The conflict subsided, and the dealership was preserved with minimal losses.
The manager was extremely grateful. While having Ms. Giles and the others clean up the scene, he bowed to Darnell and Garrett once again.
“Thank you both for your help. I promise you that I will give you the biggest discount and offer on these eleven cars.”
Garrett scratched his head and awkwardly said, “You can give discounts and offers, but don’t reduce Sophia’s commission.”
The store manager laughed heartily. “Don’t worry. Sophia’s commission will be the same as a regular salesperson’s, without any deductions.”
Upon hearing this, Ms. Giles and the others twitched their mouths. This meant that the intern Sophia would receive an additional thirty percent reward.
Sophia blushed slightly and nodded to Garrett and the manager. “Thank you.”
Garrett waved his hand, looking at her with extraordinary gentleness.
Beauty loved heroes, and heroes loved beauties too.
“Where are they?”
At that moment, a dozen people in white rushed into the store. It was obvious they were from the Apex, led by none other than Gisselle.
Seeing the injured on the ground and recognizing Darnell and Garrett, she immediately guessed what had happened. She waved her hand, ordering the Apex to give another round of beating to the buzz-cut youth and his group.
Then she respectfully approached Darnell. “Mr. Halford, are you hurt?”
“These bastards are getting more cunning. According to the rules of the underworld, they shouldn’t attack legitimate establishments.”
Gisselle was furious. “But the Axe specifically targets these places. Today alone, over a dozen legitimate businesses were trashed, creating chaos everywhere.”
She seemed aware of today’s events. “Thank you for helping us twice today, Mr. Halford. The leader has ordered everyone in the gang to thank you if they see you.”
This greeting shocked everyone. They didn’t expect such respect from the Apex towards Darnell. Ms. Giles’s face turned pale.
She knew that with just one word from Darnell, she would be in deep trouble.
Darnell smiled faintly. “No need to be so polite. I just happened to be here.”
He pointed around the room. “I have things to do. You continue handling this.” He turned to Garrett. “Garrett, you’ll stay.”
Garrett nodded. “Yes, boss.”
As Ms. Giles watched with regretful eyes, Darnell took the keys and got into a Lamborghini, speeding away in style.
Ms. Giles ran to the door reluctantly, wanting to shout something but ultimately leaned against the door in frustration. What was lost would not return.
“Hey, darling!”
As soon as Darnell drove out of the dealership, his phone vibrated. He put on his headset and answered it quickly. Judith’s voice came through.
“I have bad news. Steve has been bailed out.”
Darnell was slightly stunned and smiled bitterly. “That really is bad news. How did he get out so quickly with five hundred grams of drugs?”
Judith’s voice was clear. “The Swain family hired a top-notch lawyer and greased some palms at higher levels.”
“Of course, more importantly, if Steve wasn’t bailed out, how could we release Elon smoothly?”
Darnell teased lightly. “It seems like a trap within a trap. Everyone has their own agenda.”
“What do you mean by ‘everyone has their own agenda’? It’s just taking advantage of circumstances.”
Judith snorted. “But no matter what, Steve being out is bad for you. He holds grudges and thinks you set him up.”
“He will definitely look for an opportunity to get back at you. Be careful when you’re out and about. I’ll also arrange for officers to monitor him around the clock for a while.”
“Okay.”
Darnell smiled as he turned onto a side road. “With Steve out, I definitely need to make some arrangements.”
Judith’s heart skipped a beat. “Don’t even think about killing him. He has dozens of bodyguards now. If you make a move on him, it’s suicide.”
Darnell replied calmly. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”
At seven in the evening, Darnell arrived at Hilton Hotel.
When he walked into the presidential suite carrying a food box, he saw Cesar and Harry playing cards with two others, all of them smoking cigars and drinking tea joyfully.
At that moment, Harry was laughing heartily: “I won!”
Before Harry could finish his laugh, Cesar saw Darnell and immediately scattered his cards before rushing over to Darnell.
He hugged Darnell’s leg and shouted excitedly, “Mr. Halford! You’re finally here! We missed you so much!”
The other two also took advantage of this distraction to scatter their cards and rush over to Darnell’s side, shouting non-stop like long-lost relatives.
Only Harry sat in his chair, with tears in his eyes.
