As the security guards managed to control the situation, a round-faced man accompanied by a dozen others stepped in, exuding a commanding presence that made everyone step aside.
Darnell’s eyes lit up when he spotted the round-faced man. Wow, what a small world! So Konnor really worked at Vantage, and it seemed he held quite a position too.
His expression quickly shifted again as he recognized another familiar face beside Konnor-Elliott, chewing gum and striding forward with an air of indifference.
Darnell hadn’t expected Elliott to leave the Apex and come to work at Vantage.
However, Darnell didn’t rush over to exchange pleasantries. Not only would that fail to garner Konnor’s assistance, but it could also put Elliott in a difficult position.
Feigning ignorance, he shouted, “Hey! Someone get these low-tier customers out of here!”
As the security guards greeted Konnor, Konnor and Elliott quickly approached. Konnor paused for a moment upon seeing Darnell surrounded by a crowd, but he soon regained his composure. Elliott was momentarily stunned too, but his eyes sparkled with admiration for Darnell.
During their last encounter, although they hadn’t faced each other directly, Elliott had come to idolize Darnell and considered him a goal to surpass.
Konnor stepped between the crowd and asked a burly security guard, “What’s going on here?”
The guard quickly filled him in on the situation, presenting the facts as objectively as possible. After listening, Konnor frowned, and before he could speak, Cierra interjected,
“Konnor, it’s me, Cierra, Mr. Swain’s assistant.”
She was somewhat aware of the power behind Vantage’s owner. Years ago, during a police crackdown on Westergold’s entertainment venues, even Lavender Hill was closed for six months. Yet, Vantage remained unscathed and continued operations.
Thus, Cierra made an effort to sound polite as she pointed towards Samuel and introduced him.
“This is Mr. Stewart from the Axe. Tonight, we’ve run into an enemy.”
“Vantage shouldn’t have an issue with that, right?” Her words were laden with implication, suggesting they intended to settle old scores here.
“Don’t worry. We’ll give you a million as compensation for disturbing your peace,” she added succinctly, clearly stating her and Samuel’s identities and intentions while conveniently omitting the presence of Houston and the other Mangerians.
Houston silently put down his knife and fork. Although his face was calm, being clad in nothing but his underwear made him feel anything but at ease.
He was frustrated that none of his capable subordinates thought to offer him something to cover up!
He wanted to leave, but Darnell held him firmly by the shoulder.
Almost completely exposed, he was the center of attention for the seventy or so pairs of eyes staring at him.
While no one was watching, Darnell discreetly snapped dozens of photos of Houston with his phone.
The Swain family? The Axe? These were all powerful forces that one should not provoke.
Konnor felt immense pressure. If it were anyone else, he might have nodded without hesitation and yielded to these two groups.
But Darnell helped him retrieve two gold rings from Pablo Lennard, which had saved Konnor from losing his job. If he allowed Cierra to deal with Darnell, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
He valued profit, but he also remembered loyalty.
“Are the Axe and the Swain family really that powerful?”
Darnell scoffed, flashing his supreme card, and replied, “I have Vantage’s supreme card, and I’m the top-tier guest here. What are you?”
“Most of you are just gold card customers-way below my status.”
He turned to Konnor and asked, “Will Vantage do everything possible to ensure the safety of its customers?”
Konnor replied without hesitation, “Of course, we will do everything to ensure customer safety.”
Darnell pressed further, “Do you guarantee 100% protection for customers with the supreme card?”
Konnor responded again, “Yes! As long as it doesn’t involve illegal activities, we will protect customers with a supreme card with our lives.”
Darnell grinned and tossed out a question, “If a holder of the supreme card and a holder of the gold card clash, how do you handle it?”
Konnor, evidently trained well, stated, “We’ll do our utmost to suppress the conflict without favoritism.”
“Did you hear that?” Darnell pointed at Samuel and laughed. “If the club helps you low-tier customers against me, a holder of the supreme card, this place will be the laughingstock of Whiteville!”
“Even if you don’t help me, just watching me get bullied will ruin the club’s reputation. So all of you should give up on the idea of the club dealing with me. Don’t dream about it.”
Cierra and Samuel’s faces darkened. They had never imagined they would be labeled as low-tier customers one day. At that moment, they wanted nothing more than to beat Darnell to a pulp.
The most frustrating part was that they couldn’t refute his claims.
The surrounding security guards were in a tough spot. By rights, they should side with the stronger party. More reasonably, they would politely ask both sides to step outside and settle their differences there.
However, with Darnell holding a supreme card, dealing with him or trying to expel him would severely damage the club’s reputation.
Karlee was speechless, while Jefferson gradually started to admire his new boss.
Alexander clearly recognized the significance of the supreme card and frowned, asking his sister, “How does he have a supreme card?”
Lisa quickly responded, “His company got it for him to facilitate business.”
Alexander instinctively nodded but then felt something was off. What company would issue Vantage’s supreme card to a junior employee? Moreover, he couldn’t even apply for one himself.
