“Darn it! They’re coming for us.”
Darnell coughed and calmly walked towards the tall figure waiting in the kitchen corridor. As soon as the tall figure saw Darnell, his expression changed slightly.
He seemed to recognize Darnell as Garrett’s accomplice, but before he could say anything, Darnell approached him and swiftly struck a pressure point on his waist.
The tall figure’s body instantly trembled, his hand raised to strike frozen in mid-air, and all his strength drained from his body. He couldn’t even speak.
An indescribable pain overwhelmed his nerves.
“I’ll deal with you later.”
Darnell left him leaning against the wall and quickly rushed towards Garrett and the others at their table.
At that moment, the short man was setting down a plate of noodles. Arthur, Vance, and the others were ready to dig in, but Garrett stopped them.
“Why the rush? Mr. Halford hasn’t returned yet. Let Mr. Halford eat first.”
“What’s the point of inviting Mr. Halford for a meal if you all finish eating before he arrives?”
As the short man furrowed his brows, Arthur, Vance, and the others smirked and withdrew their hands.
Meanwhile, Darnell casually strolled back to the round table and patted the short man’s shoulder, asking with a smile, “Are these noodles delicious?”
The short man’s mouth twitched, and he replied with a forced smile, “This is the signature dish. Of course they’re delicious.”
“Good, I’ll treat you then.”
Darnell exerted force on his wrist, pushing him down onto his own chair. “Here, finish this plate of noodles.”
Garrett and the others were taken aback, not knowing what was happening. “Mr. Halford, what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Darnell replied with a smile. “I’m just in a good mood and suddenly wanted to treat him to some noodles.”
The short man hurriedly waved his hand. “This isn’t proper etiquette. The boss will scold me if he finds out.”
Darnell’s smile grew even brighter. “Is that so? Then let me call your boss over. I’m sure he won’t scold you.”
Upon hearing Darnell’s words, the short man’s face instantly changed. Sensing something amiss, he knocked over a bottle of alcohol on the table and tried to escape in the chaos.
But before he could leave his seat, a hand pressed down on his shoulder. Darnell grinned at him. “You haven’t finished the noodles yet!”
“Can you show me some respect?”
Garrett and the others had tensed up, realizing something was off from the conversation and actions. “Damn it. Is there something wrong with that noodle?”
Garrett scanned the short man again. “That guy isn’t in a waiter’s uniform. He must not be a good guy.”
“Is he trying to set us up?”
Garrett exclaimed, “You’re asking for trouble! Let’s feed him some of his own medicine.”
Arthur and Vance stood up and approached the short man. One grabbed the noodles, while the other threw a punch.
Thump!
The sound of a punch hitting the short man’s stomach echoed.
“Ah!”
The short man howled, his mouth opening wide like a hippo, but before he could finish his scream, it was abruptly cut off.
His mouth was stuffed with noodles.
He tried to spit them out, to scream, but no sound came.
Kaff kaff!
Half a plate of noodles was quickly forced down his throat, and at Darnell’s nod, Vance stopped feeding him. Garrett picked up a bottle of beer and poured it down his throat as well.
After half a bottle of beer was shoved in, Arthur and the others released their grip, and the short man immediately began to cough violently, hunched over and retching, trying to expel what he had just consumed.
But it was too late. After a few dry heaves, he swayed and fell to the ground, only to get back up with a groan.
At the next moment, he was shaking his head and swaying, as if he were at a heavy metal concert, drawing the attention of many diners.
Most people just assumed he was drunk, so there was no panic.
“Damn! Is that MDMA?”
Garrett and the others had never seen MDMA, but seeing his symptoms reminded them of the TV ads, and their anger grew.
“We have no grudge against him. Why drug us?”
If the drug had been successfully administered, they would definitely be arrested by the police. If they were lucky, they’d be detained for two days. If not, it could be ten days or even a month.
The group was ready to charge at the man, but Darnell held up a hand to stop them, pulled out some cash, and called out for the bill. Then he turned to Garrett and the others.
“Let’s go.”
Starting a fight in public would have bad repercussions. Even if they were in the right, they could still be taken away by the police. Besides, if the other side dared to drug them tonight, they must have been prepared.
These two were likely scouts for something bigger, so it was best to leave this troublesome place. He noticed the two men helping the tall guy out.
Although Garrett and the others were furious, they complied with Darnell’s words and were ready to leave.
The eight of them moved quickly, exiting the food stall and taking a detour through a small alley back to their rental house to avoid being followed.
At two in the morning, as they reached the central square of their rental area and were about to part ways, they suddenly saw several figures pouring out from various entrances.
A large group of people approached aggressively, seemingly armed with something. Trash cans and flower pots in their way were all kicked over, leaving a mess behind.
A few late-night pedestrians screamed and quickly ran away.
“Gisselle, it’s them!”
As Darnell squinted, Garrett and the others instinctively tensed up, noticing that over forty people surrounded them, all wielding wooden clubs and iron bars.
There were both men and women, all looking fierce and menacing.
Leading the group was a woman in her forties, sporting short hair and dressed in a suit, with a cigarette dangling from her mouth, exuding a tomboyish vibe.
She coldly stared at Darnell and Garrett as two men with swollen heads stumbled up behind her.
