Darnell naturally had no idea that he got himself into trouble.
He used the long-lost Zenith Needle on Noemi, hoping to get her back on her feet sooner and lead the villagers of Woodsea against the Apex.
He thought his methods would go unnoticed, but then he ran into Joseph.
If he had known that Joseph knew Noemi, Darnell would never have made a move.
When Darnell escaped from the hospital to Woodsea, he glanced at the parking lot, but there was no sign of the Porsche.
Instead, he saw Sugar, who usually acted tough, looking submissive with his tail wagging happily. He muttered about why Karlee hadn’t brought the car back yet.
He saved her from Sugar’s biting and helped her win a race!
After lingering in the parking lot for a moment, Darnell went back to his rental house before finishing his meal.
“Darnell.”
Just as Darnell reached the entrance of the rental house, seven people suddenly stood up from a pavilion across from him.
Darnell was startled and was about to be on guard when he realized it was Garrett and his group approaching him.
“Oh, it’s you guys? What are you doing here this late at night? I thought it was some enemies lying in ambush,” Darnell said jokingly.
“Mr. Halford, you have a sense of humor,” Garrett replied.
At that moment, Garrett appeared harmless and even wore a warm smile. “We’ve already paid back the money we owed our employer. After the fight in the alley last time, you let us off the hook.”
“Plus, with the help at the restaurant, the incident of the motorcycle in the afternoon, and tonight’s incident, even if we have thick skin, we can’t continue to go against you.”
Arthur and Vance nodded in agreement. “It was our mistake not to recognize your kindness, Mr. Halford.”
Darnell had helped them so much that all seven of them felt an endless sense of gratitude.
Darnell approached them and held them back. “Don’t mention it. I never hold grudges against you. If we hadn’t gone through all those experiences, we probably wouldn’t have become friends, right?”
Garrett expressed his gratitude sincerely. “Mr. Halford, you’re truly a good person. It’s an honor for us to be your friends.”
“We’re waiting for you here tonight for two reasons. First, we want to know about Noemi’s condition. After all, she hurt her back, and we feel responsible.”
“Secondly, we want to thank you for all your help.”
The other six nodded in agreement. “Mr. Halford, thank you.”
Being in a foreign land and enduring cold looks and disdain, any warmth was worth remembering.
Although he couldn’t join Darnell’s gang like Cesar did, facing Darnell’s repeated assistance made them feel grateful as well.
“Hahaha, it’s nothing.”
Darnell burst into laughter. “You don’t need to thank me for these few times. I’ve already noted them down in my notebook.”
“In the future, there will be a lot of chances for you to repay me. Don’t worry about Noemi. She will be discharged from the hospital in three days, so you can rest assured.”
“You don’t need to move out temporarily either. Just live here peacefully.”
“Noemi’s goddaughter will convince Noemi to let you stay according to our agreement. Just be careful of James when coming and going.”
Garrett and his group were even more grateful upon hearing this. “Mr. Halford, thank you so much for helping us again.”
The seven men had fierce appearances and limited resources. They also gave off a dangerous aura that made it difficult for them to find a place to settle down.
Darnell laughed heartily, “Stop saying thanks already. As I said before, we’re good brothers now.”
Seeing Darnell’s sincerity, Garrett and his men laughed along with him. At that moment, one’s stomach growled loudly.
“You guys haven’t eaten yet?” Darnell looked at Garrett and his group. “I haven’t eaten either. I just made some noodles but didn’t have a chance to eat them because I saw you guys arguing.”
“Come on. Let me treat you all to supper at a food stall. I know there’s a bustling food stall!”
Garrett quickly waved his hand. “Eating is a must, but we can’t let you treat us. It should be our treat.”
The other men chimed in as well, “Yes, you’ve helped us a lot. You even paid for us yesterday. How can we let you treat us?”
“Hehe, I knew you guys would insist on treating me back.”
Darnell chuckled mischievously, “That’s why I mentioned going to the most expensive food stall beforehand.”
Garrett and his crew were momentarily stunned but soon burst into laughter again. This man was really interesting! Their fondness for Darnell grew even stronger.
Then Garrett asked another question, “By the way, where are Cesar and the others? Let’s call them too. The more people there are, the merrier it will be, especially since I said I would treat tonight.”
“I just called them earlier but no one answered.”
Arthur and Vance also chimed in agreement, “Yes, Cesar and the others agreed to meet us for drinks tonight. Let’s call them to join us for a good time.”
Darnell’s mouth twitched slightly before he spoke softly, “I arranged for them to go out of town for work. They won’t be able to come back anytime soon.”
“You don’t have to worry about them. I’ll eat their portions too.”
It wasn’t that Darnell didn’t trust Garrett and his group. He just didn’t want them to get involved any further.
