Kimberly wanted to speak, but the intense pain from her wounds suppressed her.
Darnell walked slowly towards her, bending down to look at her expressionless face. “I told you, you can’t kill me.”
Kimberly’s lips trembled slightly as she struggled to say, “Aren’t you afraid of the poison?”
A bright smile appeared on Darnell’s face. “I was bitten by poisonous snakes many times when I was a kid. There are quite a few toxins flowing in my blood.”
“No matter how strong the poison is, it has no effect on me. The toxic smoke you released is nothing but a cloud. Don’t even think about taking them down with you. Not a single one will die.”
As he spoke, he took out a few pills and had Nick dissolve them into water as well as let each person take a sip to detoxify themselves.
Nick quickly complied and soon the unconscious Apex members woke up, retching a few times but otherwise unharmed.
Darnell gestured with his finger. “Tie her hands and feet, treat her injuries, and don’t let her die. She still has use.”
Gisselle’s mouth twitched in pain as she tied Kimberly up with the help of the Apex members. Nick ran over to Darnell and asked, “Mr. Halford, who is this woman? Why is she so troublesome?”
If Darnell wasn’t present, he probably would have cut off Kimberly’s limbs. Thinking about how close he came to being killed by her, Nick felt both fear and anger.
“You should know her,” Darnell said as he reached out and touched Kimberly’s face. A high-quality mask instantly fell off, revealing an even more indifferent face.
Nick and Gisselle were astonished. “Kimberly?”
The Apex members swarmed forward, armed with knives and guns, their guard even more vigilant. It was clear that they recognized her as the important figure of the Axe.
Darnell waved his hand lightly. “No need to be nervous. She is heavily injured now and won’t be able to kill even a chicken for at least ten days or more.”
Gisselle nodded. “Take her away and treat her injuries. Don’t let her die.”
The Apex members dragged Kimberly away.
Half an hour later, Callum gathered all the servants and guards and had them reveal their foreheads and hairline one by one, looking for impostors like Kimberly.
Soon enough, Callum and Gisselle identified another servant and a guard who instinctively tried to resist but were quickly subdued.
Then Callum and Gisselle thoroughly searched the entire headquarters again to confirm that there were no spies from their enemies before stopping.
After dealing with everything, it was already noon. Luca, who had taken medicine and slept for a while, personally hosted a banquet for Darnell.
Eighteen dishes and three bottles of good wine filled the Apex’s hall with delicious aromas.
“You truly are my benefactor,” Luca said as he poured a glass of brandy that he had been saving for over ten years for Darnell.
“I’ve never had the heart to drink it, but you are my benefactor, my esteemed guest. Today, I bring it out to share with you and our brothers, hoping that our friendship will last forever.”
Nick, Callum, and Gisselle also raised their glasses with smiles. “To Mr. Halford.”
“Thank you all,” Darnell replied.
Darnell clinked glasses with the four of them and then took a sip. It was indeed good wine. “It’s just a small gesture. Never mind.”
“This is no small favor. This is a matter of life and death. Without you, we would have likely perished without a trace.”
Nick poured another glass for Darnell before adding, “Saying you’re our benefactor is no exaggeration at all.”
“You first helped my father recover from his illness, then you captured Kimberly, and even exposed two impostors. Your contributions are truly immense.”
Callum and Gisselle nodded in agreement. “Mr. Halford is indeed a benefactor to the Apex.”
They had just interrogated the two spies, who had infiltrated after Luca fell ill, collaborating with Kimberly.
Their goal was to incapacitate the Apex’s key members one by one through poisoning, causing them to lose their fighting capabilities, and ultimately to seize control of the headquarters so that Rex could easily swallow the Apex’s assets.
The two spies also revealed that the Axe would soon launch another attack on the Apex, aiming to encroach on the three most profitable venues in the Apex’s business.
The enemy’s plan was insidious. If successful, the Apex would surely fall apart, which was why Callum and the others were sincerely grateful to Darnell.