They pointed angrily at Darnell and Garrett, shouting, “It’s them who did it!”
It was Hugo and the round-faced woman. Darnell was surprised. These people were quite resourceful to find them so quickly.
Next, the short and tall men were brought forward, their eyes burning with rage, clearly all part of the same gang.
The short man, still slightly dazed, stammered, “Gisselle… They… fed me…”
The tall man pointed at Darnell. “Gisselle, that bastard hit me. They’re all in it together.”
Garrett stepped forward abruptly. “You rob me and dare to drug me? Did you come here for revenge?”
He twisted his neck and clenched his fists, the sound of cracking knuckles intimidating, causing the round-faced woman and Hugo to tremble and take a step back.
“Useless fools.”
Gisselle slapped the round-faced woman and Hugo across the face with a look of disappointment, then turned to Garrett with a cold snort.
“You’ve got a decent build, but your brain seems a bit simple. Do you know who we are?”
Garrett growled, “I don’t care who you are. If anyone robs my money, I’ll hit him, and if you dare to seek revenge, I’ll fight back.”
Gisselle exhaled a puff of smoke, her imposing demeanor evident. “I was planning to give you some MDMA and let the police teach you a lesson.”
“But you noticed, and now you’ve hurt our people. I can’t let this slide.”
“One of you will have an arm broken, and you’ll compensate us thirty thousand.”
Hugo glared at Darnell, saying, venom dripping from his words. “Gisselle, this lad is quite cunning. We need to cut off both his hands.”
Garrett’s eyes widened. “Break our arms and demand thirty thousand? Are you out of your mind?”
Arthur, Vance, and the others all stood up, rolling up their sleeves, ready to fight. “Let’s do it!”
“Hey, Gisselle, look at them. They dare to fight back,” the round-faced woman yelled.
“Do you know who we are? Knowing this will probably scare you to death.”
Hugo covered his face. “Exactly, with one call, hundreds of our brothers from the Apex will come over.”
Gisselle’s expression hardened. “Keep it low-key. Don’t let them know we’re from the Apex.”
Hearing the name “the Apex”, Garrett and the others faltered slightly, their confidence visibly waning.
Clearly, they understood that the Apex had deep roots in Northmoor. They were local thugs, and provoking them could lead to serious trouble. After a fight tonight, they might have to run again.
“Don’t do anything reckless.”
At that moment, Darnell walked up with a grin, slowly approaching while biting on a bottle of beer. “Otherwise, I’ll call for help.”
Gisselle scrutinized Darnell, then burst into laughter. “Call for help? In this day and age, everyone only cares about their own business. Who would pay attention to you?”
“Kid, do you believe that no one will come to your aid even if you scream your lungs out?”
“Heroic deeds and helping others are things of the past.”
Hugo and the others joined in laughter, knowing that in today’s world, no one wanted to get involved in someone else’s troubles.
Darnell huffed. “That’s not necessarily true. I could call out, and at least a few thousand people would come.”
“A few thousand people? Do you think you’re the Apex, the Axe, or the Crow’s leader?”
Gisselle pointed at Darnell. “Go ahead. Call a few thousand people over and show me. If they come, I will immediately back off and won’t give you any more trouble.”
Having been in the underworld for years, Gisselle understood human nature well. She knew that people only cared about their own interests, which was what made her gang, “Jade Crew”, one of the major forces under the Apex.
They had carried out many robberies, and many victims had cried out for help, yet no one ever came to their aid. She believed Darnell wouldn’t create any waves either.
She provocatively challenged him, “Come on. Shout as loud as you can. Let’s see if you can bring out even one person.”
“Help! Policemen are hitting people! Policemen are stealing electric scooters and motorcycles!”
Suddenly, Darnell raised his voice and shouted. Before his words even faded, the lights of the rental houses flickered on, and countless people rushed out.
“Quick, someone! The police have entered the village! The police are stealing our vehicles!”
Gisselle and her group were immediately engulfed by the bright lights, blinking in surprise.
“The police are snatching our vehicles again? Damn! Is there still any law?”
“Go check it out! Block those bastards and don’t let those uniformed wolves escape!”
“The law doesn’t punish the masses. Let’s just take them down!”
The entire rental area was shaken. Many onlookers, feeling a sense of injustice, rushed toward them, at least eight to nine hundred people.
“Where are the police? Where are they?”
Darnell pointed at Gisselle and her crew, shouting, “The police are right here!”
Gisselle froze. What the hell? This actually worked?
Before Gisselle and her group could react, Darnell dashed forward, his right foot stomping down multiple times.
Gisselle and over ten others instantly screamed, jumping up and down as Darnell crushed their toes, causing them excruciating pain.
At that moment, it wasn’t just about fighting. Even escaping became a challenge.
Whoosh!
Darnell didn’t stop there. He spun around and faced Hugo, yanking down his pants with a swift motion.
Hugo felt humiliated and furious.
The scene descended into chaos.
Darnell shouted to Garrett, “Run!”
With renewed energy, Garrett and the others immediately followed Darnell in their escape.
Nearly a thousand tenants charged toward Gisselle and her group, and soon, both sides were embroiled in a chaotic melee, bricks flying everywhere.