her brown hair. "It’s just that all of this feels like a dream. It’s like I’ve emerged from a nightmare, and now... and now I’m happy that I’m with you. I hope everything is finally over."

Ethan laughed, a soft, genuine sound. He took her chin and kissed her tenderly. "Everything will be fine. You’re with me now, and no one will be able to harm you again."

"You promise?" she asked, her eyes seeking assurance.

"Of course I do," Ethan affirmed.

Cassandra lay down on her side and rested her head on his lap. Feeling the gentle movement of the car and Ethan’s firm hand in her hair, she began to fall asleep almost immediately, exhausted by the adrenaline and pleasure.

Jason looked in the rearview mirror, seeing Cassandra sleeping peacefully on Ethan’s lap. He made no noise, only smiled at his boss.

[Ready for new rewards, Champion. You’ll love it!! The elimination of the Landlord, the recruitment of thugs, and a beautiful woman on your lap! A very productive morning!] The System celebrated internally.