Kane stared at him for a long moment before finally nodding to seal the deal. "It’s settled. Cruz and I will maintain ties with the higher-ups and liaise with all factions. You’ll take full charge of overland transport. The three of us will bind ourselves as one and build a new operation from scratch."With their plan finalized, Kane moved immediately to arrange the next steps. To secure the first batch of supplies, an advance payment was mandatory. None of the three had any spare cash left, so they had no choice but to borrow funds externally.Holt was confused, wondering why they didn’t ask Cole and Duke to cover the costs as backers.Kane laid bare the core strategy in one blunt statement. "Duke only controls downstream distribution; he’s not our patron. This drug pipeline is our trump card we fought tooth and nail to seize. If we let financiers hold the purse strings, we’ll become nothing more than their pawns, stripped of every ounce of bargaining power.""We hold the supply sour

Silla spoke with crystal logic and unshakable poise. “Tanner deliberately stirred up trouble and murdered one of our own. If we swallow this insult without taking action, we’ll break the loyalty of every subordinate who risks their lives for us. No one will be willing to serve this family ever again.”The bigger picture and its tradeoffs were plain for all to see.At three o’clock in the morning, the highway back to the city stretched empty and desolate. Drowsy with exhaustion, Cruz called for them to pull over and switch drivers.Kane cut the engine and parked the car, leaving Holt asleep inside. The two men stepped out separately to stretch and catch some fresh air.Frost bit sharply through the snow-covered wilderness.As Kane headed back to the vehicle, his foot kicked against something unfamiliar. Moonlight cut through the dark and lit up a teenage boy’s blue, frostbitten face half-buried in a snow hollow. No older than fifteen or sixteen, he was coated head to toe in ice crystal

Cole gave clear instructions. The drug supply chain had only just restarted, and every faction was watching and waiting. Wade’s group had massive capital backing and deep-rooted influence, so they needed to keep a low profile to stabilize operations, prioritize hitting sales targets, and avoid pointless conflicts for the time being.He then laid out the rigid supply quota: they had to hit monthly sales of two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars to retain their discounted supply terms.The supplier bore immense operational risks and only partnered with capable crews—there was zero room for mistakes.Pierce instantly grasped all the stakes and nodded in agreement, resolving to prioritize stability in everything they did.Once their core business matters were settled, Pierce waved over Slate. The man had served Duke for nearly a decade; calm, seasoned, and ruthless in his dealings, he was an old-timer who’d watched Pierce grow up. He’d now been assigned to assist Pierce in running the

Wade stormed out and slammed the door, seething with anger.Boone was left alone inside the room. He let out a long weary sigh; no one understood the crushing pressure bearing down on him from all sides, not even his own blood brother could sympathize with his plight.The next early morning, Pierce was roused from sleep by a messenger. Hawke wanted an in-person meeting to settle their dispute and negotiate a split of the drug supply routes.Still half-asleep, Pierce casually agreed. He set their faction’s hideout as the meeting spot and told Hawke to come by that evening, paying the matter no real mind.At half past eight that night, on Richard Street in the southern district, Hawke stepped into a shabby small building with two men at his side and climbed to the mahjong parlor on the third floor. The room was thick with cigarette smoke and filled with noisy chatter.Pierce sat wrapped in a thick cotton coat on the inner side of the mahjong table and gestured for them to take seats. Th

"Track down all his relatives and close associates," Pierce ordered at once. "He hasn’t gotten far—fan out and search every corner."Elsewhere, at the bawdy house on Underground Street, Ranger hid inside Room 307 and snuck a call to Hawke, his heart heavy with anxiety. "Brother Hawke, are you here yet? When will I get the escape money?""Wait right there. I’ve arranged men to smuggle you out of the country," Hawke replied in an even tone, hiding murderous intent beneath his words.Though Ranger harbored misgivings, he had nowhere else to turn and had no choice but to wait as told.Inside a private booth at 21 Vault, Boone, Ronan and the rest were fully absorbed in a mahjong game. Hawke returned to deliver his report, and Ronan let out a cold sneer. "Once Ranger’s dead, Duke will have no way to defend himself. His reputation will be ruined, no one will buy his discounted goods anymore, and Cole will go down with him this time."Boone’s mood soared, and he spoke boldly. "Whatever you wi