From reward money of tens of thousands to this hefty half-million, the more than tenfold difference silently proved how drastically his influence over Black Street had grown. Yet Kane knew full well that his status and weight had never been built on cash. It was the backing from top figures Cole and Ingram, the blood and sacrifice of hundreds of brothers from Dreg Street, and the unwavering loyalty of his subordinates at the Black Street Police Department that had carved out this foothold for him.He knew exactly where his roots lay, and what he could take, and what he must never touch.After a short silence, Kane closed the leather case. The latches clicked softly, putting an end to this monetary bargain. He met Kennard’s gaze, his tone calm yet resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.“Mr. Kennard, this money carries too much weight. I cannot take it.”Kennard’s brows tightened, his smile fading a little. His voice carried an undertone of persuasion. “With your skills and standing

“Yeah.” Kane nodded, his tone icy. “I won’t agree. This supply line was built with every one of our lives on the line. Why should a bunch of people who did nothing reap the biggest reward? But Cole sees it differently. He thinks it’s the perfect springboard for his political career. Those guys have top-tier political connections to pave his way up the ladder.”Shira quickly pieced together the tangled web of interests. “So you and Cole are on opposite sides, fully at odds now?”“Yeah.” Kane replied, weariness and clarity hiding in his eyes. “Their ambition was never limited to just Kaiyuan District. They want total monopoly over the entire drug pipeline and cut all of us out of power.”Shira nodded slowly, her voice heavy. “If they can push Cole to cave, their rank and ambition are nothing to take lightly.”Kane took another gulp of strong liquor, his voice rough. “We spilled blood, lost men, made compromises, and fought tooth and nail to stabilize this territory. Before we even get a

Kane looked at him, a flicker of warmth crossing his eyes, and asked quietly. “Where did you get those men?”Pierce pulled out a cigarette and replied. “A new crew of toughs from Dirt Slag Street. Their leader’s called Little Nantian.”“Tell them to lie low in Black Street for now and stay out of sight.” Kane gave quick instructions. “If the precinct moves to make arrests tomorrow, Hartley and the others will tip you off right away.”“Got it.”Kane raised a hand and clapped him on the shoulder, his tone low and steady. “We’ll get through this together.”Pierce nodded firmly.“Cruz, ride with me.” Kane called out. “We’re not heading back to Compound 88 tonight. You’re staying with me.”“Everyone disperse, go home and get some rest.” Cruz waved the others off, then hurried to climb into the car.The drive back was deathly quiet. Cruz smoked cigarette after cigarette, unable to contain his anxiety. He turned and spoke. “Jude had it coming, but this blew up way too big. How do we clean it

“Move him to another cell if we have to,” the cell boss seized the chance to suggest, a crafty edge in his voice. “I made big threats earlier that I’d bring him to heel, but now I can’t control him at all. I’ve got no way to wrap this up.”“Wait,” the guard tossed out the single word. He pulled out his phone and walked slowly down the corridor to make a call and file a report.That whole night, every man in the fourth-floor maximum-security cell stayed on high alert, not daring to relax for a second....The warehouse was sealed off and vast, thick with oppressive tension. Pierce, Cruz, Dask, Hartley, Joren, Slater, and Hagen had all shown up, alongside several frontline leaders from Dirt Slag Street. Every single person gathered for the meeting; no one was absent.Dask wore a grave expression and spoke first. “I’ve pulled every connection I can reach, but I still can’t find where Kane’s being held. The inspector team has clamped down tight on information this time. We need to come up

Kane turned to look at him, his tone earnest. "The bottom‑line terms I left for Cruz: we could accept the 80‑20 split, but Kaiyuan District had to get its secondary supply through Pierce, plus pay a premium handling fee for every shipment. Is that how the deal was finalized?"Cole nodded. "They agreed to everything."Hearing this, the tension that had coiled inside Kane for days finally unwound.Cole let out a soft sigh. "You’ve been through hell."Kane shot him a sideways glance, a hint of wariness in his voice. "When I got arrested, why didn’t you step forward right away or plead my case?"Cole gave a faint smile, his eyes sharp with clear insight. "If I’d panicked and intervened, they would’ve squeezed us for everything. They would never have budged on any of Cruz’s negotiating positions. The night you hurt Jude, I straight‑up ignored calls from the higher‑ups and kept my distance the whole time. That was the only way to keep room to negotiate."Their eyes met. They shared a quiet