As Julyan pointed his stick at the three gang bosses, their bravado vanished, leaving them frozen in place. Slowly, Julyan walked toward them, eyes fixed on his watch as he walked. “Five more minutes and the interest will multiply again. Will you pay up, or shall I break your bones as compensation?” he asked with a chilling smile that sent shivers down their spines. Their scalps tingled with fear.
Baldy, trying to muster some courage, stammered, “Mr. Hawk, surely we can come to an agreement?”
Julyan shook his head, “Time is money, gentlemen, and you’ve wasted plenty of mine.”
The gangster with deep-set eyes, attempting to negotiate, said, “What if we pay half now and the rest later?”
Julyan chuckled, “My time is precious, and you’ve already squandered enough of it. Full payment, or we proceed with plan B.”
The gangster with a single beard, now sweating, quickly added, “We’ll come to your trading company tomorrow, Mr. Hawk. First thing in the morning!”
Julyan nodded, satisfied. “Good. I’ll be expecting you at Dragon’s Gate Trading. Don’t be late.”
Baldy, trying to regain some composure, said, “Mr. Hawk, we assure you, this won’t happen again.”
Julyan raised an eyebrow, “I hope not. I prefer my mornings without unnecessary drama.”
The gangster with deep-set eyes, eager to please, chimed in, “We’ll bring the full amount, with interest, of course.”
“See that you do,” Julyan replied, his tone firm but fair. “Dragon’s Gate Trading values punctuality and integrity.”
The gangster with a single beard, now completely deferential, added, “Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Hawk. We appreciate your patience.”
Julyan gave a slight nod, “Just make sure you follow through. I don’t enjoy repeating myself.”
With that, Baldy, the gangster with deep-set eyes, and the gangster with a single beard nodded eagerly, their earlier arrogance replaced by a newfound respect for Julyan’s authority. They promised to be at Dragon’s Gate Trading first thing in the morning, their fear of Julyan’s stick and his reputation ensuring their compliance.
With that, Julyan turned to leave, and his companion quickly followed, still in disbelief at what had just transpired. The three gangsters were left with no choice but to comply, knowing that fighting back was no longer an option after witnessing Julyan’s relentless, machine-like prowess.
“I can’t believe I have to pay up to a small company,” Baldy muttered.
“That Battle Junkie is tough to deal with. I don’t even know if he’s human anymore. He fights like a tireless machine,” said the gangster with deep-set eyes.
“For now, we have no choice but to prepare the payment with interest,” the gangster with a single beard said helplessly, glancing at their injured men. The three nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Julyan and his companion returned to their vehicle. His companion couldn’t contain his amazement. “Mr. Hawk, I still can’t believe what I just saw. You were incredible back there! The way you handled those gangsters was like something out of a movie. First, you seemed so calm, almost like you were letting them underestimate you. But then, when things got serious, you moved like a seasoned boxer, dodging and striking with precision. And when they brought out those machetes, you just used that stick of yours to disarm them effortlessly. It was like watching a martial arts master at work!”
Julyan, with a puzzled expression, turned to his companion. “Fighting? What fighting are you talking about? We were just there to discuss their debt repayment. I don’t recall any fighting.”
The man blinked, clearly confused. “But Mr. Hawk, I saw it with my own eyes. You took down all those gangsters without breaking a sweat. It was like you were a different person, a force of nature.”
Julyan chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I think you might be mistaken. We simply had a conversation about their overdue payments. There was no need for any physical confrontation.”
The man scratched his head, trying to reconcile what he had witnessed with Julyan’s calm demeanor. “But… the way you moved, the way you handled them… it was extraordinary. Are you saying none of that happened?”
Julyan smiled, maintaining his composed facade. “All I remember is discussing business matters. Perhaps your imagination got the better of you.”
Slowly, the realization dawned on the man. Julyan wanted to keep the events discreet, to maintain the image of a respectable businessman. “Ah, I see,” he said, nodding in understanding. “Just a business meeting, then.”
“Exactly,” Julyan replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Just a simple business meeting.”
With that, the man smiled back, acknowledging the unspoken agreement to keep the true nature of the encounter a secret. Julyan drove back to the company as if nothing had happened.
….
The next morning, the three gang bosses arrived at Dragon’s Gate Trading, causing a stir among the employees. Everyone was too afraid to make eye contact with the notorious trio, well aware of their fearsome reputation. Soon, the Manager of the Finance Department, having heard about the gang bosses’ presence due to their debt, nervously approached them.
The gangster with a single beard stepped forward, looking around. “We’re here to see Mr. Long’s assistant,” he said gruffly.
The finance manager, trying to keep his composure, asked, “Why are you looking for Mr. Hawk? Is there something specific you need from him?”
The gangster shrugged, “We just want to have a word with him.”
This only made the finance manager more nervous. “Just a word? Is there something that happened yesterday that I should know about?” he asked, his mind racing with possibilities.
The gangster, maintaining his calm demeanor, replied, “Nothing like that. We just need to talk to him.”
The finance manager, still uneasy, pressed further, “Are you sure there’s nothing else? Mr. Hawk didn’t do anything unusual yesterday, did he?”
Just as the gangster with a single beard was about to respond, a familiar voice interrupted. “Oh, it looks like you’re here to settle your debts. Please proceed to the finance department to sort out your payments.”
The manager turned, and see Julyan walking calmly toward them, and a chill ran down his spine at Julyan’s words.
“Mr. Hawk, what are you saying? These people are not to be trifled with-” the manager began, but before he could finish his sentence, he was taken aback by what happened next.