Cole waved a hand. "Enough, drop the act.""When do we leave for the meeting?" Kane asked.Cole let out a faint laugh. "Wait a little longer. Let them stew in anxiety."At four in the afternoon, Cole headed to an upscale restaurant in Novara alongside Kane and Cruz to wait. While they waited, Cruz spoke to Kane in a low voice."I’ve nearly wrapped up my intel on Oakley’s network. When do we make our move?""We strike right after we settle this current dispute. Oakley is nothing more than a scapegoat put forward by Wade. Black Street will never know peace unless we eliminate him."Worry crossed Cruz’s face. "A full truckload of goods was lost. How’s Crow City reacting?""We’ve caused one problem after another for Crow City lately, but Sira’s been fairly straightforward. She reprimanded me a little, yet she turned a blind eye to the hijacking and agreed to cover part of the losses. I owe her for that."Cruz teased him. "Even though Sira is a woman, she acts more decisively than many men

"My proposal: take the initiative to ease tensions with Kane, pull out of the drug trade for the time being, and let Wade and Kane tear each other apart. We stop being the ones out front.""Do you know what you’re saying?" The middle-aged man shot to his feet."I know exactly what I’m saying."The man snarled. "That’s nonsense!" "If we abandon the drug route, our ties with the Vigilante Coalition will fall apart, and the human trafficking business can’t restart. Can a handful of your gambling dens support all of us?""Once we step back, Wade will become the main target of the confrontation. When those two sides throw everything into fighting each other, our position will become crucial. If we get mixed up in this now, we’ll only scrape together petty gains—nothing more than cannon fodder for others. Do you really think Wade will hand over profits for nothing?"Oakley’s face turned livid. "Are you accusing me?""We can make money in the short term, but the cost keeps rising. Salem got

"I can’t explain that," Finnegan said, his tone sour.Jason’s face darkened. "Boss Oakley wants everyone pushing the drug routes full tilt. We all need to pull together."Finnegan shot back outright. "The boys work round-the-clock shifts moving product up and down the streets. We can’t kick down ordinary people’s doors and force the stuff on them.""Let’s talk this through properly. There’s no need to pick a fight."Finnegan stared straight at him. "Me picking a fight? I’m more eager than anyone to move stock and earn money. Do you think I’m not frustrated by slow sales?"Jason stood to his feet. "Can’t even take a little criticism now? Have you lot stopped answering to authority?"......Stairwell at the PrecinctKane stepped into the quiet corridor and made a call.A low male voice crackled over the receiver. "You’re looking for me?"Kane offered a faint smile. "Is that Brown?"......Finnegan glanced up at Jason, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You’re Oakley’s golden boy these da

Does everyone think they can give me attitude now?Jason, go pass the word at the gambling dens tomorrow. Tell them stay if they want to keep working, or get out if they don’t."Oakley stormed out of the warehouse with a grim face. A young subordinate turned to Jason and asked in confusion. "Boss, is the boss cutting Joren loose?"Jason curled his lip. "You don’t get it. For all we know, Joren’s been looking for an excuse to walk away from this outfit all along."Police Precinct OfficeKane was typing a text message to Brown when Hartley hurried over."Boss, have you heard the news?""Heard what?""Oakley’s crew is tearing itself apart." Hartley sat down and reported in a low voice. "Ever since the deal with the Joint Defense Force fell apart, plenty of guys have been unhappy with Oakley’s calls. Things have been boiling over. Joren and his group are refusing to take the new shipment."Kane froze. "Is this reliable?""One‑hundred‑percent real. It came from Pierce’s inside man. Oakley

At eight o’clock that night, inside the police superintendent’s office. Kane worked overtime against protocol, hunched over his desk reviewing case files from recent investigations.At the Novara checkpoint entrance, two scruffy‑looking men with shifty manners waited in line for the city entry inspection. When the on‑duty soldiers checked their documents, they found their temporary entry permits had expired.Unwilling to turn back and reapply, the men slipped over cash as a bribe when the chance arose. The soldiers looked the other way and let them pass, and the two made it into downtown Novara without trouble.An hour later, the pair grabbed a quick bite on the street, rode electric scooters toward Nanyang Road, and checked into a small motel next to Zhicheng Transport Company. They stayed alert the whole time, skipped washing or resting, and immediately called their secret contact to report they had safely reached their hideout.Back at the police superintendent’s office. Kane had j