NOVEL NEXT Chapter 120: Reminder
Obestan is long gone.
Clang.
"...Shit."
John muttered as he got up, frowning, and tossed the championship belt disdainfully next to the corpse — flesh and brain matter were embedded in the ornamental details, making it slippery and emitting a nauseating stench.
The gamblers slapped the bars, like baboons in heat.
They hadn't seen such a thrilling execution in a long time. Word had it that in some darker illegal venues, there were bets on cyberpsychos and mercenaries fighting one-on-one, equally violent and bloody.
John stood amidst the cyan-green smoke.
Red alert lights flashed, and quite a few members of the Black Gold Gang streamed out of the tunnel to clean up the scene and maintain order; unused rubber bullets began to fire into the crowd.
Violent suppression was necessary.
Those cramped into the low-end arena weren't the wealthy, and if this atmosphere persisted for a few more minutes, the audience seats and barriers would be dismantled.
"Fucking squid!"
John flipped the bird at the audience, then turned to show off his muscles and a friendly gesture.
He left the octagon, tearing off the latch of a small cage with his bare hands.
A naked girl grabbed a sheet and ran off.
She walked into the white smoke caused by an electrical failure, looking somewhat dazed, passing through the furious exchange of insults between the audience and gang members, finally stumbling away into one of the contestant tunnels.
Macao was waving at John.
He was panting, holding a gun, stopped by security in vest uniforms outside.
Several burly men stood in John's exit path.
They were muscular, wearing standard black suits, their pupils gleaming yellow, conspicuous in the dimly lit venue.
[Faction: Black Gold Gang]
"The boss wants to see you."
His hand was about the size of John's face, fingers with cooling vents, glowing tattoos on either side of his neck.
"Mr. Vito?"
"He's... no longer."
"Oh~ I see."
John stared at his sunglasses, slowly putting on his vest and jacket before speaking.
"I just want to get the hell out of this blasted place... understand?"
His tone was very displeased.
A sigh came from behind John.
In front of the tunnel stood a slim man in a gray suit, a black shirt, and an extravagant gold watch, the kind you could tell was a sinister character at a glance.
"Don't be like this, John, Bone Shards wants to see you."
He raised his hand, pressing down like an elite lawyer, as if able to manipulate the audience's emotions out of thin air.
"Think about it, you live on Dan Street, West District, do I still need to emphasize the importance of the Black Gold Gang's connections... no malice, just... a chat, OK?"
[Mission Objective Updated]
[Accept the invitation. (Optional)]
[Reject again. (Optional)]
John followed him out.
He wasn't afraid of Bone Shards.
Neon strips were embedded in the sides of the steps, making a path upward with alloy panels and glass with projections.
The sound of breaking glass came from the octagon.
Bottles and gun barrels sounded simultaneously, noise and curses drowned out by rock music as they rounded the stairs.
Casino, bar, live stage.
Every space in Bolago Club's building zone could be immersed in entertainment and money.
At the private room entrance, a gorgeous woman was smoking.
She had striking curves, a slim figure, with the face of the most popular guest on television.
[Name: Seneba (Stage Name)]
[File: Origin unknown, famous actress in Eden City, Louis Classic Jewelry brand ambassador...]
She seemed to often appear next to Bone Shards, even specially performed an erotic dance for him last time.
The room door was pushed open.
Inside was a luxuriously decorated private booth, with steak and red wine remnants on a marble table.
Bone Shards stood washing hands at the island counter.
He wore glasses, a shirt exposing a large chest area covered in intricate tattoos.
"Did you load new toys?"
Bone Shards wiped his arms, pointing at the wall.
Three rows of high-definition cameras switched constantly, the central screen played in slow motion the scene of John using Sianweistan.
"How did you unlock the lock?"
"Do you invite me to watch while you're with a girl?"
John didn't want to answer, his tone also unpleasant. "Honestly, I can't even imagine what you called me here for. There's no point in recruiting; our personalities never jibe."
"To give you a bonus, young man."
Bone Shards stood by the window, waving his hand, transferring a large amount of funds to John's account.
"I trust you, John, I flattened the odds, drained several clients who invested in Obestan, now they wish they could have you killed."
John stepped forward.
Bone Shards leaned against the window, the holographic glass switched scenes, showing the place where John fought earlier — inside the octagon, cleaning had already started, gang members closed the tunnel doors and were brawling with gamblers.
Arranged by Bone Shards.
He understood the boundaries of violent means, alternating atmosphere creation and suppression with expert finesse.
"Prizefighting is actually quite interesting, especially for someone talented and eager to make quick money like you..."
Bone Shards glanced at John.
"Where's that beautiful butterfly knife of yours? It's a pity to lose it; fight prizes can be exchanged for rewards, Bolago Club connects directly to major weapons dealers' counters, you can choose whatever you want."
"Why are you always watching me?"
"I'm not like Vito, people who always talk about trust and friendship are hypocrites, profit is king in Eden City, I don't think there's much conflict between us, why fight against money and power?"
Bone Shards didn't really understand.
John drove a supercar, lived in a luxury apartment on Dan Street, with fluctuations in daily spending levels, he should grasp the basic truths.