Seeing Konnor’s furrowed brow, Cierra whispered, “Konnor, does Vantage really want to protect him? This business isn’t worth it.”
“Damn it! I don’t care if you’re a holder of the supreme card. If he dares to hurt me, I’ll make sure to take him down today!”
Samuel pointed at the Vantage’s security guards and shouted impatiently, “I’m going to deal with him today. No one can protect him. If you know what’s good for you, get out of my way.”
“Those who stand in my way, I’ll take you down too. Just a club, and you dare to show off in front of us from the Axe?”
The dozen men rolled up their sleeves, ready to brawl.
Seeing their stance, the twenty or so security guards pulled out their batons in unison. While they didn’t want to provoke the gangsters, they wouldn’t allow anyone to walk all over them either.
Hearing Elliott’s threat, Konnor made up his mind as he stated coldly, “This is Vantage. As long as you’re a customer, we will protect you.”
“If we can’t guarantee the safety of our honored guest, Vantage has no reason to exist.”
Konnor’s gaze grew sharp. “I don’t care what conflict led to this, nor do I care about past grievances. From now on, none of you can cause trouble here.”
“If you want to fight, take it outside. I won’t interfere.”
“If you insist on causing a scene here, our fifty security personnel will accompany you to the end.”
As those words left his mouth, the security guards stood tall and proud, exuding an aura that demanded respect, resembling retired soldiers.
Cierra smiled noncommittally, “Konnor, you’re really determined to go against us, huh? Such a big matter, and you won’t consult your boss?”
“No need. I can make this decision.”
Konnor replied bluntly, “As long as it adheres to the club’s rules, we don’t need to consult the boss.”
Though the Axe and the Swain family were formidable, as long as the reasoning was on Vantage’s side, they had nothing to fear.”
Konnor was quite proud. “This is my stance, the club’s stance, and our boss’s stance.”
Samuel sneered, “You really think you can go against us and not get burned?”
Konnor immediately replied without hesitation, “You all can either leave now or sit down for drinks. Anyone who makes a move again will have me to deal with.”
“Damn it! A little security guard dares to shout here?”
The big-nosed man who had recovered suddenly jumped up and aimed a kick at Konnor, wanting to take him down in one strike.
Before Konnor could react, Elliott suddenly flashed a sinister smile.
He stepped forward, his left leg sweeping out swiftly, so fast that no one could see the trajectory.
The force of the wind was chilling. Those nearby sensed a shivering coldness that made their skin crawl, prompting them to take a few steps back in shock.
Elliott’s powerful kick landed squarely on the big-nosed man’s calf.
With a sharp crack, the sound of a bone breaking echoed through the room, sending chills down everyone’s spine.
The big-nosed man fell, staring in shock at his right leg, twisted in a grotesque manner, momentarily forgetting the pain.
The onlookers around felt their scalps go numb.
At that moment, Alexander and the others were collectively stunned, left speechless. The scene before them was simply too shocking.
“So amazing! Incredible!”
Darnell, seemingly unconcerned, shouted enthusiastically and turned to Houston with a grin, “Hey, big guy, isn’t that spectacular?”
Houston tried to rise several times but felt as if a mountain were pressing down on his shoulder, preventing him from getting up. Unfortunately, his subordinates didn’t notice.
He didn’t dare to erupt in anger, sensing a murderous intent from Darnell. So, he could only force a smile and nod, “Incredible.”
Darnell’s playful grin widened, “If it’s incredible, then you should watch it for a while longer.” He pointed at the steak and asked, “Why aren’t you eating your steak? Such good steak will be terrible when cold…”
“I’m eating… I’m eating.”
With so many people watching, it was really hard for Houston to enjoy his steak. Moreover, being in just his underwear, along with Darnell’s incessant chatter, drove him to the edge of despair. He could only awkwardly cut the steak into pieces and put them in his mouth.
“Good boy.”
Darnell continued chatting with Houston, “You’re so strong and love being shirtless. What country are you from?”
“Can a man in your country marry forty wives? Is losing an arm part of your tribe’s coming-of-age ceremony?”
Houston felt utterly exhausted, so he buried his head in the steak and stopped responding to Darnell.
“Kill!”
At that moment, the big-nosed man, who had just gotten up, was kicked back down again. Just then, another bald young man charged in from behind and grabbed Elliott.
With a tearing sound…
Clothes ripped apart as Elliott executed a swift over-the-shoulder throw, slamming the bald man onto the cold, hard ground with a loud crash.
However, Elliott’s long-sleeved shirt was also torn in the process. Under the glaring lights, his tall and lean upper body was now exposed.
While his muscles were well-defined without being excessive, the hard lines were striking enough to make any infatuated woman scream.
What stood out were the scars crisscrossing his body, terrifying in their appearance.
Elliott exuded a fierce, manly aura, hinting at a menacing intent.
Darnell looked at him with admiration.