The Mafia Empire

He patted Robin on the shoulder. "I'm sorry. I should have listed to you!"

Suddly, the car swerved, and Wood was flung to one side, crashing hard against the door. With a thud, his shoulder was cut again by the shattered glass. He looked at Robin in confusion, but before he could speak, the speeding car came to an abrupt halt.

With a screech of brakes, the tires smoked, leaving four long black skid marks on the g, stretching more than twty meters before the car finally stopped.

Robin struggled to keep his eyes op, pushing the door op and tumbling out, collapsing to the g. Wood's mind wt blank as he followed him out of the car. He looked down at Robin, who lay on his back, his chest barely rising and falling. Wood's eyes immediately filled with tears. He screamed aimlessly, roaring as he knelt down, cradling Robin in his arms, shaking him desperately.

Three fatal wounds—two pierced his chest, one pierced his abdom, and a large amount of blood had turned Robin's favorite light brown wool sweater into a dark, blackish red.

Coughing, Robin spat out a mouthful of blood, and for a momt, he seemed to improve. He oped his eyes, looked at Wood, and slowly lifted his hand, clutching Wood's sleeve tightly. "Round the world trip..." The last word never left his mouth. His body tsed, th relaxed completely, and his hand slowly fell to the g.

Staring at Robin, now devoid of life, Wood remained silt for a momt. He suppressed the pain in his body and stuffed Robin into the back seat. By now, a crowd had gathered to watch, but he didn't care in the slightest. He swore, he would avge his brother, no matter the cost!

Meanwhile, elsewhere, a massacre had just begun.

Julian plunged a knife into the back of the guy who had be keeping watch in the alley. In fact, three days earlier, Julian had already noticed that someone was constantly observing the company from outside. The man thought he was well hidd, but who wears a bowler hat and a high collared trch coat every day, hiding in the same alley?

So Julian bought the house next door and secretly had a door installed.

Wh the guy outside thought Julian hadn't left, he had already moved to the back room, changed clothes, crossed the street, and walked into the building next to the guy. He had rted an tire floor there, just in case of a sudd attack.

Wh Wood showed up, all of Julian's precautions paid off many times over!

Pedestrians on the street either fled in panic or stood at a distance, siltly watching. Julian, wearing a mask, ignored the man's desperate gasps as if drowning. He pulled the bloodied knife out of his body.

By th, some of the m from the company had retreated outside, but wh they saw a group of teagers with knives stabbing the five guards to death on the g, and noticed that Wood and Robin were gone, their minds wt blank.

They had the advantage, the emy was supposed to be hiding on the third floor—so how had the situation turned a so suddly?

A guy holding a gun had just rushed out of the company's front door, staring blankly at the group of masked youths closing in. In that momt of confusion, Dave fired. The bullet hit the guy square in the forehead. Because of the short distance, his head jerked back, and he fell to the g, still twitching, struggling to get up.

The gunshot was like a signal, the beginning of a bloody massacre.

Meanwhile, Pronto was walking slowly, wiping sweat from his brow and gasping for air. "God above, will someone help me out?"

...

In Julian's dreams, the figure who had always appeared oft warned him with a phrase: 'Wh two meet on a narrow road, the brave shall win!'"

If you don't want to become someone else's stepping stone, th make others your stepping stones.

"Fate is relatively fair. It gives opportunities to everyone, but whether one can see those opportunities and seize them has little to do with fate. For instance, a farmer might face years of drought, yet in a single rainy season, their fortunes could change tirely. But all this requires one's actions to always be brave and bold."

It may have be brief, but at least he shone with a brilliance that lasted for decades.

This time, it was Julian's opportunity. He would not let it slip away. If he eliminated Wood, he would undoubtedly secure a place for himself in Ternell City. Others might underestimate him for his lack of foundation and accumulation, but that didn't matter to him. He only needed people to fear him, not respect him.

Fear would make them list to him, obey his orders, and become his sheep.

Respect would inevitably lead to questioning, opposition, and ev obstacles in his path.

Therefore, Wood must die!

The slaughter spread from downstairs to upstairs, and the thugs crammed on the stairs were in despair. They realized that their opponts this time were unlike any they had ever countered before. These emies didn't shout or curse to boost their morale or insult others. They were like beings born for killing—silt, efficit assassins.

Every blade strike found a vital point, and every swing of their weapons aimed for the head.

More importantly, they were unafraid of death. Like famished wolves who had tasted fresh blood, they only wanted more. They knew no fear, only the hunger to devour their emies.

A brand new truck emerged from one of the alleyways. Julian had bought it with cash from Ternell City's only truck dealership four days ago. It was the most common "Hero 50" model on the market.

The truck got its name from the Star Empire's war of national defse, where railway lines for steam locomotives were severely damaged, prevting supplies and reinforcemts from reaching the frontlines by train. The commanding geral had to requisition a large number of trucks, transporting soldiers and supplies to the front lines batch by batch.