Just as the standoff reached a dead end, Kane rushed over with his men. A single sharp shout brought everything to an immediate halt.He ordered Dusk to release his grip and Rich to stand down right there, radiating overwhelming authority. Every officer present froze, unsure whether to advance or retreat.Wade barked orders to press the attack, and Rich gritted his teeth, ready to kick open the warehouse door. Kane stepped forward to block the entrance, then grilled all the officers openly, cutting straight to the point: they had to pick a side right then, choosing between their official superior and a temporary powerful ally.He leaned in to warn Dusk privately that sticking with Wade meant zero shot at promotion, while siding with Kane and Cruz would open up real opportunities for his career.After weighing his options, Dusk let go of Cruz, stood at attention, saluted, and loudly stated he would follow his commanding officer’s orders. All three squads fell in line behind him, switch

Meanwhile, white mourning banners lined the courtyard of the Century Avenue compound, and wreaths filled every corner. The lavish joint funeral for Kade and Cash drew all the power brokers of Novara to pay their respects—an ostentatious gathering seething with undercurrents of tension.Boone wore a grim, icy expression the entire time. He dealt with guests calmly, comforted the widows, and pledged to take full care of their families and children.Once all outsiders had left, he immediately summoned his core lieutenants upstairs for a closed-door meeting.A heavy, stifling mood hung over the room as Boone laid out a brand-new strategy. Since seizing Holt’s supply channels was out of reach in the short term, they would strike first to crush Duke’s faction.He would brush off Cole’s covert containment and had no fear of escalating the conflict. Within one month, Duke’s forces must be shattered, and Duke driven out of Dirt Street for good.His subordinates voiced worries about official cr

Cruz laid bare their hopeless predicament with a single line: “Jett’s dead, the supply routes are completely severed. Duke’s got men at his disposal, but no product to move.”Every ounce of pressure crashed squarely onto Kane’s shoulders.Cole’s tone turned grave. “Track down Holt and reopen that supply pipeline.”Kane’s brows drew tight. He admitted Holt had already combed through every lead for Jett’s contacts, only to come up empty-handed.Ash flaked off his cigarette as Cole spoke in a low, heavy voice. “You need to grasp how trapped we truly are. When we took sides on Dirt Slag Street that night, we burned all bridges with Boone and the interest group behind him. Without new leverage to bind higher-ups to our side, I won’t hold onto my superintendent post, and you’ll never make it out of District 7 alive.”He delivered an ultimatum with zero room for compromise. “If you can’t reconnect the drug lines, flee District 7 while you still can. Boone’s retaliation knows no rank, no rule

Holt rattled off every detail of Jett’s daily life and past experiences with pinpoint accuracy—every word rang true, impossible to fabricate.After verifying Holt’s identity, the man on the other end remained frigid. “Jett’s operation is dead, all his men scattered. I’m barely keeping my own head above water. You’d better watch your step.”Seeing the call about to cut off, Holt cut in at once, shedding his usual timidity for a sharp, unshakable tone. “I’m not here to beg for shelter. I’m here to strike a deal.”The other man stirred slightly, dismissing Holt as too green-minded to handle the blood-soaked drug trafficking business.Holt dropped all pretense of weakness and fired back aggressively, listing his feats in Novara: he’d killed Cash and Kade, rescued his sister single-handedly, and survived countless brutal firefights—his grit far outmatched the old Jett.He then laid out his two trump cards: the leftover smuggling routes from Duke’s crew were ready for immediate use, and Cru

Kane reached an immediate conclusion: Brown had openly settled the bribe without any care for witnesses, which meant he never intended to leave Stone alive. Stone was as good as dead.Northern Ji’an lay more than ten kilometers away, and they would never make it on foot without a vehicle. The two flagged down a motorbike by the road at once. Kane pulled out his pistol and slammed it against the fuel tank, forcibly commandeering the bike. They squeezed onto the motorcycle and raced toward Northern Ji’an at full throttle against the bitter late-night wind.Elsewhere, at the Ji’an cargo yard, Cruz was completely under Sira’s control, powerless to resist. He forced a nervous smile and tried to explain repeatedly, insisting the three of them only sought to finalize the drug pipeline deal and had no intention of laying a trap.Sira refused to buy a single word of his excuses and laid out the harsh reality coldly. Wade’s faction held enormous power and could easily offer Holt a safe way out,