“Bang!”
Darnell kicked Cesar and the others away with a smirk on his lips. “Missed me? You didn’t look like it just now.”
“You must be happy I arrived in time so you wouldn’t lose everything.”
Harry howled, “Mr. Halford is wise! Mr. Halford, please stand up for me!”
Cesar waved his hand at Darnell without any embarrassment. “Mr. Halford, we really missed you! Playing cards is nothing compared to seeing you!”
He turned to Harry. “What? Mr. Halford’s presence isn’t more important than winning one game?”
Harry looked aggrieved. “This is my only win today!”
“Everyone give Harry five hundred dollars.”
Darnell made a quick decision. “Then come over here and eat.”
Cesar and the others reluctantly took out their wallets before rushing over to open the food box with smiles.
“Mr. Halford brought us something good? The hotel’s food is too expensive. We couldn’t afford it. We’ve been eating vegetarian dishes for half a month now. I’m tired of it.”
“A light diet helps your wounds heal faster.”
While they devoured their food ravenously, Darnell checked their injuries from Genesis House by pulling down their collars.
Cesar grinned widely. “Mr. Halford, no need to check. We’re recovering well.”
“Since we moved in until a few days ago, we’ve been resting almost all day except for meals. Although we’re not as agile as before yet, we can walk freely now.”
Harry nodded approvingly. “Mr. Halford, your medical skills are amazing! Half a month made us lively again!”
“Mr. Halford! The news says things outside are chaotic! Steve got caught. Now the Axe is fighting the Apex all-out. What happened?”
“It’s somewhat related to me.”
Darnell casually mentioned while noting their good recovery.
“I framed Steve using Samson’s drugs. The Axe started fighting the Apex because I killed Samuel.”
Cesar nearly spat out his drink in shock along with everyone else who couldn’t hide their surprise. “Related to you, boss?”
Darnell applied special new medicine while recounting recent events including making peace with the Apex, which left Cesar amazed.
“Mr. Halford, you’re incredible! Everything is under your control!”
Cesar seized every flattery opportunity.
Darnell said dismissively, “Enough with the nonsense. Focus on healing and getting better. Given that Steve is out, he won’t forget the grudge he has against us. There are many people looking for you, and you need to recover quickly.”
Upon hearing that Steve was released, Harry and the others tensed up. Cesar narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Boss, with the turmoil brewing in Whiteville, why don’t we take the chance and eliminate Steve once and for all? If we don’t get rid of him, we’ll never have peace of mind.”
“After suffering a major setback, do you really think he’ll give us an opportunity to strike again?”
Darnell understood the situation well. “Although Steve won’t forget to seek revenge, he’s currently under tight police surveillance, so he won’t dare to make any moves for a while.”
“On the other hand, if we go after him now, we not only have to deal with his traps but also the police crackdowns.”
“What you say makes sense, but with someone like Steve, not taking the initiative leaves us feeling anxious,” Cesar replied, spitting out a chicken bone. “The Swain family has too many loyal henchmen. We need to strike at the heart of the matter.”
“I know that very well,” Darnell responded directly. “That’s why I want you guys to recover quickly. Once you’re back on your feet, I’ll have reliable people to handle Steve.”
“While Steve is still keeping a low profile, focus on healing, and we can settle this later.”
“And we can avenge our fallen brothers.”
After hearing Darnell’s words, Cesar and the others pounded their chests. “Don’t worry, Boss. We’ll take care of ourselves.”
“Ding dong!”
Just as Darnell nodded in satisfaction, the doorbell rang. Harry, not thinking much of it, stepped forward and pressed the intercom. “Who is it?”
A clear female voice came through the intercom. “Hello, I’m the room service attendant. Since you’ve stayed for fifteen days, the hotel is offering you a complimentary dinner worth three thousand eight hundred.”
Harry’s face lit up. “Really? That’s great!”
Just as he was about to open the door, Darnell’s ears perked up, catching the faint sound of a metallic bowstring. His expression changed slightly.
“Be careful!”
In an instant, he hurled a chair, knocking Harry to the ground. Almost simultaneously, two bullets tore through the air, striking the spot where Harry had been standing.
Bang!
Then, with a thunderous crash, the door burst open, and a server rushed in.