Garrett felt a bit disappointed. He admired Cesar and wanted to get drunk with him. But since they had important matters at hand, they could gather another time.
He quickly regained his smile and said, “Mr. Halford, let’s go eat supper.”
Half an hour later, Darnell and Garrett appeared in a corner of Whiteville, a large street food stall that could accommodate two hundred people.
It was currently supper time, people coming and going as well as cars parking and leaving. There was shouting from customers and responses from waiters. It was a bustling place.
Darnell pulled out a chair and sat down before ordering more than ten dishes from the menu along with a case of beer. The restaurant served food quickly.
As they chatted for a while, four or five dishes along with beer were served promptly. Darnell handed each person a bottle and opened it.
“Here’s to all my brothers! Cheers!”
Garrett and his crew shouted in response, “Cheers!”
They clinked their bottles together with great enthusiasm before drinking them up.
“Mr. Halford, thank you for repaying our grievances with kindness,” Garrett said as he patted his chest loudly while speaking, “We may be rough people who come from mountains. Our ancestors have been hunters for generations, and we haven’t seen much of the world or learned how to speak properly.”
“But I can assure you that if there’s ever anything you need our help with in the future, please don’t hesitate to speak up.”
“We won’t frown even if we have to face danger head-on,” Arthur and Vance added in agreement.
Darnell smiled warmly at their words, “This society is cruel and realistic. It’s full of lies too.”
“You guys trust me like this. Aren’t you afraid that one day I might betray you?”
His smile took on a playful tone. “It never hurts to be cautious around others.”
“This society is indeed cruel!”
Garrett looked at Darnell earnestly as he spoke from his heart, “Since leaving the mountains for Whiteville these past few months, we’ve suffered quite a lot.”
“We were deceived by our fellow villagers into working cheap labor for ten days. We lost money due to employment agencies tricking us. Even our landlord swindled three months’ rent from us, forcing us into desperate measures against you.”
“It’s because we’ve experienced these hardships that we understand the value of trust among people.”
“I made an oath with Arthur, Vance, and the others that we will stand together in good times and bad times without betraying each other.”
Arthur and Vance shouted in agreement, “Yes! In good times or bad times!”
Garrett’s eyes sparkled with a glimmer of light. “Mr. Halford, though you seem nonchalant, you’re someone we can trust. We might not know your background or origin, but there’s a familiar aura about you, the aura of a mountain wolf, fierce, cold-blooded, but definitely not one to harm your companions.”
He was a rough man, but Garrett knew that Darnell was extraordinary.
“Haha, thank you for the praise!” Darnell raised his bottle again. “Let’s drink!”
Garrett and the others cheered, clinking their bottles together, reveling in the moment.
Darnell enjoyed the atmosphere of hearty drinking and feasting. He ordered a dozen beers while chatting with Garrett and the others. He learned they were hunters from the mountains. In recent years, the government had started to close off the mountains, and they could no longer hunt, forcing them to seek other means of survival.
They had been in Whiteville for about four months and had yet to find stable work. Eventually, they were left with no choice but to dabble in some underworld activities.
They had worked under a waste collector, but within a week, they were arrested due to an old assault case.
Being first-time offenders and having joined after the incident, they paid a fine and were released. Soon after, they received a job from David to rough up Darnell for ten thousand dollars.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and they ended up getting beaten by Darnell instead. Moreover, by accepting that job, they offended the Apex, forcing them to retire from the game and relocate to Woodsea overnight.
Little did they know, they would soon face harassment from James and Noemi, truly a streak of bad luck.
After hearing their story, Darnell couldn’t help but feel that Garrett and the others had really drawn the short straw.
“Don’t dwell on the past. Look towards the future,” he encouraged, raising his bottle again. “Look at you. Seven tough guys! Do you really have to worry about making a living? Settle down in Woodsea and work hard to find jobs.”
“I’ll help you deal with Ms. Sotheby and keep an eye out for suitable job opportunities. For now, let’s drink until we’re completely drunk!”
He considered whether to recruit Garrett and his crew into Python Team but worried that their fierce appearances might tarnish the company’s reputation.
At that moment, Garrett and the others cheered again, “Not leaving until we’re drunk!”
After drinking for a while, Darnell felt a bit bloated and decided to head to the restroom. As he returned through the hall, he suddenly noticed two men, one tall and one short, sneaking out from the kitchen door.
They blocked a waitress carrying dishes, snatched the platter from her hands, and rudely shooed her away.
Their sneaky behavior caught Darnell’s attention, and he watched closely.
Then the tall one pulled out a packet of powder.
He then sprinkled the powder over the food, stirring it with their fingers, their faces showing a sinister delight.
The short one then carried the plate outside, while the other leaned against the kitchen corridor, waiting.
Darnell squinted slightly, peering through the window of the hall, and saw the young man with the food heading straight towards Garrett’s table.