“Snap!”
At that moment, Luca snapped his fingers. “Mr. Halford, mere words of thanks are insufficient. I want to give you something.”
Members of the Apex quickly brought out a small box. When opened, it revealed three items inside.
One was the Apex’s token, crafted from black wood and intricately carved with dragons and phoenixes, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship. The second was a thin, silken armor, light yet incredibly durable.
The last item was a red property deed.
“This is the Apex’s token, the highest symbol of authority within the Apex.”
Luca lifted the token and gently stroked it. “The Apex members will see it as if they see me, and they must show respect and obey without question.”
“Though I’m not a significant person, I still hold a bit of authority in front of the three thousand members of the Apex. Mr. Halford, take this so you can avoid some trouble in the future.”
“And if you need manpower, you can directly use it to mobilize the members.”
Darnell was taken aback, not expecting Luca to give him such a valuable item. He wondered if Luca was planning to pass on his position to him.
Before he could refuse, Luca picked up the silver armor, smiling as he tossed it to Darnell. “This is Celestial Armor, which I accidentally obtained twenty years ago.”
“I’ve survived nine life-threatening situations thanks to it. It’s impenetrable by blades and fire, quite resilient. I’m giving it to you, hoping it will protect you from any harm.”
“After all, you have plenty of enemies out there, and a piece of armor means more safety.”
As Luca spoke, he took Callum’s axe and struck Celestial Armor with a loud bang, causing the chair behind to splinter, yet the armor remained unscathed.
“Of course, while the armor can deflect blades and bullets, Mr. Halford still can’t take too many hits. After all, the human body has its limits.”
Darnell thought to himself, “What a treasure!”
It was much lighter than a bulletproof vest but just as effective.
“This is a piece of land.”
Luca then picked up the property deed and opened it in front of Darnell. “It’s in a prime location in the Central, right across from an amusement park..”
“If developed properly-turning it into residential properties, hotels, or malls-it could be a gold mine. I haven’t touched it because of my limited capabilities.”
“This land is incredibly valuable, and it’s also the territory of the Axe and the Crow.”
“If I were to venture there, even if I weren’t eradicated by them, most of the profits would still be consumed by their factions. That’s why I’ve left it alone.”
“It’s most suitable to give it to you, Mr. Halford. You’re not part of the gang. Operating that piece of land won’t draw too much attention.”
Upon hearing this, Darnell waved his hand. “Luca, this gift is too valuable. I can’t accept it.”
“Just three small gifts, nothing too extravagant. Compared to what you’ve done, it’s nothing.”
Luca insisted that Darnell accept. “If you don’t take it, I can’t dare to associate with you anymore. I’d feel embarrassed to owe you another favor.”
Callum and Gisselle urged Darnell in unison, “Yes, Mr. Halford, please accept it.”
Nick simply stuffed the items into Darnell’s arms. “Mr. Halford, why are you being so polite? We’re all in the same boat. No need for formality!”
“Besides, if you don’t take it, these things will just sit here and go to waste.”
Nick put on a serious face. “Using them to their full potential is their true value. Mr. Halford, please take them.”
“That kid just said something useful.”
Luca burst into laughter. “Nick is right. If you don’t take them, I’ll just let them sit here and go to waste. I can’t use the token or the armor, and I can’t develop the land-it’s meaningless to keep them.”
“And if I give it to this unfilial son, I worry he’ll use it for nefarious purposes, so if you don’t take it, I’ll just lock it up.”
Callum and Gisselle urged Darnell again, “Mr. Halford, please accept it.”
Seeing everyone so insistent, Darnell helplessly conceded and accepted the three gifts. “Alright, then I’ll thank you all for your kindness.”
Wearing the armor, pocketing the property deed, and holding the token, Darnell felt as though he had struck it rich overnight.
At the same time, a thought flashed through his mind-if something were to happen to Luca, wouldn’t he become the leader of the Apex?